Squibblog

shooting the Tongariro river

I haven't posted much from NZ, partly because I'm too busy relaxing and having fun, and partly because the broadband connection is slow (and the computer is in a tiny little dark room away from the action so I can't be bothered waiting).

But today is worth making an exception for, because today we took the kids white water rafting on the Tongariro river. I must say I was a little wary about taking Nell, whose swimming is excellent for a 4 year old but won't save her in a crisis, but there was no need to worry. Both kids loved every second of the (very gentle) grade 2 rapids and it felt good to work together as a family, paddling over incredibly clear pools filled wiht trout and getting soaked with the crispest river water.

This activity also fulfilled Soy's desire to do some 'extreme' activity while in the land of extreme sports. He ended up cancelling his day hike with his brother Ant because his recovery has not been progressing quite as well as planned. That hike was the cornerstone of this NZ trip, fulfilling the boys' long held dream of hiking together in the summer when their average age is 40 (Soy has turned 40, Ant will slip over that hill later this year). Although he's been fairly well for the time we've been away, Soy is still far from recovered and a hike through volanic wilderness seemed like a recipe for trouble.

Despite health concerns, our holiday has been incredibly successful. We've relaxed in this beautiful house, swam in thermal springs, thermal water slides and hot water beaches. But mostly we've spent time with the kids and bonded the two families. We're all a lot more relaxed than when we arrived and started to get energised for the year ahead.

sun, snow and hot sand

This morning we drove from Taupo up to Mount Ruapehue, the snow covered volano we can see from our holiday house. We caught the two chair lifts to the top of the mountain and frolicked in the last remaining snow from last winter. It was kind of dirty, but mostly white, and it felt weird to be wearing Tshirts while freezing our hands making snow balls and a (very small) snow man. The kids were amazed but also bemused at being wet and cold very soon after frolicking.

As we lay their jeans out over cafe tables to dry, we drank high altitude coffee and surveyed this beautiful country.

Two hours later we were back in Taupo digging our toes into the sand and pumice stone beach until we reached the bits that are thermally warmed. Standing in cold water wearing a swim suit, with the sun shining down, looking up a snow capped mountains we were just on this morning felt wonderful. Just the kind of wonder you get from travelling in a foreign land.

The day finished with a bottle of Hawke's Bay chardonnay over a dinner of lasagna, followed by a game of bullrush chasey around the park-like lands which accompany this incredible house.

Children have fallen into an exhausted sleep and I am looking forward to another 10 days of wondrous fun before re-entering the real world.

long white cloud

New Zealand has amazed us with its charm, beauty and, to be fair, incredible familiarity. We have to keep reminding ourselves that it's a different country. Our first days in Auckland were quite touristy - I was determined to give the children a taste of Maori culture so we went to the Museum. They saw carvings, they learned about so that's as much as we can expect at this stage.

Since coming to Taupo, though, we've spent all our time communing with family (Soy's brother and his family are here too) and we are enjoying kicking back in this enormous mansion of a house and soaking up the sunshine. Apparently this fine weather is unusual for NZ, which was shrouded in misty rain yesterday, and we are hoping some of that rain has come from across the Tasman and has rained on our garden to save our lovely house guests (hi Cos, hi Martha) from having to water the veggies too much.

In between Auckland and Taupo we stopped at Matamata and indulged in a tour of what remains of the Hobbiton set from Lord of the Rings. We absolutely loved the tour, delighting in tiny Hobbity details. The kids were bored because they've never seen the movies and, for them, it's just a sheep farm with rolling green hills.

there may be a short intermission

We are leaving for our holiday on Friday so I was planning to spend a little time blogging this week, but circumstances have intervened. Soy is back in hospital after suffering a haemorrage this morning, he'll probably be on IV antibiotics for the next few days.

I am hosting a surprise (ish) party for a friend's 40th tomorrow. Fortunately she has a five week old baby and I know she won't read this, but that doesn't change the fact that I have to wrangle children and clean and prepare for a party as well as finish a week's work and pack for a holiday as well as worry, worry, worry about Soy.

We are just working towards him coming on holiday with us. If he doesn't I'm pretty sure I'll cry.

So there's not enough time to blog in the coming week, and then I'll probably be off the air for the weeks we are away on holiday (although I will sneak a computer to NZ with us, so there's a chance of a post). 

Wish me luck.

backyard cricket and playing under the sprinkler

Kids and cousins playing under the sprinkler yesterday. God bless the water tanks.

sometimes I love my inability to count

Time dilation is a strange thing. We have been so focussed on Soy's sinus operation, then Christmas, then New Year and, in a little over a week, our holiday, that I sort of forgot the days in between. Delightfully, there really are a lot of them. If I'd bothered to count, I would have worked out that we have more than 2 weeks holiday at home before we head off to New Zealand. How great is that?

Happy 2009! It's New Year's Day and I'm feeling pretty relaxed because I've had quite a few days when I've woken up and thought 'what should we do today?'

Last night we spent with Soy's Dad, his wife and my Mum, eating duck and pistachio sausages and drinking champagne on his Harbour-view balcony. Unfortunately, said balcony looks out to the heads and is no good for seeing fireworks, so we headed further east, uphilll, and stood on a very steep side-street in Vaucluse watching the 9 o'clock fireworks. Despite the crowds and the jostling (not to mention cars actually wanting to, you know, *drive* on the street we were standing on) it was an incredibly pleasant watching-the-fireworks experience. Maybe next year we'll brave going into the city (HA!).

This morning we started the New Year as we mean for it to continue: at the beach. The streets were deserted, I was random breath-tested on the way there, but the beach was crowded-to-overflowing. The kids made giant pots of bubbling poison potion while Soy and I caught up with old neighbours we've lost touch with, then coffee and icecream at the kiosk.

Now we're looking forward to playing with cousins on the new trampoline which has been the highlight of our week at home (kids, go wear yourself out on the trampoline) and a stroke of parental genius on our part.

Happy New Year Gentle Readers. I'm planning a big year of blogging and more photos. That's my blegsolution for 2009.