Parks

The kids are on Holiday this week and next and luckily we had a 3 day break in the weather to get out and do some exploring.

Pukeiti

Pukeiti

Pukeiti

PuKeiti

   This is Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust which spreads out over 900 acres of lush, native rain Forrest, surrounded by rich Taranaki farmland. It has 2,500 varieties of Rhododendrons, the largest in NZ. It was amazing and the Rhododendrons were not even in bloom!!! We spent a few hours walking along the trails and and inhaling the beautiful scenery. I am looking forward to taking my Mom and Mother-in-law here for some afternoon tea. 

Pukekura

Pukekura

Pukekura

Pukekura

Oakura Beach

Little boys and sticks, they go hand in hand!!

Oakura Beach

Oakura Beach

Shipwreck

Some kind of bone Owen found at the beach, maybe Whale?? 

Oakura Beach

Oakura Beach

Oakura Beach

      The next day we went to Pukekura Park which is located in heart of New Plymouth. This Park is made up of valley lawns, freshwater lakes, waterfalls, and dense native bushland.  Pukekura  Park is known for it's Festival of Lights. In the summer months special lightening transforms the gardens and giant trees into a Fairyland. The kids found some great trees to climb and there is also a small children's Zoo. We look forward to exploring this all year long.
   When we moved here the locals told us about a shipwreck that was right around the corner from our house so off we went to find the treasure. It is about 2 miles south of our house (a great morning run). The kids were a little disappointed with the shipwreck!! Owen was envisioning something more like a  Pirates of the Caribbean scene and Skyler was hoping to find some gold!! We spent the rest of the afternoon eating our snacks and watching surfers catch some waves. Brad and I have to keep pinching ourselves to realize that we get to live here for a year. We feel so very blessed that we get to live in a place that has good food and wine, a range of landscapes including ski and beach, a warm welcoming community and a culture rich in history. We have much to do and see in this country and we have barely gotten our feet wet!!