Greetings from Auckland. My time in Auckland has been mostly work, but during a couple of hours off a friend took us to Takapuna Beach. Only 10 -15 minutes from the city center, it's soooo beautiful -- with Rangitoto Island in the distance looking like picture-perfect Polynesia.

Most people use Auckland simply as a starting point, but it has some exceptional natural beauty.

Songdoc. I was skyping with my DD yesterday, she is a pianist/vocalist and is one month into a 4 month gig at the Park Hyatt in Busan South Korea. TIt has given her time to write songs as she has most of the day free. . I mentioned that there is a songwriter on Fodors who gives seminars all over the world. She worked out who you were, and she has one of your books with her in Korea, and said you are the rock star of the song-writing world. One of her friends has been to a seminar in Canada that you presented. She couldn't believe I knew you!!!

I did say well Fodors is about travel not about song-writing, but it is a great place to connect with people.

Hi, Songdoc,

I guess you are now busy in Sydney. I seem to have lost a week somewhere! Hope all is going well, and you are having rave reviews and great success with your classes over there.

Enjoyed the interviews with you on TV. Even if I hadn't met and talked with you about your life and career, I would have recognised how passionate you are about music. :)

Dot

Hi. Sorry for the delayed responses. I'm working soooooo hard in Sydney. Very long hours and no time for anything else -- but collapsing afterwards. But ... before I started work I did manage to have a lovely Fodors GTG thanks to Bokhara--and it was great to meet Margo & Peter (and his partner).

dottyp: Thanks so much for the kind words. It was so nice to meet you, and I'm glad you enjoyed the TV shows.

Nelsonian: That's so wild that your daughter knows my work and has one of my books! It's a small world. It's nice to know that somebody thinks I'm a rock star ;-).

Now ... back to work!!!

What a great thread. You guys had me chuckling several times.
Now I am even more excited to be going to NZ. I am doing an 11 day cruise next month that will stop at a lot of these places. I hope I get better weather than you had, Songdoc. I will be bringing lots of layers.

Any other tips?