Last Hurrah in NZ

They say you always try to replicate your good times, and for us that meant retracing our steps.  The last day before Maggie and James set off for the States, we went to Shakespear Regional Park.  The same place that we had our first expedition to when we moved to New Zealand.  It was great to retrace our steps in New Zealand one last time as a family.





Some of our best times in New Zealand can be traced back to tramping around the unique places around New Zealand.  Shakespear fits right in there and our last visit to it really reminded us that we're going to really miss New Zealand.  The opportunities to see some of the most beautiful scenery on a daily basis is second to none.

We took in all of the great aspects of the regional park, including hanging out with the free roaming cows and sheep throughout the park.

We then headed back to the beach to hang out and just enjoy the waves for the last time in a long while.


We stopped back at the same beach that we visited during 2014 on our first stop to reminisce.

James' name in the sand from our first visit in 2014.





James' name in the sand from our last visit in 2016 from the same beach at Shakespear.

Some things don't change, like showing James the waves breaking on the beach (and also apparently me wearing the same shirt)

 2014

2016

Farewell New Zealand

We threw farewell party at our place in New Zealand the week before Maggie and James headed back to the US.  It was great to see everyone one last time in the place that we called home for the past two years.  The place that James learned how to talk, walk, and run around like a crazy man after he discovered a bit of cake for his birthday.  It was tough to say goodbye to all of our great friends that we had made over the past two years.

  Our great neighbors Juan and Laureanna were probably very sad to see us go, but have to be glad they don't hear James and I stomping around the family room above them with the monsters and t-rex chasing us.  We had a great neighbor before they moved in and were really worried about the newcomers to our place, but it turned out to be great luck to be able to meet and become friends with these great people, who just recently got their residency to New Zealand.  Congrats guys!

One final Beach Day

Nearing the completion of our journey, the Weber family decided on one more day at the Beach.  We headed to the West Side and took in one more day on the black sands beach.  We headed to Muriwai for a stroll on the beach to take in some of the rare winter sunshine before we headed back to the States.

It turned out to be a great stroll along the beach where as only in New Zealand James got to watch some parasailing along with a horse striding along the beach.  Only in New Zealand.

James' Love of Animals and also a really big Kauri Tree

Lance Again:

We decided to head up one Saturday to the Kauri Coast and check out Tane Mahuta, which is New Zealand's and maybe the world's largest Kauri tree.  It was a good thought in principal, but overall, probably not recommended.  Luckily we had loads of fun and stopped a few places along the way there and the way back.
First part was James was mooing in the back seat and really wanted to see the cows (kid loves his cows, New Zealand was a great place for him to grow up).  Just take a look at the pure joy on his face with his cows.

The next stop was a place that Maggie picked out along the way called Toka Toka.  Maggie knows a little bit more about the details, but apparently it's an inverted volcano or it's a plug of a volcano.  Either way, it's an extremely steep climb up to the pinnacle of a rock that jets out above the ground with nothing but flat, flat farmland all around it.  It was really amazing views from the top.  We were pretty sure we could see Whangerai on the other side, which means we were at a place that we were seeing the ocean on both sides of New Zealand.

And then another stop to see some ponies and a horse that were very friendly.

 Finally after a few hours in the car, we made it to the big Kauri tree.  Impressive, but worth the drive, eh probably not.

On the way back, we decided to stop off and see a place called the Kai Iwi lakes.  It was a beautiful area that literally translates to food tribe.  I'm not so sure about that but James got to do some jumping and splashing through the puddles in his gum boots.

 And of course, a beautiful picture of a beautiful family to end the day.