Epic Day
Epic Day- Perhaps our little log cabin had cast a spell on us for everyone slept late and Mike spoiled us all with blueberry pancakes and …
17 Feb
Geothermal Fun
Geothermal Fun
Geothermal Fun- Mother Nature has certainly had fun in the area between Mt Maunganui and Lake Taupo! Our first adventure found us at Okere Falls- a stretch …
16 Feb
Mt Maungaunai
Mt Maungaunai
Mt Maungaunai- The kids favorite part of the holiday home in Hahei were the bookshelves overflowing with children and young adult literature. Late at night 1000s …
15 Feb
Karangahake Gorge
Karangahake Gorge
Karangahake Gorge- Promising Lily another visit to Hot Water Beach visit at the end of the day, we drove through the Coromandel Pennisula to the beautifully …
14 Feb
Farewell to Waiheke
Farewell to Waiheke
There was a misty rain in the air as we boarded the ferry back to the North Island. In Auckland we stopped to run a few …
13 Feb
Piha
Piha
Piha, known for its international surfing contest and its funky hippy-like atmosphere, is a small town filled with personality. Although the black sand beach and …
12 Feb
Sabbath Drive
Sabbath Drive
Sabbath Drive- Somehow Lily woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Occasionally she reminds us that she really is two. She wanted nothing but …
11 Feb
The Edge of the World
The Edge of the World
Day 7-The edge of the world – The Ninety Mile Beach is the longest stretch of beach in New Zealand and we loved staying right on …
10 Feb
90 Mile Beach
90 Mile Beach
It was easy to fall in love with Tapeka Point. Leaving on the other hand was painful. We couldn’t imagine a better location or better …
09 Feb
Vacation Day
Vacation Day
They have been praying for rain in the Bay of Islands as their water tanks are low and they haven’t received the rainfall they were …
07 Feb
Sailing
Sailing
Day 4- Sailing One of the pieces of advice we received before we left was the that the best way to see the Bay of Islands …
06 Feb
The “Lord of the Forest”, Sandboarding and Heaven on Earth
The “Lord of the Forest”, Sandboarding and Heaven on Earth
Day 3- The “Lord if the Forest”, Sandboarding and Heaven on Earth After our late night rendezvous with the kiwis it was hard to rouse the …
05 Feb
Secluded Beaches, Waterfalls & Kiwi Hunting
Secluded Beaches, Waterfalls & Kiwi Hunting
Day 2- Kiwi Hunting I woke up with a start early Monday morning. Had Lily really slept through the night?? I had been prepared to have her …
04 Feb
That One Place
That One Place
Why New Zealand? As we have been planning our adventure to New Zealand several people have asked us why New Zealand? Mike’s Take–In the Fall of 2001, …
03 Feb
Dropping In
Dropping In
Last year I walked outside to find Drew standing on his skateboard at the edge of the skatebowl not moving. He stayed poised in that …
12 Oct
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Parting is such sweet sorrow– Four years ago when our friend Garin returned home from a work trip to Peru and visited the magical citadel of …
15 Sep
Living the Dream
Living the Dream
Huahine For the last two and a half decades Mike has loved to surf and we were confident that we would not leave the islands without …
12 Sep
Bora Bora
Bora Bora
I had heard of Bora Bora as a ritzy expensive honeymoon location, but in my ignorance I had assumed it was a part of Tahiti …
10 Sep
Tahaa and Raiatea
Tahaa and Raiatea
Tahaa is a small remote island of 5000 surrounded by incredible coral reefs and little islands called motus. It and it’s sister island of Raitea …
08 Sep
Paradise
Paradise
Paradise- When Mike told me several months ago that we were going to go on a “Once-in-a-Lifetime cruise in Tahiti with his work friends and their …