Bula from Fiji!
That means hello, and several other things (like Aloha in Hawaii). We arrived on the main island (Viti Levu) on Friday afternoon, checked into the hotel and immediately hit the pool. The heat here is heavy and wet. In Nadi (pronunciation rhymes with candy), it rained often and was quite muggy.
On Saturday, we booked a full day trip to Namuamua Village, which involved 2.5 hours on a bus, 1.5 hours on a motorized long boat, about 2 hours in the village for a kava ceremony, dancing, singing, lunch and a tour through the village to the schoolhouse, then back again via boat, swimming in a waterfall-filled natural pool, and bus ride. On the way back, we were soaked in the boat with afternoon heavy rain. The village's main income is via exportation of the kava root.
The next day, we did some shopping and met a local guy, Siti, who took us to his favorite nearby beach, where the kids rode a horse, whose one month old foal and the daddy horse followed behind.
On Valentines Day, we packed up and headed out to Mana Island Resort and Spa, which is actually a synonym for paradise. We've snorkelled every day, eaten buffet breakfasts and dinners and played bingo by the pool sipping cocktails. I also had my first ever professional massage... aaaah.
Blake caught a lizard today and the tail came off. Yes, just like we've all been taught it would, but most have never actually witnessed. The tail wiggled for a while afterwards by itself. I hope it didn't hurt.
Tried to upload some pictures, but the internet here is taking forever, so I'll have to follow up with some once we get back to Seattle on Friday. So soon, I can't believe it!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
A Dwindling Southern Hemisphere Summer
It's been great to be back in Otorohanga, working and hanging out with friends in the last few weeks of summer break.
Blake spent a lot of time with a buddy of his named Glen and one day they returned filthy after collecting metal at the railroad tracks which they then sold to the local metal yard, making a little cash. Both kids had a friend over for a sleepover in the first few days back and the day after, Blake was knackered. Note the dirty feet and remote.
We went to the horse races in Hamilton (45 minutes north). The kids told me it was more fun than they expected, something they have said often after the activities I plan. We kept our wagers low and walked away a few dollars lighter but had a great time.
The kids have also spent quite a few hot days at "the river", which is a section of the Waipa River that attracts kids and adults looking for a cool down. Look closely for Blake in the center of the first picture, flat on a rock. Liza and her friends are in the second picture next to the rapids with boys that were "bothering" them.
We had a few days of enough rain to flood the river above, which is still closed and one of the main roads in Oto slipped away. Blake and his friend, Ryan made the most of the rain.
It must be that time of year when baby birds are hatching. I had a few in my wall at work, that have since gotten out, and this one below helped herself to our left-overs at lunch. She left with a beakfull of chicken, so we think she was taking it to her chicks. Does anyone else find it odd that sparrows eat chicken?
Today, Liza's friends organized a surprise late birthday and going away party for her at the town pools. The kids had a great time and the 3 girls are spending the night tonight at our house.
Blake spent a lot of time with a buddy of his named Glen and one day they returned filthy after collecting metal at the railroad tracks which they then sold to the local metal yard, making a little cash. Both kids had a friend over for a sleepover in the first few days back and the day after, Blake was knackered. Note the dirty feet and remote.
We went to the horse races in Hamilton (45 minutes north). The kids told me it was more fun than they expected, something they have said often after the activities I plan. We kept our wagers low and walked away a few dollars lighter but had a great time.
The kids have also spent quite a few hot days at "the river", which is a section of the Waipa River that attracts kids and adults looking for a cool down. Look closely for Blake in the center of the first picture, flat on a rock. Liza and her friends are in the second picture next to the rapids with boys that were "bothering" them.
We had a few days of enough rain to flood the river above, which is still closed and one of the main roads in Oto slipped away. Blake and his friend, Ryan made the most of the rain.
It must be that time of year when baby birds are hatching. I had a few in my wall at work, that have since gotten out, and this one below helped herself to our left-overs at lunch. She left with a beakfull of chicken, so we think she was taking it to her chicks. Does anyone else find it odd that sparrows eat chicken?
Today, Liza's friends organized a surprise late birthday and going away party for her at the town pools. The kids had a great time and the 3 girls are spending the night tonight at our house.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Kiwi Lingo Quickie
shattered, knackered = tired
crook = not feeling well or injured ("Been feeling crook", "Ever since, my shoulder's been crook"
box o' birds = feeling well ("I'm feeling a box o' birds, doc"
shifted = moved, as in moved house
"were you born in a tent?" = left the door open, as in "were you born in a barn?"
jelly = jello (so asking for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich gets odd looks)
ute = pickup truck
jandals = flip flops
singlet = tank top
surgery = clinic
theatre = operating room
bach = summer house
togs = swimsuit
crook = not feeling well or injured ("Been feeling crook", "Ever since, my shoulder's been crook"
box o' birds = feeling well ("I'm feeling a box o' birds, doc"
shifted = moved, as in moved house
"were you born in a tent?" = left the door open, as in "were you born in a barn?"
jelly = jello (so asking for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich gets odd looks)
ute = pickup truck
jandals = flip flops
singlet = tank top
surgery = clinic
theatre = operating room
bach = summer house
togs = swimsuit
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Northland and back home
Picking up where I left off with my last blog post...
We spent New Years Eve on the Hot Water Beach, where a hot spring runs underneath the beach in one very small specific spot of the beach that can only be accessed at the lowest tide. People all come at low tide, bringing shovels and dig out jacuzzis (without the jets, of course). There was a spot that people avoided because the water was way too hot to even walk in let alone lay in.
We aren't in the above picture. Low tide on 31 December was at about 10 pm. We stayed until about 11, then drove back to the bach to wash the sand from, well, everywhere!
The next day, we took a hike down to Cathedral Cove Beach. It was a good hike for us and we were duly rewarded with an amazing beach for the kids to play in, shade for me, a loo with a view, and a fresh water pool and stream to wash off in afterwards. Remember, Cathedral Cove is where one of the Narnia movies had a scene.
On our last day in the Coromandel, we went to Coromandel town to a Celtic Festival, where Blake pedalled for a smoothie and I bought yarn.
We then made our way to the Northland region of New Zealand to Paihia in the Bay of Islands where the original capital of Russell is located. This is the northernmost peak of New Zealand. We went on a very fast boat ride to "Hole in the Rock" which looks a lot like Cathedral Cove. Unfortunately my camera batteries died just before we got on the boat, so you'll have to take my word that again the views were stunning and the the ride exciting!
From Paihia, we took a tour bus to Cape Reinga, at the very northern tip of NZ, where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. The tour bus was driven by a very entertaining Maori guide who told stories about his own relatives weaved into the history of the region we drove through. The tour started in Kaitaia with a traditional Maori welcome ceremony.
The bus continued north, stopping for ice cream at the "Best Ice Cream Spot in New Zealand" and hitting several picturesque beaches, before making it to Cape Reinga. The turbulent water in the picture is where the Tasman sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east meet.
After hitting the cape, we stopped at the great sand dunes for a unique type of sledding. They could really do with a rope tow!
We then headed back via the 90 Mile Beach, which is actually not really 90 miles long, but I guess that name is more catchy. The 90 mile beach is an actual roadway in New Zealand where road rules apply, but it is actually a beach, driving on sand.
Heading south, on our way back to Otorohanga, at one point, we had to wait patiently for a family of turkeys to cross the road. Note that they are actually not making any effort to get off the road at this point, despite the minivan traveling behind them.
We stopped and walked through the Kauri forest, seeing the great Tane Mahuta (biggest Kauri tree) and also the oldest one at over 2000 years old. The Kauri are now protected, but several tsunamis in the past leveled forests of them, burying them in the process. For a long time, Kauris were dug out of the ground and made into all kinds of stuff (furniture, toys, trinkets, floors, houses, etc.). The sap hardens and turns into what they call "Kauri gum", which is very valuable and sculpted into jewelry and ornaments, a bit like amber.
On the way home, we stayed the night in Matakohe at a Holiday Park where I made myself comfortable with coffee and the laptop and the kids spent hours at the playground on the trampoline.
The next morning, we hit the Kauri Museum before making our way back to Otorohanga.
And now we're home again. I was supposed to have 2 more weeks off, but asked to come back early. Sounds a little crazy? I really enjoy my work here (and may have needed a little adult interaction after 2 weeks in the car with the kids).
We spent New Years Eve on the Hot Water Beach, where a hot spring runs underneath the beach in one very small specific spot of the beach that can only be accessed at the lowest tide. People all come at low tide, bringing shovels and dig out jacuzzis (without the jets, of course). There was a spot that people avoided because the water was way too hot to even walk in let alone lay in.
We aren't in the above picture. Low tide on 31 December was at about 10 pm. We stayed until about 11, then drove back to the bach to wash the sand from, well, everywhere!
The next day, we took a hike down to Cathedral Cove Beach. It was a good hike for us and we were duly rewarded with an amazing beach for the kids to play in, shade for me, a loo with a view, and a fresh water pool and stream to wash off in afterwards. Remember, Cathedral Cove is where one of the Narnia movies had a scene.
On our last day in the Coromandel, we went to Coromandel town to a Celtic Festival, where Blake pedalled for a smoothie and I bought yarn.
We then made our way to the Northland region of New Zealand to Paihia in the Bay of Islands where the original capital of Russell is located. This is the northernmost peak of New Zealand. We went on a very fast boat ride to "Hole in the Rock" which looks a lot like Cathedral Cove. Unfortunately my camera batteries died just before we got on the boat, so you'll have to take my word that again the views were stunning and the the ride exciting!
From Paihia, we took a tour bus to Cape Reinga, at the very northern tip of NZ, where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. The tour bus was driven by a very entertaining Maori guide who told stories about his own relatives weaved into the history of the region we drove through. The tour started in Kaitaia with a traditional Maori welcome ceremony.
The bus continued north, stopping for ice cream at the "Best Ice Cream Spot in New Zealand" and hitting several picturesque beaches, before making it to Cape Reinga. The turbulent water in the picture is where the Tasman sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east meet.
After hitting the cape, we stopped at the great sand dunes for a unique type of sledding. They could really do with a rope tow!
We then headed back via the 90 Mile Beach, which is actually not really 90 miles long, but I guess that name is more catchy. The 90 mile beach is an actual roadway in New Zealand where road rules apply, but it is actually a beach, driving on sand.
Heading south, on our way back to Otorohanga, at one point, we had to wait patiently for a family of turkeys to cross the road. Note that they are actually not making any effort to get off the road at this point, despite the minivan traveling behind them.
We stopped and walked through the Kauri forest, seeing the great Tane Mahuta (biggest Kauri tree) and also the oldest one at over 2000 years old. The Kauri are now protected, but several tsunamis in the past leveled forests of them, burying them in the process. For a long time, Kauris were dug out of the ground and made into all kinds of stuff (furniture, toys, trinkets, floors, houses, etc.). The sap hardens and turns into what they call "Kauri gum", which is very valuable and sculpted into jewelry and ornaments, a bit like amber.
On the way home, we stayed the night in Matakohe at a Holiday Park where I made myself comfortable with coffee and the laptop and the kids spent hours at the playground on the trampoline.
The next morning, we hit the Kauri Museum before making our way back to Otorohanga.
And now we're home again. I was supposed to have 2 more weeks off, but asked to come back early. Sounds a little crazy? I really enjoy my work here (and may have needed a little adult interaction after 2 weeks in the car with the kids).
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
1700 kilometers later...
We just returned yesterday from a whirlwind tour of the Northland of New Zealand. We made it all the way to the very tip, but more on that on another post. First, I'll pick up where I left off with the last post in Whitianga.
The next day of our trip, we went to Waterworks, which is a amusement park filled with odd and wonderful creations, most of which use water somehow very creatively. And, though you can see it was voted "The 2010 Best Theme Park in New Zealand", you have to brave 20km of narrow, treacherous dirt road to get there. This is just the sort of oxymoron that is found not infrequently in this beautiful country.
You can see the dirt road in the middle of the picture.
We all (that's right, me too) enjoyed riding on the flying bicycles and human sized hamster wheel. Blake ventured into the swimming hole, which he shared with several other visitors and the resident eels (commonly found in fresh water streams). Both kids enjoyed the large tire swing and many other really interesting and fun opportunities at this park.
We then headed back to Whitianga to go on the sunset cruise of the Glass Bottom boat to Cathedral Cove and to snorkel. Scotty and Laura were wonderful hosts and gave great commentary about what we saw.
Some of you may recognize Cathedral Cove as the site of one of the Narnia movies. I guess I should watch them now.
It was probably 7pm by the time we got to the snorkeling spot and even though it was still probably 80 degrees outside, the water was co-o-o-old. And though there were no wet suits small enough to fit him, Blake joined Liza for a brief snorkel. I stayed warmly in the boat.
Back in the boat, Laura found a merino sweater for Blake to snuggle into and Scotty let him drive the boat for a while. He was pretty good at it. We can thank Grandpa and the XBox for that I think.
Then next day, we made our way through the throngs of people past main street to Bay Carving where we carved our own necklaces from bone (cow lower leg straight from the local butcher). I chose a Maori design that symbolizes authority and power, because that's what I'm into. Blake chose a fish-hook design and Liza a spiral (or Koro) which is a symbol of peace, growth and tranquility. I think Blake could often use a little more tranquility and as a teenager, Liza could probably use a little less.
While we were in Whitianga, there was some sort of music festival going on and huge grassy areas were covered with tents surrounding the town. I'm pretty sure all Kiwis between 18 and 30 were there, though there was also lots of families in town too.
More on our trip to Northland later.
The next day of our trip, we went to Waterworks, which is a amusement park filled with odd and wonderful creations, most of which use water somehow very creatively. And, though you can see it was voted "The 2010 Best Theme Park in New Zealand", you have to brave 20km of narrow, treacherous dirt road to get there. This is just the sort of oxymoron that is found not infrequently in this beautiful country.
We all (that's right, me too) enjoyed riding on the flying bicycles and human sized hamster wheel. Blake ventured into the swimming hole, which he shared with several other visitors and the resident eels (commonly found in fresh water streams). Both kids enjoyed the large tire swing and many other really interesting and fun opportunities at this park.
We then headed back to Whitianga to go on the sunset cruise of the Glass Bottom boat to Cathedral Cove and to snorkel. Scotty and Laura were wonderful hosts and gave great commentary about what we saw.
Some of you may recognize Cathedral Cove as the site of one of the Narnia movies. I guess I should watch them now.
It was probably 7pm by the time we got to the snorkeling spot and even though it was still probably 80 degrees outside, the water was co-o-o-old. And though there were no wet suits small enough to fit him, Blake joined Liza for a brief snorkel. I stayed warmly in the boat.
Back in the boat, Laura found a merino sweater for Blake to snuggle into and Scotty let him drive the boat for a while. He was pretty good at it. We can thank Grandpa and the XBox for that I think.
Then next day, we made our way through the throngs of people past main street to Bay Carving where we carved our own necklaces from bone (cow lower leg straight from the local butcher). I chose a Maori design that symbolizes authority and power, because that's what I'm into. Blake chose a fish-hook design and Liza a spiral (or Koro) which is a symbol of peace, growth and tranquility. I think Blake could often use a little more tranquility and as a teenager, Liza could probably use a little less.
While we were in Whitianga, there was some sort of music festival going on and huge grassy areas were covered with tents surrounding the town. I'm pretty sure all Kiwis between 18 and 30 were there, though there was also lots of families in town too.
More on our trip to Northland later.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Christmas, Kiwi style
Christmas in the southern hemisphere is hot, of course. Some of the people I've talked to who grew up in the Northern hemisphere have said Christmas just doesn't feel right here. While I'll admit that it has certainly been different, it has also been really fun. Christmas trees are not quite the too-doo they are at home, so I found a live one a few days before Christmas at the Kiwi version of the Home Depot, which was decorated with ornaments very graciously donated by a coworker who no longer wanted silver on her tree at home.
We didn't have Christmas stockings here, so it was a good thing that I had already knit some felted slippers for the kids for Christmas. I used a work sock. Santa was good to us. We must have been really good throughout the year.
Christmas morning we went to Ross and Elizabeth Marshall's house for breakfast, then back for desert after dinner. Three of their four sons were there with partners (a word kiwis use for any partnership between any gender, including marriage) and Ross's sister, Jane, was there with her husband. Breakfast was delicious.
On the 26th (Boxing Day), we made our way northeast to the Marshall's "bach" (pronounced "batch", vacation home). The kids made friends with some neighbor kittens, who they have named Purr (striped one) and Cantelope (black kitty).
Yesterday, we went up the Driving Creek Railway, to the Eyefull Tower, which gives you a great view of Coromandel. It was rainy, but fun anyways.
We didn't have Christmas stockings here, so it was a good thing that I had already knit some felted slippers for the kids for Christmas. I used a work sock. Santa was good to us. We must have been really good throughout the year.
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| Ross, Elizabeth, and their oldest son, Sam |
Yesterday, we went up the Driving Creek Railway, to the Eyefull Tower, which gives you a great view of Coromandel. It was rainy, but fun anyways.
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| We're not on this one, but this is like the one we rode. |
The view from the train
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