While I was at work on the 31st, Lowell and Julie Anne took in some local sights such as:
The Waitakere Ranges (remember this frame??) :
Julie Anne finally got to see a real live silver fern (a national symbol).FYI the top of the fern is green, but underneath it's silver... hence the name SILVER fern.
And Piha Beach:
(Can you see why it's called Lion Head Rock**?The rock separates North & South Piha beaches).
In the evening, we rang in the new year with some friends at Lance & Nat's place. It was here that we broke out the Canadian Graham crackers and Caramilk bars to introduce some true blue North American (well, at least 'G family') s'mores!
Lance was worried that his first s'more didn't pass my inspection. Well, no offense Lancey, but it doesn't take too much talent to make a s'more;)
(I think he liked it) The slightly soggy crackers (thank you humidity) and the sweeter-than-we're-used-to marshmellows altered the taste of the s'mores... but they were still finger lickin good. (PS- I don't think it's possible for a S'MORE to be BAD... unless the crackers were dipped in oil or the marshmellows contained maggots).
Lance & Natalie had a real Kiwi Christmas tree outside:
Lance, quite the safety conscious fellow, set off little fireworks in the yard.
Only in NZ does one need to wear sunglasses and use a watering can when playing with fireworks in bare feet on New Years Eve.On our way to Lance & Nat's that night, Julie Anne and I had been discussing our desire to play tennis together in NZ. As coinkidink would have it, we met some new friends (Shane & Sara-Jane) at the New Years party who spoke of their parents' tennis court. PROVIDENCE!!
So, on January 1st, after a dip in the pool, we headed over to Shane & Sara-Jane's parents place to play some tennis.
I'm fierce. I intimidate opponents (with my teeth)...
Delightful! And thus concludes our summer New Years experience. But thus does NOT conclude our marathon of kiwi adventures...*Maori greeting.
**Um, Lowell superimposed Aslan's head on the rock... but it really is called 'Lion Head Rock', and it really does have the shape of a lion's head. Just not the face.)
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3 comments :
Thanks for the double asterisks. I was slightly freaking out, there.
Love the sights, as always. Also, I'm wondering when you are free for my family to come visit ;)
I was also slightly freaked out...I took the picture and I definitely don't remember seeing an actual lion head in the rock. Nice editing by the way Lowell!
that lion head rock picture freaked me out! But I was going to ask you to send me the original so I could have it blown up and printed for our house. Fake or not. :)
word verification: pennis
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