I drove in the rain and a bit of hail from Omapere down the west coast and stopped at Matakohe to visit the Kauri Museum and learn about the logging of the bygone era. It was very interesting and had life size dioramas of men in action. Some of the models were climbing Kauri trees, some sawing them, and some digging for the petrified gum, which is like amber. Later, I found out from Colin Mcclean of the Westin Hotel, that the figure's faces were from actual people cast in wax, his grandfather being one of the men whose face was used for the museum. Small world. I continued the drive to Auckland, stopping at Sahara http://www.eatdrinkchill.co.nz/ for coffee. From the outside it said Bank of New Zealand but the 1912 building ceased being a bank in the 1990's and is now a weekend getaway for brunch and dinner. The interior has antique furnishings reminiscent of my grandmother's house, groovy music, large nude paintings on the walls and great New Zealand coffee. I felt totally safe driving alone and savored my last drive in New Zealand. Several hours later I arrived at the luxurious Westin Hotel, only one year old www.westin.com/auckland where I met Colin. Later, I enjoyed a Thai massage from the spa at the Westin, which specializes in Thai therapists. I was quite surprised when the petite massage therapist almost hurt me as she removed all the knots from by back!
