COROMANDEL, NEW ZEALAND

Last weekend we spent three days on the Coromandel Peninsula.   It is around a 2.5 hour drive from Auckland.

The peninsula of Coromandel is steep and hilly and covered in rainforests.  Its rugged nature has resulted in a more sparse population especially outside of the summer months.  The beaches on the west coast of Coromandel are breathtaking and we hope to return many more times to explore them.

Driving there reminded us of the drive to Tofino on Vancouver Island.  We were by far the slowest drivers on the windy roads as we climbed 900 meters up one side of the peninsula and then down the other.  Jonah (who struggles with motion sickness) would have much preferred an alternate route.  I should have taken some pictures of the ridiculous curves but as a passenger I was just hoping the car would not land in the ditch.

We stayed in the sleepy town of Tairua on the west coast.  Our hotel was at the base of Mt. Paku seen below.

A lot of the homes on the 'mountain' are summer homes and currently vacant but you can climb a path that meanders between the various houses and enters a protect forest area at the very top.  The views are said to be superb.  We don't agree!  Naysa asked if the clouds would catch us if we jumped.  I told her that only Toopy & Binoo could do that.

The following day was spent looking for gold & hiking in the Broken Hills Reserve.  It was once a thriving mining town in the early 1900s but nature has reclaimed it.  We chose this hike among many. 

I think hiking with an umbrella is a first for me!

Many of the original mining tunnels, archways & portions of railroads can still be found hidden in the forest.  

We were also impressed by the size of the fungi!  This picture does not do him justice.

We then went to warm up at Hot Water Beach located a little farther up the coast near Hahei.  Paula and Shawn spent a week at Hahei when they were in NZ last year.  It's quite beautiful, and we definitely plan on coming back here in the summer to hit the water.

It gets its name from the underground hot springs that filter up through the sand.  On either side of low tide you can bring a shovel and dig your own little hot tub to soak in.  They estimate that over 700,000 people visit yearly but if you pick a rainy day in spring like we did there aren't as many people around!  Some of the pools were even too hot to stand in.

A very successful afternoon!

Most of our meals were eaten in our hotel suite but we did enjoy a lunch at the Old Mill Cafe.  New Zealand continues to impress us with its excellent cuisine.  

The food took a little while to arrive - can you tell?

However it was worth the wait.

The following morning it was sunny again.  This is the view from our hotel looking over at the town of Pauanui on the other side.

Then Jonah took some gravol and we drove home.

EVERYDAY LIFE

The kids are now settled at Birkdale North School.  It is a french immersion school (one of two in the Auckland) which has been an adventure for us!  Not only do the kids have to keep up with french speaking kids on the playground but Erin has to socialize in french with the parents!  Most, if not all, the families are from outside of New Zealand and everyone is very welcoming and eager to make friends.

Here are the kids on their first day of school.

This is their school.  It is not enclosed with hallways as the weather is so mild so they go outside. There is also an outside pool and the kids are anxious to give that a try once the summer arrives.

Naysa managed to get herself two certificates of accomplishment after the first 4 days of school. Here is one of them.  She was tickled!

Jonah has joined the community soccer league and Naysa is dancing with Shore Dance.  I do not yet have a picture of Naysa at the studio.

This past week, each grade competed in a cross country running challenge.  

RUGBY AND RUNNING

We had a beautiful weekend Sept 10/11, 2016.  On Friday evening we went to Robin and Rae Ann Erickson's in Devonport for supper.  Robin is doing a Dialysis Fellowship for a year, so great to connect with a fellow Saskie family.  We went to the beach and hiked Northhead, checking out some of the old barracks and batteries from the War.  Naysa enjoyed the jellyfish and star fish on the beach.

Saturday morning we met up for brunch with another Canadian connection: Chris Denny, his wife Jennifer and their daughters.  Chris is a UofT EM grad, and was Damjan's boss last year while he did his Helicopter EMS Fellowship.  He was very helpful for Rob navigating the ER Doctor job market last year.  We had a great meal at Jam Organic Cafe, the kids got their faces painted, and we walked Takapuna Beach and kicked the soccer ball around.

That afternoon we took in a Mitre 10 Cup Rugby match.  Mitre 10 would be equivalent to the WHL in Canada.  Those are some big strong men!  Our team North Harbour defeated Manawatu 29-25. It came right down to wire, so a very enjoyable match to watch.

This morning (Sunday) Rob, Jonah and Naysa all ran in the North Shore Marathon.  Rob (10km), Jonah (5km) and Naysa (2km) all had great performances, but the star of the day was Naysa, winning the girls 2km race!  She won a pink water bottle and a pink athletic shirt, so she was pretty happy! Erin is saving her knees for her older years and is working towards a road cycling race.

 We are so lucky to get to live where we live.  The race was literally steps away from our apartment.  Coming in the summer, they have Summer Series every Tuesday evening from November to March at Takapuna Beach.  Check out the link...looks super fun!  We need to buy paddle boards...TradeMe be good to us!

CELEBRATING NAYSA

As you move through these photos please note the favourite hoodie.  She even wears it bed nightly.

Naysa turned 8, on August 22nd, while we were traveling in Rotorua.  She requested a day at the thermal spas which we all enjoyed.  We made a special breakfast with a tiny kitchen in our hotel room.

She also lost her 8th tooth but was so disappointed when she swallowed it by accident while eating fish sticks.  She was thrilled to find out that the New Zealand Tooth Fairy could cover for the Canadian one AND did not mind that there was no tooth under the pillow.  She is saving her two dollar coin for a rainy day.  If you look closely you can see the missing tooth.

This is a frequent indulgence of hers.  Every girl loves chocolate.  Kiwi's tend to leave a little chocolate treat on the spoon as well which is a welcomed surprise.

We treasure you Naysa!