Photos by Linda Doyle, Dolores Geisel, Stan Parker and Randy Thomson Click thumbnail photos for a larger version Fort Worth Tuesday November 4 0 Jo Thomson The TRE is a convenient and inexpensive way to the airport. Our granddaughter met us at the TRE Train Station and helped us negotiate our luggage. I suggested to Randy to get the ticket downstairs but he raced up the stairs where another ticket machine was. I stayed with our luggage on the train and waited, waited. No Randy. A train employee asked me if I needed help and I explained that Randy was having trouble with the ticket machine. “I'll go help him.” My anxiety lessened as I was pretty sure the train would not leave without the employee. Randy arrived at the train before the employee did and within a minute or two the train started rolling. We met the other ambassadors at the airport and the flight to LAX was uneventful. I slept, as usual, last minute packing and decision making prevented adequate sleep. The layover in LA passed quickly as we ate an early dinner at the airport, accomplished last minute seat assignments and we were boarding Air New Zealand. ANZ is a very accommodating airlines, good movies, I watched “Mama Mia!” and was able to sleep. We arrived in Auckland in 9½ hours, much quicker than we had thought. FFFW ambassadors arrive at Aukland airport While waiting in the airport for our hosts, Ed and Gloria Vaughn, Taylor and I scoped out changing US$ to NZ$. The exchange fee was $7.50 on $40 and we were not willing to pay that. I put my ATM card in the machine, entered PIN and received the statement, “Machine unable to process your request.” Taylor and I borrowed money from Randy for coffee and I again inserted my ATM card, using what I thought was the correct PIN. The message then said it was keeping my card for security reasons! So, I would not have my ATM card for the rest of the trip, bummer. A view of the Auckland skyline. About 2½ hours later some of our hosts arrived, warm and gracious to transport us from Auckland to Thames by chartered bus. We loaded our luggage and toured Auckland. The weather was cold, drizzling and very windy. We did not spend much time outside due to the cold as we were expecting warm weather in Thames. Several of the women dug in their suitcase for a warmer coat. Thames Wednesday November 5 1 Dan Jones and Jo Thomson From Jo, continuing, as we lost a day in crossing the International Date Line We stopped for lunch and then at a Merino wool gift shop and I was astounded at the silk feel of the Merino wool. In spite of the cold, I did not buy a sweater, too soon, as I was waiting for a bargain. Throughout the trip we noted that the US$ continued to rise while the NZ$ decreased. Jo, Gillian and Peter with Thames in the background. We finally arrived in Thames and our hosts picked us up about 5:00 PM on November 5. Peter and Gillian Hutchison were lovely, gracious and fun hosts. We had a wonderful dinner, then wine and then enjoyed watching the presidential election returns, live, on November 4. We all agreed that McCain’s speech was appropriate and very well done. We didn’t need encouragement to retire for the night as we were very exhausted from the long flight, DFW to LAX, then Auckland, toured Auckland, then the bus trip to Thames. We counted our blessings, we felt so fortunate to have Peter and Gill for our gracious, fun hosts as we settled in for our week of enjoying their lovely home with Bromeliads and other magnificent blossoms visible from every window. From Dan Jones We arrived on U.S. election day. While I had voted early, before our journey, the rest of our group and I wanted to know the outcome of the election. I was surprised to see that the New Zealand news channels not only covered our election, but did so with nearly the same intensity as our own. So, not only could we find out the outcome, but we could watch all the drama unfold. It was apparent who New Zealand was routing for, at least from the coverage I saw on the TV networks. I also was puzzled in the next several days by the amount of coverage their television, radio, and new papers gave to our politics, especially since New Zealand was in the midst of their own elections! I did find their politics interesting, and since my hosts were very much into New Zealand's politics and future, I got the scoop on why the Greens were bad for the country, the Maori Party wasn't really made up of all Maoris nor represented the majority of Maoris, and so forth. I did go with my hosts to vote at a local elementary school. Like ours, there were numerous posters lining the sidewalk encouraging the voter to vote for their party, but not once inside the school where the voting station was set up. There were no high tech voting machines, just a paper ballot, pencil, and a stuffing box. God Save the Queen! Thursday November 6 2 Randy Thomson On our first full day in Thames, we were treated to a train ride. The train, a small narrow guage train, which was probably salvaged from the local cold mining operations, was owned by an excentric potter. The potter originally used it to haul clay from deposits in the mountain down to his studio. As clay deposits were depleted, he would extend the track further up the mountain to new deposits. The railway is very interesting as the potter has placed many humorous ceramic pieces along the way, and it includes a tunnel, with ceramic pieces imbedded in the wall. Taylor, Myrtle, Jo and Howard talk with our train “engineer” and guide. Because the mountain is so steep, the train makes several switch backs to reach what is now its final destination. The train starts out moving forward. When it reaches the first switchback a switch is thrown on the track, and the train then backs up the next segment of track, to the next switch back. The track was extended past all the available clay deposits, and finally was terminated at a small pavillion and deck near the top of the mountain. We were offered a beautiful view of the "bush" and the Coremandel area from the final stop. Our welcome barbecue was nippy for us Texans, but the view was great. The first day culminated with a barbecue on one of the members farm. The farm spanned the top of a ridge, which gave a beautiful view of the bay. Everyone parked their cars at the bottom of the ridge, and we all rode up the hill to the barbecue site in a wagon, pulled by a tractor. The owner had many beautiful flowers growing around the house demonstrating how conducive much of New Zealand is to growing what we in the Southwest would consider to be exotic plants. The only down side of the evening was that it turned very cold and wet, for us Texans. However, a fire was built, and we managed to stay warm while we had a very delicious grill-cooked meal. Friday November 7 3 Pam Jones and Jo Thomson By Pam The children sang and danced to native Maori music. Our morning meeting with the Taupo city counsel made all of us feel special and informed. The meeting room had wall to wall, floor to ceiling panels of art depicting their history and culture. Also, the native song and dance of primary school children made a beautiful connection to what these people are all about. These childen, five years to twelve years old, showed pride and practice time in their performance. I thoroughly enjoyed the Mauri language spoken by the Friendship Force of Thames president, the mayor, and of course the children in song. This third day was a great welcome to the country and it's people. By Jo Jo finds out about the mayor's marriage plans. The Mayor's reception was interesting, as we expected. The Thames Mayor is a single parent, young woman in her early 30's. I talked with her at length following the singing and dancing by the Maori children. The school is very poor and she said they often have the children entertain, especially for international guests. She told me she did community service in another town and discovered she was effective at organizing communities and she liked it. She moved to the Thames-Coramandel area, ran for Mayor and won. Even if the New Zealanders like the person in a political office they will vote in someone new, “because change is good.” She also said that she was engaged to be married in January 2009, her finace lived in Auckland and was from Croatia. Master gardeners Dolores, Doris and Taylor assist with the tree planting. After the Mayor's Reception, we went to a park near the water, where we planted a tree to commemorate our exchange to Thames. Our master gardeners made sure the planting was properly done. There was a bird sanctuary in the park, within walking distance of the friendship tree grove. Godwits nest very near the tidal area of the bay. They migrate between New Zealand and Alaska, over 23,000 miles. Godwit nesting area. Later in the afternoon, we visited a gold mine museum, gold mine and battery (where the ore is crushed and the gold separated). During peak mining it mined over $3,000,000 of gold per day, in today’s dollars. Throughout the trip to New Zealand we were told of the history of mining gold and much gold is still in the mountains, etc., but very costly to mine. Saturday November 8 4 Randy Thomson and Peggy Glenn By Randy Peter, Jo and Gill at the Hot Water Beach. Our hosts, Gillian and Peter Hutchison, had voted early, so we left the house early for a drive over the the Mountains, to the Pacific shore. We had to leave early, in order to get to the Hot Water Beach at Whitianga while the tide was still low. Hot Water Beach contains two springs that carry water from over 1½ miles underground, where the water is close to a lava pool, the remains of an early volcano. The water is heated a temperature of over 140°F when it reaches the surface. Although it looks like it is boiling, the bubbles are due to carbon dioxide gas being released from the water. Still, the water is so hot, that it must be mixed with cool sea water before it is comfortable to wade or sit in. Peter brought along a shovel, and dug a hole in the sand. As the hot water bubbled to the surface, we allowed the waves to bring cooler water in to mix with the hot water, and there we had our own “hole in the sand” spa! Randy and Jo at Cathedral Cove. After the tide had covered the hot water springs, we walked across the street to a restaruant owned by a friend of the Hutchisons for coffee, and then drove on down the coast to Cathedral Cove. Cathedral Cove is accessible by a long up and down hill walk from a high parking lot to the beach. At the cove, a large hole in the side of the hill arches across the beach, making a very beautiful scene. A pair of California Quail, nesting. On the way back from the cove, we saw a pair of California Quail nesting beside the path. The female was sitting on the eggs, and the male was strutting around to make sure the nest was kept safe. California Quail (obviously) are not indigenous to New Zealand, but were introduced for sport hunting. Swallow feeding its young. As we arrived at a shelter, just below the parking lot, I looked up and saw a swallow's nest attached to a rafter in the roof. As I watched, I saw that there were four young swallows in the nest, waiting to be fed. Shortly, an adult swallow flew up and, while fluttering in mid air like a humming bird, put food down the throat of one of the young birds - what a rare site, on such a beautiful day! We proceeded on to a lake, with a town on the opposite side. While Peter drove the car around the lake, the other three of us took a small ferry, made to carry 8-10 people, across the lake. We were met on the opposite side by some friends of Peter and Jill. They took us on a tour of the town, before we met Peter. We then drove up the side of the hill to their house, which had a beautiful view of the lake and the mountains. We were shown an upsidedown tomato plant, growing out of a hole in the bottom of a plastic bucket. We then went back down the hill, to an Irish pub that was the friend was a partner in, where we had lunch. I thought I had paid for our lunch, until recently when I was looking at my receipts, and saw that my signature had been “rejected”, which I hadn't noticed at the time. So, we had unknowingly been guests of our new acquaintance. “Reclining Woman” On leaving the town, we leisurely drove back to Thames, stopping once, at a seaside community, where we had a good view of the “pregnant woman on her back” mountain. By Peggy With The United States National Election being the week we arrived in Thames, it was exciting to learn that New Zealand's National General Election was a few days later on November 8th. That day New Zealand elected its 49th Parliament and the National Party headed by John Key as prime minister won a plurality of votes and seats. Our Hosts, Diana and Bob Cox, were very interested in politics. It quickly became evident that they were strong supporters of the National Party, John Key and the MP (Member of Parliament) who won re-election from the Thames area. On election night they invited Dolores and me to be their guests at the election victory celebration at the National Party Club. The Club, much like a small Country Club, was filled with people celebrating. Big screen TV's gave constant updates on election results. Drinks and food were offered. We learned the MP from Thames was giving the party for her supporters. We quickly realized our Hosts were well known by the MP who came all the way across the room to greet us as we arrived. She asked many questions about our elections and politics in the United States. Who would have thought I would have ever gone to an election victory celebration in New Zealand!!! Friendship Force opens lots of doors to visiting Ambassadors. Sunday November 9 5 Dale Jeffers Sunday was a free day. Two games that were new to me and popular in NZ were Rugby and Lawn Bowling. I was able to get up at 6:00AM on Sunday in Taupo to watch the All Blacks Union Rugby team play England. A rugby union team consists of 15 players with 7 replacements. Once a player is taken from the game he generally cannot return. The field is 100 meters long with goal posts on each end similar to our football field. The game is 80 minutes long of active play which is only stopped for injuries and penalties. A half is taken at 40 minutes. No player on either side may be over a line in which the ball is located, if so they are out of play. The ball is moved forward by carrying it or punting it. It cannot be passed forward. A score is made when a player crosses the goal line and grounds the ball with his hands on top of the ball. This is worth 5 points and is called a try. The team scoring can then try kicking a goal for 2 points. Another way to score when a try is not made is by kicking a goal by drop kicking or place kicking. This generally happens when a penalty is assessed on the other team as in soccer. This is worth 3 points. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. It is a very exciting game with the action of soccer and the contact of our football without padding. Lawn Bowling The free day in Thames I played a game of Lawn Bowling. This game was played on an artificial surface at the senior center in which our host Liz Jones lives. The surface may also be grass cut short on smooth ground. The greens are 34 to 40 meters long with the playing "rink" between 4.3 and 5.8 meters wide. A small white ball called a jack is thrown to the far end and becomes the target for the bowls. Each player has a set of 4 bowls which are within specifications of 116mm to 131mm in diameter and no more than 1.59kg in weight. The bowls are cut on a bias so that when rolled they do not go straight but will curve. The amount of the curve depends on the speed. Each player plays 21 ends, which is rolling a set of 4 bowls, 21 times, alternating from one end of the court to the other. The players alternate rolls with the closest on the prior end going first. The scoring is simple, the bowls of the player closest to the jack are counted and the player with the most points wins. This was a challenging game as not only the speed to reach the jack came into play but the curve factor depending if you wanted to stop near the jack or hit the opponents bowl out of play. The Egyptians started the game about 5000BC playing skittles with round stones. The modern day rules were developed in Scotland in 1893. However many variations of this game are played. Monday November 10 6 Pam Jones Tea at the Olive Grove Monday was our bus trip to many local hidden treasures. Our first stop was the “Olive Grove” with morning. We toured a beautiful private clay home and garden with many eco-minded philosophies. A humorous sign read in their outdoor "loo" (bathroom)- "If yellow, it is mellow---If brown, flush it down". Their indoor toilets were also different than ours throughout N.Z. with two buttons optional for flushing. Our lunch stop was at the most picturesque English township, Cambridge, known for its coffee shops, numerous stores and tutti-frutti ice cream. A prize stallion at Windsor Park Stud Farm The afternoon stop was a delight for horse lovers. The Windsor Park Stud Farm had the most handsome and expensive thoroughbreds for horse racing. Tuesday November 11 7 Shelby Whitely Today is my son's birthday, but I have to remember to call him tomorrow, because today is really tomorrow in the US!! [Actually today is yesterday in the US when you're in New Zealand, so you have to wait until tomorrow for it to be today. - rwt] How crazy can time get??? It is a beautiful day in Thames but a sad time to say goodbye to our wonderful new friends here. We dressed up a bit for our farewell dinner at the Jockey Club. We arrived for cocktails from 6-7PM, then feasted on a delicious dinner. The dessert was the awesome “heavenly” Pavlova plus some crisp chocolate cookies filled with cream. Each club greeted one another and the program began with the Thames group doing a spoof of Cinderella. All the female parts were done by men sitting in a row, wearing women's hats. Prince Charming was a woman--our friend, Ruth. We laughed and laughed! I'm afraid our rendition of “Yellow Rose” and “Eyes of Texas” was not as entertaining unless our Texas accent made them laugh??? We ended the evening in a big circle, holding hands and singing ”The More We Get Together”, what a great experience of two countries, half a world apart, sharing such a great friendship. We left with people still visiting and dancing. It is going to be so hard to tell our dear Kath goodbye tomorrow. Taupo Wednesday November 12 8 Jo Thomson and Linda Doyle From Linda Taraunga Beach Today we enjoyed a bus ride from Thames to Taupo with sightseeing along the way. At first we travelled through rolling hills dotted with sheep and dairy cattle. Then we drove along the coastline and viewed the Mount Maurtanui beaches, somewhat obscured by industry. At last we headed south into Kiwi country. The guide at KIWI 360 explained that there were between two and three thousand orchards in this area and 100 million trees. The kiwi orchards were protected by rows of 30-40 foot trees carefully trimmed so they resembled a living fence that served to break the wind. These orchards produce 300,000 lbs. of commercial kiwi fruit a year, all picked by hand. Golden Kiwi at Kiwi 360 The orchard we visited had also introduced a golden kiwi fruit, more mild and much less astringent than the green Kiwi fruit ordinarily available in US stores. There were moveable beehives with 1 million bees for pollination of the blossoms in spring. The ripening fruit is actually tested for sugar content (6%) before picking and then continues to ripen during shipment to market. Next we stopped at Comvita where products made from honey from all those bees was for sale. Pam, Taylor, Jo, Myrtle and Peggy feeding the animals at Longridge Farm Our final stop of the day was Longridge Farm for tea. From Jo Ready to board the bus for Taupo We drove to our meeting place, the racetrack in Thames, to be met by the bus from Taupo. Saying goodbye to our dear friends, Gill and Peter was very hard and all four of us wanted them to come along to Taupo for us. We all agreed that we would get together again, maybe in the US to visit Yellowstone Park and other places since they have not been to the US. Our bus was not the best, it creeked, groaned and swayed as we made our way on a winding road to Taupo. In fact, I heard some of our group say, “The bus was awful!” We made many stops along the way and the ED from Taupo worked very hard to provide information, historical and educational along the way. Learning about kiwi production Our first stop was a Kiwi plantation. We rode in a wagon through the farm and our guide furnished instructional information about the harvesting of the kiwi fruit, the nutritive value – it is high in antioxidants, the gender of the trees and how they were pollinated by the bees. Without the bees, the trees would not bear fruit. Also, when frost is predicted they had used helicopters to blow warm air on the tress to prevent damage to the fruit. The helicopters were very costly so they built stationary towers with blades to turn on when frost is predicted. We were offered kiwi fruit each morning for breakfast both in Thames and in Taupo. The kiwi vines are similar to grape vines and the orchard from a distance looked like grape vines. We had lunch at the kiwi farm gift shop. They had a buffet waiting for us, barbecue with all the trimmings (not quite like our Texas barbecue but very tasty), tea, scones and pavlova (a wonderful, traditional NZ dessert). Our next stop was a honey place and again, we received much information about the production of the Manuka Honey (made from tea trees). It is claimed the honey is antibacterial, antifungal and it is also used to treat abrasions. I purchased several jars of the honey and put some of the honey on a fever blister I had been struggling with. Kaori grove at Longridge Farm We had another tour of a kiwi farm and then drove through a Kauri forest. They are replenishing the Kauri tree as it was used indiscriminately by the Maoris and for lumber for commerce. Colin Ridge, the Taupo ED had laryginitis but he still gave us much information regarding the agricultural use of the area, the history and some customs of the Maori. We stopped for tea, delicious scones and cream, and I noted that we had driven and eaten most of the day. Our hosts met us at the Convention Center in Taupo about 5:30 PM. We moved our luggage in our hosts Hyundai, and our host, Chris Flack drove us to their home. We were greeted with a delicious meal of chicken and rice casserole, more food!. I begged Margaret to decrease my portion as we had been eating all day. She refused, graciously, “You can eat it!” I did enjoy the meal. We got acquainted and shared the quilting books that I had brought for her and she gave me a lovely scarf that she had felted from Merino wool and polyester, multi-colored with buttons underneath the polyester. She creates lovely scarves, capes and purses. I agreed to wear the scarf to the Mayor’s Reception the next morning. Thursday November 13 9 Pam and Dan Jones Howard McMahan presents Taupo mayor with greetings from Fort Worth The Mayoral Reception was given by a man generous with his time and personality, whose motto was “Just Bloody Do It.” He told us of Taupo's rich resources: hydro-electric power, local thermal activity, Lake Taupo, the largest lake in the Southern Hemisphere, and surrounding snow capped mountains for skiing. Tourism is big here for obvious reasons of activity and beauty. Actually, Dan and I would like to live here for a period of time after his retirement. There is one fall back - this area is highly volatile for future volcanic activity. Dolores and Peggy enjoy the hot spring waters That evening was our Welcome Dinner at the luxurious Hot Mineral Resort. Most of us put on our swimming suits and played in the waters. I loved the tropical setting with the hot spring pools. The variety of places you could experience the hot mineral water was fun. My favorite being the waterfall that went directly down the back of your neck - the best of all sensations You came out with a new softness to your skin and a relaxation of body and mind. Your personal items were kept safe and secure and the dressing rooms were pleasant and spacious. While our ambassadors were playing in the warm waters, our hosts and hosteses prepared the barbecue. When it was ready, we were called to dine in a beautiful covered area with grilled meats and a generous amounts of side dishes. Their homemade food rivaled our own Friendship Force get togethers. I liked the way the New Zealanders had us seated with our hostess and stood up to introduce to the group our home stay match. Connections were made directly at the onset of our stay. What a full and wonderful day. This was an excellent time for social mixing with our New Zealand friends. Friday November 14 10 Stan Parker With additions by Randy Thomson Today we went to see some of the natural phenomenon that, aside from Lake Taupo itself, are so well known in this area, namely the thermal phenomena, such as geysers, mud pots, and hot water pools. Lady Geyser in full display We first met at the "Lady Geyser", near Rotorua. As the ranger explained, "The Lady", normally only makes an appearance, on the average, every two days, but by dumping soap flakes down her throat, she can be made to erupt twice a day, on command, thus, accomodating all of the visitors who come to view her. We sat on benches a safe distance from the geyser while the ranger explained that the idea of using soap flakes arose when a worker who was bathing in the hot water set his soap on the rim of the geyser and accidentally knocked it down the throat. The Lady obliged minutes later by coughing up steam and hot water. The ranger explained that the physical reason is that the soap breaks down the surface tension of the water, allowing it to sink down to the area where it can become super heated much faster. Pool at Wai-O-Tapu After seeing the geyser, many of us went to Wai-O-Tapu, the Thermal Wonderland, where we walked through a park that can best be described to those from the US as a mini-Yellowstone. During a self-guided walking tour, we saw mud pots, steaming holes, and colorful hot pools of steaming water. This was an awesome sight, well worth the time and effort. We all went our separate ways for lunch, some enjoying the cafe and awesome displays of small jewelry and huge, beautiful bowls and vases at the Lava Glass, glass blowing factory. Some of us also visited Huka Falls. Those of us who were on the 1998 Exchange to New Zealand remembered this as the only place in the Rotorua area that our bus stopped during our trip from North Aukland to the Manawatu area. Totem at the Maori village entrance Later in the afternoon, we visited a traditional Maori village. Where we were welcomed by the "chief" and his subjects, in a formal Maori greeting. In a pseudo random selection process, Stan was railroaded into the role of our "chief" since Dan had already experienced a Maori welcome on our previous New Zealand exchange. With the chief's staff in hand Stan lead us with the dignity and solemnity that only a former judge could attain, under the circumstances. After the greeting we were lead through the village where traditional Maori crafts, such as weaving, tattooing and mock fighting were demonstrated. On our journey, it was explained how the natural hot waters that had run through this area had been diverted by the nearby Wairakei thermal generating plant, at one time. It had taken years of negotiation between the Maoris and Contact, the power plant company, to get the generating facility to divert a small stream of hot, high mineral content water back onto the Maori's sacred land where it was used to form a beautiful mineral pool first starting with a man made form, which was then covered with deposited minerals. As we saw it, one could hardly tell that it was not totally natural. The Maoris were very grateful that a small semblance of their ancient waters had been returned to them. Chief Stan Parker performs the haka Our trek though the village ended in an entertainment hall where we were fed traditional Maori dishes, while the chief and his subjects danced and sang for us. Later in the evening, many of the guests were given the opportunity to practice what they had seen, including the haka. Many laughs were had by all. This was the final action of "Chief Stan" who received hearty "Thanks" for his splendid service. Saturday November 15 11 Linda Doyle Saturday was a free day and happened to be Open House at the Wairakei Thermal Power Station. Our hosts' 14 year-old granddaughter joined us for an event-filled day. This was the 50th Anniversary of the power station which will be decommissioned by 2010. There was a lively carnival atmosphere with tents dispensing “American” hot dogs, extremely chewy steak sandwiches, and all kinds of baked goodies for charitable causes. Looking down from the crane. Small dot to left of red square is Taupo host Chris Flack. A giant crane lifted 9-10 adventurous people 100 meters into the air for a stunning view of the network of geothermal pipes cascading down the valley and a breathtaking 5 minute ride. After our feet were back on earth, we were allowed to walk through the generating station complete with hard hats and then were taken on a bus excursion through the bore fields (wells for steam). Miles of huge pipelines bring the steam to the huge turbines. By 2 PM, we arrived at the Aratitia Rapids just as three huge sluice gates were opened, creating instantaneous rapids 10-12 feet above what had been a gurgling stream. This happens three times a day in order to maintain river flow. Other stops included a glass blowing exhibit at Lava Glass, an overlook of Huka Falls (200 cubic meters per second or the contents of two Olympic sized swimming pools) and a drive through a favorite camping facility by the river. Our very busy day concluded with a relaxing dinner watching an exquisite sunset over Lake Taupo with Ed and Gloria Vaughan and two NZ families. Sunday November 16 12 Myrtle McMahan and Linda Doyle From Myrtle Ed and Gloria Vaughn on the way to the championship We started off the morning with a Petanque tournament. Colin had paired couples from Taupo with couples from Fort Worth. The game is played with eight Petanque chrome plated balls with lines. Each player has two balls, which were marked with lines, single, double, triple or quadruple. They resembled Croquette balls. A small wooden ball was thrown into the court, and the object was to get your ball the closest to the “Quirt”, that is what I think they called the wooden ball. Not everyone from Taupo knew the same rules, and I think it was one of those games that you make up the rules as you go along. Gloria and Ed Vaughan were the winners and were presented a gift at the Farewell Dinner. Some of our group did not get to participate as they went to church with their hosts. After Petanque, we went to lunch at RSA, the New Zealand equivalent of a VFW Hall. We ate a delicious lunch prepared by the Hall. Royalty was hanging on the walls. FFFW behind our commemorative Kaori tree At 2 p.m. we went to the Tree planting ceremony. The City Council donated the tree. To get to the park where the trees are planted, we had to go by the sewage treatment plant, and through a locked gate. Our master gardeners tried to tell the “planters” what they were doing wrong. Maybe the way they are planting the trees explains why all the trees have remained almost the same size, though some of them had plaques that were four or more years old. We went back to our host’s home to pick up refreshments for afternoon tea at Lockwood’s Dairy Farm. Our hostess must have baked an enormous quantity of cookies, as she kept bringing them to various things. The spread at tea was wonderful. Milking Carousel at Lockwood Dairy Many of us rode down to the barn where they were milking 1100 cows twice a day. They herded the cows one by one onto a revolving carousel that held about 50+ cows, hooked up the milking machine to each cow, and the milk was hosed into a large vat in another part of the barn. It looked like it took about three people to handle the entire milking procedure. After tea, we all went our separate ways. Three of our couples and the Taupo couples got together for a drink at Ed and Gloria’s host family, Colin and Marie Buchanan. We then took the host families out to a wonderful dinner at Pimentos. The food was most plentiful and prepared perfect. From Linda I woke up quite ill, and had to forego the fun and games planned by Len, my host, for a trip to the doctor on duty that day. We joined the rest of the Ambassadors for a fantastic feast at RSA (Like the VFW) and then gathered beside the river to plant a tree in the Friendship Garden. Pastoral view of Lockwood Dairy The final event of the day was tea at Lockwood’s Dairy Farm. The exquisitely beautiful view from the back gate is now captured forever on my desktop. This was no ordinary dairy. It was a farm of about 1500 verdant acres and they were milking over a thousand cows. Milking continued around the clock. About 30 cows would step onto a rotating platform where 2 dairy hands immediately affixed the milking pumps. Most cows had their milk extracted by the time the milking-go-round had completed one revolution. If not, they got to go round again. If a cow had a mastitis problem, her udder was sprayed with green fluorescent paint and she would be seen by a veterinarian that day. What a really efficient set up! I live in the middle of a dairying community and have seen nothing like this!!! Monday November 17 13 Peggy Glenn As I looked out my window in the morning, the sky indicated the day would be a good day for a bus trip. It was overcast and rainy. We all boarded the bus to go to Rotorua, a city often mentioned in travel materials about New Zealand. Rotorua is located on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty Area. As you approach Rotorua a distinctive scent of sulphur signals an active thermal area. As you drive through the streets you see steam rising from pipes, from cracks in the pavement and seemingly from nowhere. ED and veterinarian Dan Jones demonstrates his milking technique Piling off the bus we milled around the woolen mill outlet store getting our first glimpse of a wide variety of woolen goods made in NZ. This was great preparation for going to the Agrodome to see the Sheep Show. The audience was from all over the world with many tourists from Japan and China. Who would have thought we would see 19 popular breeds of sheep, working sheep dogs, sheep shearing and a cow milking demonstrations. Our own Dan went forward to milk a cow. For an hour we watched with great fascination as all the sheep breeds were paraded in to take their place on stage. We learned that New Zealand has developed a unique type of sheep shearing that has been used all over the world. After our very fun, muscular sheep shearer made a big pile of wool on the floor, the sheep dogs came in, running all around the sheep, jumping over their backs, standing on their backs. What well trained sheep and dogs! The audience was thrilled when everyone was invited forward at the end to take pictures of each other with the sheep. Some of us ventured out into the rain to watch the outdoor demonstration of sheep dogs working. The nocturnal Kiwi Our next semi-indoor stop was to an aviary where we walked through tropical looking plant areas seeing native birds, even walking into a darkened cave like area to see the nocturnal kiwis. It was fascinating to learn that they do not fly and have enormous eggs. In the evening Dolores and I took our hostess to dinner at a Thai restaurant with Jean and her hostess Betty. As we were leaving the restaurant Jo and Randy’s host couple invited all of us to their home to celebrate her birthday. Margaret, the birthday lady, was a fiber artist. She showed us many of her clothes she had made out of felted wool that she had created. Tuesday November 18 14 Taylor Stephens-Parker With additions by Randy Thomson A pre-schooler doing the haka On our last full day in Taupo, we had the opportunity to visit two different schools, both of which place much emphasis on retaining and encouraging the Maori culture, even though not all the students were Maori, as demonstrated by one very active tow-headed boy who could do the Haka with the best. FFFW sings the alphabet song The students at the second school were enthusiastic to show us Maori dances, and the Maori greeting of touching noses. We were pleasantly surprised at the modern equipment, including large interactive computer displays, where at least one teacher brought up Google Maps to show the class where Texas was. After the students gave their native demonstrations, the ladies in our group were invited to try the poi, swing balls. A few of the ladies became proficient very quickly. A few were dangerous. Taylor and Pam learn the poi As we left the schools behind, it was a reminder that we were in fact leaving Taupo and the North Island behind the next day. But, we still had a farewell dinner to look forward to before the evening was over. The dinner was held at a local community building, and as usual included many delicious homemade dishes, many of which were traditional to New Zealand. No. 6 on the way to victory After the traditional, and very appropriate, words of appreciation and farewell were said, the Taupo club engaged us in a "horse race", with broomstick horses. Dan Jones was appointed the official veterinarian of the race. And jockeys were selected from both clubs. The race was, of course rigged so that a Texan would win, not to take away from the excellent riding and racing ability of the eventual winner, Peggy Glenn. The evening ended with all joining hands and singing "Let There Be Peace," after which we bade farewell to those we would not see at the airport in the morning. Te Anau Wednesday November 19 15 Howard McMahan Farewell to Taupo This was a travel day for the move from Taupo to the South Island. Our wonderful hosts took us to the airport and waited to see us on our flight. I guess they wanted to be certain that we boarded our flight. As they all stood outside the airport and waved goodbye, it was symbolic of the week we had with them. The small aircraft used for our flight only held 14 of us as we flew first to Auckland and then to Queenstown. Four had to fly on another plane to Wellington and then to Queenstown. It was amazing that the use of the two planes created no significant problems and they handled our luggage with no problems, which were checked through to Queenstown. Both planes took off from Taupo at about the same time, and the other two planes arrived fairly close to one another in Queenstown. Dan had a few anxious moments in waiting for the bus transport to our hotel in Te Anau. The female driver drove us half the way, then changed with the driver from the bus from Te Anau. He drove us the rest of the way. The trip was uneventful, though long. We left about 9:15 a.m. and got to the hotel about 7 p.m. We all walked into town for dinner in a few different restaurants. Thursday November 20 16 Tom Norton 1st Day on the South Island--Fiordland Far south latitude, one month from mid-summers day, 17 hours of daylight; 5 AM 'til 10 PM. Whole day was devoted to one destination, Doubtful Sound(or more accurately, Doubtful Fiord). Early rise - Hot Breakfast at Hotel, Depart by bus at 8:30 AM. 20-minute bus ride to the dock on Lake Manipouri - one hour cruise on lake - one hour coach ride from end of lake over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove at the head of Doubtful Sound. Three hour cruise on Sound to the Tasman Sea & back to retrace the route with the addition of a bus trip down a spiral underground road to Manipouri power station 180 meters below the surface. The mountains from Lake Manipouri Views from the boat on Lake Manipouri were stunning---snow capped Mt's. & calm. (Very cold wind for those of us on the sundeck). Vistas from the bus going over Wilmot Pass are indescribable, but Doubtful Sound itself is beyond indescribable, lush verdant vertical mountainsides with uncountable waterfalls cascading hundreds of feet to the fiord. Seals at the mouth of Doubtful Sound At the mouth of the fiord (Nee Island) we saw crested penguins, fur seals, and a rookery of white-fronted terns. The highlight of the cruise was 5 minutes of silence at the turning point on the crooked arm of the sound. No boat motor - no cameras clicking - only the hum of the breeze and a faint whisper of falling water....OH! did I mention the awe inspiring, imposing, towering mountains in every direction. The return trip wasn't bad either. The sound averages 200 days of rain per year--20 feet of rain! The other 166 day are usually cloudy and misty. Today was partly cloudy but with lots of sun(I have the red face to prove it!). Thanks to someone "up there" for the rare weather treat!! Later note to group--Milford Sound day was very rainy all day. Group comments were not nearly as positive. There is a reason that Milford Sound is world renown. Go back and see it on a good day. The day ended with a quite pleasant dinner with Howard and Myrtle at Redcliffs in Te Anau. Thanks to Stan and Taylor for the recommendation. Friday November 21 17 Barbara Norton and Dan Jones From Barbara Alpine, the 26 year-old Takahe In the morning Tom and Barbara walked to the Birding Sanctuary along the side of Lake Te Anau. We were able to compare the Kia and the Kaka. The Kia came when we called it and was very interested in the leaves and twigs that Shelby gave him/her. We also saw three endangered Takahe, flightless birds thought to be extinct until 1948. We had a close up view of Alpine, the 26 year old Takahe who has lived long past her life expectancy. She felt good that day and was very active in her cage. The main street of Te Anau featured a giant statute of a Takahe. From Dan Today was planned to be a low key day, one to sleep a bit longer, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and explore the town of Te Anau. Our big event wouldn't start until early afternoon when we all would meet at the city pier to board a boat for ride across Lake Te Anau. Of course, sailing was smooth with spectacular scenery, and once we reached our destination, we docked at a remote site along the lake. The only development there was a small visitor center in which was a small museum, where we were given an orientation on the reason for our trip, Glowworms. Glow Worm Cave - Sorry no photos inside After being divided up into small groups, each group proceeded up a short trail to the entrance of the cavern. The cavern was large enough to walk comfortably with a few head-ducks for the taller crowd. The most impressive stream came gushing from the cavern, and once inside was even more impressive with the strength of water and water falls! We maneuvered through the cavern by way of cat walks and paths build along side the stream. Finally we reached a place where there was a calm pool of water with a flat bottom boat waiting for us. We seated ourselves in the boat with our guide remaining standing at one end. This was because he needed to hold on to a rope line to guide the boat, especially since the lights were extinguished and total darkness came over us ...well, almost. The ceiling of the cavern had numerous glowing lights that resembled stars on a dark night. This glow came from the end of a "fishing line" the worm would make to lure their dinner onto the sticky line. Back to the boat, our ride back to Te Anau, and to rest up for our trip to Queenstown the next day. Saturday November 22 18 Doris Hill Our bus picked us up at our hotel for the trip to Milford Sound and subsequent return to Queenstown. Our bus driver, Dion, seemed stunned at the luggage we piled in his bus. We entered the Edlington Valley which is the entrance to Fiordland National Park. There is only one road in and out of Milford Sound and it was completed in 1954. We traveled in the park and saw Beech trees, Totara trees (the Maoris favored these for carving) and beautiful waterfalls radiating down the steep cliffs. Mirror Lake We journeyed on to Mirror Lakes for a photo op and there we encountered the N.Z. bird, the Kea. They are a very intelligent bird and we all had great fun chasing them around our bus for a photo. Waterfall on Milford Sound We passed through the Homer Tunnel and had our first glimpse of the gorgeous Milford Sound. It is not really a sound, it is a fiord, but it was mislabeled early on and the name stuck. Even though it was foggy and rainy the riverboat cruise offered spectacular views of rock walls and tumbling waterfalls. We found our coach and started back to Te Anau and our final destination, Queenstown. The roadside had many interesting plants to observe, big clumps of Red Tussock grass and wild yellow lupens that reminded me of our Texas bluebonnets. We were all startled a bit by a commotion on the roadside and then we realized some young men were vigorously "mooning" our bus. Dion remarked “they probably had too much to drink.” Mooning must be a prank all over the world.. Linda and Jo in the gondola over Queentown As we drove into Queenstown our bus driver told us "there is a lot on offer here". We shall see. Queenstown Sunday November 23 19 Dolores Geisel and Shelby Whitely From Dolores Geisel in Wolf's van This Sunday was a beautiful day for a drive in the country. So, off we went in two 4-wheel-drive SUVs to tour Skipper Canyon, the site of New Zealand’s gold rush. Our driver, Wolfgang (aka "Wolfie", the daredevil), introduced himself and gave a bit of his background: German, married to a Swiss wife with two teenage children who are NZ’ers. Not only was he a great driver on the very narrow cliff-hanging roads, he was quite a knowledgeable local historian and an entertaining talker. Skipper Canyon Skipper canyon is awesome and though the water far below was murky (by local standards) due to the recent rain, it was still a beautiful blue. With numerous stops along the way, we had good opportunity to enjoy the vistas. Randy, our own bungy jumper, must have particularly appreciated the tale of how bungy jumping got started and seeing the first and second sites where jumping occurred. Just seeing those sites was enough for most of us flatlanders to shudder at the thought of such, and to appreciate Randy's jump the next day. Sluice mining area Hearing the story of the gold mining town of several thousand that thrived on what is now an upper meadow, one of the few, not very large, flat areas that existed on the drive was fascinating. The meadow looks so small to have had such an extensive town. Across the canyon, the ugly results of the water sluice mining are still there as if it was done recently. On we went across a very narrow suspension bridge, to finally arrive at a home and school house which have been restored. After a lovely wine and tea break, we headed back. Wolfie the daredevil Why Wolfie, the daredevil? Though Wilma, who was sitting in the middle position right behind Wolfie, might contradict me; it wasn’t his driving, which was quite skilled. (Wilma had nothing to hold onto as we went around corners and she had an up-close frontal view of the dropoffs ahead! No wonder she felt insecure.) However, his repeated standing, one-footed, on the stone outcroppings and the narrow railings of the bridge within inches of the edge with the next stop being the river as he narrated gave us all a bit of a thrill. None of us tried to copy him! From Shelby Whiteley, in Graeme's van Graeme's van Two vans picked us up at the hotel for out trip to Skipper's Canyon. Our driver and tour guide was Graeme and he was great! He filled out trip with laughter and many, many stories of the history and gold rush. Skipper's canyon is known as the mini Grand Canyon of NZ. We followed a narrow steep road, much like the jeep trips I have taken in the high country in Colorado, often looking down from dizzying heights. The gorges were carved by huge “glassiers”, as the Kiwis call them. Then as we neared the bottom, we saw the Shotover river, which is still carving out the gorges, and where the gold rush began with the discovery of gold dust. Gold was panned by the miners -- no mining. Mining settlement school house Picnic lunch We crossed a hugh red suspension bridge -- no one has figured out how the miners built it -- and climbed up the mountain to a huge grassy area with two or three small buildings. One was the school for the miner's children. They added a small place for the teacher to live, as part of the building. Graeme and Wolfie set up tables and chairs. We had wonderful NZ wine while they set out tea, coffee, and treats for us. What a beautiful place of peace and absolutely quiet. It is hard to imagine the life these people led, so far from what we would consider civilization. Last stop in Skipper Canyon Coming back, Graeme pointed out a huge pipe that crossed the gorge that had been used for bungy jumping. Yuk!! Then he took us to the river and I had a chance to do my favorite thing - pick up rocks. They were beautiful. For once, I wasn't the only one picking up rocks. [and her initials are JO - rwt] Out of the canyon, we stopped for one more look across the Wakatipu valley. Beautiful New Zealand spread out for miles before us. I don't want to go home!!!!!!!! Monday November 24 20 Randy Thomson Everyone but Jo and I had a morning off. We were due at A. J. Hackett by 8:45. Jo wondered if I made a Freudian slip because I set the proper time on the alarm, but set PM instead of AM. Jo woke up 15 minutes late and woke me up, still with plenty of time. She then wondered if waking me up had been such a good idea. We ate a light breakfast in our room and walked to the A. J. Hackett office with time to spare. We checked in, and a van picked us up, along with three young people from Mexico. A twenty minute drive through wine country brought us to the Kawarau River Bridge Bungy Center. I got checked in and weighed and set my camera up for Jo to take pictures, and then walked out on the bridge to the jump platform. While I was putting on a safety harness, a young Oriental man was preparing to jump. He stood on the platform nervously and made a long speech that I couldn’t understand, paused, and finally jumped. Will he do it?? It was now my turn. I sat while my ankles were tightly wrapped in a towel and the ankle harness strapped on. I requested that the cord be set to allow me to touch the water, however, the river was very murky due to recent rain, so they weren’t allowing anyone to get wet. After being helped to stand up, I “penguin walked” out onto the platform. I waved at the camera and Jo, then on a three second countdown, with a brief feeling of nervousness, took a swan dive into space. Yes he will! Whoopeee!! Wow! I had a great feeling of exhilaration, during the brief freefall I had the feeling I would like for it to go on and on. When I reached the end of the bungy, I felt a gentle pull, until I was stopped a few feet above the water, and gently pulled into an upward “bounce.” “Yeeehaa!!” I was lowered onto a raft in the river and disconnected from the bungy cord. The raft was tethered by ropes on either side of the river so that it could be drifted out into the river and then pulled to shore. I was let out on the bank and made the long climb back up to the bridge. Half way up the stairway I realized I was practically running I was so hyped up. Wow! I’d definitely do it again. I later found that because I was over 68, I received free photos and a DVD of my jump. Then, it was time to go back to Queenstown to toast my success on the wine tour. After lunch (Jo and I ate a light lunch in our room), we boarded a bus for a tour of five different wineries. The route took us past the Kawarau Bungy Bridge, so I was able to point out where I jumped to the rest of the group. On the way to Amisfield, our first winery, we noticed some shrubs with small pink flowers. Our guide told us they were Rose Briar, or Rose Hips. The area has a unique semi-arid microclimate east of the Southern Alps. It has hot summers, cold winters, and cool autumns that promote slow ripening of the grapes. "How to taste wines" Our first tasting experience, at Amisfield Vineyard, was prefaced by a very nice explanation of the proper method of wine tasting by Olivia, our guide. She explained the proper way to view, smell, and taste wines for full appreciation of their qualities. Historic Old Cromwell Town We stopped for a brief look around the historic Old Cromwell Town, where buildings have been preserved and are used as gift shops. The old newspaper building has an exhibit of an early printing press. We visited four other wineries. At one we walked through a very old building, then down the hill to a modern building with very interesting architecture. Casks were lined up in a temperature controlled room in about ten rows of what looked to be over fifty yards. Jo and I bought a bottle of wine there, thinking we might bring it home, but it didn’t make it out of New Zealand. We found that the grape that grows best in the Queenstown area, and hence the best and most common wine, is the Pinot Noir. I had not had much experience with Pinot Noir prior to this trip, but developed a real appreciation for it. Tuesday November 25 (Happy Birthday Jo) 21 Linda Doyle, Jo Thomson and Randy Thomson From Jo Happy Birthday to me! I rushed up, after pondering my dream about work, to get ready for the Lord of Rings tour. I noted that it was raining and my body resisted leaving the warm bed. I asked it if it really wanted to go on the Lord of Rings tour and the answer was clear, “No!” I told Randy about my plans to stay in, he said, “I guess it is okay, I will miss you on the boat.” I planned to go on the boat ride to the sheep station across the lake. I enjoyed the quiet morning, breakfast in, that included coffee, cocoa, banana and peanut butter. When Randy returned they all said I made a good decision, many of the women did not get off the bus. It was cold, windy and sleeting. Of course, Randy got off the bus to take in the sites in the book he bought. Jo climbing out of the engine room Happy birthday to Jo We boarded the boat, the Ernslaw, for the ride across the lake to the Walter Peak Farm and Sheep Station. I attended the tour of the boat and we were told the boat was used from 1920 until the road was built to transport sheep from the sheep station. Upon arriving on the station, we observed feeding the large red cows and we were then offered grain to feed the cows and sheep. Immediately after petting the cows, sheep and horses we were served tea. I had my antibacterial gel from Young Living Essential Oil and Randy and I cleaned our hands the best we could then dined on tea and delicious cakes, one like a fruitcake. The cheese biscuit was especially delicious. On the boat ride home, we enjoyed a sing-a-long and the pianist sang Happy Birthday to me! What a lovely birthday I was having and it wasn't over. At 7:00PM we all met in the 3 Sixty restaurant in the Crowne Plaza hotel where we were staying. I was given a Birthday card from the group that was wonderful. Randy ordered pork belly (much too fat) and I ordered salmon with a reduction sauce (delicious). After the meal, fun, laughter and fellowship, we started the difficult task of packing and repacking for the return trip home the next day. From Randy This day did not hold promise. It was cloudy, rainy and windy. We hoped for an early clearing, as we were to tour the filming sites in this area that were used for the movie, “The Lord of The Rings.” Barbara feeds the alpacas We boarded our bus, and drove around to the far side of the lake, where we began driving up a hill to Deer Park Heights, the filming sites. On the way, we stopped to pet and feed (the driver had brought some food) some animals in a field beside the road. There were ducks, geese, a Scottish bull, a donkey, llamas and alpacas. Later on we also saw red deer. At this point it wasn't raining, and the wind was not too bad. Prison from "The Great Escape" As we continued up the hill, we came to an Oriental prison. This was part of the set for the movie “The Great Escape.” The higher we went, the colder it got and the stronger the wind. The windows of the van were wet, and were getting steamy, so that it was difficult to see much of the scenery. By the time we had passed the prison set, only one or two hardy souls were willing to get out of the van at the photo stops. I, of course, was one of the foolish ones, despite the fact that I only had on a light jacket. "Lord of the Rings" scene marker On the way back down the hill our driver and guide, Dion, pointed out the site where Gimli was thrown from his horse, and the cliff face that Aragon was dragged over, not to the river below, but about four feet down to more grass. At the last two stops, Dion played portions of a DVD about the movie scenes related to the area where we were. Considering the weather it was difficult to appreciate the set locations. Each time I got out of the van, the wind would blow rain onto my camera lens, so that most of my pictures have blurry spots on them. Even though we weren't able to fully appreciate the tour, because of the weather, the scenery from the van, sitting on the Heights, was pretty awesome. I'd like to take the tour again, in better weather. Many of us were concerned that the weather would also ruin our trip to Walter Peak Farm, in the afternoon. Alhough it was still rather cold and rainy, the weather did improve a little. From Linda All good things must eventually come to an end. This is our last full day in New Zealand. The day dawned rainy and bleak. The sun tried to peek out but couldn’t make it. I regretted paying for that horseback ride at Walter Peak farm. When the TS Earnslaw docked at 10 am, a front was bearing down on us from the north. I boarded the Earnslaw at 12 noon for a 45-minute cruise to Walter Peak Farm. Linda in slicker and ready to ride The wrangler was waiting for us three adventurous spirits. He outfitted us with helmets and long leather coats: stiff, heavy, and bulky to ward off the cold spitting rain. The ride up the mountain was cool and misty but thank goodness, no horse lost its footing on the slippery slopes. Afterward, coffee, tea and pastries were waiting for us in front of a roaring fire. By that time, the Earnslaw had arrived once more, carrying the remainder of the FFFW Ambassadors. We were treated to a tour of the farm, viewing alpacas, a Scottish bull and cow, a 7 year-old reindeer, two sheep dogs working 7-8 head of sheep, and a sheep shearing demo. Jo and the Ernslaw singalong pianist Tea was served once more and we boarded for a delightful sunset (alas, very little sun) cruise back to Queenstown. A cheerful pianist led us in a sing-along all the way back. That evening, we celebrated with a group dinner at the Crowne Plaza and a surprise min-birthday cake for Jo Thomson. What a wonderful way to wind up our trip of a lifetime to New Zealand! Wednesday November 26 22 Howard McMahan Farewell to Queenstown - Deer Park Heights from the air About 1:00 p.m. all ambassadors met at the Hotel to board the ride to the airport. It was discovered that four of the ambassadors were missing airline seat assignments for the second and third leg of the trip. The problem was for the four people who flew to Wellington. After several calls, consultations, the problem was resolved once we got to Los Angeles. The other issue that caused some pre-departure concern was the departure tax of $25.00 per person. Some of us were advised by New Zealand official that we had to pay, others were told no we did not have to pay. We finally were officially advised that there were no such charges. This resulted in deciding whether to have the $25 we had each set aside changed back to U.S. dollars or to BUY New Zealand merchandise. The return flights were all on time and uneventful. The overseas flight was a bit choppy but no air sickness was observed. The arrival at DFW was a most welcomed relief from airplane flights. We left New Zealand at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26, and arrived back at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26. Just two hour?? No, we crossed the international date line and got back the day we lost going there. Reprise December 2008 - June 2009 214 International Friendship Garden Fort Worth International Friendship Garden During completion of the Fort Worth International Friendship Garden, paving stones commemorating our visits to Thames and Taupo were embedded in the sidewalk. The garden was dedicated and presented to the citizens of Fort Worth on June 6, 2009. It will be maintained year around, with appropriate plantings, by The Friendship Force of Fort Worth.