Tag: new zealand

  • A weekend of firsts

    A weekend of firsts

    This past weekend we joined our friends Taylor, Brad & Rex from SV Pangea in a bay near Waewaetorea Island. The water was so clear! We tried a lot of fun water activities for the first time in New Zealand. Saturday night in the anchorage a pod of 11 dolphins were playing between the boat…

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  • oh, the birds!

    oh, the birds!

    New Zealand is a real birder’s paradise. There are so many, so varied and colorful, and loud! And many unique birds because of the isolation of the islands of New Zealand, and the lack of mammalian predators (until the Māori arrived from Polynesia, and after them, the Europeans). I’ve been loving hiking around and trying…

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  • Moments of delight

    Moments of delight

    Last night after a glorious day hiking with friends and hosting friends for dinner on our boat, the kids wanted to go swimming at 8:15 pm. The water was flat calm, the sky was pink and orange, and I was just watching some White-fronted terns dive into the water. The kids put on their wetsuits…

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  • Paihia School

    Paihia School

    All the classes start each day with a karakia (prayer) and a hīmene (hymn) in te reo Māori, the Māori language. This is the karakia which they say first in te reo, then in English: in te reo Māori: Kia hora te marino Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana Hei huarahi mā tātou i te rangi…

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  • Public School for the Win!

    Public School for the Win!

    On Monday, October 9th, Tomu, Jade and Luz started school at Paihia School! It was a big relief when the Principal agreed to let them attend school. I had been emailing with her back and forth since July about what type of visa they would need, and it wasn’t clear that I had ultimately procured…

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  • Settling in

    Settling in

    Well, we’ve been in New Zealand for two weeks today, and it feels like we are getting the hang of life here. The first week plus was a bit rough — so many bags to unpack, but first we had to clean the cupboards of mildew. The kids played a lot of War. The Bay…

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