Sydney, Australia!!

Leaving New Zealand was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do... I bid farewell to so many loved ones but took with me so many irreplaceable memories.

I arrived in Sydney, Australia to clear, blue skies and the fastest paced city I'd seen in 8 months.  After checking into my backpackers I went out to explore the city.  I took my very first subway ride and managed to only trip one man during business rush hour and was fortunate to hop on all the correct trains to reach the ferry terminal!

The ferry ride between islands offered a marvelous view of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge...

My first stop was the Sydney Zoo where I made some furry friends...

...After discovering the Tasmanian Devil is actually quite lazy and wasn't down for a spin, I cruised on over to explore Manly Beach...

What a beautiful place! I hiked up the coastline until a storm snuck in and I decided to head back to the mainland to check in for the night.

I only spent 2 days in Sydney but I was fortunate to explore a good portion of the town and surrounding beaches as well as experience a busy city lifestyle (happy I made it out alive) && made many wonderful friends along the way!

Next stop... Cairns!

My Heart Country

From the depths of Poor Knights Island...

...over the falls of Whangarei...

...to the heights of the Bay of Islands...

...across the scape of Tongiriro...

...down the rapids of the Kaituna River...

...and through the Redwoods of Rotorua...

New Zealand has been the greatest adventure of my life thus far.  My heart will forever be in New Zealand with my Kiwi Families and within the trees and oceans that grasped my soul.

I cannot begin to thank everyone for making my journey through Aotearoa special nor can I fully explain how the country changed me.  My mind is clearer, my soul more pure, and my heart stepping to a whole new beat because of my experiences. && I cannot wait for more adventures to come!

Where Did The Time Go??

Oh where oh where has time gone?! They weren't lying when they said time flies.  It has been a hot minute since I last posted... Things got a little crazy in New Zealand... a good kind of crazy! I am going to attempt to catch everyone up on what happened during my last months on the other side of the world!

I left off with my adventure down the 309 rd.  The following couple of days I was so blessed to visit Hot Water Beach-- a beach in the Coromandel where you can dig your own pool in the sand and hot springs flow up from underground! 

You have to get there at low tide before the Antarctic water rushes in over the springs. 

Here I met a lovely girl called Sarah from Scotland who I became instant friends with! When the tide rushed in and devoured our holes, we decided to venture to Cathedral Cove together where Narnia Prince Caspian was filmed! 

 && what a magical place it was! The trek down to the cove was lush and the sun blessed us with its presence the whole way. 

The view was incredible as we ventured towards the limestone coves. 

One can definitely see why they chose such a place for a movie!

The end was ever so rewarding as we reached the beach. 

The Antarctic water did not stop Sarah and I from jumping in (and the fact that Prince Caspian once swam there may have had some inspiration too ;] ;] )

It was a splendid day and even better because I got to experience it with a fellow backpacker! 

The Karangahake Gorge--

On my over to Mount Maunganui on the east coast of the North Island, I stopped at the Karangahake Gorge, a winding canyon surrounded by rushing streams and home to old mining tunnels. 

Continuing to Mount Maunganui, I arrived to sunshine and calm, blue waters. 

Mount Maunganui is an extinct volcanic cone that rises up over the town Tauranga. In my 3 days at the Mount, I was able to climb it 4 times and experience some of the most incredible views--

Mount was one of my favorite places I visited in New Zealand and I think it was due to the fact that it reminded me so much of my home, St. Augustine.  I could definitely see myself living there one day! 

...to be continued

The 309 Road

The 309 Road is a 22 kilometer road that links Whitianga and Coromandel Town. The gravel, windy path is a scenic route with many places of interest to be stopped at along the way. I decided to go exploring along this dusty road to see what it had to offer and I was more than pleased :).

My first stop was Egan Park, a suitable place to sit and have my morning tea! The park was beautiful with its flowing stream that ran past the picnic area. Tui could be heard singing from the ferns that lined the Mahakirau Stream.

Moving right along, my next stop was the 309 Kauri Grove. I've mentioned these magnificent trees before in a previous post, but they are some of the largest trees left standing in the world next to the Sequoia Trees in California. And massive as they are--

The trek to them was just as beautiful and I met a nice German lad that was so kind as to take a photo for me! Good thing for iPhone's "panorama" feature or I wouldn't have been able to get the sheer size of these beauties!

The third stop was Waiau Falls where the Waiau Stream pours out to collect as a perfect swimming pool. Of course the water was way too nippy for my liking so I just admired from a distance.

A gorgeous site! Just a few minutes drive from the falls is Castle Rock, an old volcano that rises up above the bush. I did not end up climbing the rock due to the rain but I appreciated it from afar.

Stop number five was Waiau Waterworks where a display of water-powered sculptures was presented as soon as you drove in!

As the water flowed between the cups, pots, hats, etc., the man looked as if he were doing the work by rotating the wheel. Pretty nifty! There was lots to see and do in the 2 acre park but i didn't bother as it was geared towards a younger crowd. However, I did enjoy a nice cup of coffee in their cafe!

The last stop was by far my favorite. Ever seen 200+ friendly piggies running about on an open farm with no fences? Well it looks about like this-

This is Stuarts Pig Farm, the highlight of my day! As soon as I drove up and opened my door, 20+ little Wilbur's were collected and begging for food! They were all so friendly! I couldn't believe such a place existed and nonetheless FREE!

Stuart told me of his love for all his creatures and how visitors come daily to play with them. I stayed chatting and playing for about 2 hours and I fell completely in love with a little freckle faced pig and so wanted to bring him home with me!

But of course I couldn't smuggle him across customs and Mareet would have killed me so I let him free and was the only one going "wah wah wah" all the home.

The road came to an end in Coromandel Town and I was greeted with rainbows at its end.

It was an incredible journey and I would definitely do it again. I finally made my way back to Whitianga and prepared for the next days adventure! Blog coming soon :)

Whitianga, Coromandel

The Coromandel is a beautiful chunk of New Zealand that sticks out from the middle of the top of the North Island-

-when entering, one feels as if they are driving down into a tropical forest surrounded by the bluest water they have ever seen.

The kids having their two week school holiday, they chose to spend it out at the beach house in Whitianga located in the Coromandel.

The road over was the windiest road I've ever been on and being from Florida, it was definitely the most tricky I've had to maneuver. The brake was my best friend and poor Roman, my little man copilot, had to pay the price. We had to pull over twice and of course his door was on child lock for Yve, so he was forced to climb out the window to yack. Sorry about that Roman! But, he survived the trip and pulling into Whitianga was quite the relief!

It was a beautiful sunny day that we arrived on and after getting situated, Mareet and myself enjoyed a nice glass of wine on the porch.

The kids showed me around and we played princesses and princes all evening long.

The next day was pretty chilly but the kids and myself went for a long walk on the beach and they showed me around town a bit :)

Such a stunning beach even through the clouds!

Yve being a showgirl for one of my Daddy's favorite kinds of trucks

Of course a rainbow had to make an appearance!

Day one was fantastic and the next two weeks were even better!

Toby, another Au Pair from TK, came over with his little boy, Frazer, for a few days and we all went adventuring together.

The weather was gorgeous and even warm enough for a bikini!

Finally able to work on my tan a bit ;)

Yve was the first one to plunge into the water, fearless, even though it was about 61 degrees F. Champ. She was the most beautiful mermaid around!

Sand castles were made and blinged out with the many shells Yve decorated them with. A great team effort by everyone.

We spent many days soaking up the sun the first week and ventured over on the ferry to the island next door.

Yve with her "peace out" sign.... Wonder who she learned that from :P

The five minute ferry ride took us to the road that led us to Front Beach and Flaxmill Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to.

The water was so glassy and clear we could see the ocean's floor as far out as we looked. Heaps of sunscreen was needed and I managed to get my first New Zealand burn.

Grayson and I spotted some rather large rocks down the way so we ventured over to do some exploring. Reaching the rocks, we noticed they had been eroded and therefore took fascinating, wave-like shapes. Model Grayson here to show us.

The kids had a field day jumping from them and I of course had to do some playing too.

The two week holiday was a blessing as we had extravagant weather for most of the time in Whitianga. They were the warmest days I've encountered in New Zealand, and definitely a wonderful adventure.