The Grandparents Come For a Visit

We had an exciting week when Rachel's grandparents came for a visit. We saw magnificent beaches, learned about kiwis, took ferry rides, and ate lots of good food. The timing of their visit was very good since we're all starting to miss them, and all the people back home.

Piha is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and it was great that we could share it with people we love. In this picture Rachel is writing her name in the sand, which beats writing your name in the snow.


Ice Cream seems to follow Grandpa wherever he goes, and new dresses seem to follow grandma.


We traveled down to the Bay of Plenty, which as its name implies, has plenty: fruit is plentiful, fish is plentiful. Scenic vistas and white sand beaches? They're plentiful as well.



While in The Bay of Plenty, we had the opportunity to visit a kiwi farm. Here is a picture of kiwi on the vine.


Some in our group had trouble following directions


We made a quick stop at Rotorua to take in the sights and smells. There are geothermal hot spots right in the middle of town and because of this , the town smells like sulfur. Rachel has a hard time dealing with the smell; she's not a big fan of Rotorua.


Back in Auckland we visited the Skytower, the highest structure in town. Rachel, in an attempt to get higher, climbed and mauled her way to the top of grandpa.


Of course Skytower is not the only place in Auckland with an amazing view. There's also One Tree Hill.



Rachel did not want her grandparents to leave. She started crying as soon as we dropped them off at the airport.

A quick trip to Parnell Baths was in order after Grandma and Grandpa left. Nothing turns a frown upside down as quick as Parnell Baths.