Sailing

Hi there! A couple of days ago we went on a week long sailing trip! We were having a lot of fun on the boat. We didn't usually sail, we motored.

When we were sailing we got up to 8 knots with our mainsail and jib up. The waves got really rough, the wind was howling, our voices were lost in the wind! We were rocking from side to side, while the waves splashed on the ship! Our lifeline on the boat was skimming the water; it felt like we were sinking. Our mast almost touched the sparkling, luminescent water. We all got a little sea sick. It was a fabulous experience!

When we were motoring we only got up to 3 knots. We saw some dolphins! Closely, the dolphins were swimming by our boat. Graciously the dolphins would swim stealthily through the water! They were like a needle sewing fabrics together. Sparkling in the sun the dolphins gave us a show!

We where on our way to Russell when we saw the dolphins. In Russell we saw a Fig tree/Ficus Mactophillia that was planted in 1876. Unique, rough, knotted, smaller, branches engrossed the tree trunk!

Miss U Guys

Paden + Family

Waimarino

Hi there! Today we went to Waimarino. It is an awesome adventure park with a Blob, a Gladiator Pole, and a Hydro Slide.

First, of all I’d like to inform you guys about the Blob! The Blob is a big air mattress on a river. One person sits on the Blob on the far side of the river. The other person stands on a 50 foot platform above the Blob and jumps down on the close side of the Blob. Then the person on the far end is launched into the air. If you don’t land on your bum when you hit the river you get really bruised. I launched my brother, my dad launched me, and a stranger launched my dad. I was the one that went the highest. We felt excitement rush through our bodies as we soared through the air. When you hit the water it feels like hitting cement. It was outstanding!

Secondly, I’d like to talk about the Gladiator Pole! The Gladiator Pole is a pole over top of the river. It stands on two triangle ends that float on top of the river. One person on one side of the pole and the other person on the other end of the pole. Then the two people wrestle and try to make the other person fall into the water. When one person (or both people) fall into the water it is over and the last one to fall in wins. It is really fun!

Lastly, I’d like to talk about the Hydro Slide! The Hydro Slide is a water slide! It's like no ordinary water slide though; you go down in a kayak instead of on your bum! You can go forwards or backwards. The Hydro Slide has a drop-off at the end of the slide! When you get to the bottom of the water slide you land in the dark, deep river! It’s very fun to go down backwards! After, when you’re on the water, you glide about 20 feet! It was amazing!

Waimarino is an awesome adventure park that was made for kids! They have many more activities than were mentioned in the paragraphs above!

Hahei Beach

Hi there! Today we went to Hahei Beach! The sand was a nice brown, the waves were a crimson blue, the tide was crashing in delight, the sun was shining cheerfully on us; it was the perfect day! We also went to Hot Water beach where we dug in the sand and got hot water. You had to sit in the water when the tide came in otherwise you got scalded. We had a really nice pool! It was the perfect temperature, and the perfect length. Underneath the sand was geothermal activity that heated the water. This is the same thing at Rotorua. Hot Water Beach was overly crowded with people at the "hot spot". You couldn't walk one step without running into another person. It was still an amazing experience!

While at Hahei, we stayed at a friendly Kiwi's bach on top of an exquisite hill. We saw everywhere from where we were staying! The birds were singing their cheerful tune. You could hear the waves crashing and happily meeting the sand!

During one of the days that we stayed there we snorkeled a cave. Going through the peninsula cave we saw tiny fish that were trapped in by the tide. It was pitch black, the water was freezing cold, you could feel fear creeping in as every step you took you could imagine your worst fears. In addition we went through a dry cave that also went through the peninsula. Boulders were everywhere and we had to scramble our way through to the other side. It was absolutely amazing!

We are loving it here in NZ!

Miss U Guys

Paden + Family

Kauri Grove

Today we went to Kauri Grove for a "tramp" which means hike in New Zealand and then a Dairy Farm! At Kauri Grove we saw the Kowhai or Silver Fern which is New Zealand's national flower. We also saw a tree trunk that looked like a duck. We also saw Kauri Trees! Here are some pictures that we took at Kauri Grove!

We didn't take any pictures at the Dairy farm. We were able to milk cows with these suckers that are attached to the teats where you get milk from. Then the machine sucks the milk and puts it in containers. Each cow on a NZ dairy farm produces about 20L of milk each day. My dad also went sailing and caught a cray fish. It was really big!