We are back...

It's amazing how three weeks can go by so quickly, especially when you are having so much fun. Our trip was filled with surprises, memorable moments and great weather.

We started our trip in Melbourne, Australia after a 6 hour flight. The girls travelled like little angels. We really enjoyed Melbourne. We would characterize it as a very cosmopolitan, artistic and tourist friendly city. We have to admit that before our departure, we were lazy. We did not read-up on the things to see and do. However, this proved to be beneficial since we didn't have any preconceived ideas about what to expect. As a result, everyday was a new adventure.

Some of our high points included:
- shopping;
- travelling with 2 "starlets";
- food;
- city landscapes; and
- free transportation for tourists.

We found it challenging to limit our purchases. We didn't want to max out our luggage allowance so early in the trip. So we sat on our hands and purchased very few items. Not an easy thing to do when you are surrounded by great fashion, both women's and men's, great sales, original items not to mention a favourable exchange rate. Despite these temptations, we manage to fend off our urges!

Interestingly enough, on our first day, we discovered what it may feel like to be pursued by the paparazzi, albeit on a smaller scale. Let us explain. We were crossing over the Princess Bridge, which is very touristic spot. It is an area surrounded by the National Art gallery, the Alexandria Gardens, the Queen Victoria Gardens, Hamer Hall (their NAC), Federation square, cafes, restaurants, etc. As we stoped to take some panoramic pictures of the view from the bridge, a Chinese lady asked if she could take a picture of Mackenzie and Breeana. Micheal told her to ask Mackenzie so the lady did. Mackenzie agreed and the lady handed her camera to her friend to take a picture of Mackenzie, Breeana and herself.

Nothing too strange so far. That quickly changed. Immediately after the photo was taken, we were surrounded by a large group of Chinese tourists, all waiting for their turn to have their picture taken with the girls! Not 3, 4 or 5, but more like 50! It seemed that every time we thought it was the last photo, another person approached us to have their picture taken. This went on for at least 15 minutes. Some of them even videotaped the girls. Mackenzie and Breeana smiled and laughed the whole time. We were all a little puzzled and Michael and I just kind of shrugged it off. When they were finally done, we realized that it was an entire tour bus. Their guide thanked us as he ushered them along. This happened several times during our holiday. Who knows, maybe the girls will be "starlets" in Shanghai one day!

The food... ok knowing the Quinns, we hope you guessed it - Sweets! Specifically CHOCOLATE and lots of it! Everywhere you looked there were these wonderful little cafes, chocolatier shops filled with decadent treats. Not to set a bad example for the girls, we would take turns and stop at these small shops during the girls nap in the pram, and the other kept walking to make sure they slept. It became our 2:30 pm ritual to find a spot and get our chocolate fix. We are still suffering some withdrawal symptoms!

We have to say that we were both very impressed by Melbourne. Having no pre-conceived idea about what to expect, we found this city very picturesque and filled with a little bit of everything for everyone. The Yarra River cuts right through the city and plays a focal point in the urban planning. There are many green spaces and outdoor markets. It is pedestrian friendly and a wonderful mix of old and new architectural buildings. There is a free tram and bus for tourists to use, which takes you to all the major sightseeing attractions in the city.

All in all, Melbourne definitely caught us off guard.

Unfortunately, the giant 100 million dollar fairestwheel that opened in January and closed 8 weeks later due to "serious architectural design deficiencies" was still not open. Not sure we would have gone for a ride anyhow...

As promised, here are lots of pictures. Hopefully you will enjoy them!

We are off to Aussie and Indonesia...

We just wanted to let everyone know that we are off to Australia and Indonesia for the month. So NO threatening emails about how we haven't updated our blog! LOL

We promise to have an amazing time and to take lots of pictures!

The Coromandel

Well, you know us. We can't sit still for too long. Don't want any dust to start to settle! So on Saturday, we packed up the station wagon and headed off to the Coromandel.

The Coromandel is about 2 1/2 hours southeast of Auckland. A holiday spot for many kiwis who want to escape Auckland. Essentially it's a very large mountaneous region that jets out into the Pacific Ocean. Absolutely breath taking! It became best known for its gold operations during early settlement.

Lucky for us that Margaret and Selwyn have wonderful friends who live there and who invited us to come and stay. Fay and Bill were wonderful! We arrived to a hot meal and our very own two bedroom apartment! It was simply perfect. The house was located in Whangamata, a very central location that allowed us to do day trips throughout the entire region. We zigzagged our way to visit Tauranga, Mt Maunganui, Coromandel town, Whitianga, Thames, Cooks Beach, Cathedral Cove and Hahei. Some of which are home to some of the best surf beaches in New Zealand.

Again, simply breathtaking. However, we did do a couple of fun things as well, in addition to enjoying the scenery! We boarded a miniture train that took us through native forests to a magnificent lookout and we dug our own "kiwi hottub" at Hahei beach. Not something you do everyday - find hotsprings rising through the sand!

Exactly what the doctor ordered! Fay, Bill thank you so much for having us!

Some nesting time...

These last few weeks have been uneventful and really quiet for us. We decided to stay close to home and take it easy before our travelling schedule kicked in again.

It's been really nice. We realized that we have been so busy making sure that we were visiting everything around us that we hadn't taken the time to checkout our own neighbourhood. So our daily excursions have taken us to several beautiful parks and play areas where the girls have enjoying everything from feeding the ducks to just running around in open green spaces.

Whangarei is a wonderful community. A great place to raise a family!!!

Halfway there...

Can you believe that we've already been in New Zealand for 6 months! We can't. It only seems like yesterday that Scott picked us up at the Auckland airport and that we made our way to our new home for the year. Time has gone by too quickly. Breeana is crawling and Mackenzie is a little lady now. They have grown so much since we've been here.

While we miss everyone back home we are deeply saddened to know that we only have 6 months left to spend with our new friends here. Leaving will be very difficult. The good news: we already have a few friends who are planning to come and visit. :)

So what have we been up to these last few weeks you ask? Well guess??

That's right! Beach, beach, beach and more beach! It was amazing. We were lucky enough to have Eric, Andrea, Cecilia and Tyler come and visit and practice being beach bums with us. We had an awesome time. The kids got along great. They shared toys, sand and many laughs. It was wonderful to share our kiwi experience with our travel partners, even if it was for a short while. We toured our favourite beaches, visited and stayed in Paihia for a few days and next thing you knew, it was time for all of them to make their way back home. Mackenzie really misses her play buddies.

So, we've managed to distract Mackenzie with gymnastic and swimming lessons (as Breeana continues to blow bubbles) and Michael and I have kept ourselves busy with diving lessons. Poor Knights here we come... one of the top ten diving locations in the world, as ranked by Jacques Cousteau!!!

What does it takes to be a beach bum?

Well we've been working on mastering our "beach bum" abilities! It's quite a challenge to leave every morning and ensure that you have enough snacks, sandwiches, fruits, drinks, sunscreen, beach toys, beach shelters, towels, nappies, etc to last the entire day. You don't want to find yourself on any of the spectacular beaches without some of the key amenities! You would then only have a great time instead of an amazing time. So, to improve our "beach bum" abilities we've put ourselves to the test by going to the beach everyday this week:
Monday - Oakura Beach
Tuesday - Ocean Beach
Wednesday - Whananaki Beach
Thursday - Oakura Beach
Friday - Morrisey Bay Beach

It hasn't been easy. Lots of sun, sand and hot weather! Always at least +24C. The ocean is very warm and full of waves. Makes it a real challenge not to spend a couple of hours playing in the waves with our buggy board or walking along the beach. We always have to remember to reapply our sunscreen.

And we can't forget all that white stuff. It's everywhere when we come home. In our chilly bin, in the pram, in our beach bag. Mackenzie and Breeana have some everywhere, not including the bulk they ate at the beach!

But you know what it's all been worth it! Probably only another week or so and we will have it down to a science.

A Kiwi Christmas Holiday

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Where has the time gone... these past couple of weeks have gone by in a flash. It feels like it was just yesterday that we picked up aunt Jacqueline, Mr. and Mrs G. in Auckland and yet, aunt Jacqueline left on the weekend to continue the rest of her journey on this side of the world and Mr. and Mrs. G. left two nights ago to make their way back home to snowy, cold, white Ottawa/Gatineau.

Time went by quickly because we were so busy taking it all in...

We didn't give Mr. and Mrs. G or Jacqueline, any time to rest! Everyday was a new adventure.

We started off with a drive out to Oakura and Helenas' Bay. You will all remember this one since it is one of the winddiest roads on the North island. We also took them to some of our favourites beaches - Pataua, Matapouri.

Then we all got to experience an authentic Kiwi Christmas at the beach thanks to Glenis and Chris, Leon and Lea and Aaron (Sara's family). We had so much fun. As promised, there was amazing company, tons of food (mostly all barbecued items), lots of drink, sun, heat and ocean. Santa even managed to know that Mackenzie and Breeana were going to be there. They both received some beach gear and most importantly - kiwi icons: their very own "busy bee" and "marylou doll". Since then "busy bee" and "marylou" are part of the family and travel everywhere with us.

We also spent a few days up North at Cable bay so that Mr. and Mrs. G and Jacqueline could tour around Cape Reinga on the 90 mile bus tour. The weather was fantastic so we obviously had to go to the beach as well. It's been great not only to admire the beaches and the ocean but finally swim in it as well.

You can't come to the North island and not visit the Bay of islands. So we drove along old Russell road (very scenic drive along the coast) to make our way up to the Bay of islands. When we arrived we booked our boat cruise to see some of the 144 islands that are found there. The high points of the cruise were to see hundreds of dolphins and to actually sail through "the rock".

Over the entire holiday period we spent lots of time enjoying good food and great company with Margaret & Selwyn (Fraser's parents), Glenis and Chris (Sara's parents), Cheryl & Tommo, Frog, Johanne and Jessica. They have all spoiled us and made sure that our Christmas here in NZ would be unforgettable. Thank you for making it so.

Finally, we spent New Years' eve at Ocean Beach, New year's day at Ruakaka Beach and then finished it all off with some shopping and sightseeing in Auckland.

The house feels empty now...