Piha

(Full credit of both photos to Jason Wong)

Gradually going downhill on the way into Piha and seeing the beach from above for the first time.

Christchurch

The Garden City of Christchurch with its autumn leaves, parks, fudge, and Victorian architecture and hence its British touch.

Taupo

[beyond first impressions]

Memories of SWAY, the lake, and, Sky-Diving.

(which was of course, one of the most amazing experience ever)

Whanganui

(photos to be scanned - yes it was that long ago)

Gisborne

Family trip!

Upper and Lower Hutt

The drive along the coast, the overly calm shopping streets, and the discussion about what was there to do at all.

Cape Reinga

(Photo from www.transit.govt.nz)

"Cape Reinga (Te Reinga or Te Rerenga Wairua in Māori) is the northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand.... The name of the cape comes from the Māori word 'Reinga', meaning the 'Underworld'. Another Māori name is 'Te Rerenga Wairua', meaning the leaping-off place of spirits. Both refer to the Māori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.)

New Plymouth

(photo from makenewzealandhome.com)

Mt. Taranaki

"...a coastal city with a mountain within 30 minutes drive, where residents and visitors... can snowboard, ski, water ski and surf all in the same day."

Rotorua

From trouts, farms, seeing Maori cultural performance for the first time, to the many visits to the thermal pools, the go-kart, and the fun ZORB ride, Rotorua has much more than geysers, multi-coloured lakes, and bubbling mud-pools. The imaginary grass sliding remain as one of the fondest memories of New Zealand I ever had.

[beyond first impressions]

Tauranga and Mount Maunganui

The cooking. The chilling. Being.

Palmerston North

Not that my parents would have referred to it or its residents as "Palmy", but we shared the first impressions - or so I believe.

Napier

Pania of the Reef, and family.

Wellington

100 Kelburn Pde

[(way)beyond first impressions]

Some say "nothing beats Wellington on a good day." Well plenty of things beat Wellington on a good day but it is a nice city. I didn't really mind the stairs and I never even counted them. I didn't really mind the wind and the rain either, even though any hair styling would be ruined as soon as you step out of the house. But its charm just could not compensate for the "one street each". What needs to be forgotten, was somewhat replaced by other memories hereafter.

100 Kelburn Parade. Bagels. Emails. Grocery shopping. Goethe. MCWD. New World. RSNZ. Sen Sen. Sevens. Shopping detours. Singstar. Starbucks chats. Stairs. Te Papa. The office. Wind. Windy road in the dark... and more.

Hamilton

From baking bread, to the mooloos and linking as yatbaaah

Auckland

  
   

(Photo credits to Jason Wong from 2002)

The clean, orderly, quiet and empty streets before going to Tony's steakhouse as it was back then, the diagonal intersections, the cookies, and all the house visits - but I never quite had a sheep as a pet at home! 

[beyond first impressions]

Albert Park. Beaches. Bare feet. Bars and restaurants. Borders and Whitcoulls. Brunch. Buses. Bus stops. CBD. Cello. Chancery. Chapman. Chocolate blocks. Choir. Chips and dips. City of Sails. Cuisine. Drawing and borders. Dollies and Girlfriends. Downtown. Downey. East Coast Road. Family. Flea markets. Fish n' Chips. Friends. Friendly people. Food courts. Grass. H2Go. Harbour Bridge. High Street. Hills. Hot chocolate. Home. IMAX. Japanese restaurants. Korean food. L&P. Large parking lots. Library. Mexican Cafe. Milford. Mission Bay. Multiculturalism. Nillo. Northshore. Ocean. Outdoor cafes. Outdoor concerts. Pearl Tea. Pies. Red cars. Room decor. Rugby field. Room. Sausage rolls. Sea. Sky Tower. Skyline. State highway 1. Suburbs and suburbs. Supermarkets. Sun. Sun protection. Sun tanning. Sushi lunchbox. Takapuna. Teppanyaki lunch. TE3. Tim Tams. Tea and coffee. Viaduct. Vietnamnese. Warehouse. Wairau. Westlake. University. Yum Cha. Zoo... just to name a few.