Week two....

As most of you know, in Gatineau we see construction sites from our place... not mountains and rolley hills. So we couldn't understand why people would smile and look at us funny when we talked about the beautiful view from the house here.

Well we finally understood why everyone here would smile. We had the good fortune to be invited to a colleague's house at Whangerei Heads, only 20 minutes from home. We'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

This is what you can see from the house...




... and only a two minute walk to the ocean floor at low tide!


Need we say more!

Our first excursion... all on our own...

We decided for our first excursion, since everything is so close here, to make our way to the Bay of Islands. Only an hour drive!

So breathtaking that even Breeana was excited and could appreciate the beauty! The drive there was beautiful. Windy roads (like the majority of them are here) where around every corner it is just more and more beautiful.

As you can see, all were very satisfied with our first roadtrip!

Our first week...

Once we awoke from our zombie like state, filled our bellies and realized that we were in New Zealand, our first mission was to unpack, settle in and discover our new home. We love the deck and the backyard. We will make good use of it!

Our first excursion was to the grocery store. It took both of us to drive there. One drove and the other remind the driver to stay on the left side of the road! At least Mackenzie and Breeana aren't old enough to understand so they weren't afraid:)

Grocery shopping is always interesting when you are in a new country. Well here in New Zealand, their grocery store is "normal". You don't need a map to find your way like in some of them back home. However, they do have a store called the "Warehouse" which is the Walmart equivalent. It's just not on every street corner yet. Because of winter and the abnormal high levels of rainfall they are experiencing, produce is ridiculously expensive. For example, $5.00 for a cucumber, $3.00 for a green pepper! On the other hand, they have amazing ice cream, tons of different chocolat covered cookies (TimTam) and interesting stuff like milo (it's just like Quick).

We can't talk about our first week without touching on how much we have been made to feel at home. Everyone has been so generous and thoughtful. They have welcomed us into their homes. Showed us around and showcased some of this country's beauty. They've been our escorts so we don't get lost. They have made sure that we have everything we need. It's been like Christmas for Mackenzie and Breeana. They have everything; furniture, baby apparel, toys, books, etc. We had been told that kiwis were hospitable but we have been blown away! Our most sincere thanks to everyone!

After a 14 hour flight, we finally arrived...

Believe it or not, the 14 hour flight wasn't that bad! The girls slept about 10/11 hours out of the total 14. Not bad is you ask us... since we were worried about embarking on such a long flight with a 23 month old and a 9 week old! God Bless the staff on the Air New Zealand flight!

Luckily upon our arrival, Scott was there to great us and drive us from the airport to our new adoptive home. Did we mention that is was 6:00 am NZ time and that we still had another 2 hours to drive!!! Thank God for Scott since we were in no shape to drive on the opposite side of the road, let alone find our way home. The drive was breathtaking! We watched the sunrise along the coast as it gently warmed the cool salty air. The views were absolutely spectacular. Unfortunately, we weren't lucid enough to remember to take some photos:( Sorry about that but we will redeem ourselves!

What a welcoming! When we finally arrived at the house, the fireplace had warmed the house, some groceries and some meals were already made, and most importantly, the beds were ready for us (God Bless Munti and Cheryl)!!! So Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Mackenzie Bear and Breeana Bear all went to sleep.

Our stop in Vancouver...

Our flight to Vancouver went very well. The girls were great. Mackenzie coloured and Breeana slept. We couldn't ask for more:)

Our hotel was in a great location. Right by the beaches! Upon our arrival we set out to discover our neighbourhood. It was great. Surrounded by great restaurants, cafes and the like. Only a short walk to the beach and a nice distance to Stanley Park and the Aquarium.

We definately understand why Vancouver is one of Canada's crown cities. However, the high point of our stay was to finally meet Fraser and Sarah. It was so nice to finally meet the couple with whom we had been corresponding, planning and chatting over the last 12-18 months. They are even nicer than we thought! Some may even say that Fraser and Michael look like brothers... we will let you decide!

Over the 5 days that we were there, we explored the Beaches, Gas Town, Stanley Park, the Aquarium, Grousse Mountain, etc. We enjoyed good food but most of all great conversation and great company. We definately tried to cover off as many topics, issues and concerns as we could in the few days that we had with Fraser and Sarah!

Some pics from the Aquarium... Michael and Mackenzie peeking through a fish tank and flirting with the dolphins...

At Grousse Mountain...