Tales from the South Pacific, July 13-29, 2011 - Page 11 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Larry, that looks like so much fun! I would've been trying to luge over and over and over!
Some of the folks paid for the 3-pack, I think, though my guess is that they sacrificed lunch to do it. I was also concerned that given the length of the line we waited in the first time, I might be trying for the third run and find that I had to skip it to get down to the bus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
The luge track looks like so much fun!
I wish I had one of these nearby! I'd love to see what the other courses were like.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pics from the gondola!
I was wishing for a polarized filter like I have for my 35mm SLR to cut down on the reflections, but I figured I would share the pics anyway.
Tuesday, July 19, 2012 Ramblin' 'Round Rotorua (yes, there's more)
Our next stop was the Agrodome, home of the Sheep Show, sheep dog demonstrations, etc.
There are about twice as many sheep in New Zealand as humans. The number 17 million sticks in my mind, but don't take that as authoritative!
We got to see many different breeds of sheep that are raised in NZ.
They pretty much hauled out one of every kind of sheep raised in NZ for us to see.
One of the highlights of the show is the sheep shearing demonstration.
The gentleman who will demonstrate shearing (left) and the sacrificial lamb.
He was very, very fast.
I think he finished in less than a minute. It was amazing. Not a wasted movement.
They handed some children milk bottles and then released the lambs, who practically ran them over trying to get to the milk!
The fowl on the right were used in a sheep dog herding demonstration.
One of the more striking breeds.
It was very interesting and afterwards you could go up and get a closer look at the sheep and the dogs.
From here I went with part of the group to Kiwi Encounter. I really wanted to get a close-up look at the national bird.
The ticket price is largely a donation to the very large conservation effort going on to ensure the survival of these birds.
At the entrance to Kiwi Encounter.
There was an exhibit area with lots of information about the birds, their habitat, and their habits. As you may well imagine, part of the problem is the reduction in their natural habitat. Another is predation of their eggs by other animals.
Some of our group in the exhibit area.
This and the next picture are of a stuffed kiwi, but they give you an idea of what kiwis look like without having to go find a can of shoe polish.
But she's not moving!
See the beak? It's one of the shortest in the world.
Why, it doesn't look short! Well, it's because beaks are measured from the nostrils to the tip, and the kiwi's nostrils are at the end of its beak. [Fun facts to know and tell. Go forth and amaze someone! ]
Kiwis are nocturnal, and we did go into a room where lives ones are kept; however, there is special lighting that does not bother them and photos are forbidden, so I am sorry to say I have no pictures of live kiwis to share.
Though there are 5 species and one subspecies, the kiwis are endangered. There is a massive effort to find all the eggs laid, bring them here and other centres, hatch them, and return the birds to the wild after 6 months. Doing this increases their chances of survival to adulthood from 5% to 70%! The chicks are really, really cute.
Kiwi Encounter is in the Rainbow Springs area of Rotorua. Here is a 30 second commercial that has video of live kiwis: http://youtu.be/lJ5kbnUFfjA
We left Kiwi Encounter and picked up the rest of the crowd who had been enjoying a recreation area next to the Agrodome. They dropped us off in Rotorua within walking distance of the hotel, where some of use went to a Burger Fire for supper. Sue and I split some fries, and I had a ginger beer. Yummy!
We walked back to the hotel, arriving around 7:00 PM. I decided to do a load of laundry, because tomorrow we are heading to Auckland, where we will spend the night and then depart for Sydney. Another person from the group had the same idea, but got shorted on the dry cycle time. I, on the other hand, got more than 40 minutes and had no problem with the clothes being dry. I headed back to the room and showered and shaved and hit the sheets. It took me a while to go to sleep because of the noise outside. I found out the next morning that it was people partying. Someone called the night manager and he spoke to them.
Coming Up: A Leisurely Morning for Me, But Not for Sue
__________________
"&Larry"
A beautiful day in the neighborhood!
Last edited by LLaffinPlace; 07-07-2012 at 05:00 PM..
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So many great things to do and see today! The luge looks like a lot of fun and the views were beautiful. I love watching sheepdogs at work, so amazing. And thanks for including the fun kiwi facts and the video. The chicks are so cute!
What unique experiences! The luge looks like a lot of fun! I don't know much about New Zealand except for the wine production area. I think it would be neat to learn so much--even in a short period of time!
I swear you are following in my husband's footsteps on this trip! I scrapbooked his pictures so this is bringing back the stories he told me. He loved the luge! I have lots of pics from the Agrodome. You can certainly tell what their main industry was!
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I'd have been in heaven with those lambs! I love the way you're learning about the country and having fun at the same time - sounds a bit similar to Disney...
I would do the luge... more than once!
Great views from the top!
The sheep shearing and herding would definitely hold my attention, but you had me laughing with the "find a can of shoe polish" comment! I had forgotten the bird on the can of Kiwi polish(I loved to polish my dad's shoes when I was a kid, had a real kit and everything.)
So many amazing things to comment on! When I first saw the photos of the various sheep, I thought they were stuffed! How great that they had lambs you could feed. And I bet the sheering was a sight to behold!
Love the idea of the luge. I can see the temptation of the 3-pack option, but as you said, missing lunch over it, and possibly missing the last luge because of long lines... it just woudn't be worth it, probably. Great tips, just in case it's ever something I get to do!
So many great things to do and see today! The luge looks like a lot of fun and the views were beautiful. I love watching sheepdogs at work, so amazing. And thanks for including the fun kiwi facts and the video. The chicks are so cute!
I'll bet they have a luge in places like Aspen and other ski resorts in the summer. I may have to check!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
I don't know much about New Zealand except for the wine production area. I think it would be neat to learn so much--even in a short period of time!
I have definitely enjoyed the two EF tours that I have been on for this reason--I like to mix the educational stuff with seeing the sites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchdisneyfamily
I swear you are following in my husband's footsteps on this trip! I scrapbooked his pictures so this is bringing back the stories he told me. He loved the luge!
I guess this is ratification that we are hitting the high spots.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDolphin
Too bad you couldn't take pics of the kiwi....
I'm not sure they would have turned out very well, but I would have loved to try. The lighting was pretty dim and it was red, and it sometimes took a few minutes to find the kiwis in the habitats.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sc507
Thanks for the cool fact about the kiwi beak
That's one fact that really threw me until I heard the explanation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I'd have been in heaven with those lambs! I love the way you're learning about the country and having fun at the same time - sounds a bit similar to Disney...
Disney is good training! Thinking back on this day: while I didn't feel particularly rushed at any point, it was a bit like "Theme Park Commandos".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny
The sheep shearing and herding would definitely hold my attention, but you had me laughing with the "find a can of shoe polish" comment! I had forgotten the bird on the can of Kiwi polish(I loved to polish my dad's shoes when I was a kid, had a real kit and everything.)
Thanks for picking up on that Kenny! I can almost smell the polish....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata
So many amazing things to comment on! When I first saw the photos of the various sheep, I thought they were stuffed! How great that they had lambs you could feed. And I bet the sheering was a sight to behold!
They introduced each breed as it came out. Each spot had a pedestal with something for them to munch on and they did clip a light chain on them--almost certainly for safety's sake (theirs and ours). I have seen video of shearing in the past, but like so many things, it's even more amazing in person and seeing it in NZ.
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The Luge track looks like a lot of fun. I think up in Lake Placid, NY, you can do something similar and also ride on the bobsled track! The sheep demonstration to the kiwi's looks interesting!
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