Leading up to Christmas...

Over the last couple of weeks, it's been a challenge for us to get into the Christmas spirit. Not because it's not celebrated here, only because it's not snowing and -15 degrees. Since this is our first Christmas without any of the white stuff, we've been extremely surprised at how much the white stuff influences our mood and plays such an important role in the Canadian Christmas.

Snow + cold weather = typical Canadian Christmas
vs
Hot & sunny + 24 degress = kiwi Christmas


However, we finally had a Eureka moment. If we are in NZ for Christmas, let's do what the kiwis do to get into the swing of things... so we have and guess what, we found our Christmas!!!

It started with Christmas in the Park. Over 12,000 people gathered in the local park to have a picnic, sing Christmas carols, and welcome Santa who arrived via helipcopter to be escorted by the firefighters to the main stage. It was awesome! Very special when you consider that there are only about 45,000 people in Whangarei. We all really enjoyed singing "White Christmas" while sitting on the green grass.

Then it was the Christmas parade that took place just at the bottom of our street here in Kamo. It's the only Christmas parade in the area and you could tell since everyone was here for that one too. Mackenzie loved watching all the floats, musicians and people cheering on as the parade took place. It was 27 and sunny. One of our hottest days since we've been here. There is something to be said about cheering on Santa and not simply clapping to keep warm.

Of course, another important ingredient to spreading the Christmas cheer was decorating Fraser and Sarah's tree. This was so much fun. Christmas really came alive to see Mackenzie's eyes light-up as we wrapped the tree with as many Christmas lights, garland and decorations as we could! The tree looks amazing! Fraser, Sarah, you've herited some extra Christmas decorations thanks to Sue and Jan!

We can't forget the Firefighter Christmas party. How wonderful and different! Picture all the kids playing in a swimming pool, running and sliding on the "wet banana", having water fights and jumping around on the inflated castle. Back home there would also be a lot of slidding and jumping around, it would just be in the white stuff!

Finally, the most important ingredients of all arrived this past Sunday: family -Aunt Jaqueline and Mr. and Mrs. G. Jaqueline still can't believe she is here and Mr. and Mrs G. had an amazing time on their trip. WE are so lucky to have them here for Christmas!

We all can't wait to spend Christmas with Sarah's family at their batch on the beach enjoying a real kiwi Christmas filled with lots of sun, sand, food, and great company.

Michael, Mackenzie, Breeana and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family. While we are having the time of our lives here we do miss all of you very much.

Love you all!

The South Island...

After giving Mr. & Mrs. G (Kathy's parents) some time to settle in and discover some of their new immediate surroundings, it was time to pack everyone up and fly out to our camping adventure on the South Island.

Off we went and in 15 days... we travelled 1922 km in our 6 person camper, visited 10cities and crossed 1437 one lane bridges! I am very happy to report that we would all pack our things and do it all over again. It was absolutely spectacular and magical. No wonder they selected the South Island as the backdrop for the movie "Lord of the Rings". There was no need to embelish the location. It really is as beautiful as it appears in the movie and then some.

First and foremost, we want to thank Margaret and Judith for all of their travel advice. Thanks to them we were able to cover the "must sees and dos"efficiently. Margaret put together an excel spreedsheet timetable for us! My kind of women!

Not to bore everyone with a diary account of our 18 day adventure, we thought that we would give you our Top 10 (not in any particular order).

So here we go:
1. Checking-in at the Christchurch airport:
This one Mr. G will never live down... you need to try to visualize and picture this one - Mrs. G is using a whellchair at the airport to minimize any strain on her bad knee. As everyone fumbles to gather their things after going through security, Mr. G gently gives Mrs. G a push to move her along to free-up the line not realizing that Mrs. G is on the edge of a slope. That's right folks...Off she goes - heading directly for the wall. All you hear is a "Ohhhhh" from Mr. G as he rushes to try and stop her from crashing into the wall. Everyone around is speechless and watches intently wondering whether or not Mr. G will cath-up to Mrs. G before she hits.... Are you laughing yet.. Michael and I were....luckily for Mrs. G, Mr. G was able to cath-up and stop her because, had he not everyone would have been unable to assist because they would have been laughing to hard! Luckily, this event didn't set the tone for the entire trip. Sure wished we had caught it on video... it would have one won Funniest home videos for sure!

2. The entire drive - all 1922 km of it:
This entire drive was absolutely spectacular. If we would have stopped everytime we saw something worthwhile, we would still be driving around the island! Just to give you an idea, here are a few pics that we took while we were driving...

3. Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers:
This was really special since none of us had ever seen or been so close to any glaciers before. Michael actually went up to Fox Glacier and touched it as Mackenzie and I cheered him on. The pictures don't actually show you how far back the glacier really is. You know.. objects appears closer than they actually are...Michael still had a 10 minute jog from where Mackenzie and I sat before he could touch the glacier!

4. Our flight onboard a 8 persons plane to Milford Sound:
Who would of thought that the firefighter who can't stand flying would have jumped on a 8 seater plane and fly over the fiordland! Well he did and we have pictures to prove it! This was undoubtedly the high point of our trip. The views from the plane of the snowny mountain peaks of Mount Aspiring, Mount Cook and of Milford Sound itself will be with us forever. Not to mention the ride!

5. Our day at Milford Sound:
This place is really magical. Milford Sound is a fiord - essentially a valley carved by a glacier during the ice ages and later flooded by the sea as the ice melted and the sea level rose. After arriving on our little plane, we took a boat tour to admire the steep mountains that are covered with thick rainforest and its fur seals. The area receive approximately 9 metres of precipitation annually.

6. Queenstown and Dunedin:
Both these places had something special to offer. Queenstown is a great city! Lot's of fun. To give you an idea, we would compare it to Tremblant.

Dunedin was wonderful! A university town filled with lots of old historical buildings. These old buildings are of particular interest as they were designed to resemble Edinburgh, Scotland. Mackenzie really enjoyed the butterfly exhibit at the Otago University. It just so happens that Dunedin is also in close proximity to the only mainland royal albatross colony (they are black and white birds) which we didn't get to see... the weather was horrible! Gale force winds mixed in with torential rains. Even the birds were hidding our from this one. We've got the video to prove it!

7. Christchurch
Christchurch was a great walking city. You really felt that those who designed the city wanted it to be pedestrian friendly and filled with lots of parks. It was laid out as a provincial capital city back in the 1850s. It is filled with wonderful old buildings. Their botanical garden is quite impressive given the city population.

8. Morning tea in Cromwell:
As you can imagine, after nine days of travelling, sleeping and eating inside the camper, some friendly faces and some home cooked treats really hit the spot. Judith, Brian, thank you so much for having us over. It was really wonderful to spend time with all of you. It was as though we had known each other for years! There's that kiwi hospitality again...

9. The Moeraki Boulders
Just one of those natural wonders. As described in our guide: "They are subject of much legend and curiosity. They are almost perfectly spherical, with a circumference of up to 4m (13ft). They are scattered along a 50m (164ft) stretch of beach. They were formed on the sea bed about 60 million years ago as lime salts gradually accumulated around a hard core."

10. Akaroa
This place was so picturesque. We had a wonderful relaxing time there. We wondered around, shopped and ate. We also took a boat cruise that was a lot of fun. It was Mackenzie's and Kathy's first time seeing dolphins and fur seals in the wild. Mackenzie was so excited. She loved the afternoon cruise around the Banks Peninsula.

As you can see, our camping adventure was amazing.

Mr. & Mrs G are off tomorrow to catch a flight to Sydney, Australia to hop on a cruise. While they are gone, we will try and get into the Christmas spirit ... not easy thing to do when there is no snow:) Cathy D. any tips on how to get into the swing of things?

Some quiet time...

Well, it's been pretty quiet these past couple of weeks. We've discovered a couple more beaches - Ruakaka, Waipu and Oakura. Again, just amazing. We can't wait to go swimming and not just admire their beauty!

Ruakaka is simple. A nice and very long white sandy beach. It was really windy when we were there so we wondered if this is a surfing beach.

Waipu was great. Fantastic pizza and several beaches not to mention a Canadian-New Zealand history lesson. It just so happens that the largest Scottish settlement in New Zealand came from Nova Scotia during the potatoe famine. There is a museum dedicated to their story and travels from Scotland to Canada to New Zealand. Many Scottish families living in Waipu are direct descendants from the original passengers who braved the 6 months journey aboard three tall ships.



Oakura was wonderful. It not only offered beautiful beaches but was a stone throw away from a superb cafe/art gallery overlooking Helena's Bay. We would never have found this little gem if it wasn't for Cheryl! The views were breathtaking! No pictures though, forgot the camera:(


We've stayed close to home these past couple of weeks since Michael has been working lots of overtime. He's been banking a whole bunch of time so that we can take off, explore this part of the world and spend some time with our visitors. I LOVE my husband!


My parents arrive next week. We can't wait to see them. Mackenzie and Breeana will be thrilled to actually touch Mamie and Papie and not just see them via skype. They are here for a couple of months and our next house guest, aunt Jaqueline, arrives just before Christmas. We are all really looking forward to having some family here and participating in a typical kiwi Christmas. Glenis and Chris (Sarah's parents) have invited us out to their batch. We've been told that it traditionally consists of lots of sun, beach, ocean and BBQ's. It will be really amazing since it will be our first Christmas without any snow! We can't wait.


A sneak peak of our upcoming adventures... Our first one will take us to the South island in mid November. An adventure alright...we'll be travelling in a camper - this is a typical way for kiwis and tourists to travel and visit New Zealand. We see campers everywhere. It should be a lot of fun and a little easier with the girls... So we hope. We've got an amazing itinerary thanks to Fraser's mom, Margaret and her sister Judith. From Glaciers and Mountains to whale watching and hot springs - they've made sure that we see and do all the important stuff so stay tuned! Margaret, Judith thank you for all your travel advice!


Come January, Andrea, Eric and the twins (Cecilia and Tyler) are visiting. We are really looking forward to having our "travel buddies" around to share in this amazing experience. Eric, Andrea - another country conquered! It will be an exciting time so we are planning some down time in Australia and Indonesia after everyone has left. We've also booked a 21 day cruise of the Pacific islands of Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa, Cook islands and Tonga just before we have to come home.


The next few months will be filled with much excitement so we thought that a couple of weeks of down time wasn't a bad idea! So please stay tuned!

Something for the Grand-Parents...

Off to the big city...

This week we were reminded how quickly time goes by... Breeana was due for her four month immunization shots... Can you believe that - we've already been here for almost two months! The nurses and doctor were great. Nice and gentle with our little one.. or should we say our chubby one! She weighs 16 pounds! That's right... the NZ climate sure agrees with her! Her little arms and legs are rolly polly, just like the landscape here.


Well it's been a busy week. Michael trained (motor vehicle extraction) and then we headed into the big city - Auckland - for the weekend for some retail therapy. We finally felt confident enough in our driving skills to be up to the challenge!

The motor vehicle extraction course was awesome. In all it was a 3 day course. Not since being in drill school was I able to play with the cutter and spreader for a prolonged period of time. Paul gave us an overview and explained some of the techniques used by the NZ fire service. So without further delay we headed out back and starting shredding cars for the rest of the day.

The following day we were right back at it, honing our skill. I quickly realized that you have to have respect for these tools or you may end up with fewer fingers or a bruised hand. One thing that surprised me was the weight of the tools. At first they seem light but after some time they begin to ware on you as you manipulate them to accomplish the desired effect.

The final day was used to display what was learned by staging events around the city. In total 4 accidents were set up and we were let loose to break glass, cut off doors, remove roofs, and stabilize cars. The day had its ups and down as the rescue truck was called away a couple of times during one scenario so we ended up with a "how we would of". In any event, the experience and what we learned from Paul and the rest of crew is unmeasurable. This 3 day course was one of the best learning sessions that I have ever had during my career and I'm grateful for that. Thanks a lot to the guys for helping out.

First thing Saturday morning we made our way south to Auckland. We started to get excited when the highway widened from one lane to two, from two lanes to three and then even to four.

Our first stop to begin our "retail" therapy was to find the "iceberg" outlet. Iceberg is a well known clothing manufacturer that specializes in winter clothing - particularly winter under garments and sweaters. You must be asking ourselves why in god's name would we want to buy winter clothing when we live in Canada where some of the best winter clothing is made...well it's simple... it's really cool stuff. It's made from merino wool and it's supper light and warm. We can already confirm the quality of the wool and how light it is but we will have to let you know how warm it is once it passes a real test in Canada :)

Kathy had forgot the driving instructions to this outlet... but as usual, we were lucky in our misfortune and we stumbled across a mall that was even bigger than Bayshore! Now you are talking real "retail" therapy! So we decided to stop there for lunch, nurse Breeana and get our mall fix. The place was huge and very busy. It reminded us of Bayshore just before Christmas. Crazy busy. It made us wonder how busy it will be just before Christmas...

With our packages in hand we zigged zagged our way to Auckland. It's quite a spectacular view as you approach the city. It's nestled along the ocean and surrounded by boats of all sizes. It's definitely a city where ships have played and play an important role in its day to day life.

We arrived at the Westin which is situated on Viaduct Street right on the harbour. Awesome spot. Not only fabulous rooms and service but it's in walking distance to everything - restaurants, cafes, Queen Street (shopping), Skytower, Ferry Building, Maritime Museum, Albert Park, University, etc.

Once we checked-in we immediately set out in search of some good food. You can always count on the Irish for some good food - O'Hanagans was the place of choice! So much so that we ate their twice!

After an amazing night sleep and a hearty breakfast we set out to conquer Auckland's downtown core. We walked up and down Queen Street. Saw the Labour party officially launch their party platform at the old town hall - FYI NZ is also holding a national election. Ate lunch at the Skytower where we witnessed some crazy people bungee jumping off this 328m tower. Mackenzie didn't like seeing people hanging out the window and dropping to the ground. Hopefully she will never come to appreciate bungee jumping!


We walked and we walked, and we walked, and we walked seeking out all the tourist attractions listed in our eye witness travel guide. We covered off the majority of the landmarks and decided to leave a couple of them for our next visit. Definitely a city that we will visit again! We did come across something that we found different... let's see if we can describe this correctly. You know how in North America at an intersection, you wait for the little white or green guy to let you know you can walk and how it alternates from one street corner to the next. Well here, at SOME intersections, all four corners change at the same time so that the entire intersection is car free. Once this happens, everyone who was waiting any one of street corners just simply crosses any which way. We actually stopped and checked it out to make sure it wasn't a fluke. We just don't know how people distinguish from one intersection to another since it didn't appear to us that this was a general rule applicable to all intersections... can any kiwis enlightened us:)


Before heading home, we decided to checkout the Aquarium. It was great. Mackenzie and Breeana really enjoyed it. Everything is designed to cater to small kids. It's all at their level. Lots of water tanks so the kids can be at eye level with the fishies. It's actually built on the ocean so that some of the facility is submerged by the ocean during high tide. So when you are sitting in the cafe you are below sea level looking underwater. They have huge turtles, stingrays, and sharks. There is also a replica of the Cape Evans 1910 hut used by one of the first South Pole explorer Robert Scott. We can't forget to mention the penguins and their offspring. Lots of fun!


Another great weekend had by all!

Our first getaway...

This week was fabulous! We took off with Tanya, Scott, Kesia and Jordan to head to the tip of the North Island - Cape Reinga.

On our way, some car trouble... Scott and Tanya's SUV fan belt gave way. A minor set back. We didn't let that damper our spirits. While Scott, Michael, Kesia and Jordan made their way to the next service centre, Tanya, Kathy, Mackenzie and Breeana continued on to our final destination - Cable Beach.

Tanya booked us a fabulous "batch" overlooking the shores of Cable Beach. An awesome spot! A little noisy... the waves rocked you to sleep every night. LOL

After getting the car repaired, dropping off our bags and grabbing a quick bite we drove around and visited Karikari Peninsula - Tokerau Beach and Matia Bay. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around. Once again, we were speechless. Beautiful white beaches and breathtaking views!

Having worked up an appetite, we set out for the best fish-n-chip on the North Island. It was actually operated for the longest time by Scott's grandfather. Legend has it that Scott's father and uncle would catch snapper from their bedroom windows. One thing we can confirm is that it IS the best fish-n-chip that we've had... even better than the Glenn's back home.

Our tour day: We started the following morning "bright-eyed and bushy tailed", eager to conquer the North. We made our way to Kaitaia for our day long bus tour. Don't frown... it was an awesome day. The weather cooperated. It only rained when we were on the bus. Miraculously it would stop everytime we got off! We highly recommend the tour to those of you who are coming to visit! We saw some of the oldest trees in the world, stood at the tip of New Zealands' north island, saw where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea crash together, tobogganed down the sand dunes, drove along the 90 mile beach and ate some of the best ice cream in the world.

Tanya, Scott, Kesia, Jordan, thanks for inviting us on your family getaway!

A slow week...

Well it's been a slow week for several reasons.
1. the dust balls were chasing us around the house;
2. Breeana and Mackenzie were out of clothes;
3. there wasn't much food left to eat;
4. Kathy's was sick with a cold; and
5. Mike had to work.

So we kept it simple. We ventured out to the west coast for the first time to a place called Dargaville. The drive was good. We saw more cows and sheep that you could shake a stick at! We drove straight for about 50 km. Something we hadn't done for a while since most of the roads we've traveled usually twist and turn.

Dargaville is the nation's Kumara capital. Once a central trading centre at the turn of the century, given it's location on the Wairoa River, houses a wonderful museum depicting the period. It is also home to the holdest kauri tree in the country which we didn't see... that's our travel guide's fault!


We finally had, beleive or not, two days of superb weather = NO rain! That's right people, not one single drop and almost 20 degrees temperature:)

We started off the weekend at the local market to purchase some fresh fruits and vegetables. It was great to see everyone with smiles on their faces. It reminded us of back home when everyone walks around with a "permagrin" following those first few days of warm weather after a harsh winter. We try not to smile when people here say that it's been a hard winter - lots of rain! We tell them about the winter we had last year and say at least it ain't snow! They smile but we don't think they can really appreciate what 14 feet of snow actually looks like. It's just one of those things that you have to experience!

With our purchases done, we hooked up with Scott, Tanya and their kids and made our way out to Patua. So far one of the best spots we've been to with the girls. So much so that we went back on Sunday. It's got the best of both worlds - an estuary surrounded by trees with shallow water for Mackenzie to play in and an ocean side with lots of waves. Both of which are blessed with beautiful white beaches. So we palyed in the sand, burried our feet and hands, got a good dose of vitamine D and snacked on some goodies. What a great weekend!

Already week four...

Well, the best way to describe this past week is to call it "social". It revolved around people, food and drink. We were fortunate enough to get several strong doses of kiwi hospitality!!!

It all started on Sunday when Michael's "watch" hosted a get together so that we could meet everyone. Corey and Jenine, our gracious hosts, opened their beautiful home to everyone. We were instructed to bring a "plate". Luckily Sarah and Fraser told us that a "plate" means to bring a dish. The equivalent of a "pot-luck" dinner at home.



The evening was wonderful. It was filled with lots, lots, and lots of great food (we had probably one of hte best homemade seafood chowder ever!) good dring and amazing company. It was really nice to meet everyone and their families. Mackenzie made a whole bunch of new friends. The older kids loved plauing with her... she's like a doll to them. Breeana was the social butterfly, as usual, letting everyone hold her!



Come Monday, the boys were back to work! So we just putts around the early part of the week. Went into town a couple of times to walk around, grocery shop and the like. However, we were on a mission to track down a "raclette". Hit every store in town looking for one. NO luck so we settle dfor a fondu set. The fondu set wasn't easty to find either. It was only sold in two spots but at least we found one! We were keen to track one down since we were hosting our first dinner party at the house on Friday.



Friday! our first dinner party. We had a few people over for a nice fondu dinner. A few of our guests hadn't enjoyed a fondu dinner before. All initial feddback has been positive. We will most definately have a fondu dinner again. We had a lovely time. It had been a while since we hosted a dinner party... probably before Breeana arrived!



Satruday, we recuperated and ventured out to Kerikeri. A small town about 1 hour 1/2 away. Very quaint! Unfortunately, all the shops were closed...why you ask...well of course they were closed because it was sunny! It was the first nice sunny day on the weekend so the shop owners decided to close for the day! Luckily the local restaurant/pub was open so we could enjoy some lunch.



The highlight of our week was obviously Sunday - September 14th - Mackenzie's 2nd Birthday! Goo friends' of Sarah & Fraser, Jill and Manfred, held a get together/Birthday party for us. It was a wonderful afternoo. We got to meet many of Fraser and Sarah's close friends and celebrate Mackenzie's Birthday surrounded by our new friends and surrogate family. Mackenzie was so spoiled. She received lots of stuff, a homemade birthday cake and enough balloons that we had to wigh her to the ground so that she wouldn't fly off!!! Again, kiwi hospitality made us feel welcomed!

Week three...

Well, if you have had a chance to read a little about the area where we are located, you will know that there are approximately 120 beaches only a 30 mins to 1 hour drive from our house! That's right 120!!! Given this fact, we decided that we best get started and explore them if we wanted to see them all. Conveniently, some of the most beautifuls ones are only a stone throw away.

The main highway - no. 1 - is two lanes filled with twists and turns (brings back memories of our adventures through the Mexican Sierra mountains minus the crazy mexican driver!), which can be a challenge for those who suffer from motion sickness. However, there is something to be said about roads that don't taking over the landscape!

Here are some views that were taken on our way to Matapouri. A beautiful beach located only 30 mins away!

Here is Matapouri....

Although spring has officially arrived, it doesn't mean that it stops raining 5-10 times a day or that you won't see at least 3-5 rainbows in a day. It just means that we are that much closer to a "snowless" Christmas! Ha! Ha!

Our second outing took us to Whananaki and Moreeses Bay. Granted the weather wasn't the greatest - cloudy, off/on rain - but who cares... it ain't snow! Soooo we didn't let the clouds and rain scare us away from finding these beautiful places. Places where Fraser and Sarah recently celebrated their wedding this past April. Talk about an amazing backdrop for photos...

As you can see, a "boggieboard" enthusiast's dream location..."Bring it on!" Says Breeana - That's our girl! Eric, Andrea ready to take on the waves!

We are definitely looking forward to some summer weather to enjoy the beach and the sun in our bathing suits!

Yesterday we ventured south to Warkworth, Leigh, Goat Island and Matakana.

Warkworth was very nice. Almost like a little town that you would see in the Eastern Townships. Quainte little boutiques and coffee shops. Lots of people. We didn't stay long as our mission was to have internationally renowned fish-n-chip! So we pressed on to Leigh. The drive there was beautiful - as usual!

We finally arrived, found the restaurant, tummies grumbling and....the place was closed for renovations! Opening on Thursday!!! Oh well. So instead we found this cool restaurant called "The Sawmill Cafe". Cool because it was previously and old mill. They kept the main architecture mill, old beams and all. They used some of the old blades as tables! Really cool. Good food. We discovered Kumara (?)= a local sweet potatoe. Something different is that you don't tip here. All prices include GST and Service fees. Waiters and waitresses don't make minimum wage here. They get paid $16-$18 an hour.

Once our bellies were filled, we drove to the Marine Reserve since we had missed the glass bottom boat ride. Just one of those days. Oh well! We still really enjoyed the reserve.

Our next stop was Morrisson & James - a well know ceramic/pottery shop. All made on location. We found the place - no problem - place WAS OPEN - knew our luck would change:) Beautiful stuff. We will definately need to consider purchasing some of the tiles, plates, vases for our new place in Chelsea.

Off to Matakana - Another beautiful little town filled with boutiques and coffee shops. We didn't stop since the girls were passed out. We decided that it was time to head back home after a full day.

Anyhow, it's not like we won't go back!

Along our way to all of these destinations, the road was lined with vineyards, winerys, artisans. Reminiscent of the Niagara area and the Eastern Townships.

All in all another great week!