Getting things done

In the past two days (Wednesday and Thursday) we have gotten a car and an apartment. Im not sure what year our Nissan BlueBird is, but the tape deck is a good indication it is pretty old. We did manage to find a tape to ipod converter, so we've got tunes. We are all set in the logistics department with our BlueBird. The apartment we found is awesome. It is a few miles out of town but the views make it totally worth the extra few minutes in the car to get to town. So we are also all set in the accommodations department. Hopefully we will be moving in on Saturday morning. It will be nice to unpack and have a place to call home.

Other than getting the necessities taken care of, we have managed to do a few other activities. On Wednesday we went to The Parrot Place in nearby KeriKeri, about 20 minutes away. It was nice to get some bird attention, as we are missing our cockatoo Marquesa very much. We also visited two wineries in KeriKeri, Marsden Estate and Cottle Hill Winery. We had a nice time chatting with the local winegrowers. Not only did we buy a few bottles to take home, it seemed as if Dave might have also taken a

buzz home too. Cottle Hill had several port wines and a couple homemade spirits which are quite strong. On Thursday we went to the glow worm caves in Kawakawa, and then to the Hundertwasser Toilets, which is an artistic restroom made by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. After leaving Austria he lived in Kawakawa for 27 years. We found some really cool pieces made by him, that hopefully we'll get a chance to buy.

First Fishing Trip

We took our first fishing trip Tuesday with our friend Jason. One small hicup lead us to leave a bit later than planned, but we weren't complaining. After putting the boat in the water, we realized the battery needed to be charged. We had to head back home, wait for 45 minutes, and then try again. We had better luck the second time, so we were off... It was a bit chilly, with the Antarctic wind, but we had plenty of layers on to keep as warm as possible. The fishing was a bit slow in the morning, but the views made it all well worth the effort. In every direction there were huge rocks right in the middle of the water that are beautiful. At one point we went to Bird Rock to fish and there were several New Zealand fur seals playing in the water. We were able to get a few good pictures of them. By the end of the day we had two large New Zealand red snapper, a silver crevalle Jack, a kahawai, and a few others that we threw back. We had such a blast being out on the water, but as soon as we got home Jill went straight to the hot tub to thaw out her frozen toes while the boys cleaned the boat. That evening we had a local restaurant fry our fish for us for dinner. It was delicious!

Haruru Falls

The last couple of days we have been trying to get settled into town. We are currently looking for a car and for an apartment. We have managed to locate a few important places in town, post office, pharmacy, laundry mat, liquor store, etc. We opened a local bank account and got a local cell phone, so we are doing pretty well. We managed to take a little time out to go to Haruru Falls which is very near our hotel. It's pretty awesome that people have backyards that look out onto places like this! We also tagged along with a local couple that we met, to the pool hall on Saturday night, to watch a couple rugby matches. Overall, we think we are adapting quite well so far.

Heading to Paihia

Before coming to New Zealand we did quite a bit of research on where we would like to live. Most importantly there needed to be good fishing for Dave. We also where basing our decision on weather, amenities, and local recreation. We choose an area in Northland known as the Bay of Islands. We still aren't exactly sure of which community but we have some time to explore and decide. On Friday Sept 23, we checked out of our Auckland hotel and headed north toward Paihia, where Jill had booked a hotel for the week. On the way we made a few pit stops. We stopped at Wenderholm Regional Park, which was a nice quaint beach tucked between some mountains.

Next we stopped at Sheep World, which is similar to Shell World in Florida, only replace the seaside gifts with wool products. There were gorgeous sheep skins and loads of clothing. We had a tasty lamb burger for lunch and then hit the road. Next stop was Ransom Winery. We had a wine tasting of their locally made products and bought a couple of bottles to take with us.

Then we continued on toward our hotel. We checked in and got all settled into our room, then headed to the grocery to get some food for the week. We plan on apartment hunting and car shopping all week so we can get somewhere permanent and stop living out of suitcases like we have been for the last 6 weeks. We are excited to be here and can't wait to see how everything goes.

This free picture slideshow made with Smilebox

Waireinga/Bridal Veil Falls

Thursday Sept 22 we headed south of Auckland to Central North Island. The drive was thru field after field of sheep and cows. There were gorgeous rolling bright green hills dotted with livestock for miles. We stopped in the cute little seaside town of Raglan to have lunch and walk around. Afterward we headed to Bridal Veil Falls. It was just a short hike from the car park to the top of the 55 metre falls. It was, however a bit of work to get to the bottom and back up. Well worth every step though!

Waitakere Ranges

Wednesday Sept 21st we headed west of Auckland to Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. We first stopped at the park's visotors center. It was a gorgeous facility with very knowledgable and friendly staff. It is amazing how well maintained all the parks are in New Zealand. After chatting with the ranger and telling him what we were interested in, he advised us of a few trails he thought we would enjoy.
   We first hiked for a couple hours toward Kitekite falls (left pic). The cool weather is perfect for being outdoors, especially when heading up a mountain. It was a gorgeous waterfall and we spent quite a while enjoying it from different parts of the trail.    

   Next we headed to the coast in the park at the Tasman Sea. We took a short but strenuous hike up to a cliff edge right on the beach. We saw Lion Rock (right pic), and Nun Rock. Afterward we headed back to our hotel. Not a bad first day of hiking...

WE MADE IT!!

     We had a wonderful overnight flight from LA to Auckland New Zealand (6,565 miles). The skycouch was the best decision we have made so far in this trip. We were quite comfortable, got plenty of sleep, 2 meals, and all the entertainment you could possibly want. We could have stayed on that plane for a week! (OK, maybe not a week, but it was a great 13 hour flight).

     Arriving in Auckland at 5:00 AM local time, the sun was just coming up by the time we went through customs and got our bags. We took a shuttle to our hotel and checked in for our first day here. Next on the agenda: a car and a few supplies. What an experience to rent a car with the driver's side located on the right and then driving down the road on the left side. Dave has been designated as the driver and Jill as the navigator. It's interesting to think of the small things you get use to driving. For example: Walking up to the car to get in, Jill walks to the right side of the car, (passengers should get in on the left in New Zealand); Every time Dave trys to turn on the blinker he ends up turning on the windshield wipers (wipers on the left, blinker on the right in NZ). We are getting use to it though and soon I'm sure it will be second nature. So after stopping by a local store to get Jill a new hairdryer and straightner (we only brought one converter and figured a few things would just be easier to replace) we headed back to the hotel for a nap.

JUMPING INTO OUR NEW ZEALAND EXPERIENCE

(Video to come Later)

     What a crazy experience! Jill was scared to death but loved it, and brave Dave actually jumped twice. We had a great time and really enjoyed the whole crew at the sky tower. After our adrenaline rush jump, we got to go back up the tower and enjoy the great views from the observatory deck. Then we walked down Queens Street toward the Viaduct which is where all the rugby chaos is happening. After having dinner and walking several miles around the city we headed back to the hotel. We were exhausted and ready to crash. What a great first day! 

Chilly California

Our last few days in Texas flew by as we were getting all the final details lined up. After having a fantastic last dinner out with Dave's dad and step-mom, we headed off for California. We arrived in California with plenty of time to explore before our flight to New Zealand the following night. Saturday night we took a cab down to Manhatten Beach and had dinner and drinks at an Irish Pub. On Sunday we headed to Hermosa Beach where we walked around and had lunch. Then it was off to the airport...

One Week To Go

We leave for New Zealand in exactly one week. We are getting really excited! Jill has spent the last few days back in Key West for our friends Jon and Erica's wedding. Dave has spent the last few days visiting friends in Austin, Texas. We will meet back in Dallas tomorrow to spend our last several days with Dave's dad and step-mom. Then it's New Zealand time... finally! We hope everything is in order. We have done our best to take care of all the little details, so hopefully we didn't miss anything.

We Made it to Texas

     We safely made it to Texas on 8/30. Priority number one: Mexican Food. Priority number two: Bar-B-Q. We are definitely eating well in this great state where everything truly is bigger. We also went shopping for some hiking gear. Jill got her first pair of hiking boots, along with a new back pack and some quick drying clothes. It was certainly a different experience than we are used to. We are ready to hit the trails with Dave's new hiking pack.

    Other than eating, we have been hanging by the pool in 100 degree weather. On Friday we took the vintage train from Grapevine to the stockyards in Ft Worth. Dave and I both love trains and are hoping to ride on some pretty amazing scenic rails in New Zealand.