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

Getting ready

We are closing in on departure day for our New Zealand trip. In fact, we are so close that my camera is packed up in a ziploc with the fancy new travel tripod I got for Christmas. So...no photos to share but lots to come. I will continue blogging here, post a bit on Facebook and also may contribute the blogs the boys have started.

jacksonsnewzealandadventure.blogspot.com
seansnewzealandadventure.blogspot.com



See you in NZ!

Goofing around....

We've all transitioned into the new year, a few resolutions have been made and we are working through the list of to-dos for our trip to New Zealand.

I'm hoping I can still do blog updates but if not, I'll be posting photos on Facebook. 

We are finishing up swim team with a meet in two weeks and I get to take a road trip to Seattle to hand deliver hermit crabs to Chez Carter. And I have a million other things to do....but it will all get done.

Speaking of things to do, I need to go do some dinner prep before the boys arrive home and it's home work time.

2013

                                                                 
Counting down the days till we fly to beautiful New Zealand!

Happy 2013!

A cookie exchange and fun at school

I was at a cookie exchange (with all those beautiful cookies) the morning the shootings took place at Sandy Hook. All the simple, every day activities we take for granted are now indescribably special. Walking around the boys school in the week before winter break,  I was so thankful for the cheerfulness and energy and excitement...and very aware of how lucky we were to have things still feel the way they should this time of year.

Christmas Chalets

Normally, we make the traditional gingerbread houses but these kits from Trader Joe's were too good to pass up! Even the boxes they came in were incredibly cute. As usual, the candy inside left something to be desired but that didn't stop the boys from sneaking a taste.

Time to get a tree

Too Big.....

Too Small...

Too High...

Just right!

Our neighbor, the Olympian

We just happen to have an Olympic athlete in our neighborhood.His name is Lopez Lomong and he ran the 5000 meter event in the London Olympics. He is also one of the Lost Boys of Sudan and has a truly amazing and inspiring story. He has a book out called Running for My Life and we were fortunate enough to be invited to one of his book signings here in Lake Oswego. Several of the boys classmates came along to the event and we also got to meet Lopez's girlfriend, Brittany.

Thanksgiving recap

There was turkey, mashed potatoes, and lot of pie...including one carefully prepared apple pie that didn't quite live up to its potential (details later). And there were a few mishaps, though nothing too serious....a convertible car that wouldn't open (denying the sun-starved PNW contingent a chance for a sunny, 70 degree day ride), a somewhat dubious table transport that involved individuals driving with car door open and of course the mystery of the soupy pie. There was also a showing of Princess Bride, a lesson in shooting pellet guns and a batch of sunset margaritas.   All in all, a festive and enjoyable Thanksgiving celebration.