day off

We've had a day off, relaxing, in the Marlborough Sounds.  Not driving, not moving on anywhere.

Bacon sandwiches for breakfast, kayaking, hot tub, forage shellfish off the beach, lunch, swim, hot tub, hammocks, pizza, bed...

cyclonic

We are tired.  We've done a whirlwind tour of the North Island.  9 days, 8 different hostels.  Sand, sea, dolphins, volcanoes, lakes, bubbling mud.  It's all a bit of a blur.  As a family, we don't tend to do this kind of tourism.  We go somewhere, and just stay there, hanging out.

We've now driven the entire length of the North Island, from Cape Reinga down to Wellington.  Tomorrow, we have a ferry to catch across the Cook Straits.  There's also a tropical storm bringing a lot of weather, so it's all change.

Sun going down over the Tasman Sea.

in which Alexander is bewildered by floating stones

Ach, this country, it is preposterous!

Thank goodness, we have now left the sea behind (the saltwater plays havoc with my fur), but those dreadful children still found a lake to throw stones into.

But these stones were absurd, they float!  What is the world coming to?

"It is because they are made of hummous," said the middlest (and most ridiculous) child.  I give up.  I am going to hibernate.

a walk in the park

We went to the park.  In Rotorua.  See the pretty civic flowerbeds?

There's a very nice playground too.

There are also random pools of boiling mud, and jets of steam.

"They don't really do health and safety in New Zealand, do they, mummy...?"

It's smelly.  Nobody fancies boiled eggs...

Nice warm clean feet though.

edge of the world

Cape Reinga, northernmost point in New Zealand.

This is where the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meet, turbulently.

The spirits of the dead leap off the headland on their journey to the underworld.

We expected to see Reepicheep sailing off in his coracle...

strange stars amid the gloam

I've just dragged my children out of their nice warm beds and made them lie shivering on the damp grass in their pyjamas and look at the Milky Way.  So many stars...

new world

As we walked back up the hill this evening, crunching through autumn leaves, I realised: all the trees are different.  And the birds.  I have no names for things.  Photos tomorrow, when I hope to be awake, and assuming* I can find a camera lead.


*We are missing a bag.  As there was one sad, lonely and not entirely dissimilar bag left revolving around the carousel, we surmise its owner collected our bag instead, and have tasked Emirates with tracking him down.  We are not amused, and hoping our not-so-bright business class travelling friend feels like returning our bag tomorrow, as otherwise nobody has any boots or waterproofs...