Bay of Beauty

Scott had most of this week off (man, we're going to miss this lifestyle when we get back to the real world), so we stole away for a few days to the Bay of Islands. This was quite possibly our last big road trip before we head home in a couple of weeks, and we were excited to finally get to this area of New Zealand..it's been on our hit list of places to go since we got here. We weren't disappointed - it is a stunningly beautiful part of the north island (picture 150 undeveloped islands dotted in crystal clear waters), and chalk full of historical significance as the part of NZ where polynesian and european settlers first arrived.

On the car ferry to Russell

We stayed in the lovely bayside town of Russell, population 1140. This is the birthplace of colonization in NZ, and it retains much of it's yester-year charm. We stayed in a small motel on the water and it was the perfect location...a stone's throw to the beach, shops and restaurants. We spent the first day exploring the town, including the first church in New Zealand (1836) where you can still see holes in the wall caused by musket and cannon balls from a battle between settlers and Maori in 1845. We also did a guided tour of the Pompallier (1842) - a tannery and print shop where Catholic missionaries printed an incredible number of books for the Maori population.

Strolling on the"The Strand" in Russell

Scott checking out the first printing press in the southern hemisphere at Pompallier

The next day, we took a boat tour to explore the bay and some of the islands. Shortly after we left, we were lucky and spotted a pod of dolphins frolicking in the bay. We stopped for several minutes to watch their performances. Georgie loved every second, squealing each time they jumped and splashed. Next up was a trip to the Hole in the Rock (pretty much self explanatory) - an interesting rock formation that was pretty neat to cruise through on the boat.

Token family self-portrait on the boat cruise

Dolphins...check!

Hole in the Rock

It was time to head back to Auckland on Thursday, but not before a quick stop in Paihia...a pretty cheesy touristy town not far from Russell. We did a small hike in a Kiwi (the elusive native bird we have yet to spot) inhabited region, and enjoyed a waterfall viewing at Haruru Falls. We had a rainy, but otherwise uneventful drive back to Auckland later that day. Now getting ready for Christmas (despite everyone being in full summer mode here) and are looking forward to the Musselman-Bells arriving on the weekend!

Georgie brushing up on her history

G struggling to lose Scott so she could jump in

Remote lighthouse amid gorgeous greens

Week in Summary

Last week was a bit nutty for us, but it had some definite highlights. On Thursday evening we had a great dinner out with friends from London. Vicki and Paul are traveling around Oz/NZ to celebrate her finishing her gyne-oncology fellowship last month in Vancouver. They had just arrived in Auckland on Thursday, so Scott and I picked them up at their hotel and brought them to a great little restaurant in our hood. We'll look forward to visiting them again in Newfoundland this summer - they're setting up shop there in the new year and Scott and I have potential conference opportunities on the Rock in 2011.

Weeeeeee!

Zaidie arrived in Auckland again early on Friday morning after a productive week of meetings in Perth. He spent the day on Friday resting up after a long overnight flight from Perth, but was ready to do some exploring later in the day. He and Scott toured around Auckland that evening. The weather here of late has been fantastic, so they enjoyed a great summer night near the beach in St. Heliers. On Saturday, Scott and Georgie took Dick to see the views at One Tree Hill and Mt. Eden. They then made a stop at a fabulous candy shop in Mt. Eden village (no one appreciates a good candy shop like Dick) and got some hearty seafood chowder and classic Kiwi meat pies to being home for lunch. On Saturday evening, we took off to Devonport to stroll around this lovely waterside village and enjoy a great summer evening. Georgie soaked up lots of playground time this weekend with Zaidie around.

G and Zaidie with Rangitoto in the background

We were off to the (horse) races on Sunday for Family Day at Ellerslie Racetrack. Scott had organized for Dick to get a tour of the facility, after which we settled in to watch the races over a fantastic buffet lunch in the member's club. There were no big money winners in our party, but it was a great day nonetheless. We left the racetrack late in the afternoon in time to get Dick to the airport for his flight back to TO. He very kindly offered to lug back one of our suitcases (jam-packed) to ease our burden when we head home in a few weeks.

Giddy Up

Three generations of horse lovers

More Visitors - Yay!

Considering that we've been living on the other side of the world from our friends and family, we've been so lucky that so many of them have come to visit. This week we enjoyed visits with 2 more guests. We welcomed Gladys back to Auckland last weekend. Actually, she welcomed us back as she was staying at our place while we were finding our way back from Queenstown. She was here to attend a foot and ankle conference in Tauranga and tagged a few extra days on her trip to visit with us. We spent some time catching up, and ventured into Parnell to visit the boutiques and art galleries. We also found, in our opinion, one of the best coffees in Auckland (not a small feat) where they roasted their own imported Indonesian coffee beans. Ahhh...it's going to be hard going back to Timmie Ho-Ho's.

Saturday brought another visitor to Auckland, if only for a brief period of time. Dick (aka Zaidie) had a board meeting in Perth, Australia and connected through Auckland. Fortunately for us, he had a 6 hour layover and Georgie and Scott met him at the airport and brought him back to Evesham Ave. After a few minutes of adjusting to "3D Zaidie" Georgie was back to her old self, showing off, playing shy, and loving being chased around the living room. We grabbed a coffee and brunch in St Heliers and Dick spent some time playing with Georgia at the playground. After a few (? several) handfuls of Pineapple Lumps, we took Dick back to the airport to connect on to Oz. We look forward to next weekend when he'll be staying with us for a bit longer on his return home.

South Island Adventure

This past weekend was a four day weekend for Scott so we took advantage of the time off and flew down to Queenstown, the adrenaline sport capital of the world.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon and spent the rest of the day checking out the town. It's beautiful, with a feeling very similar to Banff. We took a trip up the Gondola and Georgie had her dinner at the top with a very scenic view. We witnessed our first bungy jumpers and had a couple of paragliders fly over our heads.

The following day we were off to Milford Sound. Instead of the 5hr bus ride, we opted for the scenic flight there and back. Not sure if Georgia (more specifically us) could have coped with the bus, but the flight turned out to be worth every penny (and hours saved). It was a bit nerve-racking to start - our pilot couldn't have been older than 19 or 20 years old. We avoided all conversation about how long he's been flying, but he was very professional and got us there and back in one piece. Turns out his second job is at the cinema in town! We climbed into our 4 seater Cessna (complete with ashtray in the back) and took off for the 30 minute flight over the spectacular mountain ranges. We had a great cruise at Milford Sound - with the magnificent mountains flanking the water, and powerful waterfalls pounding the surface. We had a pod of dolphins cruise with the bow of the boat, and got up close and personal with the native seals.

After a great family outing, we opted for separate adventures the following day. Scott went heli-biking and had an incredible time. The helicopter dropped the group off at the top of a peak between Queenstown and Wanaka and they had a 18km, 1.5 hour trip down. He made it down in one piece, having had only one spill and a run-in with a rose bush. Next time, he'll bring more than just a t-shirt and board shorts. Georgie and I were a little less adventurous (for obvious reasons). Nevertheless, we had a great day. We booked a trip on the steamship to go to a sheep station in the country. It was incredibly beautiful at the station/farm, and Georgie got to pet sheep, lambs, herding dogs/puppies, red deer, highland cows, alpaca, and... more sheep. We watched a sheep shearing demonstration and the dogs herding in the countryside. She loved every minute.

On our last day, we rented a car and visited Cardrona (there is an amazing little hotel here), Wanaka, Arrowtown (where Georgie had a long dip in a very cold mountain stream) and a couple of wineries along the way. We enjoyed more fantastic views everywhere we looked. Our final stop was at the original bungy jump in the world, where AJ Hackett and Henry Van Asch decided it would be a good idea to jump off a bridge with an elastic band tied to your legs...we didn't take the plunge but it was fun to watch a few other brave souls do it.

Coal Mine Tragedy

This past week has been a difficult time for the Kiwi's, and anyone else who has followed the story of the 29 miners trapped in a West Coast coal mine since Friday. Routine updates have been broadcast across all media channels and unfortunately there hasn't been much progress towards sending in a rescue team. As I write this blog update, we learn that a second explosion has occurred this afternoon and that all 29 miners would not have survived. It is a sad day and our thoughts are with the families and friends of all that perished.

Season's Changing

A new post is long overdue, however our activities have been pretty low-key for the last few weeks. Our weekends have been spent around Auckland, enjoying the beautiful weather as summer is approaching. Despite being in the Southern Hemisphere for almost a year now, it continues to be strange how the the seasons are reversed. Halloween came and went, without the same excitement that we are so used to. Partly due to the longer days and warmer temperatures, and partly due to the fact that they just don't celebrate/commercialize the event. It just didn't feel like Halloween. We did have a few kids come by, dressed in a mix-mash of costumes that wouldn't compare to our own at home. They seeked out "lollies" and received chocolate- not sure if they were happy with that. No pumpkins, no scary houses, and unfortunately no costumes for us this year.

The last couple of weeks have been amazing with the weather. Warm, sunny days are now the norm, with no crazy downpours interrupting our activities. We've been in the pool, and Georgie (and, more importantly, mama) have been loving the freedom of the outdoors.

We're trying to take advantage of the backyard, and Georgie has had some friends over for tea. Her hosting skills need some work, but at least her guests are at about the same level- spilling drinks everywhere and eating food off the ground.

Sulphur City

We welcomed Granna and Court home from their south island excursion on Friday (the 15th- yes, we are a bit behind) and didn't give them much down time. We were up and at 'em early the next morning for our weekend excursion to Rotorua- aka 'Sulphur City'. This is a hugely popular tourist destination located 3 hours south east of Auckland. It is well known for its active thermal environment (in simple terms- volcano waiting to blow), creating thermal springs, spurting geysers, bubbling mud, and a rotten-egg smell from the sulphur-rich air. It is also a region full of Maori culture, with many cultural centres and performances to choose from.

After a relaxing lunch at "Fat Dog Cafe", we headed to our first stop- Te Puia. This thermal reserve was a great introduction to what lies beneath the soil in this region. Steam vents and bubbling pools are everywhere, and the main attraction is the geyser that explodes every hour, spurting steaming water 100 feet up into the air. It was an amazing sight to see, equally amazing that we were allowed to stand right next to it as it blows! Apparently the locals aren't too worried of the region exploding sky-ward as long as these vents and geysers keep releasing their pressure.

That evening we took Court to a cultural show and buffet dinner at Mitai Maori Village, while Granna and Georgie had a rest. The food was average and the presentation was a bit cheesy, but the performance was fantastic, complete with a full haka at the end. No matter how many times we see it, the haka still makes our hair stand on end.

The following morning as we walked out of our motel room (Regal Palms 5 Star City Resort, complete with mini-golf course - only the best for us), we were greeted smack in the face by the pervasive rotten-egg smell. Clearly the winds had shifted, or perhaps the parking lot fissured and spewed its earthly contents, but there was no avoiding the sulphur air. It wasn't at all noxious, it just smelled. Apparently the locals are used to it- god knows how long that would take.

After a nice lunch at the Princes Gate Hotel, a very lovely restored 19th-century hotel, we proceeded on to the Polynesian Spa. Named a "World Top 10 Spa" by somebody who apparently votes on these things, it had a number of mineral pools of different temperatures to soak in, all maintained by the underground geothermal activity. The ladies booked a mud-wrap pampering session, while Scott and Georgia hit the kiddie pool. Georgie was squealing like a little girl (appropriate), and clearly has developed into a true water baby. No mud-wrapping for her, but we were able to purchase some Rotorua Mud to take home with us, and perhaps we'll save a little bit for her down the road.

After cleaning off the mud, we all hopped back in the Subaru wagon for the long drive back to Auckland. No one was particularly keen on driving as we were all pretty relaxed from the spa day, but we managed to get back in one piece.

All in all, a great weekend in Sulphur City, while the air back in Auckland smelled particularly good for the next few days.

Birthday Bonanza

Debbie (aka Granna) and Auntie Courtney arrived early last week, and just in time to celebrate Georgie's first birthday! Georgie is milking every second of extra attention they are providing. In addition to making sure they got their Peach fix, we spent the week showing them our favourite Auckland spots - Devonport for brunch, Mt. Eden, One Tree Hill, wine tasting on Waiheke Island, Auckland city tour, and enjoying the coffee culture on the beach in St. Heliers.

Soaking up some rays (and caffeine) on the boardwalk in St. Heliers

Wotherspoons in front of a crazy tree in Devonport

On Saturday, all tourist activities came to a halt in order to celebrate the Peach's birthday. She didn't have any idea what the fuss was all about, but seemed to enjoy the sensory overload of the day...balloons, music, blowers, cake, hats, boas. You name, it was here. The big event was computed live via Skype to the Millers - almost as good as having them here in person.

Showing off her new bike to K and S Miller

First experience with fire and cake - she loved both

We spent the birthday afternoon at Butterfly Creek - a great petting zoo and butterfly house just outside of the city. Here, she ate, she drank, she experienced her first train ride, and she frolicked with numerous furry friends. She topped the day off with a rip around the neighbourhood on her new set of wheels. She was completely cooked by the end of the day so was in bed and dead to the world by 6pm.

Hot (pink) Wheels

South Pacific Escape

Last week we were off to visit the polynesian island of Rarotonga. In doing so, we dodged a week long wind and rain storm in Auckland - that's right, it apparently lasted the entire time we were away. Rarotonga is the largest of the 15 islands that comprise the Cook Islands. Getting there is a four hour flight from Auckland, and you cross the international date line en route (we left Sunday at 4pm and arrived there on Saturday at 8pm...weird). Well worth the journey though - when we got off the plane and were greeted with warm breezes, an old Maori gentleman strumming his ukelele, and amazing smelling leis placed around our necks.

Though the largest of the Cook Islands, Rarotonga is still quite small - just 32 km in circumference. It has a wonderful, laid-back vibe where everyone adheres to "island time", ie. no one pays much attention to time at all, so the bus that circles the island comes every hour on the hour (give or take 15 min), the chemist opens at 10am (give or take 30 minutes), etc. Makes you totally chill out about keeping a schedule.

Beach, lagoon, island...amazing

Weeeeee!

Our resort was situated on the amazing Muri lagoon. It was very shallow, so no matter what the tide, you could walk from the mainland to two small islands across the lagoon without encountering water higher than 4 feet. This made it great for water sports, snorkelling, and Georgie splashing. As luck would have it, the little lady got sick the day we arrived with a virus (not surprising considering I was invited to a playdate a few days before we left where the mom neglected to tell me until 30 mins after Georgia had licked every virus-ridden toy in her house, that her baby was quite sick with a bad cold...). The first few nights weren't great for her/us, but she had some major naps during the day, and because our room was on the beach, Scott and I could enjoy the beach just outside while she snoozed away in her 'bedroom' (ie. pak n' play strategically placed in the bathroom - the house cleaning staff either thought us crazy or neglectful, perhaps both). We snorkelled, we kayaked, we explored, we read, we drank Pina Coladas and BFKs (a Cook Island special - frangelica, Bailey's and Kahula), and we replenished our Vit D stores. That about sums up what was a great week.

SW tearing it up

From our patio

The good news about being back in NZ...spring has sprung. The sun is back, daylight savings time has kicked in, and the lambs are plentiful. Next week, we're looking forward to Auntie Court and Granna arriving and celebrating a big first birthday.

Almost one