What a view! You may be asking what this has to do with this blog post title--Tay and cherub's visit? This was my birthday, January 3, and my best gift was the arrival of our precious angels! We headed to the airport to fetch them directly after lunch!!!
I was so happy to see these angels that I forgot my photog duties at the end of the video! Joy, joy joy!!!
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Ah, the pitter patter of little feet once again! This is how life should be!
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| Yay, Christian likes the slide we bought! It is wonderful having toys strewn about and happy children in the apartment! |
Yep! This expression says it all. We're in heaven.
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| Our first outing was to Piha beach and environs. This is a panoramic view Taylor captured. It is a gorgeous area. |
Straightaway Tay hiked "Lion Rock" and this selfie shows the beauty from the top.
Here's Lion Rock from the side. See the reason for the name?
Piha Beach at low tide features many small pools of warmish water perfect for babies!
Not bad for moms and sisters either!!!
We had hours of fun exploring the caves, the shells, and floating in the warm pools.
Christian even did a little boogie boarding:) People surf at this beach and it's known for its dangerous currents and undertow. We didn't get that close to real waves.
Swimming at our Takapuna Sands Apartment pool was Kalei's favourite experience in New Zealand!
The "baby pool" was Christian's favourite hangout and the rest of us joined him on many occasions!
None of the locals could believe that Kalei was only four years old. She was dubbed "the fish" by all who saw her obvious skills and love of the water.
Christian was fearless and would jump in without reservation. Tay would let him sink, then lift him up, turn him on his back and try to teach him floating.
As you can see it did nothing to deter his enthusiasm and joy of swimming.
January 2015 marked record-breaking high temperatures for New Zealand. 70+ year olds told us they hadn't seen a summer with so many unbroken warm days since childhood. Helped swimming!
Our friend Merryl and her sister joined us with a grandson one day. They marvelled at Kalei's energy, love of the water and swimming abilities.
Bonding! I adore this little mermaid. We logged many happy hours at this fun pool and met other residents with their grands to boot!
Gazing out to sea. Love Kalei's sweet head tilt and Christian's expression, shoes and belly:)
Adorable water babies.
Stopped by the pool after a tiring walk one day. No time for swim suits--diapers and leotards worked just fine thanks.
Love this cute foot shot. He was so happy in that little pool.
But you did want to watch carefully--at any time he would decide to take a dip in the big pool.
Our next door neighbors are literally feet away. Love this old house with so much character. They put up with lots of happy noise.
Once again, Kalei's expression pretty much sums up how she felt about time spent in the pool.
Now let's talk about trees. Another favourite pastime was tree climbing and New Zealand doesn't disappoint on this score.
Both cherubs loved finding and climbing interesting trees from our nearby park, to faraway beaches and bush areas.
It's great to be a kid!
Kalei was fearless and agile. Such joy.
I just love the dirt on her face as well as the expression of wonder and accomplishment. No tree was left unexplored.
And there were so many unique and different varieties to enjoy.
She expressed such satisfaction the higher she climbed.
What an adventurous spirit. I love her energy.
Local children at Milford Beach showed Kalei another way to enjoy the native trees.
This fun swinging branch was a new type of recreation for Kalei.
I loved the team work and sense of community shown by these sweet and smart little ones. Kalei made new friends and enjoyed a ride.
Our beach walk from Takapuna toward Milford beach had fun trees to climb. Kalei conquers this one!
How I love her sweet and adventurous personality!
She kept trying new tricks
Yet another favourite view of Rangitoto for me!
Early in the visit Auckland hosted a free day at the carnival event. We got there early and rode all the children's rides before the crowds became oppressive. Such fun.
Christian stayed close to mom in this bouncy house. Good move son.
Kalei had the time of her life. She ran freely from one bouncy house to the next and showed how it's done!
This was the largest blow up attraction with a huge slide at the end. Perfect landing sister!
Clifford managed to show up for the festivities. Christian wanted no part of this big red dog!
Kalei had a chance to mingle with the locals and make some friends.
Protective big sis always had Christian's best interest at heart! Well, almost always:)
We waited nearly an hour for our last ride which was a covered wagon around the grounds. Kalei and Christian had their faces painted while Mimi waited in line. Looks like Kalei is driving this rig!
Cute little puppy enjoyed the covered wagon with mom. A good time was had by all. Thanks Auckland for the free fun!
Going to Rangitoto volcano was an early excursion on this visit. From a cute little city called Devonport we boarded the ferry out to Rangitoto. Here's a view of Auckland from the dock.
Once aboard it is a short 20 minute trip to New Zealand's "newest" volcano--about 400-500 years since it erupted.
Since we have views of Rangitoto from every window and deck it's fun to explore our neighboring volcano. Approaching the dock is exciting.
You can hike all over this volcano or if you're me, you prefer to take the "train" (like a cable car pulled by a tractor over jutty roads made nearly a century ago by prison inmates).
The train takes you to the base of the volcano where you walk up about 350 steps to the top--with beautiful bush and panoramic scenes of Auckland on the way.
The pathway is wooden stairs with mesh covering and fencing along the way. Since it was foggy and rainy when I came with Jenna and kiddos in November, this time I actually got to see the views!
It's gorgeous every step of the way and most of us thoroughly enjoyed the hike:)
At the top you can take a circular pathway around Rangitoto. Jordi was so disappointed that it doesn't look like a volcano. Due to the fertile soil, foliage has covered the volcanic rock in the past 50 years.
It looks pretty much like this all the way up and down the inside of Rangitoto. Very pretty and ecologically protected. Many species of birds and plants find a safe haven here.
This view from the top shows where we live in Takapuna. The prominent building on the left I call the "helmet" building and it's a block away from Church offices--two blocks from our apartment.
I love this Pohutukawa view of the iconic Sky Tower and Auckland's cityscape. Devonport has two hills--one of which can be seen just past the Pohutukawa.
After the climb to the top the train takes you through more bush and volcanic rock. This field is called "the golf course" by former locals.
"Fore!!!!" Go Tay
I love Rangitoto's beacon/lighthouse--that red and white striped one just over Tay's shoulder. This view makes me happy.
Here's another view of the train. Christian slept most of the way coming to the steps and Kalei got a nap afterward. Amazing they can sleep through the very bumpy ride.
That is exquisite beauty to my eyes. I just love this beacon.
We learned that a light has been added in recent years and it is solar powered. Later Tay and I took a waverunner out to explore these waters. Something to look forward to on the blog:)
Just another pretty view of our new city home. Love Auckland.
Kalei's catnap. Such sweet children. They did so well on this outing.
Christian loved holding her hair--who knows why? Cuties.
Once back from the train ride you are free to explore around the dock area. So many interesting sights and scenes.
Pretty much can't get enough of these different scenes. The hill in the city foreground is called North Head. Fun bunkers and guns from the wars to explore on that one.
Loved this seaside scene. Bachs used to house local citizenry--lately they are only vacation homes to the few remaining descendants of former residents.
Why, here's one now. Cute little houses New Zealanders love to frequent during vacation time. Supposedly when the current owners die these houses will revert to the government and this island will be only visited by the general public.
These three had a blast exploring the flora of this volcano. Cute little adventurers.
Such beauty every direction you turn. This guy posed for a seascape photo. Thanks my feathered friend!
Another view of the dock. Soon our boat will arrive and we'll leave this piece of paradise.
Peaceful and graceful scenes from the sea.
Happy and busy explorers on the shore.
I'd love to know what he's contemplating!
Time to head for the boat. Kalei was gracious enough to pose for a last photo.
The boat is that way--let's go!
Maori influence is everywhere in New Zealand. These carvings welcome and say farewell to visitors.
The boardwalk to the boat.
A fun day on Rangitoto. All aboard--next stop Devonport!
There's a cute playground/park next to the dock in Devonport. The kids played on the toys for happy hours and we had a picnic under the trees. Vor di Da I'm saying:)
The birds loved our leftovers. Every picnic ended by feeding the countless birds in this beautiful country.
Christian thoroughly enjoyed this healthy treat from the local organic/healthfood shop.
We walked up the cute, historic street to attend a movie at the oldest theatre on the southern hemisphere. The Vic.
Don't be deceived by this photo--we didn't get to see The Hobbit--tho we'll soon take you to Hobbiton--instead we watched a kid's flick the title of which escapes me now (if you've seen one. . .)
I'll venture to say that my hat and the popcorn were Christian's favourite things about this portion of the day. Maybe he's a bit young for the big screen. Kalei on the other hand, loved the movie.
As promised here are the waverunner closeups of Rangitoto and the beacon.
Love this view of Auckland and the Sky Tower.
Such rugged beauty.
The black-backed seagulls nesting grounds.
We drove them nuts running around their protected homestead.
I just love this view of such an iconic structure.
It looks so small from far away but in reality it's huge.
Since I look at Rangitoto many times a day it's captivating to catch these new and interesting views of it.
Nature is so majestic and fascinating
Another family happened along while we were touring. It is such an isolates spot it was kind of reassuring to have company.
I've always loved red white and blue.
And I adore waverunning. This was one of my favourite days ever!
It just felt freeing and very fun to be out on this expedition!
The gull atop this rock structure captured my fancy. Beauty.
Actually the volcanic rock wasn't all that comfortable as a chair:)
We set off to find another spot to explore, but the first was best. This family thought so too.
Can't get enough of this light house. Fun to be so near it.
The helmet building marking the spot we live. Loved these two markers in the same photo.
So many interesting views. This was a magical day.
This is a view few people get of the Sky Tower.
Work it Tay! We were two kids in a candy shop.
Nice panoramic view. Very interesting spot on earth.
There were people around the rocks on the next beach so we just explored the rocky marshland.
I like the variation in water color--and Tay of course!!!
This would be a nice painting. Stay tuned.
Humor me. It's my blog.
The beacon on the other side of Rangitoto. Why not?
Okay, play date over, back to reality. We loved our adventurous day!
As it happens, reality doesn't last long around here. Our next dream adventure was a trip to the farm of Kai and Julia Manuel. Yasmin, Amelia, Kiera, Hiram and Xander are their five fab kiddos and they're blessed to live in this great house on this beautiful farm!
Looking out at paradise isn't bad for a backyard eh?
Over the bridge and through the paddock to the animal field we go.
Julia and Amelia teach Kalei and Christian how to feed the chicks.
Julia and Kalei check to see if the hen laid eggs.
Eureka! Nothing like gathering fresh, warm eggs on a farm!
Look ma, I did it! What a feeling for a city kid to be part of nature.
Kalei doesn't want to let go of her treasure. So much fun on the farm.
After a big of hesitation Christian jumped in to this way of life.
Kalei couldn't wait to pet the animals and try to feed them.
Kiera oversaw the feeding and gave needed tips.
Christian was mesmerized by it all.
With Kalei's help he caught on to the feeding routine quickly. Amelia was never far away.
Big healthy chickens, as Christian points out.
Peeking out of the chicken coop--cutie pie.
Whoa Kalei, that's quite the lunch for the cute little goat!
Just an ol' farm hand here. What a fun day.
This stream houses a number of friendly eels. Steve is the biggest and oldest of them all. Didn't hear any shrieking tho:)
Next it was four-wheeling time. Quad wheels as they're called down under.
The big girls showed us how it was to be done.
Christian and Amelia demonstrated the dirt bike. Tay took a spin on it and did very well, thank you!
What boy doesn't love a dump truck?
Definitely something for everyone on this fun farm.
Lei Lei gets outfitted for her ride.
Didn't take her long to get the hang of things.
She was off and running solo. Love this girl's sporting spirit!
Meanwhile, Julie brought lunch down to everyone. What a picnic.
Not quite big enough but a guy can dream?
Kalei gets used to Mimi's sunglasses.
Totally got it now. Let's play in the dirt!
After a nice lunch everyone was ready to move to the more challenging quad wheel paddock.
Sadly, Lei Lei took a little spill and had to recoup a bit.
NO worries mate! She was right as rain in no time.
Oops did I say rain? Jinxed us. Rain delays are the pits.
Christian was ready in Mimi's hat.
Oh well, a little rain will never hurt anybody.
Rain or shine we finished our ride and had a smashing good time.
Thank you Kai, Julia and beautiful children for another fabulous day at the farm. We had a blast!!!!
Lucky farm kids. What a great life.
The hike to Cathedral Cove takes about 45 minutes and is beautiful.
It begins with vistas such as this and there is unique and lush beauty around every corner.
Christian walked some and was carried some. Kalei was a trooper!
The beauty of the hike helped take my mind off the fact that I'm really not much of a hiker:)
We carried towels and food in Tay's backpack and my bag
We took this little detour at the start of the hike. Snorkeling opportunities in gemstone cove.
It never ceases to amaze me the varieties and abundance of beauty in this country
It worked well for Mimi to have the youngsters who needed as many rest stops as I did!
At the end of the hike we were rewarded by this amazing sight
It really does look like a cathedral
There are gorgeous beaches and rock formations on either side of the arches. We went left and found a wonderful spot beneath lovely trees
Our little tree climber wasted no time exploring
Our foodie wasted no time having a snack:)
Here's the sweet little shady spot we claimed. Magical
This was our view looking out from under the protection of the overhanging branches
I enjoy the casual and friendly atmosphere in New Zealand. People live and let live here.
Looking back at the archway it is just as pretty
Panoramic photos are great aren't they?
This Ray was literally feet off the beach. A man nearly stepped on it.
We started exploring immediately. This rock was fascinating.
Everywhere we looked was unique beauty with different rock formations
It was fun climbing on the rocks and watching the waves splash around them.
Christian loved being independent and just one of the gang.
Kalei was so observant and found many treasures wherever we went.
Such a fun wonderland for everyone
The Lord's creativity amazes and delights me.
I could have watched the way the waves played underneath this huge rock formation for hours. Coming on both sides, clashing, receding. Fascinating.
Now it was swim time!!!
Kalei loved the water and lucky for her this was the warmest January in New Zealand history!
Christian will be a great swimmer too. He loves the water.
Such a cute family. Such a fun place to play.
I love how clear the water is. Kalei did too.
What a wonderful day.
Rest time was pretty nice too.
Cutie pie. He rolled with the punches and had a great time.
Another nice view of our little shady spot.
Family council solved the world's problems. Not too many in this haven!
There was no end to the possibilities for fun and play here.
Time to go explore the other side of Cathedral Cove.
I felt a reverence for all of God's creations in this unbelievably wondrous place.
This was the jumping rock. At one point people were lined up to jump off it.
There were falls, caves and rocks all around this beach.
We hiked around that rock on the right and Tay swam into a cave with Kalei. Sadly we didn't have our camera!
So diverse and beautiful. People were everywhere, just doing what they chose.
As we turned to leave this was our last view of the beach. The yellow-roofed boat is a water taxi. Maybe my mode of transportation next time?
We headed toward the stairs to begin the hike back to the car.
Goodbye Cathedral Cove, beaches, trees, rocks, caves, falls and fun!
We took another detour on the hike back. I love the ferns and roots of trees. So interesting.
One of the panoramic vistas as we hiked back.
I just love the variety of foliage. Tall grasses here, ferns everywhere.
We took a walk through the bush to get back. Very shady and nice.
Not surprisingly, Kalei stopped to climb a tree. Cute little monkey:)
I loved our rest stops on rocks.
Here's the view from the end of the hike. Islands and sea. Lovely.
Another wonderful adventure. Such loveliness.
Our little troopers did such a great job on that long hike. Now we're off to the hot beach!
At low tide you can dig a pool, let it fill with seawater and it will be warm/hot.
People form honeycomb-like pools all around the hot sand areas.
It's my kind of place--communal, casual, comfortable. We just found a pool someone had abandoned (we forgot our shovel) and jumped in.
Actually we had to find several pools because some were too hot!
As the tide changed the water would wash up and knock down your pool walls.
Since even in the warmest January ever, New Zealand isn't what I would call consistently hot, this warm water felt amazing!
It was interesting to see the way the people cooperated and just kicked back to relax in the warmth.
Christian fit right in and made himself at home.
Once our pool was washed away by the tide we began beachcombing.
Kalei loves this activity and is very good at it.
Whatever we were looking for, she could always find.
There was a little river near the sea and little pools around it.
Such a beautiful spot. But I repeat myself.
Next we wanted to try out a café nearby that was reported to be healthy and delicious.
We were delighted to find a playground for the children behind the café.
We were almost the only people there and the kiddos had a relaxing and fun time.
I love when concessions are made for little ones.
The food was very good. The sign claimed "vegan" and there were few truly vegan items, yet what they had was tasty and mostly healthy.
This little one loves to eat and can really put food away. He loved his grilled cheese sandwich.
Everything had eggs on it. Tay's salad was delicious and covered in cheese and eggs.
Such a pretty and relaxing spot. We "girded our loins" for the winding, harrowing ride home.
This fellow had no fear. Must be a regular.
Say goodbye to hot beach and environs. Time to head home.
Ah, to be waited upon and enjoy the beauties of this country! Life is great!
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