After the four oldest Slagle siblings retired, we decided to start touring together with our spouses. The Sorenson’s having been in the travel and hospitality business were picked to plan our first trip together to New Zealand. Our first stop was in Auckland. We quickly became accustomed to traveling as V.I.P.s because of Perry and Sally’s status with Outrigger hotels, but we had no idea of the scope of their influence on our activities in a far-off land like New Zealand.
After seeing and doing many of the regular tourist attractions on North Island, we flew to Queenstown on South Island. We saw Mount Cook Glacier Park, Milford Sound and went screeing down a volcano, along with hiking on one of the newest places on earth, a newly formed 300-year-old volcanic island. We learned that there are six sheep per person, and you live left and die right while driving in New Zealand.
Our last stop on our V.I.P. tour was in Christchurch. We stayed at an Outrigger facility at the Clearwater Golf Club (The Augusta of New Zealand). Our condominiums were larger than our houses and we were charged about $20 per night. We all played golf the afternoon before we had to leave the next day. David and I figured out that we had time to play the next morning if we got out early. There were no times available but were told we might get out if we just showed up at the crack of dawn. The next morning, we were there when the Golf Pro showed up, he was in a bad mood and none to glad to see a couple of guys he didn’t know and weren’t on his tee sheet. He finally consented to call the resort to see if we were staying on a golf package deal. When he got off the phone, he said he had no idea who we were traveling with, but it must be the Pope, he told us to take the golf cart out to the first tee, there was no charge for anything except for the golf balls that we purchased. He was almost right, we weren’t traveling with the Pope, we were traveling with Perry.
