Dunedin adventures

Yikes!  20 more days until we leave- February is here!  

On our way to Dunedin we passed through Lake Tekapo and could see Mt. Cook from several places.  We stopped in Oamaru to see little blue penguins, but they were still out at sea.  Just before Dunedin we saw the famous Moeraki Boulders.  These large round rocks formations sit on the beach at and you can walk around them at low tide! I thought they looked quite like dinosaur poop, but the real explanation for them is rather complicated!  Ask one of the kids when we get home!  

We have enjoyed our week in Dunedin.  The house we rented is cosy- a good thing because the weather turned cool and rainy!!!!  We were back into jeans and sweaters.  This is how I imagine Scotland- green rolling hills, rock fences and FOG!  We went on one hike to see the harbour- all we could really see was the blanket of fog filling in every corner!  We did see heaps of sheep though!  

Dunedin has many neat things to see and do.  The Cadbury chocolate factory was yummy-  lots of fresh chocolate treats as you look around and tour the factory.   At Christmas they hire an extra 150 people to hand paint all the fancy treats!   At the Royal Albatross colony we could see these huge birds flying around the bluff.  They have a wing span of 3 metres!  The kids learned all about the effects of people pollution- the parent birds will gather bits of plastic and feed it to their chicks!   A big highlight was the Yellow eyed Penguins.   We sat on the beach in a hidden spot and watched a penguin surf out of the water and waddle up onto the beach.  His little chick was calling to him from a rock on a hill and he had to climb up a long way!!!  There were sea lions waiting for them on the beach too.  We managed to see baby seagulls and seal pups too.

  We toured the Larnach Castle- again the views were foggy.  Luke was impressed with all the old guns and the dungeon.  The girls liked the fancy clothes and bedrooms!   The gardens and grounds were beautiful even in the rain.    

The buzz wagon will hit the road early tomorrow morning as we drive the long way to Te Anau via Invercargill!  I hope the rain will hold off!  Love to all at home. 

Leaving Christchurch.....

Today is the day we pack up (yet again) and set off to see more of NZ. Christchurch has been a great stop along the way and we have enjoyed it! Last night the kids were sad about leaving, but excited to see what's down the road- I think they're getting used to this "routine."

Ellie and Megan attended a cool computer summer school in CHCH at e-Time. They used Mac computers to create their own movie and songs. Both learned so much and were challenged by the material. They were able to show me a few things on our Mac and I'm sure that more movies will be made in the future.

As the girls were busy all day for 3 days Keith and I had one boy to deal with all day! We took him to Science Alive where he rock climbed, played sports and explored the science of sports. Another day we drove along the ridge of the CHCH hills and did a few hikes. Luke now has an aversion to hikes so we kept them short and promised ice cream at the end.

We had a great day with Brad's brother- Zane and his family! The kids got to jump off docks into the ocean and I was told to get wet or I will be made wet! Apparently the "choice" was mine! The water colour was incredible. So hard to describe and no picture does it justice.

We enjoyed meeting some great new friends- the only hard part is saying goodbye!!! The kids are sometimes having a hard time with good-byes! It makes them miss cousins more too! I am always amazed at how God puts new people in our lives as a gift- we are blessed!

Off to see more of the south island and more adventures ahead! Thanks for reading and sending the fun comments! Will be in Canada all too soon.....

Christchurch NZ...

Greetings from Christchurch!  We have been here for a week now and are house-sitting for a neat family with 5 kids!  We feel like tourists as we enjoy the sights and learn more about this area of NZ.  

The our "home" for now is wonderful!  The kids do not want to leave!  There are toys, books to read, a trampoline, guinea pigs to cuddle and an apricot tree to climb!  Luke would love to play the Wii lots too- but that's not a daily option!  The church here is great and Keith has enjoyed some new contacts!

Christchurch is a big city by NZ standards, but it is well laid out and easy to get around.  Practically speaking that means less gasping on my part as we go around the round-abouts!  I'm amazed at how brown the landscape is here- right by the ocean. 

 The buildings downtown are neat- especially the Cathedral.  We climbed the 104 steps to the lookout and could see most of Christchurch from there.  The kids were amazed with all the stained glass and how each picture told a story from the bible.

We also visited the Botanic Gardens and smelled all the roses we could.  There is a tram that goes around the downtown core- we rode that a few times.  Megan sat in a seat that Queen Elizabeth II sat in 1995.  She liked that quite a bit!

We are onto the last month of our trip!  Hard to believe that time goes this fast!  I'm not sure my laptop will take anymore photos either!  

Thank you for all your notes and Christmas greetings!  Our email is kthanson@live.com - stay in touch! 

Love to all at home and to our new "family" in NZ!

Wellington and Kaikoura...

After a minor "adventure" finding the Interislander ferry terminal and safe ferry passage from Wellington to Picton.  We travelled south to Kaikoura and stayed one night.  The roads on the South Island seem less narrow and windy, but I still gasp at the crazy drivers who pass on a dotted line around a corner!  

The ferry was smooth and calm as the day we sailed was gorgeous and sunny!  Apparently the waves can be big and the ferry known as the "vomit comet" - but we had no such experience (we do need to back though!)  As we were waiting outside our cars to board -a family we met in KeriKeri in September was on the ferry!   Megan was writing the their little girl and she was THRILLED to see her!  This took away any of Megan's fears - she was having too much FUN!  

As we came into Picton the Marlborough sound was amazing!  A little like the BC coast line, but with teal blue waters!  The ocean never ceases to be beautiful here.  After we got inland the countryside was BROWN!  It felt like the interior of BC in parts- until we stopped at the seal colony!  We saw a  large group of seals on the rocks sunning themselves and fighting over good spots to "hangout."   They were a smelly bunch too!

Kaikoura was a small town with lots of whale and dolphin watching tours.  We opted for the free hike and "hope you can see some whales for free!"  We didn't see any big sea life, but the sunset was incredible.  God's creation is beautiful!

We feel like nomads again, but it is fun to see what's around the next corner as we travel!

on the road again....

The Buzz wagon is on the road again!  We left Ohope on Tuesday morning and drove ALL the way to Wellington. (7 hours)  Most NZ people thought we were a little crazy to be going so far in one day- but we were given the "oh you are crazy Canadians" excuse because we live in such a spread out country.  The kids were great for the entire trip.  They all know that if they ask "how much longer?"  the standard answer- regardless of accuracy- is 10 minutes.  So they don't ask that question.  Keith and I do know that small doses of ice cream and treats will make the trip more fun!

As we drove down from Ohope we saw beautiful farm land with amazing corn crops, Lake Taupo- a huge lake that is also a crater, Turangi- the trout fishing capital of the world, Mount Rupahu- an active volcano with a snow covered peak, desert land after the volcano- no real vegetation to speak of, more amazing farm land with canola, barley and oats growing (my farmin' man was crunching numbers) and some neat towns along the way.  The ocean  showed up again just before Wellington and so did lots of traffic!  We thankfully found our hotel and I did fine with the map- I didn't have to turn it upside down for it to make sense either.  I must be getting used to kiwi roads and cars!

From our motel we could walk to the train station and take a train directly into Wellington- yahoo- no driving in traffic!  The kids had never been on a train- they loved the sights and asked lots of questions!  We totally look like tourists!  In Wellington we saw the parliament buildings and went on a tour.  We ate our packed lunch by the WINDY harbour and found Starbucks- yum.  The museum in Wellinton is incredible- more like Science World!  Luke loved the giant squid, Megan enjoyed the 3-D squid show and Ellie was interested in the Edgecumbe earthquake simulator.  There was so much to see- it got old when the kids got hungry!  

Tomorrow we will get on the ferry and cross from Wellington to Picton!  We have assured Megan MANY times that the boat will not sink and Luke is keen to see if there is an arcade.  Keith and I are hoping the weather will be clear and we can get some good looks at the coastlines!

I cannot imagine all the snow at home!  Good grief!  Stay safe all you loved ones!   A few people have  promised to save some snow for us when we get home!  Really it's not necessary!  We'll bring the sun home instead!  

It was tough to drive away from Ohope/ Whakatane and the friends we have met there.  It did feel like a home.  We will miss the ocean and hearing the waves. We will really miss the FISH!   I do know that we were getting itchy feet though and are ready for the next adventure!I

n our last few days Keith managed to catch a big Kaihwai to keep and a King fish to release.  Our Ohope neighbour has him hooked!  Maybe Jeff will have a brother keen to fish with him at home now!  

We really enjoyed the Whakatane Knox church too- we wish that we could stay longer just to get to know the people there.  The only downside is saying good-bye!  Luke was pretty teary when he said farewell to one little buddy!  I hope we have convinced some of them to come and see us in Canada someday- we do have snow in Canada I've heard!