The Mount

That Thursday we set from the Fulton's for Mt Munganui. Whilst we were there we stayed with Beth's friends she met in Morocco, Clare and Brad. Spent the evening on the beech before they finished work, we weren't complaining though, beautifully sunny day. After dinner we went to the hot water pools, so cool to be swimming outside at night, but a word of warning don't open you eyes underwater, not a fun experience! The next day Beth and I walked up the mount where we had a great view out to sea and Munganui. After and interesting walk into town we had lunch at a really nice cafe and did some shopping. That evening we went out for a meal and stayed on because they had a live band and were giving free beers to people dressed beachy clothes (like me) and there was this moose, Crazy.

 The next day we headed back to the farm, stopping of at Waihi beech, Pearoa to see some really cool antique shop and then at Kaharangie Gorge where there were these really cool walks through the old mines.

Yachting

On Monday I drove up to Auckland in the Honda, Lena came too. We met Beth at Nicola and Richard's then we headed on to the Fultons. After we arrived Wendy took us for a walk along the beech, we got these really creamy ice creams, that one thing NZ does really well is ice cream. Great catching up with Wendy and Roger over dinner.

Beth, Lena and I spent the morning in Auckland Centre, then met Wendy and Roger at west haven. From there we set of on the Yacht out to Islington Bay by Rangitoto island. We all had a go at the tiller which was pretty awesome. We anchored up in the bay and all had a swim, jumping of the boat was pretty cool. Played lot of card games together in the boat then had dinner out on the deck. The wind had dropped and the sea had settled making the water look so amazingly glassy and oily. After it went dark we went skinny dipping in the sea, there were all these luminescent in the water, like plankton that light up when they are disturbed. That was the most amazing experience of my life, you swim underwater and your hands look like there emitting this amazing light, so crazily cool!

I jumped in and had an early morning dip. we took up anchor and set of quite early because Wendy and Roger had work. On our way back into harbour, Roger through a rope behind that Lena and I took turns on jumping out of the boat and holding on. You don't realise how fast your going till your being pulled along, and all from the wind. When we got back to harbour Beth and I drove to Kumeu to see Mum-Mum for her Birthday.

That evening we met Wendy and Roger at the Yacht and joined them and the team for a race, which was so cool, pretty exhilarating. And you have to be really quick so as not to get in the way. We went back to Wendy and Rogers for another night. About the time of the other large earthquake down in Christchurch, alot of damage and all of the news, conversations and people's hearts in New Zealand.

Barndip and Puke Show

On the Saturday we had a Christening for Catherine and Frode's new baby Lukas. Frode is Norwegen and his parents came over for it so we had great fun celebrating with this awesome Norwegen food and great banter around a very large table.
The next morning Swiss Lena (new volenteer) and I joined Pauline to go to the Pukekohe A&P show. Emily and Sam run the shearing there so I went to be Emily's Runner (she is very pregnant so doesn't need to be doing any running). The speed of the shearers was amazing, in the open final there was the most amazing atmosphere with the commentators yelling away and the shearers going through sheep after sheep. They did twenty sheep in under fifteen minutes, increadable. After the event had finished and we'ed just finished clearing up to go home, the "Top Twins" came down with some crates of beer, they were hilarious just bouncing of each other, there a big comedy act in NZ, they'd done a preformance at the show so stopped of at the shearing shed before heading home which was pretty cool.

Bay of Islands

Mum-Mum and Pete over for a month visting Carol. The plan was for Beth and I to drive up in the Honda and meet them at Mungawhai before going on up to the Bay of Islands. But unfortunately the Honda decided to break down en-route, thankfully only a few K's from Glen Murray Motors and after a scary experience being towed and waiting for lift we ended up back at the cafe. Our saviour came in the form of Erica, a friend of Anne's who comes and does a big cook up every Thursday and Friday, She was heading home to Auckland not long after we got back to the Cafe. So once we got into Auckland we caught a lift with Uncle Frank up to Mungawhai, Praise the Lord!

So weird seeing Mum-Mum and Pete here but we all slotted together like it was completely normal quite weird really. After spending the weekend at the Bach joined with Alister and Frank; Carol, Pete, Mum-Mum, Beth and I crammed into the car and headed on up to Whangarai then to the Bay of Islands. We stayed in a unit in Russel, which was just a short walk to the beeches. Beth and I getting much better at body surfing, so much fun. Spent one great evening in Pahia together, with Fish n' Chips and live music at the local bar. During our stay we visited some amazing beeches and just simply great to be together with family. One day Beth, Pete and I took a Jet boat out and saw loads of the island and went right through the 'hole in the rock'. Pretty fun way to see the islands, rocketed round with some Tunes being blasted out.

After the few nights up at the Bay of Islands together we came back to Mungawhai. On Friday Beth and I caught a bus back to Auckland then train to Pukekohe, then got a lift from Emily Back to the farm.

Sunny January

Went and met Beth in the Coromandel for a few days, quite drizzly weather but we made the most of it and saw Cathedral Cove (where hey filmed Prince Caspian), Hot water beech with the crazy tourist bathing in the rain, Kuatunu for the largest ice creams I've had in my life and Coromandel Town with lots of small boutique shops. Spent a night with Andrew and Sharron which was really cool.
We had a busy January with Grant and I running the Cafe, whilst Anne and Phillip went for there holiday, had help from chef Tim on weekends. Did more cave tours this time and we had a change over of foreigners in the cafe Zander and Miranda (Canadian).
Weather packed up mid way into January which meant some quieter days. We had Erin Cole-Baker come and do a concert which we were packed out for, beautiful music and knew alot of the words because the CD is on loop most days in the cafe.

Beth and I went to Parachute Festival one day, which is kind of like Soul Survivor but more music based. Super fun and just great to have a churchy day after not getting to church in so long because we are so busy in the cafe. Brenton Brown sang some classic songs in the evening, including "lord reign in me" as the sun was setting on a beautiful summers day. Chris Tomlin lead the evenings main worship and Louie Giglio spoke which was pretty impresive or "indescribable". We were in an open theatre, so really cool to look up to the stars whilst he is spilling the mind blowing facts.

New Years

After a few more days hanging out at the Bach, Carol drove Beth and I back to Auckland where we did some shopping in the Christmas sales then caught a bus to the airport where we met Anne who drove us back to Wiakaretu. Didn't take long for me to fall back into the flow of the cafe. A really good gang of us staying at the farm. There is German Lina from the Wellington business school, she is a whiz in the kitchen, always a step ahead. There is Crazy Czech Martin who just does the dishes and laughs (at everything!). There's Grant barrister and cave guide completes A team in the Cafe (Plus Anne and Phillip , of course). Pauline is also around and about, Thebault from Reunion Island and Sara the vet, we all stayed up very late playing Mafia ("villagers against killer!") and laughed most nights!

We had an awesome time for Beth's birthday on the 30th. Beth, Sara, Lina, Thebault and I all went to the beech. we had a very competitive game of ultimate Frisbee and paddled in the surf. Abbi joined us for dinner and we popped a bottle, lots of people round the dinner table, great fun.

For New Years Eve we went down to the campsite and joined the Wrights who were camping also joined by most of the Woodward whanau and other guys known through stepping stones. We had a lamb on a spit, crazy wigs, dancing with sparklers and this laser light thing. An awesome night with the stars shining and still hot late into the night.

The following days we had some really hot days, really busy days in the cafe and alot of BBQs down with the campers.

One night, Thebault and I spent it sleeping on the lawn, just so stunning the stars are so clear, amazing waking up at different times in the night and seeing the stars shifting. Although had a very scary experience with a possum that doesn't make me want to camp out again very soon. We went to Emily and Sam's one evening dressed up as farmers to pick up bales, so much fun. Also went to the beech quite a bit great cooling off in the sea after such hot days.

Pauline, Philip and I got a chance to fishing where we didn't catch much but it was just amazing sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere watching the sun set, magical.

Christmas in the sun!

Kiwi's enjoying the snow!

After getting back to Carols we had great fun helping her out in the nursery, helping around the house or just even lying out in the sun. I even went and helped one of Carols friends shear some alpacas.
We also had some great times in Auckland going to see a naming ceremony for a big ferry at Auckland harbour and also visiting Devonport where they had a snow dome (just polystyrene not real snow) in the middle of this sunny field with coastal views. Really weird to be thinking that they were covered in the real stuff at home!

Beachy Christmas tree

We had some torrential rain whilst being up at Auckland and at Carol and Franks Bach in Mungawhai Heads. Which is good because it looked as if it was going to be a drought filled summer. But we did get some scorching days too. Really quite bazaar thinking that its Christmas when your walking round in nothing but shorts and a T-shirt.

Kay's awesome 12day advent calenders.

We spent Christmas up at the Bach and we had an awesome time despite having to keep pinching yourself to remind yourself that it was December and Christmas. Beth, Carol and I went through a very creative stage and made a beachy Christmas tree from a piece of drift wood and some shells etc. We also had a bit of a hitch up on Christmas day when Carol walked into the ranch slider and had to go to hospital (very new Bach, very clean windows!) She was fine just quite shaken up. But it didn't stop us having lots of fun and laughs that weekend.

Us and the cousins, Christmas day at the beach.