HI!!!!!
I know some of you strongly believe I should not apologize for the delay in blog entries, but I will anyway. Sorry. Internet is trickier than expected here and this has really been the first opportunity to sit down and write. Despite some struggles we are truly having the time of our lives in New Zealand. I write this from a travel shop below the hostel we have been staying at (one of our roommates was from Boston!) here in Auckland as we wait for the bus that will take us to Rotorua which is a bit south and east of here.
We got in early enough on Saturday that we were able to get some real exploring in. We stumbled upon a beautiful old graveyard in the middle of the city that had Jewish stars on the gates. Naturally, we thought of Allan and his dissertation. (miss you!) The definite favorite for both of us was the Auckland Museum. I believe the first set of pictures in the New Zealand album are from there. It was amazing and gives NYC museums a run for their money. I think we could've spent days in there. On a personal note, it made WhiteCorn miss one Aidan Streeter immensely as she would have had the time of her life in that place. Much of the native New Zealand items reminded me of things you would see in the Pacific Northwest. Simply beautiful.
Sunday was spent on a small island called Rangitoto, a 10 minute ferry ride north. We hiked to the top of the volcano and were rewarded with incredible views. On the hike down we made our way through two small lava caves, a first for both of us! They were cool (both literally and figuratively!) and helped WhiteCorn get over some of her horror movie fears (I blame Zoe and The Descent).
I would say Monday was a definite highlight for Goodheart. We got to meet penguins! Like up close and personal meet. Seriously. At Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium we got to go into the enclosure and hang out with them. One of the King penguins, Maggie, seemed to adopt WhiteCorn and wouldn't let anyone make movements toward her. It was breeding season for the Gentoo penguins so we got to see some really sweet, fluffy chicks too. (Whitecorn unofficially named the funny chubby one after Craig :P ) Despite the dreary weather we continued on to the Botannical Gardens which were completely worth it.
Yesterday we spent the day hiking in the rainforest. Yup, you read that right. The Waitakere (Why-take-eri) reserves to be exact. The going was muddy and at times, a bit scary, but we powered through and were given stunning views in return. Neither of us had hiked anything like that before and it was an absolutely incredible experience. We have estimated the entire walking/hiking portion of the dat to have been about 15 miles. Whew! Our legs are definitely grateful for the break a bus ride will give them today.
While we are having an incredible time that doesn't mean we miss any of you any less. Clearly you each pop into our minds at random times and we are so happy you are sharing this journey with us. Love you all!
