An after dinner swim

Before we came to New Zealand, we found out there was a family living here who moved from our same town in Oregon. Without even knowing it, we booked a rental home that is about 5 minutes from where they live. It has been great to have some American contacts here and even better , all of our kids get along wonderfully and we've been getting together almost every weekend. The rocks and rope swing pictured here are from the little beach just down the street from their house. This is the second time we've met them for a picnic on the beach and then a quick swim. 

Feel the spirit

We headed to the town of Rotorua after our afternoon at Hobbiton. The official slogan for the town is ""Feel the spirit-Manaakitanga". We were also able to "smell the spirit" since the air  is filled with a distinct aroma courtesy of the thermal springs in and around the town. The official town website lists the smell as "a faint sulphur smell". I'd describe as a bit stronger than "faint".
Stinkiness aside, the city has a beautiful large lake and a multitude of natural wonders including he Waitopo Thermal area and the famous mud pools.

The Davitt boys also tried the Ogo experience...basically rolling down a hill in a giant bouncy ball. Apparently a trip to NZ isn't complete unless you've bungee jumped, done a zip line, or tried one of the many other adventure activities. 
We stayed the night in Rotorua and in the morning drove to Okere Falls....a pretty waterfall with a fun little swimming area...then more driving to the fun beach city we still can't pronounce correctly...Mt. Maunganui. The town of Mt. Maunganui sits north of Raglan in an area called the Bay of Plenty.  The beach was amazing, great waves, really interesting shells and a cute little town with fun shopping and cute cafes.. If you come to NZ, stay here, not in Rotorua!!!
 One thing we've noticed is that it is expensive to eat out in NZ. Even a quick meal at a little cafe can be very pricey. And the food isn't great. It's not bad but it just isn't quite what we're used to back home. Portland has spoiled us with all its great restaurants. Kiwis have definitely embraced the coffee culture and we have enjoyed good coffee and lattes so far. However, most morning our coffee comes from our simple little French press!   
And because it's already Sunday here....Happy Birthday, Uncle Brian!!!!

Hanging out at Hobbiton

We drove about 2 hours to get to the Hobbiton, the sight of movie scenes from Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit.
We learned interesting facts about the making of the movies from our witty tour guide. Mostly, that what director Peter Jackson wants, he gets. Including moving trees and completely altering nature to fit his movie making vision. The NZ Army was contracted to build the roads leading to the set and every hedge and plant was brought in from nurseries throughout NZ.
Mr. Jackson decided he needed a specific type of tree for Bilbo's home, Bag End. The perfect tree was located in a nearby town and was taken down, branch by branch. Every part was numbered then it was transported to the movie set and bolted together. Fake leaves were imported from Taiwan and individually wired to the tree. Just before the movie was to begin filming, the leaves started to turn blue. The crew recruited a team of college students from Hamilton to individually spray every leaf so the tree looked  perfect.

After the completion of filming the Lord of the Rings, the set was scheduled to be torn down but was delayed due to poor weather. Fans of the movie started coming to visit the area and eventually the owners of the farm (The Alexander Family) collaborated with Peter Jackson to restore the film set and turn it into a destination.  

Hot Beach and Cathedral Cove

  We started the week quietly....Jackson wasn't feeling well and we needed two solid days of home schooling catch up. We did make it to the local pool (free) and did laps and we also connected with a family that used to live in Oregonand had a picnic on the beach with take out(known here as takeaway) fish and chips. The boys got to try out an amazing rope swing off some rocks and had fun swinging into the water.
But then we hit the road, heading toward an area called the Coromandel, about  a 2 hour drive from our rented home. We got our first taste of the twisty, hairpin turns that are a part of NZ driving. Jim did his best to focus on the road and not on the sheer cliffs off to the side. Nice views....some scary driving. Our first stop was the Hot Water Beach. It's mentioned in all the guide books so it's not exactly a secret spot. But it was the middle of the week...and all the NZ kids are in school...surely it wouldn't be that busy?!?  As the second picture shows, we weren't alone in seeking to experience the famous hot water.  We found a spot to dig out a little hot tub (since that's what you do at Hot Water Beach) , and the water just beneath the sand was indeed very hot. The incoming waves bring in cooler water and then you can sit and relax in your own little man made tub.
The next day we hiked in to Cathedral Cove which is filled with spectacular rock formations, tunnels and gorgeous blue water. The boys had tons of fun running in and out of the waves and climbing on the rocks. 

A trip to Goat Island

Strangely, no goats have ever been on Goat Island! We did see some on the drive there, though.  This is a snorkeling spot so we stopped on the way to get the necessary gear and got right in to explore. We saw lots of large fish, a few schools of smaller fish and Jackson said he saw a sting ray. Of course, before we even left the rental shop, I cornered the local girl working there and got the rundown on what creatures were lurking below the water. She assured me the sting rays were shy and it was unlikely to encounter anything dangerous. Phew!
The boys love the beach....Jackson especially loves snorkeling. That worked out nicely since Jim and Jackson were interested in a longer excursion while Sean and I were ready to head back to dry land.  
Tomorrow we head to Coromandel!

NZ Sport

One of the language differences in New Zealand is with the discussion of sports. For instance, in the US, you might ask someone what sports they do. Here, you'd ask, "Do you do sport?". Also, the front of the Sports page says "Sport". So, in an attempt to learn more about popular "Sport" in NZ, we went to Eden Park Open day. This stadium houses the world famous New Zealand Blacks rugby team, as well as the Auckland Blues (another rugby team), the Black Caps (cricket) and the White Ferns (ladies cricket). For a small donation, you get to tour the entire facility, including coaches boxes and the locker rooms and several members of the Auckland Blues were on the field mingling and signing autographs. The boys even got to line up and field a punt from one of the rugby players (even though we still are very much beginners in understanding rugby). I wish I knew who these two players were in the photos with the boys. We will try to find out! 

Muriwai Beach

We drove about 25 miles north last week and made our way to Muriwai Beach. This is known as the black sand beach. The drive there takes you though beautiful farmland as well as some of the area wineries. Its a dramatic landscape, reminiscent of the Oregon coast. The current is very strong and the swimming area is patrolled by life guards who set up flags to indicate the safe swimming area. Jackson and Sean went in the water and within a few minutes the lifeguard was flagging them down because they had gone outside the boundary. NZ life guards don't  mess around! Apparently there are rip tides and people panic when they get caught in one and can't get back to shore. Jackson and Sean are strong swimmers but nonetheless, I talked to the life guard to make sure they weren't in imminent danger by heading out into deeper water.

We saw cute little crabs wedges into the rocky areas near the shore and also saw quite a few gannets, which is a NZ sea gull. The gannets have a large nesting colony at Muriwai Beach and every year, the mothers lay one egg. When the babies are ready to fly, they are shoved out of the nest and fly all the way to Australia...on their very first flight!!  Within 2-6 years, they return to the exact spot where they were born. .  

Yesterday's outing

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Yesterday we drove to a town called St. Helliers which is about 30 minutes away. Another beautiful beach! That's  Rangitoto Island in the background.  The island is  accessible via ferry from Auckland and there's supposed to be a great hike to the top of the volcano. (That's the peak in the background of the photo. I have no idea what the boys are doing in that picture...yoga, maybe? ).

Happy Waitangi Day

Today is a national holiday here in NZ. Its the day that celebrates the signing of the Treaty Of Waitangi in 1840 which was an agreement between the British and Maori that gave the British rule of the country. Over time, the document created tension between the two group as it became obvious the treaty was not in the best interest of the Maori. The treaty has been modified over time but there are tensions that still exist today.

Through some friends at home, we found out there's a family from Oregon living in NZ and as it turns out, they live 10 minutes from the house we are renting. Today we met them at Cornwall Park which has  the largest of Auckland's extinct volcanoes as well as the home of a working farm with sheep and cattle.   The boys got to play cricket and rugby and also explore the amazing trees that are all over the park.      

A bit more from NZ

Yesterday we took a ferry to downtown Auckland. We were determined not to drive to the ferry loading point since it was "only " a 30 min. walk from our little rental house. 30 minutes turned into 45 minutes in the bright NZ sunshine. There was just a little ( a lot) of complaining during the walk. It was a little hot and lots of uphill walking but the last part of the walk was downhill and before we knew it, we were in the line for the ferry.
We took a short walk to Albert Park hoping to see some of the Chinese New Year celebrations but found out they didn't start the party till 5pm. So instead we had lunch, then headed to the Sky Tower which is Auckland's version of the Seattle Space Needle.  The views were amazing, even on the slightly overcast day. There were clear panels in the floor that you could walk over if you really wanted to make your stomach flip. That last photo is Jackson peering over the step. It really did make your stomach do a flip flop...I stood there for about 2 seconds and that was enough! For people seeking even more adventure, there is the option of bungee jumping off the tower. Jim really wanted to do it but we all persuaded him that was a bad idea.
Today was a rainy, windy day and actually a nice break from chasing the boys around with sunscreen. There is very little pollution here and as a result, the UV rays are especially strong.
More photos soon as we start to venture out and explore. (Just navigating the grocery store is a big enough adventure at this point.

New Zealand so far