arrival

one of the first views i layed eyes on

its been a crazy last week! i arrived in NZ on the 23rd of jan. real early in the morn, about 5:30am. flights were fairly uneventful. met some real nice people. the cutest Scottish couple who were keeping tabs on me, to make sure i was ok.
i made my way through customs, got my visa approved and went to meet Carmen. the airport reunion was great, huge hugs, lots of laughter and some tears. :)

jump shots on top of Shakespeare Point!

we hopped into Nigel and headed off to Cooks Beach which is where her family owns a bach (kiwi word for beach house). drove on only the most windy road in existence but also the most gorgeous along the coast line, around hills and mountains. had brunch at such a sweet little cafe called Jandals Cafe. (jandals is the kiwi word for flip flops)
arrived at destination bach and met her awesome parents Jenni and Rodney and her sweet granddad Murry.

big smiles!

headed to the hot pool beach just around the corner. here you can dig holes in the sand and find hot springs that come up and you can create your own little hot tub! the springs are boiling temperatures when they come up, really burnt my foot when digging for one!

got to hangout in the after noon with the two girls that Carmen nannies for and take them to the beach, they were cute as!

headed to Shakespeare point, an overhanging cliff out over the water. stunning views.

first day on the beach here in NZ

after dinner Carms and i headed out for a bike ride and a skate, rope towing style!
it was a full full day but a good first one. mission to stay awake till it was bedtime here completed.

quote of the day: You know that place in Canada called sas..sac.. Sasquatch? -Carmen
                          interpretation= Saskatchewan.

arm comparison....i got a long way to go!

hot pools beach!

view atop Shakespeare.