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.

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.