Auckland to Napier

Salutations Family and Friends!

Well, it's been an adventurous week here in NZ, to say the least! After spending some quality time with Les and Linda, we packed our bags and hit the streets of Auckland. Since then... hmm... it's hard to describe but I do believe that these pictures will help form the dream we've been living; so we hope you enjoy viewing them as much as we did making them!

Just to keep you on track of our wild plot line, these pictures start in Auckland but then move to Napier as we are currently in Napier WWOOFing (willing workers on organic farms) and have been for the past four days.  WWOOFing requires the travelers to work four hours out of each day in return for room and board provided by the host/hostess.  Our current hostess has been very gracious to us since we have made three key mistakes... 1. showed up one week early  2. attempted to wash a sweater individually which was 'ecologically irresponsible'...oops! 3. ate some else's dinner a few hours before that someone need to eat that dinner...oops! Please let me add that each mistake was done by one of us and I bet you can figure who was responsible to for each!

Much love,

Sades and Emma Jean

Standing outside the YWCA- our first hostel experience! 

We had heard great things about 'flat whites' (coffee)... maybe it's an acquired taste!

 Adventures around Auckland and neat city streets...

AWESOME!!!

 "So,... what's next?..."

 Kick'n it in the harbour (with Foxy and Helga - our bags ...

 you can decide which is which)

"I thought you said you knew where we were!"... kidding, we weren't lost!

 Praise the Lord!

The Ashcrofts... our host family in Auckland

 Coffee shop rondevouz with new friends

 Rockin' the Gum Boots... Al'right!

 The Ol' Mill on a hill (our first WWOOFing experience)

 Our accommodations...clearly we're neat freaks!  

 The hill behind the mill where we weeded vigirously... and by 'weeding' we mean falling small trees!  

 The best part of our day... nap time!

 We went wine tasting at Matariki and Crossroads Winerys today...

Wine tasting with Anne, our hostess - it was pretty fantastic

 Sadie's reliving her mutton-bustin' days! (the result of the wine tasting)

 Oh dear... maybe we shouldn't go wine tasting any more.

Follwing the wine, we promttly went running - oh dear, we really really shouldn't go wine tasting any more.

(just kidding)

Turua and Thames

Greetings friends and family!

We have spent several lovely days in Turua with Les and Linda.

The countryside is breathtaking, though it has been rather windy the last few days.  Here are the long promised photos from our first handful of days in NZ.

On the plane (this is before the 15 hour flight... we weren't so smiley after)

Our first "Hokey Pokey" Ice Cream

(creamy ice cream with honey comb)

The house we're staying in (with our shadows in the grass)

Visiting the cow farm up the road.  These are the new calves.

Walking the cattle back to the pasture after milking

We both learned to drive on the left, thanks to Les.

Our first live rugby match in nearby Thames (pronounced "Tims")

The mundane countryside.  One can see how ugly New Zealand is.

Sadie walking on the beach at Whangamata today (pronounced fon-ga-ma-ta)

Les and Emily on the beach (Sadie calls him Gramps)

Walking bridge by old gold mines

Looking up river

Walking through the tunnels by the mines

View out the front lawn from Les and Linda's

We will be here tonight before heading north to Auckland tomorrow where we will be staying in a hostel for one night.  We will then be staying with a kind couple from a Vineyard church north of Auckland that have graciously offered their home to us.  Thank you Jesus!!

Pray for safe traveling and housing for us as we launch off on our own for the first time.

Blessings!!

Emily and Sadie

We Made It!!

Well, after many, many long hours, we have finally arrived in beautiful New Zealand - and it is really beautiful!!!!  The longest (and darkest) streach was the fifteen hour flight from LAX to Sydney.  All went smoothly though: we made it through customs dispite a hiccup with my Visa and were soon pickup up by Les and Linda, a loving and hospitable couple that we will be staying with for a few days at least.

I've been up for almost 42 hours and it's finally time for bed.  (Em)

Greetings friends! During the flight I didn't sleep a wink but Emma managed to grab a few Z's.  We landed in a slight drizzle and currently the wind is howling and the rain is raging but we're sitting almost picturesquely by a warm fire surrounded by our new friends Les and Linda while watching rugby... I've never watched so much rugby in all my life.
More to come later, and pictures :) (Sades)

Love,
Us

Why New Zealand?

I thought it only appropriate to first explain why Sadie and I chose New Zealand for a three-month-long, we-have-no-idea-what-we-are-doing, let's-go-see-the-world adventure.  The simple answer: I have no idea.  The more complicated answer: we discussed general regions of the world and exchange rate, plane ticket, and language barriers narrowed our search to a few places; New Zealand was chosen for several reasons (among which its people group being called "Kiwis" was one).

New Zealand, for the geographically challenged, is a small country consisting of two main islands and several smaller islands off the south eastern side of Australia.  It's population is just over 4.5 million and its total land mass is approximately 7% larger than Oregon or 20% larger than the UK.  Here are some more interesting facts about New Zealand:

• NZ is the extreme sports capital of the world (bungy jumping, hang gliding, and zorbing (rolling down a hill strapped to the inside of a larger inflatable ball) were all invented in NZ).
• NZ is the first country in the world to see each new day.
• NZ boasts the first person to climb Mt. Everest, split the atom, and fly (2 years before the Wright brothers, though it is unproven)
• NZ has the most golf courses per capita of any other country (neither Sadie nor I golf, we just wanted to make you jealous)
• The world's smallest dolphin, rarest sea lion, only flightless parrot, and largest land bird (now extinct) all call NZ home.
• Kiwi refers to a nationality, bird, and fruit in NZ, so you have to specify
• All three Lord of the Rings movies were filmed on NZ.
• Kiwis strongly dislike any comparison to Lord of the Rings, so don't mention it to them (though Sadie and I will still go see some of the film locations)
• Sheep outnumber people 10:1 in NZ
• Kiwis are well known for their extreme hospitality (something Sadie and I are counting on)

Being as we will be operating on shoe string budgets while we are in NZ, our main mode of transportation will be hitch hiking, our main accommodations will be Couch Surfing and WWOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms - where you work for room and board), and we hope to eat cheaply by consuming mainly fruits and vegetables.  We plan to spend most of our time on the less populated and more scenic south island.

 Now, with the trip a mere week away and planning, packing, and last minute preparations at a premium, I should go.  More to come soon!

Love,
Em and Sades