Up north

(Careful, this is a loooooooong one!) 

My Dad's older sister got married and ask me to come and take the photos for her.  I was excited to be able to take Tui up north and to show him a little more of NZ.  We stayed in Ngunguru in the same holiday house that I had stayed in as a kid when we would come for summer holidays.  I had forgotten how beautiful it was up there.  We played tourist a little bit, visiting some historical sights, and had such a good time that we're going back for a few days early next year.

On one of our many pit stops along the way.

Ngunguru is such a great beach for kids. The bay is sheltered by an island, so there is vertially no waves or wind, and there are tons of different spots you can go to.  Dad took Tui and the boys for a little putter around, just like we used to as kids.

Lani just stayed and played in the sand with Grandma.

 




Soaking up the undivided attention from Grandparents.

 
My children are obsessed with Trampolines, but our house doesn't have the space for one, so they were over joyed to discover that the holiday house had one, and they spent every second they could on it.

 

We went to Paihia and visited the sight where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.

 

 

This is the tree that was cut down to make this canoe, the largest in the world, made from one single tree.

  

 

 

We visited the Treaty house and the old homestead. If my 7th form history memory serves me correctly, I think this is James Busby.

  

 

 

 

This waterfall is one of 2 in the world that are in a horseshoe shape, the other being Niagra falls.

We thought that since we were already half way there were might as go the whole 9 yards and drive up to the top of NZ, to Cap Reinga.  It took way longer then we expected, but I was glad we did it.  It was surreal to stand there and look out and see nothing but sea, and this amazing amazing light, and to see where the pacific ocean and the tasman sea colide.

 

 

 

I've just finished watching a documentary about Zimbabwe and it made me feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful country where we can freely move around and enjoy the landscape that's been created.  I don't ever want to live anywhere else. :)