Autumn is coming...

I felt the first signs of autumn the other day while walking the kids into school.  It was fresh out.  Distinctly fresh, like a late August or early September morning in Alberta... The sun is noticeably lower too and the days are getting shorter.  Easter is less than two weeks away and I have to admit, Easter in autumn is hard to wrap my head around!

Well Jake had another visit to the emergency room.  Just over a week ago, he was racing out the door to a soccer scrimmage with his indoor buddies.  He managed to drop a FULL water bottle (a 'heavy metal' one) directly on his big toe (of course he hadn't put his socks or shoes on yet - that is what people do in the car enroute to the pitch!!).  Long story short -- we ended up in emergency a few days later having it drained, bandaged up and getting a round of antibiotics. It is so much better now, but it really was a mess and it has interfered with playing all the sports he loves.  Tennis and indoor soccer wrapped up last week.  He was able to hit tennis balls at his final class last week, but we had to keep him out of cricket and soccer.  He should be OK to play in his last cricket game this Saturday.  Hopefully his new toenail will have grown in by the time soccer season begins when we arrive back in TN!!

Final tennis lesson - Sofia can hit that ball *when* she wants to...

Jake's final lesson - he's on the far left (squint hard!!)

Although Jake couldn't play in his final indoor game on Friday night, our friend and neighbour Cameron did, in Jake's place.  It was Cameron's first indoor soccer game and I think he'll take Jake's place on the team next term, which is great!!  We had some of the boys and a few parents over afterwards for pizza and drinks.  It was a really fun night. We've met some great people through all the kids' activities.  Sadly, my pictures don't do it justice --I need to get a couple group shots from our friends, so watch this space for an updated photo or two!!

Mitchell (middle) reliving his big goal

Eating ice cream...

Cricket is played at Pigeon Mountain, which is only about three minutes by foot from our home.  The view of Pigeon Mountain is really special - it's a volcanic cone (and old Maori fortification) with a distinctive set of trees sitting on its top!  There's a massive green space at its base which I find it a spectacular place for family walks, kicking the soccer ball around and as a backdrop for Saturday cricket.  I took some photos on Saturday - it was a beautiful morning.  The photos have a lot of glare as I was taking some into the sun - so they aren't the best but hopefully you get the point...

View of Pigeon Mountain

Large field near the base of the mountain - Sat AM cricket...

Another photo of Sat AM cricket...

Saturday night was a special evening for me.  I had a friend named Andy back when I was a teenager who moved to New Zealand when we were in grade 10.  Thanks to Facebook we'd reconnected through our group of friends maybe a year or two back.  Turns out - he and his girlfriend live about 10 minutes from where we are staying.  We'd been trying to coordinate dinner together since we got here.  Finally we found a day that worked and we went over for dinner on Saturday night.  It was great to meet his two girls (Ava & Mia), meet his girlfriend Amanda and catch up.  It was another late night, though it likely would've been a lot later had we not needed to get the kids home to bed!! 

On Sunday, we took the kids to the Kelly Tarlton Aquarium near Mission Bay.  WE FINALLY SAW (drum roll......) PENGUINS!! They are adorable creatures.  Love 'em.  There was an exhibit on Captain Scott & his Antarctic explorations.  We watched the sting rays get fed, saw sharks and, probably Sofia's favourite, sea horses!  After a weekend of late nights, it was a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Everyone went to bed early Sunday night...

On train through Penguin Exhibit - this simulated the disorientation you'd experience during a "white out" in Antarctica.

Penguins! (seen through glass of train)

This weekend coming up should be fun!  John and I are going to Waiheke Island with Ben and Lisa for wine tasting!  Sunday, Sofia and I will go to a play that our friend Mark is in (Howick Children's Theatre) while John and Jake attend the cricket awards ceremony.

Next Thursday, April 5, the children start their two week school break.  We plan to spend Easter in Mangawhai (north of Auckland) and then our last adventure will include time in the Coromandel area.

Australia is now on the distant horizon -- coming slowly into sight... 

Ciao for now.

Up to March 18

After Rotorua, it was business as usual for us, with my parents away on the south island. We enjoyed a week of school and after school activities.  Sofia's Ratpak group had a wonderful evening on the water, learning about and practicing kayaking! 

Pakaranga Sailing Club - Ratpak Night!

Getting in the kayak...

Paddling...

More paddling....

On the weekend, we drove out west to Bethel's Beach.  The west coast is vastly different from that around the city of Auckland.  The beach had black sand and one wild surf!  Jake wasn't interested in getting wet, so John took Sofia into the waves.  Holding her VERY tightly, they got no further than John's thighs as the waves were very powerful, dangerous and there were rip tides. 

Bethel's Beach

John unsuccessful attempt to get into a borrowed wet suit!

Always time for footie...

The windswept beach

Looking back from the ocean

Sofia & John in the BIG waves

Flags set up on the beach - swimmers were to stay within the flags to avoid rip tides...

My parents arrived back from the south island late Tuesday March 6^th.  After a day to regroup, I took them to the Auckland War Memorial Museum (http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/).  The museum is home to so much – it was hard to do it all but we did enjoy a Maori cultural performance and got through the exhibits on a couple floors, including a cool simulation of a volcanic eruption in Auckland’s harbor… It actually was a little nerve racking since it is well known that “it isn’t IF, it is WHEN” the next volcanic eruption will occur!

On Friday March 9^th, we took the kids out of school early (which they LOVED) and drove up north to the Bay of Islands.  We stayed in the tourist town of Paihia and spent two wet days touring around.  We took a ferry across the water to check out the village of Russell, we visited Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi signed (more history about New Zealand can be read online, http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/category/tid/133).  The sun did come out a bit on the Saturday so we enjoyed some decent views of the bay and all its little islands!  Quite fantastic.

Maori Immersion School Performance in Russell, Bay of Islands

Paua shells placed in eyes; carving on a Waka Taua (War Boat) - Waitangi Treaty House

Waka Taua (War Boat), Waitangi

Looking back at the Maori boat house, Waitangi

Point at which treaty was signed - Waitangi

Waitangi Treaty House

Maori "Wharenui" or Meeting House, Waitangi

Coast line at Waitangi, Bay of Islands

Coast line at Waitangi, Bay of Islands

Sunday, March 11^th was Grandpa’s 71^st birthday!!  How lucky were we to have him with us that day?  After a birthday campfire breakfast at the Holiday Park (largely prepared by Grampa and chef-in-training Jake), we drove to Kerikeri, another tourist town.  It was pouring most of the time but we still managed to see a few historic sites (such as The Stone Store) and enjoy a great lunch out.  We spent the evening together relaxing and enjoying “Jake Burgers”. 

Happy Birthday Grampa!!

Grampa instructing the next generation on cooking campfire breakfast

No need instructing anyone on how to eat campfire breakfast!

On the Monday, March 12^th, my parents went on a bus tour to 90 mile beach and Cape Reinga.  The four of us made our way back to Auckland via the west coast of Northlands.  We made a quick stop in a very sleepy town called Rawene.  We carried on to the Hokianga Harbour and the twin settlements of Omapere & Opononi.  There are massive sand dunes here that people will ride boogie boards down.  But the wind was so strong that the boat couldn’t shuttle people across the harbour to do this.  That was disappointing – we had plans to do just that.  However, we carried on and visited “Tane Mahuta” (Maori for Lord of the Forest), a very special and ancient tree.  

Rawene...sleepy, little town

Cute cafe / shop on stilts -- a surprisingly rockin' place in such a sleepy town

Hokianga Harbour at Opononi, massive sand dunes overlooking the Tasman Sea...

Looking back down the harbour (looking inland) from a lookout point...

Tane Mahuta

Spot Sofia!!

Tuesday, March 13:  I actually did my parent duty and worked at a school “Sausage Sizzle”- trying my best not to burn sausages with another mom named Tracy!  The PTA at this school has got it going on.  The sizzle is just one of the many things that is done to raise money for the school.  They do a great job.  Grandma and Grampa arrived back in Auckland mid afternoon that day.  We had a house full of guests that night – the Dysons, our landlords and my brother’s old hockey buddy Rod.  Now this brings me to something very unique to New Zealand…  everyone knows everyone, or at least knows someone who knows you!  Never mind ‘6 degrees of separation’, it’s more like 2 degrees…  Around our little table out back that night we all found ourselves connected in a variety of ways. In no particular order: Rod and Ben currently work together.  Rod's wife went to university with Ben years ago.  Rod played hockey with my brother in university.  Ben and John worked together in Memphis.  Enter our landlord Chris... turns out that Chris’ dad was Ben’s head master/school principal years and years ago!  Unfortunately, I failed to take any photos of any part of this day.

Wednesday, March 14^th was a day of regrouping for my parents – apart from a lunch out in Howick.  Grampa had come down with a cold and needed fluids and rest!  We did get to Bucklands Beach for a picnic dinner, but the clouds rolled in as we were settling there and it felt cold!  Sofia even found it too cold to swim (so that tells you something).  We made the most of it, ate, let the kids run up and down the hill before coming home. When we got home, the girls took Max for a walk up Pigeon Mountain.

Picnic dinner at Buckland's Beach

With Max at the top of Pigeon Mountain

I took my mom to Devonport on Thursday.  What a beautiful day.  After two ferry rides, a coffee break, and a short but steep walk up the hill to get views all around, we went back to Auckland and checked out the wonderful boats in the Harbor, some of which are now sailing in another leg of the around the world Volvo Ocean Race.  We retired to our “courtyard” in the back for some cheese, crackers and a glass of wine before the kiddies came home.

Rangitoto Island - view from Mt Victoria, Devonport

Auckland City Centre - view from Mt Victoria, Devonport

Another view of Devonport from Mt Victoria

Leaving Devonport, looking back at the little harbour

Auckland City Harbour - one of the Volvo Ocean Race boats can be seen hanging...

March 16^th came and went – we were very sad to see Grampa and Grandma leave.  We tried to make up for our loneliness on St. Paddy’s Day by enjoying a little cricket (Jake’s team won!!!!) and a trip out to Ambury Regional Park with the Ben & Lisa and another family (Lisa, Tristan & their three young girls) on sabbatical.  There was a farm that, on certain days, allows kids to milk cows, pet and feed a variety of animals.  We had a picnic lunch, messed around in the green spaces, walked around the farm then took a walk along the coast line.

Little bunnies!!

Sofia and the twins checking out the bunnies

Chloe, Ava, Mia & Sofia

Starting the coastal walk...

A little cricket before leaving the park!

It hasn’t been all play for everyone.  John has been very productive, getting a lot out of his time both at the university and writing/working at home.  It’s hard to think we’ve only got about 6 weeks left in New Zealand.  I know we’ll miss our relaxed life style very much!

Stay well.