NZ Day 1

NZ day 1: Customs let us into the country! And we stayed awake *all day* despite jet lag & a crappy night of sleep sitting up in a plane.

I’m jet lagged and basically cribbing this post from a Facebook update. If you’re not into words, scroll down for today’s meager pics.

Our generous hosts have been incredibly welcoming. Melanie made sure we kept busy & caffeinated all day, and made made a version of pho for lunch (I ate lots of mushrooms!) and a cantonese-style feast mostly from the sea for dinner with fresh sashimi (can’t remember the fish), lobster, & sea cucumber Bill caught the other day. (I ate pork intestine/tripe & I liked it!)

We also went for a short walk in the neighborhood, H & E went swimming/hot tubbing, and Ky, E and I went with Bill & Robert to the marina (through downtown Aukland) to get the boat ready to take out, which was interesting because fueling a boat is new to us.

The boys have 5 new-acquaintance cousins (I need a family relations chart to say what variety), 1 they already knew, 2 new aunts, and 2 new uncles.

Tomorrow & the next day: Coromandel Peninsula & Hot Water Beach. 🙂

Farmcove Reserve, Pakuranga (I think – this was on our short walk)

Also Farmcove Reserve, Pakuranga or close to it … maybe looking toward Halfmoon Bay?

My husband looking thoughtful on the boat as we tooted along from the fuel place back to the dock

Mount Wellington from Farmcove Reserve, Pakuranga on our short walk

My favorite boat in the harbor wasn’t the shiny multimillion dollar yacht; it was this old barge looking thing that Ethan said looked like it hauled garbage