Good'ay to all our family and friends! It has been quite some time since we have last written on our blog. We do apologize, but at the same time, we have truly been wrapped up in living in the moment, trying to spend as much time with family and friends as we could before we left for New Zealand. September 15th we decided to come to New Zealand and now it November 25th, and here we are at some cousins house right outside Auckland, finally making a little time to really reflect and share on all the memories we've had since leaving Alaska and our first week and a half in New Zealand. Although for the time being we are jumping right into our experience here in New Zealand, we will also catch up on the past two months adventures with family and friends very soon :)
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| At the Seattle airport, about to begin our adventure! |
SEATTLE, WA---LAS ANGELAS, CA--NADI, FIJI--AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND!
After a long but enjoyable day of traveling, we arrived in Auckland on November 13th. When we got off the plane, it truly sunk in that we were actually here in New Zealand! We were greeted by many relatives, some of which we met for the first time right there in the airport! After quickly realizing we over packed, we hauled all our luggage and gear into two small cars and were on our way! Auckland is the most populated city in New Zealand, with about 1.5 million people, over a third of the entire population. It is also going into summertime here, so we were greeted with some warm weather. We have quickly adjusted from the rainy (but beautiful) WA autumn to the warm New Zealand spring.
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| Yes, Ashlie, this Fiji water is from FIJI! |
FIRST OBSERVATIONS:
*People are very friendly and incredibly laid back
*You drive on the left side of the street. No this is not necessarily the wrong side, just different. The Driver's seat is also on the right side of the car
*The land is absolutely beautiful. The countryside is full of endless rolling hills, the beaches are breathtaking and refreshing, and overall, there is just so much life to the country.
*Lemon trees everywhere!
*Food is very fresh. The tropical, warm climate of NZ, makes it able to grow many fruits and vegetables.
*Many more birds everywhere! They are of all different colors and sizes. We have really enjoyed waking up to birds chirping
*SHEEP! yes, the pictures and what you hear are indeed true. There are sheep everywhere! However, the people here don't eat as much sheep as you would have expected. The majority is actually exported.
*Metric System: No, we cannot drive 100 Miles/hour, but 100 Kilos/hour. :)
*Gas is referred to as Petrol, and sold in Liters rather than Gallons. One Liter of Petrol is over $2.00. Needless to say, we have learned very quickly that New Zealand is not a cheap place to live.
*Minimum wage is $13.50 (time to start looking for jobs!)
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| Exploring down town Auckland |
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| The Coast of Coromandel Peninsula. Beautiful! |
WELCOMED BY FAMILY
From the moment we were greeted by family at the airport, we have quickly begun to spend time and get to know Jacob's family and relatives. It has been fun learning more about family history, as well as quite entertaining to hear stories of Jacob's father and the uncles all growing up. It is nice to put faces to the names and stories we've heard. It's been over ten years since Jacob was here last, and it was only a short visit. Needless to say, there is an entire family we hardly even know, but are so happy and blessed to have the time to spend some time with the Hirst family!
Our first week and a half here we have spent some time on the Coromandel Peninsula, in an old mining town, Thames, with Jacob's Uncle Ross and his partner Gay. Jacob's uncle Billy and his partner Geeny also live in Thames. While in Thames we learned quite a lot about the game of Bowles, a common activity retired communities participate in, and both families really enjoy! Jacob's uncle Brian and his wife Shirlie, who live in Australia, also visited Thames while we were in town; a pleasant surprise, which led to a night of fun with all three uncles and family.
A room full of Hirst men is indeed a scary thing ;) We also bought a van, which we are converting into a camper van. Crazy! It will be our home on wheels :) Once our van was somewhat suitable, we explored the beautiful coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, camped out on the beach, and found God's humor in getting our first flat tire in the middle of no where. In Thames, we also celebrated and shared our Thanksgiving Day with Ross and Gay. Thanksgiving was different being in NZ where it is not celebrated, yet it was fun to make dinner for family and teach them a little bit about how we celebrate Thanksgiving in the States. We couldn't find a fresh turkey in time, but the chicken turned out great!
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| from left to right, Uncle Brian, Uncle Ross, Jacob, and Uncle Billy |
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Vilma, Charle, and Jacob (Friends of Ross and Gay, also old friends of Jacob's Dad)
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| Thames Fun Run supporting Save the Children, I participated in the Half Marathon. A Rainy, miserable run, but worth it! |
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The "Loser Cruiser!" This is our new van!
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This is serious business...a fun day at Thames Bowling Club!
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| Ross about to have a killer bowl! |
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| Our delicious Thanksgiving CHICKEN! |
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our meal-chicken, NZ buttercup squash, stuffing, and green salad.
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Individual Pecan Pies...divine! A slice of heaven!
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| Beautiful beaches along the Coromandel Peninsula |
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| Countryside |
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| Blessed |
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| Our first tenting adventure, on the beach in Colville. |
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| It doesn't get much better than this! |
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| Finally...he gets to fish! |
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| What's that noise?? Thump, thump thump...we've got a flat! |
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| Jacob is the best! |
We are currently spending some time in Ararimu, the countryside of Auckland, with Jacob's cousin Tania and her husband Eric. Here we have been quite intrigued as we learn about their sustainable lifestyle. It has been fun to watch, learn, and try and help make delicious meals from fresh, local, and organic food. We got to go to a couple local markets they visit every weekend to get all the fresh foods they don't already grow or raise themselves. We have spent a lot of time sipping tea, enjoying a bold fresh "small black" (coffee), discovering local cafes, and visiting. Fun and enjoyable times indeed! We also took a lovely walk to One Tree Hill-a monument overlooking all of Auckland. It was a nice hike to the top, and the view was more than worth it!
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Our first hike to Hunua Falls!
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| Jacob and Tania |
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| Auckland! |
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One Tree Hill: A beautiful monument overlooking all of Auckland.
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| At the top of One Tree Hill |
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Tania, Eric, Jacob, and I
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We are definitely enjoying our time so far in New Zealand. Of course, it is always a challenge being away from family and friends, but having family here is also very comforting. Every day it seems that we learn something new about the culture, family, or even each other. While traveling, everything is constantly changing. There isn't a lot of consistency, which at times is challenging. We have been reminded that where ever we go, cultures, people, lifestyles, etc. are all different. As we travel we are always meeting new people, staying with different relatives, trying to adapt to where we are staying, and learning new things. Although fun, sometimes it seems chaotic. However, amidst the chaos we find peace knowing that the one constant in our lives is God. Praise the Lord that He is our rock. He does not change, His love does not lessen, His promises are true and forever, and for that we truly give thanks and rejoice!
Thank you for your continual support, love, and prayers!
Agape'
Jacob and Jordan :)
