Here’s a brief recap of our trip
and the pickleball venues we visited:
• Following a 14-hour direct flight from Houston, TX, to Auckland, New Zealand,
we arrived at 5:30 a.m. on Monday, April 1. Jeff picked us up at the airport and by
10 a.m. we were playing pickleball with the Auckland Central Pickleball Group
in their local YMCA. The very next day we conducted IPTPA certification to New
Zealand’s first certified instructor, Paul Cubitt, before flying from Auckland in the
North Island to Nelson, New Zealand, in the South Island.
• On April 2, in Nelson, we enjoyed pizza and pickleball with a group headed
up by Margaret Robinson in the Nelson Recreation Center.
• On April 3 we did some sightseeing in the morning and by early evening we were
playing pickleball in Takata at the recreation center. This fun group was organized
by Sara Chapman and Dan Campbell (another ex-pat from the U.S.).
• After a few days touring and sightseeing in the Golden Bay area, on April 5 we
ended up playing pickleball in Motueka, in the rec center. Jess Jacobson, who
learned to play pickleball in Arizona when she was going to school, arranged
our visit. That evening we had a wonderful time at a local pub with several of the
pickleball players, including our hosts Tom and Libby Butler.
• From April 6-12 we toured most of the South Island, enjoying spectacular scenery
and key tourist spots in Westport, Greymouth, Queenstown, Christchurch and
Picton. What to see and do in these locales would take several pages to capture.
If you go to New Zealand, be sure to devote many days/weeks to the South Island.
• On April 13, we took the car ferry across the Cook Straits to the North Island and
the capital city of Wellington. That evening we played pickleball in an impressive
facility, the ASB Stadium. A very energetic pickleball enthusiast, Will Dewhirst,
arranged our visit there.
• On April 14, we drove to Hastings, in the Hawkes Bay area, where we met
Jerry and Ange Pearson. Jerry has a severe case of Pickleball Fever, and it
was a delight to share our thoughts, stories and insights on the topic of
pickleball—and have the opportunity to see him play the guitar and sing. My wife
is still swooning over his rendition of “Shallow.”
• We stayed in the Hawkes Bay area for several days where Jill and Steve Norman
were the organizers of pickleball at the indoor badminton facility in Waipukarua,
as well as an outdoor facility next to the Casket Club (yes, where they actually
make caskets). This was our first opportunity to play outdoors in New Zealand.
• On April 17, we again played outdoors with the Casket Club group before driving
to Rotorua, where we met Cathy and Ian Jackson, organizers of the Rotorua
Pickleball Club.
• On April 18, we played not once, but twice at their badminton hall, where Jerry
and Ange made the trip to play with us again. (Not the last time we would see this
delightful couple.)
• On April 19, we drove to Albany, where we helped to line some outdoor tennis
courts and played with a group organized by Matt Tawhiao. Another wonderful
group of players, and who else was there? Yep, Jerry and Ange.
• On Saturday, April 20, back in Auckland, we conducted a full day of clinics and
private lessons for Jeff Parke’s group in appreciation for all the help he provided
in organizing our wonderful trip. We thought this would be the last pickleball we
would play until returning to the States, but no!
• After spending Sunday, April 21, on the beautiful Waheke
Island, hosted by Jeff and Nancy Parke, we took a ferry
back to Auckland on Monday, April 22, for our flight back to
Houston. But wait, our flight wasn’t until 7:30 p.m. and we
had all day to do something. So, Jerry and Ange picked us
up at the ferry and took us back to Albany where we played
pickleball for several hours at the indoor Albany Tennis Center
with Matt Tawhiao’s group (and Jerry and Ange!). Jerry and
Ange then drove us to the airport for the flight home.
What was our greatest takeaway from
the trip? First and foremost were
the wonderful people we met in New
Zealand. Like pickleball players we’ve
encountered everywhere, they were
warm, friendly, welcoming and just a
delight to meet and spend time with.
Several of them provided lodging
for us throughout the country and
escorted us to some fascinating sites,
for which we are extremely grateful.
We shared a gift of appreciation
to our hosts by giving them New
Zealand Pickleball t-shirts, donated
by Pickleball Rocks. They were all
thrilled with the shirts and wore them
proudly.
So, if New Zealand is on your bucket
list, and you want to meet some
wonderful people, see spectacular
scenery, do every activity imaginable,
and even play
some pickleball,
don’t wait any
longer. We have
checked New
Zealand off our
bucket list but
who knows, we
might just put
it back on for a
future visit.
Paul Cubitt, the
first
New Zealand IPTP
A-
certified instruct
or.
kleball friends
An evening with new pic
JULY/AUGUST
2019 |
in a pub in Motueka.
MAGAZINE
69