Dump!

Took a walk through pastures to the coast, then rock-hopped our way to "Dump" - the boys favorite place to scavenge for treasures.  Dump is a well-known surf break, and it is aptly named.  Not sure if people purposely dump stuff here or if the tides & currents make this a place where things just wash up, but it is full of rusty marine parts, used tires & copious beach glass.  Wind was howling again today.  We ended up, conveniently, at the general store of the holiday park on the beach, so had to finish the walk with the daily ice cream cone.  Getting used to this!

Park boys & Taylor boys heading across the meadow

Shelly & Lori in anticipation of yoga once kids
 are back in school!

Grif finds an old rusty sword @ Dump, watch out!

Beach glass galore - we are in search of the elusive cobalt blue -- have only come across tiny pieces of it.  I guess not many beers come in cobalt blue bottles.

Opunake Lake

It has been a lazy week of sleeping in, wandering around Opunake, eating ice cream (way too much ice cream), and exploring on foot.  Opunake's lake is lovely - we jog around it for exercise, but really the most fun is wandering with kids.  We start at our back gate and the main decision is whether to go right first (and bring treats for Sue the horse) or go left first (and bring bread for the ducks and try to find Gavin's favorite white one "Bob" and Griffin's favorite grey one "Phil").  The boys have several friends coming to visit and can't wait to take them around the lake.  There's a side shoot where you can scramble up a small dam and explore the river that feeds the lake.  You can also detour through the cows (watch your step!) and head out to the beach.  These photos are from the main loop around.

Our neighbor Rex's garden by the lake attracts so many Monarchs
 that the boys have dubbed it "butterfly alley".  
Here is a bush filled with Monarch caterpillars.  
There are millions!

We bring our apple cores (seeds removed)
 and I always stock carrots for our equine
neighbor, Sue.

Our local herd...such a prettier sight than Coalinga, don't you agree?  Smells better too.

View of our house from the other side of the lake -- it is the smaller brown one on the right.

Along the lake walk there is a tiny cemetery
 with stones from the late 1800's.  

Some beautiful blooming pohutukawa trees along the lake.  Their red blossoms are starting to fade now...this is the "New Zealand Christmas tree" that blooms red in December.

Grif demonstrates the electric cow fence!  It's really not that bad, just kind of a surprise.  I've gotten a nice jolt down my forearm...feels a little like my laser hair removal...ouch.

Everything is green green green

Resident flock of ducks.  (Try looking up the correct term for a group of ducks.  I'll just stick with flock).  That strange contraption in the background -- well, we've asked many people and we still have to just call it a strange contraption.  It is supposed to remove the algae from the surface of the lake -- there is a rotating wheel with spikes that pick up the algae and fling it onto land -- but it is incredibly inefficient.  It is also somehow tied in with the generation of energy from the water flow from lake to ocean & vice versa, but I really don't understand that either. 

Even in this boy heaven, kids are still kids and on some days, incredibly, I still hear those 2 words that make parents everywhere cringe..."I'm bored".  Aaaaargh!  I'm realizing that as much as family togetherness is cozy and lovely, kids need friends.  What do they say...boys need a tribe.  We are happy to have the Park boys here from Vermont -- Grif & Gav are off on their bikes every day to "see what the Parks are doing".  They have an 8 (Isaac) & a 10 (Logan) year old, fortunately, and they also have a 14 year old (Eli) who is a very good sport.  Although the boys are nervous about it (Gavin is wondering about spelling -- tyre, theatre, etc!) I think we are ALL ready for school to start.  Everything and everyone truly goes on vacation mode during the summer school holidays.  Restaurant hours are unpredictable - here it is like Italy in the sense that if a business's proprietor goes on holiday, often that business is closed with a sign in the door saying "hey, we're on holiday, see you in a few weeks".  Kids often go to stay with grandparents in other areas, and the kids we've met down on the beach are usually vacationing here from elsewhere.  So...countdown to school...11 days to go!

My kiwi birthday

Waverly beach arch

Taranaki wind - our constant companion

Yummy dinner @ Sugar Juice! I'm wearing the birthday shirt my mom sent me.

January 15th was a beautiful day here in Taranaki!  After a lazy breakfast, we stocked up on picnic provisions from Sugar Juice (broccoli-cucumber asian salad!) and headed to Waverly beach.  We marveled at the arch, explored sea caves, found fossilized shells, checked out the petrified tree limbs, enjoyed our picnic, and got smashed by the waves while trying to bodysurf!   Stopped for an ice-cream cone (of course) in Waverly on the way home.  The boys went to spend the evening with their new friends: Eli, Logan & Isaac Park.  Their father, Peter Park, is the "other American doctor" and the family just arrived in Opunake this week.  Since all the kiwi kids seem to be away "on holiday" with school not starting for another two weeks, the boys were grateful for kid company!  Perfect timing...this allowed Ken & I to go out for a wonderful dinner with Peter & Shelly at Sugar Juice.  Then we checked out the band at the local pub and had a few "handles" (that's what the kiwis call a mug of beer - apparently because it is served in a glass with a handle on it.  You have to specify "pint" or "handle" when you order a draft beer).  A very peaceful birthday.

A great Thursday

On our way to New Plymouth the volvo died.
Ah well, called Ken's boss Brent who had his
daughter & wife meet us with a
volkswagen and we continued on our way.
Hope to have the volvo up & running again!

Scouted surf highway 45's many nooks & crannies along the way north looking for surf.  Do as the locals do, just drive right up!

Found many great isolated stretches of coastline great for rock skipping, boulder hopping or just sitting & reading but alas, no surf (flat day).

Ditched the surf effort & stopped in at Okurukuru winery for a fantastic meal with a fantastic view in fantastic weather with our fantastic kids!  We are definitely coming back for their wine & food festival in February.  This place is gorgeous.  Picked up a bottle of Sauv blanc to go.

Grif thoroughly enjoyed his woodfired pizza.  My pumpkin tomato risotto was heavenly, and Ken's ostrich fillet (pronounced with the "t") tender and flavorful.  Gav says his chicken & chips were good too!

Next stop - Pukekura park for the Festival of Lights.  They do this every night through January.  It's free!  The park is gorgeous, like golden gate park, but more tropical.  There were pirates boating on the lake,  live music in several venues and lights everywhere.  

Gavin in front of the lit-up waterfall

Black lights overhead  - the path below also glowed.  After we walked through this area we got ourselves some ice cream cones, plopped down on the lawn, and watched the show "Highly Flammable" with dancers & performers all using fire.  Kids loved it.  Fell asleep in car on way home!  

Lazy Wednesday

Sushi with veggies, avo & krab 

How we spend many evenings

One of the hardest things (which should be one of the best things, and will be soon I'm sure) is getting used to not having much to do most days.   Or, should I say, not much on the agenda.  There is plenty to do.  Today was cleaning day -- boys helped sweep floors, clean bathtubs, wash windows.  I took them to Sugar Juice afterward for their efforts - Grif had a lovely lemon-passionfruit tart, while Gav had a chocolate slab with coconut & fudge.  I had bites of each!  Returned a library book (library here is FANTASTIC) and a DVD, then moseyed to beach.  It was a brilliant blue sky/bright sun kind of day, but as soon as we parked ourselves @ the beach the clouds blew in and the wind picked up and it turned COLD.  Weather changes at the drop of a hat here.  So...boys played for a few hours @ beach while I read, then we headed home to make sushi.  When Ken got home after a LONG day @ work we all had sushi & cocktails (well, 2 of us had cocktails) in the sun room.  Then I made a nice cauliflower, bacon & sage pasta for dinner, then we walked around the lake tonight, saying howdy to our friend Lily the horse when we passed.  A good day.  Tomorrow we head to New Plymouth to check out Pukekara park & the festival of lights.

Okato pool day

Thanks to Claire for inviting us to the Okato pool, and thanks to the Helds for introducing us to Claire and family.  Don't think Lomas would ever allow this huge inflatable obstacle course.  Kids had fun & mixed it up with some kiwi kids, then we stopped for fish & chips and ginger beer on the way home.  Nice!

Oakura beach day

NZ sun is sooooo strong

Was a little windy in south Taranaki so we headed a bit north to Oakura for a beach day.  Beautiful!