Holiday Road Trip

Christmastime marks the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer holiday. A few days after Christmas we headed north on a road trip to see Tongariro National Park, Waitomo Caves, and Egmont National Park. It was a four day trip. We saw huge volcanoes, green rolling hills, many small towns, and a lot of sheep and cows. Here are some pics:

Day 1 Seatoun to Tongariro National Park:

With the help of a little camera magic we have been cloned.

The lodge we stayed at in Tongariro National Park. We nearly had the whole place to ourselves. It was very nice and in the perfect location right in the park. But, it had very squeaky bunk beds and bad pillows. I think we all got a horrible night's sleep.  

Tongariro National Park has three volcanoes. Here is Mt. Ngāuruhoe AKA Mt. Doom from "The Lord of the Rings."

Mt. Ruapehu. It was nice seeing snow in December.

Day 2 Tongariro National Park to Waitomo Caves 

We saw many green fields with sheep grazing. This was actually a golf course with the sheep "hired" as lawn mowers. 

The Glow Worm Caves in Waitomo. AMAZING!  

Stephen and Mallory went black tubing through the caves. The rest of us went on a walking and boat tour of the caves.  

Silly picture of Stephen. I am not sure how he got himself in this mess. 

Day 3 Waitomo to New Plymouth:

Along the drive we saw a sign for the Three Sisters Beach. The tide was very low and the perfect conditions for us to walk all the way to the Three Sisters Rock Formations. Our "three sisters" complained about having to get out of the car and walk to them. I bribed the "sisters" with brownies if I could get a good photo of them in front to it.

We lucked out that it was low tide and we could walk to the rocks. 

Cool ball rocks on the beach near the Three Sisters

Arches and caves on the beach.

Look closely and you can see Mt. Taranaki in the back ground. 

The Three Sisters Rock formations on the beach.

Our three sisters by the Three Sisters Rock formation. Because of this photo they earned brownies later that night. 

Kermit. 

We found this humerus

That night in New Plymouth we went to an American 50 Styled Dinner. The walls were decked out in American memoribilia from the past.

A bit of Utah. 

A happy American near an American Flag. 

The Trump Burger. Gross, I won't eat him. 

After dinner we went to Pukekura Park's Festival of Lights. It was beautiful.

A fountain and pond at the park. 

Another pond and light display on a bridge. 

Day 4 New Plymouth to Seatoun: On our way home we made 3 stops. One for church. The meeting was in an old train station. One to see the Tawhiti Museum.  I highly recommend this museum. It is a history museum telling the story of the Taranaki region. It has nicely done models and diaramas. There was a lot to see and learn. If we hadn't been hungry we would have stayed longer. And the last for food.

A funny display about an outhouse. 

Trump: Twice we saw American flags waving near the sides of the road with signs about Trump. 

This sign says, "Pres. Trump, Keep America Great." The second one we saw read, "Trump is President. Be afraid. Be very afraid." I think both were pro-America but, not pro-Trump. 

Merry Kirihimete!

We are having a raining Christmas. So, it's a good thing Santa brought a lot of games and movies to enjoy inside.

On Christmas Eve my kids did a little sledding Kiwi style.

The Good and the Odd

Life is really good down here on the bottom of the world. In no particulate order, here is a list of the good and odd things I have noticed about living in New Zealand. 

The Good List:

The landscape. From nearly every direction you will see a picture postcard perfect landscape. You don't come to New Zealand for it's architecture like you would for Europe. Mother Nature and her natural majesty dwarfts any man-made construction here. Mother Nature is the queen of New Zealand. From the majestic snow-covered mountains, through the rolling green hills, to the sandy beaches and beautiful oceans, the landscape of New Zealand never disappoints.  

A low arching rainbow outside our window.

And nature is so accessible. Within minutes you can be deep in the bush (the forest) or walking on a beach. And there are so few people that you feel like you are the first to discover the gorgeous surroundings. This compact country is packed with natural delights. 

A Wholesome Life. I feel a sense of enjoying the simple pleasures of life here. I feel like people give proper respect to others, family, nature and time. I hear people say the word sensible a lot. They seem to value using common sense, being reasonable and not going to extremes or excess. 

This is the outside wall of the library. I love that they lists many of the things to be valued like family, lunch, books... The words are in Maori then English. 

I hear people talk about nurturing and I see a lot of dads hugging and kissing their sons and daughters in very sweet and affectionate ways. Kind of on that thought, my oldest daughter had an end of the year dinner and semi-formal dance. It was different from dances I went to at her age. They ballroom danced with assigned partners from their class. Parents were invited to the dance and watched. The last dance of the evening was for the students to dance with their parents. Mallory quickly taught Stephen how to properly ballroom dance. 

Since moving here my kids are less concerned about having phones, video games or devices. Very few kids do. And if they do, they have their parents' hand-me-downs with very limited calling and texting ability. And they seem quite happy and content with that. 

Also, my kids aren't as concerned with having name branded shoes. My daughter has opted to wear her old gym shoes from last year to school instead of her cool Converse high tops or Adidas. Kids just don't seem to care what you wear. They will be friends with you regardless. 

I think this wholesome life is very happy and healthy. 

Very Friendly People. My daughters have very quickly made wonderful friends. At school I see very friendly and inclusive kids. Kids are smiling at and hugging each other through the halls. As parents wait to pick-up their kids, I rarely see a parent staring at their phones. Instead all the parents chat with each other. 

I saw this mural on the wall at a restaurant we went to

There is a Maori proverb that goes: He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. Translated into English that means, "What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people." I feel that people live by that. 

Educating the Whole Child. We have been so pleased with the enriching activities that are taught during school. My girls have had swimming, cooking, sailing, beach days, sewing, shop class, art, orchestra, ballroom dancing and signing. In addition to these activities they still have been getting a good education in reading, writing, and maths (math).

Their school also makes great efforts to include Maori culture into the learning. They use Maori words regularly in the classroom. They are taught Maori songs, dances and Hakas. I have loved my girls getting to experience and appreciate the Maori culture.

The National Anthem- I can't hear it without getting choked-up. Its words are so beautiful. It's a prayer to God thanking and honouring him and asking for his protection. I absolutely LOVE IT! You can hear it here.

Roundabouts- My first time driving through a roundabout I panicked a little bit, but once I got the hang of it I really enjoyed it. They are an efficient way to keep traffic moving. They are much better than waiting at a stop light. There are many times when I will be driving around town and I will realise I didn't need to stop once. A very satisfying feeling.

Lack of Traffic- Enough said. Who likes traffic? Absolutely no one ever! With that said, that brings me to my first thing on my odd list...

The Odd List: 

Lack of Parking Spaces- There may not be a lot of traffic, but I find it odd that there is never any parking spaces in the carpark (parking lot) or on the street. No one is driving the streets, but the streets will be lined with parked cars and no where to park.

Bare Foot- People old and young, male and female walk around barefoot all the time. At our house we call that, "Going full Kiwi." Once I saw a woman on her morning run in exercise clothes and no shoes running on the roads of our town. I just think it is odd.

Eating Ice Cream Cones- I see people (usually older people) walking the streets with ice cream cones all the time. I am not complaining. I am just staying, it's different than what I am used to. Each time I see it I think to myself, "Good for you. You have lived a good life. You deserve that ice cream." I guess it helps that ice cream is so good and accessible. There are dairies (corner market stores) everywhere.

An odd man eating ice cream in public.

Vocabulary- I know Americans and Kiwis both speak English, but there are plenty of words that are new to me.

For example:
jumper = jacket
mate = friend
tog = swimming suit
jandal = sandal
stationary = school supplies
fringe = bangs
platts = braids
plasters = bandages
mosi spray = insect repellent
to post = to mail
EFPOS = debit card
trolley = shopping cart
waiting in queue = waiting in line
mum = mom
she be right = it will all workout just fine
sweet as = no problem
take aways = fast food
twink = whiteout
car park = parking lot
foot path = sidewalk
tea = lunch, snack or a light meal
dairy = small convenience store in a suburb
bush = forest
kia ora = hello
ka pai - good work
tramping = hiking
rubbish = garbage
lolly = candy
capsicum = peppers
kumara = sweet potatoes



The weather- Everyday is a weather adventure. One day will be sunny and warm. The next day rainy. The next day windy. Then sunny and warm again. It is completely random.

My Secret for the Perfect Thanksgiving Feast

I have a love hate relationship with Thanksgiving. I love the idea of giving thanks for our many blessings. I love loved ones gathering for a feast. For years while we lived surrounded by family Thanksgiving was a wonderful holiday. We would each prepare our contribution to the meal and gather and enjoy each other's company.

I began to hate the holiday once we moved away from family. Then Thanksgiving became a one-woman-show and I was the star, director, make-up artist, costumes designer, props manager and audience.... Without others to contribute to the meal, it became so stressful for just me. And I always felt a weird disconnect between giving thanks by eating a huge meal. It doesn't feel like the appropriate way to show my graditude.

Two years ago, I ended up having a migraine 3 hours before all the guest were to arrive and the meal served. I am sure my sickness was because of the stress. Stephen took over while I went to bed. Luckily, my migraine worn off right when the last of the guests arrived. Stephen and my sister-in-law did a wonderful job of putting the meal together and we all enjoyed a delicious feast.

Last year, I just bagged the whole meal. Instead we went to Yosemite and arrived home Thanksgiving night. My sweet Pakistani neighbours noticed we had arrived late in the afternoon on Thanksgiving. Thinking we wouldn't have time to prepare a big traditional Thanksgiving meal, they surprised us with curried meatballs and rice. They were always too kind to us.

So, with the thought of moving out of the States, I thought, "Good I don't have to cook a Thanksgiving meal." Thanksgiving here is in springtime, so it's not a time of harvest anyway. But, about a month before the holiday the thought of skipping the feast didn't seem right. I went searching to see if I could even find a turkey to roast. I found one and it was $175.00!!! "Nope." I thought, "I'm not paying that price for one." Luckily the price went way down closer to the holiday.

Days before Thanksgiving I bought the turkey and a ham. While at the checkout the cashier said, "You're an early bird." It took me a moment to figure out what she was talking about. She assumed I was buying the turkey and ham for Christmas. Then I replied, "No, I'm just American and celebrating Thanksgiving." She very sweetly said, "That's a lovely feast." Then she gave me a weird look and said, "If you eat this for your feast what do you eat for Christmas?" I thought about it for a moment and said, "about the same stuff."

My Secret for the perfect Thanksgiving feast:
Since Thanksgiving is not a New Zealand holiday the kids and husband were all at school or work. I had the whole house to myself. That means no one was going bother me in the kitchen. With no one to bother me and stress me out I was able to cook in peace. Solitude is the secret. I cooked a delicious meal. We invited nearly all the Americans from church including the missionaries (also mostly all American). We used recyclable disposable silverware and plates (to eliminate some of the cleanup). And we had a wonderful stress free feast.

We ended the meal with pies of course. Stephen always makes his grandma's lemon meringue pie. No pumpkin pie. You can't get canned pumpkin here. But kumara (sweet potatoes) are a staple here and make a perfect substitute for pumpkin. After eating we did one of my favourite family traditions and sang Christmas carols. This year we jazzed it up with Penny on the drums and Eva on the flute.

Eva on the flute, Stephen on the keyboard and Pebbles doing vocals

Mally and Pali with the missionaries 

Penny and Lucy on the Drums

Christmas singers

Halloween Down Under

Celebrating Halloween in New Zealand is still a new thing and our suburb is one of the few in Wellington that does. So kids from all over Wellington come in costume to walk the streets of Seatoun searching for candy. I say searching, because not every house gives out candy. You know if a house is up for trick-or-treaters from their spooky decorations. The houses are still few and far between.

Even with few houses giving out candy, it was still fun for my kids to dress up, meet their friends and walk around town. Since it is spring here it felt a little different to be trick-or-treating in daylight. For some odd reason kids start early here. I had trick-or-treaters knocking at our door at 4:30 pm.

The candy assortment is also different here. A few houses just put out bowls of unwrapped gummies and marshmallows. The kids just reached their hands in and took one. I watched a little bit grossed out as my youngest reached into the bowl, took her candy and popped it right into her mouth. She looked back at me for my approval of what she had just done and all I could do was shrug my shoulders and say, "Why not?"

The Hobbit in Middle Earth. Like her hairy feet?

Cinder the Cyborg. 

Lucy Wyldestyle

The cyborg and her friends. 

Lucy with her gang of monsters.

The Hobbit with her loot. 

Road Trip

During the kids' spring holiday from school we took our first family road trip outside of Wellington. We drove 5 hours north of us to Taupo (pronounced toe pour). It's New Zealand's largest lake. On the way there we saw our first sheep. I was so excited. Everyone talks about how many sheep there are here and that there are more sheep then humans. But since being here and living near the city in the suburbs I haven't seen one. But that all changed. Because they keep the sheep in the country. And man, we saw a lot of them. And cow and a few horses too.

We drove through a few cute country towns. And got yummy food at Soul Cafe in Taihape. Not only does that town have delicious food, but it's also the gumboot capital of NZ.

Taihape, Gumboot capital of NZ. 

I was surprised by the landscape around Tongariro National Park. It was the first time I saw desert-like surrounds in NZ. Sadly, it reminded me of the high deserts of Nevada, my least favourite area to drove through. But, from that area we could see the snow-covered volcanoes of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings), and Tongariro.

Too desert for my likings

At Taupo we stayed at a nice Air B&B for three nights. We walked through the Craters of the Moon Geothermal Park. It reminded me of Yellowstone only much smaller, far less people and not so stinky. We walked on a boardwalk through steaming craters and bubbling mud pots. Even with rain it was very enjoyable.

DANGER, these girls are on fire!

We also drove to the rapids flowing from Aratiatia Dam. They release water from the dam a few times a day. We missed the dam opening by 3 minutes. But we were still there to see the gorge full of white rapids. We were the only ones who stayed long enough to see the dam shut and all the water flow down the gorge leaving a small stream again. Then we drove further up the Waikato River to see Huka Falls.

On one day we drove and hour and a half to Matamata to see the Hobbiton movie set. It was so cute and quaint. We enjoyed a 2 hour walking tour through the shire which ended with drinks at the Green Dragon. There our kids humoured us and put on Hobbit costumes and posed for a picture. I am tempted to use it as our family Christmas card pic.

Spring with the blossoms was the perfect time to visit Hobbiton

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..."

Lucy is the perfect size to be a hobbit.

I'm too tall. 

Samwise Gamgee's hole.

The Green Dragon

Would you like some ginger beer? Sorry, not butter beer. 

On another day we took a steam boat to sail to see the Maori rock carvings. The captain even let Lucy steer the boat. The carvings are really fantastic. And it's so touching to here the story behind the carvings. The carvings are all about respect and honour for their ancestors.

Maori Rock Carvings

Our boat was a replicate 1920's steam boat. 

Taupo is known for its geothermal hot springs. We went to Spa Park and waded in the hot springs flowing into the Waikato River. The pools are hot and rocky. Next time I am wearing water socks. It was really fun. We didn't bring our cameras. So, sadly no pictures.

On Sunday we went to church at the Taupo Ward. It's nice to always be able to find a group of fellow saints to meet with. Then we drove home. We stayed entertained through the car ride with listening to a lot of the kids pod casts like Six Minutes. We felt like it was a highly successful road trip. Looking forward to our next one, Hamilton just after Christmas to see the Christmas lights around the Hamilton Temple.