Day 2 Tuesday

FOSTER

Linda showed us some of the amazing houses around Half Moon Bay where they live.

We then went to Frank’s (Stephen’s Dad) for lunch – pizza and pies.

The Ferris’s then headed North on Tuesday to stay with Michael at his beach house, while we visited Bernadette’s (Stephen’s mum) resting place and those of her parents.

Back to Kevin and Linda’s where Frank joined us for take away Chinese.

Day 3 Wednesday

Up fairly early and headed North.

Arrived at Whangarei around midday and had lunch with Colleen & Trevor (Helen’s NZ parents), Cushla & John (Helen’s NZ sister and her husband), Paul & Brenda (Helen’s NZ brother and his wife) and Caitlin (Cushla’s daughter who at 15½ has her restricted licence and can drive on her own)

After lunch we continued on to Totara North where Stephen’s bother Tony lives with his wife Judy. He runs a business where he charters out houseboats, gives bushwalking tours, harbour tours in his boat, rents out kayaks and has written a book on native fauna. He lives a very self sufficient lifestyle catching fish and growing his own veges.

Tony's place

Day 4 Thursday

Met up with the Ferris clan and drove up to Cape Reinga right at the tip of the North Island. It’s my second favourite place in NZ after One Tree Hill (which sadly no longer has the one tree). The Cape is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea and where the Maoris believe souls are set free.

On the way back we visited 4 beaches -  including Tapotupotu, Spirits Bay, the Bluff on 90 mile beach and Shipwreck Bay – looking for non-existent surf...because some people need to see in order to believe....not mentioning any names hey Andrew!!

Day 5 Friday

The Foster’s headed to Paihaia and checked out the shops before getting the car ferry over to Russell. One of the oldest places in NZ with some really beautiful old houses.

Called in to visit the Ferris’s and their host family on the way home. They are lucky to be staying in a beautiful part of NZ – much more spectacular than the Bay Of Islands in my opinion.

Michael's bach

The view around where the Ferris's stayed

 

Harley & Jackson went donuting behind Michael's boat

Tony took Zib and Stephen fishing and all caught fish but Zib  - had his tongue the wrong way I believe Tony said. They had Kaiwhai and Snapper for dinner and Zib was in heaven – so was Tony’s cat Hokey who followed the boat up the driveway – funny how she knows when he has used it to fish or not.

Day 6 Saturday

Left Tony’s early and headed back down south. We are spending the night with Colleen and Trevor at Whangarei. When push came to shove, I couldn’t do the camping weekend. Had a minor meltdown on day 2 and had to cancel. Luckily Cushla understands and said she was surprised I had agreed in the first place...We will be heading to Whangamata tomorrow for a few days of R&R before we start the Rotarua, Waitomo caves adventure. And Andrew should get in some surfing at last.