On to the South!

So now we're onto the south island. We flew from Auckland to Christchurch where we were met by Colonel and Mrs Sanders and their daughter:

Trace, Phil and Poppy picked us up in the Vanette and started their amazing hosting extravaganza, first with some fish and chips by the ocean then onward towards Arthur's Pass. The next day we hit Castle Hill for a bit of a walk and a tiny bit of bouldering. Could have spent much time here. What an amazing place!!! The battle scene from Chronicles of Narnia was filmed here.

Trace and Ann-Marie climbed Avalanche Peak with their two in utero travellers

A kea just before it stole Ann-Marie's cookie

The belly

Ladies on top!

The beach at Hokitika, Trace and Phil's yard backs onto this beach

Phil manning the barbeque, the beach is just past the greenhouse

"mom, my omelette is looking at me". Whitebait patties, a local delicacy.


The house and the sleep-out. These guys are 50cent millionaires

Amusing Toddler-Speak

Tobin has started addressing us more often with 'hey dad' or 'hey mom' in a tone that makes you think something really cool is happening, like a helicopter just landed on the lawn or a moose is standing on the doorstep. But usually the conversation goes something like this:

Tobin: "Hey dad, hey dad?!"
Me: "yes Tobin?"
Tobin: "The horse is sleeping in the barn." or another favorite "the horse is putting the chicken's fingers in his mouth!"

Almost off the North Island

More... Jumping around a little. I'm blogxausted.

Hahei again

More chickens, Tobin unsure what to think....

...Definately terrifying. I like how this video starts with him warning the chicken to 'watch out for the hole' and ends with him screaming and running away from them.

Kirsten getting in the spirit

Nana and her boys

"these fowl are pleasing to me."

Mom and Paul's house in Cambridge

A 'yama' according to Tobin.

I think I snapped shortly after this picture and yelled "get these children off of me!!!!!"

C'mon boys, let's go sit on the tractor. Boys?

North Island and Christmas

More photos, these are still from the time on the North Island with Mom and Paul. This blogging is really a bit much after all. I think there's three weeks of photos left... Hold on to your hats, lots of out of focus and under exposed pics coming!!!!

The Joy of Cooking. Probably when Tobin began his cookie addiction, knowing his Nana.

Paul gets all crazy and drunk looking when he's around horses.

Tobin was in heaven with all these horses to examine

'Mandy', one of the racehorses. And that's a jockey beside her. It's actually two jockeys, you just can't see the one in the pants holding the upper guy on his shoulders.

Horses on the farm

Mom and Tobin swinging in the hammocks

In New Zealand it's expected that everyone drinks

An attractive hen

'Cool and The Gang' moved to New Zealand and retired to this paddock

Back on the Coromandel

A drive by shooting

Camped at Port Jackson. We only set up half the tent

Coromandel still, so beautiful

Mom and Tobin at Stony Bay.

Beech forest on the Coromandel walk

Punga? Ponga? trees, giant ferns

Still on the hike between Port Jackson and Stony Bay