A Swing With A View

This past weekend we visited the Coromandel Peninsula, which boasts some of the the most scenic swinging in the world. Besides the stunning views from its swing-sets, the Coromandel is also known as a Kiwi vacation Mecca, an area of logging activity, and a highly productive agricultural center. It’s also the setting of Edward Lear’s poem, The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.

The Coromandel was once covered with the mighty Kauri tree; they can grow to over 150 feet high, and 16 yards round. The Maori found it ideal for boat building, the Europeans found it ideal for ship masts, and home construction. Its wood is so extraordinary that most of trees have been cut down, and only a few stands remain. Here’s Rachel at the entrance of one of these stands.


Coromandel’s beaches are some of the finest in the world. The first beach we visited was the aptly named Hot Water Beach. Maybe this has happened to you: You're at a beautiful beach, the waves are rolling in, the sun is setting, and you think to yourself, “this would be perfect, if only I had a hot tub.” Well your wish has been granted, it’s called Hot Water Beach. Dig down into the sand at low tide, and you’ll strike hot water that’s rising up from a geothermal fissure. Instant beach hot tub.



Rachel proclaimed that this was her second favorite place in the world. Her favorite place is her friend Peyton’s house. Peyton, of course, has a hamster named Pinkis. Maybe if Hot Water Beach got a hamster named Pinkis and Peyton dropped by to visit it would take top honors.

Cathedral Cove is on the short list of most New Zealander’s must see places. It is extraordinary.


Whether it was worth the hike to get there, which consisted of about 3km of undulating terrain, was of much dissent among our party. Some felt the journey alone was worth the visit. Others felt that the beach, while amazing, was not quite worth the effort.


The swimming and exploring at Cathedral Cove was outstanding.



Whatever you find enjoyable, Coromandel is the type of place where you can bury yourself in fun.

Skol Vikings

Rachel, how many touchdowns will Brett Favre toss tomorrow?

My daughter, the optimist.

Albert In A Park

New Zealand is very British. England provided New Zealand with strong security and a powerful trading partner, which is part of why New Zealand has never made any moves toward breaking from the Empire. This is not to say that Kiwis have held onto all of the British customs: in particular the strict social stratification of England has been cast aside in New Zealand. Someone explained that it was because the British immigrants came to New Zealand to escape the class structure. Someone else said that New Zealand was an egalitarian agricultural society in which everyone had to work hard, and didn’t have time for frivolous things such as class structure.

Albert Park demonstrates New Zealand’s Britishness, but it also showcases what makes New Zealand unique. Built on top of volcanic rock, Albert Park features ornate flower gardens, a fountain, and, of course the most British thing ever, a statue of Queen Victoria. At the same time, it is uniquely New Zealand: On top of an extinct volcano, that used to be a Maori fortification, with really cool looking trees. Since it’s in Auckland, you don’t get dirty looks for playing in the grass, and climbing the trees like you do in London. Oh, and one other thing you can do in New Zealand that is probably frowned upon in Great Britain: go barefoot! Kiwis go everywhere without shoes, even in malls and restaurants.

What could be more British than a statue of of Queen Victoria in the park. This statue, located thirteen hours ahead of GMT, is a reminder that in a bygone era the sun did not set on the British Empire.


Perfect English flower beds, with palm trees in the background.


A flower clock.



Kiwis are very proud of their military sacrifices. Particularly their brave service at Gallipoli during World War One, and in Crete during World War II.


The Ombu tree is from the New World, but does quite well in New Zealand. Rachel is giving her "quick Frodo we must go" look while standing on the root of a tree that could be cast in Lord Of The Rings.

The Tale of Two Beaches

This weekend we had the pleasure of visiting two beaches, Piha on the west side of the island, and Goat Island on the east side of the island. Both were about the same distance from Auckland, but were very different.

The waves of the Tasman Sea crash upon the black sands of Piha with extreme power. The undertow is very dangerous, and we were warned more than once about perils of swimming at Piha. The beach is framed by huge rock outcroppings, one of which, Lion Rock, was an important Maori fortification. With the surfers, and the danger, and the enormity of the place, the crowd tended to be on the younger side: college-aged kids looking for adrenaline rushes and surfers looking to push their limits. It is also one of the most visually stunning places on earth. The beach is wide and black, the rock formations gigantic, and the waves devastatingly powerful.

The ocean at Piha is so powerful that mist rises up from the crashing surf.


The aptly named Lions Rock. The Maori called the the rock formation Te Piha, after the pattern the waves make around it.


The sand at Piha is black, and can get very hot.



We're a happy family: Me, Mom, and Dad.



Goat Island is a marine reserve that’s on the Pacific, and is protected from the open ocean. The water is much gentler, and the swimming much easier. With abundant fish and clear, somewhat calm water, snorkling and scuba diving are the popular activities at Goat Island. Also, families with little kids seemed to be the norm. Children can frolic in the surf without the danger of being swept away. Goat Island is beautiful, but in a much more intimate way than Piha.

The beach at Goat Island is fairly narrow and as the tide came in during the day it all but disappeared.


It's somewhat of a mystery as t0 how Goat Island acquired its European name, but it's safe to assume it's not because it looks like a goat.



Rachel loved playing in the surf at Goat Island


When Rachel was asked which beach she preferred, she answered, "both of them." Good answer.

*The first person to point out the Ramones reference gets a New Zealand souvenir.

Friends Part One

Because people are the most important part of her life, Rachel is really missing her friends, family, and classmates. Making new friends is not a problem for her, it comes naturally, but the country has been on holiday and out of town, and potential new friends have not been easily available. Hopefully, now that people are coming back into the city, this will change.

Which is not to say that we have haven’t met amazing people. Life changing kind of people.

I can safely say that Rachel’s favorite person in New Zealand is Elise, the daughter of one of Alice’s colleagues. What is it about people named Elise? With an aunt and a cousin of the same name, Elises have always been an important part of Rachel’s life.

Aldo, a student of Rachel’s grandpa Albert, is also someone she made an immediate attachment with. He went to Italy for the holidays, and we look forward to his return.

Rachel loved Hanging with Nathan Kuhlman from Northfield. When we get back to Minnesota, we look forward to seeing him in a Northfield Arts guild production.

We do get to the park often, where Rachel easily blends into the playground antics. One of our favorite parks is over by the hotels. The kids over there tend to be visitors from other countries. It was really cute watching Rachel play with a girl her age who was from France and spoke no English. Of course, Rachel’s French is not very good. Both children though spoke the international language of Swings and Merry-Go-Rounds.