Today was the last day of vacation and we did it up in our style…  We hit an absolutely gorgeous beach – Cathedral Cove, NZ.  There was a mile and a half hike to get there, and it was worth every single step and then some.  Even the hike had great views!

Once we got there we spent time taking in the landscape, the weather and water carved giant rock formations jutting out everywhere in the ocean and on the beach.

After a while we all jumped in the ocean and enjoyed the waves.  They weren’t as big as the beach yesterday, but they were still lots of fun (and were less stressful for Dad).  There were nonstop laughs and smiles the entire time.

Becky and I chilled on the beach and soaked in sun while the boys played in the sand.  As we chilled they were digging, building, demolishing, and re-building.

One last set of waves we said goodbye to the ocean and started the hike back.

Tomorrow morning we start heading back on what will be the longest day of the boys’ lives – a 42 hour Saturday, December 2nd.  I can’t imagine a better way to wrap up one of the most epic vacations that we’ve ever had than by chilling by the ocean one last time…

Thanks!!!

 

Yup, you read that correctly!  The family and I had one of the most epic excursions we’ve ever had on a vacation.  This morning we loaded up onto a boat and headed out for a 90+ minute ocean ride to White Island to hike in an active volcano.  Don’t worry, there was no lava, just a lot of steam and sulfur.

The boat ride there and back was pretty sweet as we were able to see a couple of Dominic’s favorite animals (seals) and dozens of Gavin’s favorite marine mammal (dolphins).  Throw in some amazing views and it was very cool.

Once at the volcano it continued to get better and better.  I really don’t even know what to say, the pictures really speak for themselves.  It was nothing short of epic, heat everywhere, steam and sulfur all around, and then entire hike we were right in the crater!  How crazy is that???

As we were heading back I couldn’t help but smile.  I was thinking about how awesome the excursion was and how much I’ve already burned it into my brain.   My mind floated to thinking about how Becky and I will remember this experience for the rest of our lives and will talk about it often with each other.  Then I smiled even bigger thinking about how the boys were able to have this unique experience.  Who knows, maybe this ignites a passion for them, maybe it’s future inspiration, or maybe it helps them start dreaming of cool vacations with their kids when they get older.  I’m so thankful for this experience.

Thanks!!!

First things first, I’ve got to brag up the AMAZING breakfast this morning. While today’s post isn’t focused on it, the Parisienne Crepe blew my taste buds away… Bacon (middle bacon to be specific), onions, eggs, & cheese all in one delicious buttery package? Yes please!!!

What I’m most thankful for today is very much unexpected. When Becky shared her idea for the day I was really only focused on the geothermal wonders we were going to see, especially the geyser. She’d mentioned seeing some Māori stuff, but I kind of put it in the back of my brain… kind of the filler in a busy vacation day. Yeah, it’d be cool, but more of something to pass time than something I’d really wanted to see. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

We went to Te Puia for a couple of hours and had an incredible experience. Our tour quickly moved into their carving school and my mind was blown. In front of us roughly 6 Māori men were carving elaborate wood statues using chisels and wooden hammers. Watching them work was amazing, their attention to detail so precise.

As we learned, they were students of a school that takes on four new students each year and teach them the ancient art of Māori wood carving. After they completed the school, 3-4 years later, they would go back to their home and teach others to help keep their culture alive. How awesome is that? Learning specifically with the end goal of teaching others.

While standing there I had a case of “the feels” come over me and I had to focus to not tear up. Many times over this vacation and other experiences I’ve either teared up or come close because I’ve felt like Dad is right there with me. When I was watching them carve I thought about how cool Dad thought this would be to see. I swear that somewhere in my heart I knew he was there with me, in just as much awe of their art as I was.

In addition to the carving the Māoris also demonstrated their weaving skills. We also watched a welcome ceremony in which they sang, shared dances and stories, and did the Haka. It was AWESOME!!! Watching them keep their traditions alive was inspiring, and seeing the boys’ eyes light up at the event was fantastic. Gavin even got a pic with a few members right afterwards.

After touring the entire site we went back to the woodcarving school and I spent a good 10 minutes or so watching the students work their art. It was so intriguing to see how they were quickly turning a piece of wood into a piece of art.

Everything else today was superb. We saw the ocean, walked the beach, had a unique dinner, and even saw California redwoods in New Zealand! That said, I’m most thankful for that experience of the Māori culture. Seeing the world through a slightly different perspective was an experience I’ll reflect on often and draw inspiration from. I’ve had the boys spending time journaling each day about what they did and what they are thankful for. Hearing Gavin say that he was thankful for the Māori culture was music to my ears, I’m glad he took something from this experience as well!

Thanks!!!

The natural world is truly amazing. I’ve been so blessed and fortunate to see so many awesome natural thing, today added another one to the list… glow worms!

We did two different caves tours, one that was more focused on the geological and then other focused on glow worms. When the glow worm tour reached its finale my jaw just about hit the floor of the boat. Right above me was a sea of glow worms, all shining like bright stars in the dark summer sky, except they were blue green. It was awe inspiring, mind blowing, and something right out of a dream. My mind is still wrapping itself around how beautiful that sight was.

Quite honestly, I took no pictures that could do these bioluminescent little guys justice, but these will give you an idea. They use their light to attract small insects to them and then trap them in one of up to 20 “fishing lines” that are sticky. The glow worm feels the vibration, reels up that line, and has a little snack. How wild is it that they’ve grown and adapted like that???

It was another one of the crazy moments that I’ll save so near and dear to my heart, another moment in which my mind is blown yet again by nature.

Thanks!!!

While the boys have been running wild for he past few days Becky’s been at her conference learning and listening to many speakers. Not sure that it’s fair that we have that much fun while she was stuck inside doing what created this opportunity in the first place, but I️ really don’t need to worry about it anymore. Her conference is done and today was her first day of vacation!

Boy was it a doozy! We headed to Hobbiton to see The Shire from the Lord of the Rings series, then headed to the ocean, saw a beautiful waterfall, and are now relaxing for a little bit at our hotel.

The experiences were mind blowing, but it was even better to have all four of us together and doing one of our absolute favorite things – traveling on vacation!

Thanks!!!