Maybe in Oz

When we started on the road from Coromandel, I had great plans to explore a waterfall in the area.  There was enough water falling from the sky that we didn't need to bother with the waterfall and instead set off to the East side of the peninsula.  If it had to rain, it was a good day to do so because we had quite a bit of ground to cover in the comfort of our car. We took a break for morning tea and then set out again.  There was one place I really wanted to see on our way to Rotorua, Cathedral Cove, and as we got closer it looked like the sun was starting to break through the clouds just a bit.  We decided to take the gamble and drove out to see it.  When we got there it had just stopped raining so we rugged up and started off down the trail. The sun peaking through the clouds across the bay Amazing views The trail led us along the coast and we enjoyed the stunning views along the way.  We passed through forests of beautiful New Zealand fe...

We were originally going to take my parents to Uluru, so timed my parents' visit to the cooler months in the Red Centre.  When I started looking at hotel prices in Ayers Rock I got serious sticker shock and started thinking about a plan B.  Jetstar had really good fares to Auckland around that time and so we ended up headed to New Zealand.  Unfortunately this meant that it was a bit cooler than we would have liked but that didn't stop us from showing my parents how amazing that country is. We started out by walking up Mt Eden in Auckland.  It's apparently the highest volcano in Auckland (there are quite a few).  It was a short hike to a big crater covered in green, and then just a bit further to the top.  There we were rewarded with a great view of the city and several of the other volcanoes in the area. Looking across the crater to the op of Mt Eden My parents and I with Auckland in the background The surrounding town After that we hea...

September 20, 2016 Here we are again, packing up the suitcases and trying to make everything fit.  Good thing we stay with so many people who have washing machines so we can concentrate on bringing back Karen's wood and all kinds of bits and pieces.  (Do I sound Australian yet?) The North Island of New Zealand was great with all of the geothermal stuff bubbling away - I've never seen so much of it.  The hikes and the caves were great too. It was interesting to see the new houses you were checking out and hopefully that will all go as scheduled.  You are really getting to customize things the way you want them! Come and visit us sometime! Mom and Dad Kookaburra at a friend's house Pretty parrots Feeding an orphaned joey Visiting with my mom and dad's friend from high school who moved to Melbourne many years ago My dad teaching Maybe about the world   Auckland Coromandel Coast Riding the crazy train Nose rock Ch...