When we arrived at Rachael’s parents house, it was poring rain and around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.   I was given a warm welcome from Rachael’s parents and 5 of her siblings.  Rachael is from a family of 8 which is nothing big compared to what I’m used too.  All four of her younger siblings, which are all under 12, came up to asking me tons of questions and showing me different art pieces they have created in school.  Rachael’s was home schooled like her younger siblings.  After talking to Rachael and her mother about their experience with home schooling I am keen to home school my own child.   They live off a farm and that means they get everything off the farm:  eggs from the chickens, meat from the goats, water from the rain, heat from an open fire, and the list goes on.  I couldn’t believe how they conserve so well.  Everything is used and recycled.  Rachael and Nate had called her parents before we arrived to kill a sheep for dinner the next day.

Nate and I along with his family took off to Wairo where Rachael’s family owns a farm.  When we began our journey up north it began to rain cats and dogs.  I mean It was poring.  Nate occasionally stopped on the side of the road to take me hiking around.  It was pretty awesome because you could stop anywhere and go for a nice hike.  He had me running down this highway that was up against a cliff on one side and dropping off several hundred feet on the other side.   We ran down the road some then jumped over the guide rail balancing on the edge of the cliff.  Nate took off but I took it pretty easy as I climbed over.  We eventually worked our way under the bridge and went across this path that made its way up and into the cliff.  We began hiking up a small trail.  I was obviously out of breath but Nate was smooth sailing making his way all the way up.  The “bush,” as the Kiwi refers to the forests and hills, was very dense.  When we made our way deeper, it began getting darker.  Nate and I didn’t make it to the top in fear of the rain.  We ended up making our way down and back to the van where Rachael and little Finley waited. 

I flew into Wellington on Saturday, July 27 at 11:30.  Nate and his wife Rachael along with their baby boy Finley picked me up from the Airport.  It was a surreal experience seeing one of my closes friends for the first time in 4 years.  Nate did a year of missions work in Chicago through a program called Mission Year.  He worked with a non-for-profit building company called Breaking Ground as a carpenter.  It was great to see Nate and his wife, as I got my bag from the baggage area.  They both had the biggest smiles and embarrassed me with a bear hug. I had to take a step back from them both just to take the moment in.  I was in a bit of a shock.  Nate chuckled at me because of the expression I had on my face.  I know that this trip will be one that I will not want to end. 

We only stayed in Wellington for a couple of hours to pick up some items from Nate’s house and then headed out to Wyrough.  It is a small town near Taranga where I just had flew from.  Nate rented a large red van for our travels.  The van is slightly smaller then a commercial van from the states.  We are planning to do a lot of out doors activities so we needed tons of space to hold all of our bags and equipment. 

I was really stoked to drive.  I hadn’t driven in New Zealand.  New Zealand driving is very different then driving in the states.  One major difference is that they drive on the left side of the road opposite of the states.  New Zealand has round abouts instead of stoplights.  You will see these mostly in Chicago on side streets but we stop before we turn around them they don’t.  They “give way” to the right.  If a car is coming around on the right, then you stop.  If there are no cars present, then you move.  It helps keep the flow of traffic moving.  Also, on the North Island the roads are really windy because all of the mountains and hills that you need to get around.  In the beginning of my trip I was getting quite nauseous but after a while you get used to it.  

Today I traveled to Mount Mauganui.  It is an inactive volcano that sits by itself on a peninsula.  Upon our arrival it was very foggy, you could barely see the mountain.  I did not get to climb up it because we arrived at sun down.  So instead Steph, Amanda, Logan, and I spent the night in a salt-water hot spring.  I had never sat in a pool of steaming salt water.  It was similar in size to a regular pool one would visit at the Chicago park district.  One great thing about this hot pool was it did not have a roof so you could see straight up into the sky.  I had a perfect view of the mount because the pool sat right at the base.  Unfortunately it was night so you couldn’t see the mountain well.  

One big difference between Illinois and New Zealand are the roads.  Everywhere you drive you are either going up a hill or going down one.  Plus to make it even more exciting they wind and twist like you wouldn’t believe.  I was getting bit nauseas as Amanda sped down and up these twisty roads going 80 to 100 KM/H. which is equivalent to 70 mph.  In most of the world they use km other then the American mile.  I prefer the mile. 

    We arrived at our Hot Water Beach.  It was a beautiful sunny day. I gasped and was in awe of the beauty of the ocean water.  New Zealand is surrounded by small islands that are uninhabited by humans.  When I looked towards the horizon, you can see these islands of all sizes bulging from the surface of the water.  I was over taken by the spectacular view.  God is definitely caring and loving to have made such an incredible scene for us to enjoy.  No picture could possible capture the essence of this wonderful country.  I am glad I came! 

We arrived in Auckland around 5:30 am.   I left the plane and went straight to the restroom.  Auckland’s airport was beautiful.  Everything in the restroom was spotless.  Steph and I had a pretty easy time getting through customs.  Luckily our luggage arrived in great condition.  Amanda, Steph’s little sister, met us at the airport.  Amanda has spent the last 6 months living and working in New Zealand as an au pair or in other words a nanny. 

Amanda had gotten up bright and early at 4:30 am to meet us their accompanied by her Canadian friend Kristin.  We dropped Kristin at her dorm at Laidlaw College in Henderson.  She is studying abroad completing her junior year as a Neural Physiology major.

We then left to Mairangi Bay were Amanda lives (the North shore of Auckland).  Amanda lives with the family she nannies for.  The house is beautiful and rustic.  Most houses in New Zealand don’t have central heating and cooling.  They used space heaters during the winter.  New Zealand whether is very moderate, never getting too cold or to hot.  The Hohaia family was very pleasant and welcoming.  We had toast and coffee with the mother, Lee, and her two boys, Logan and Mitchell.  They are 8 and 11.  Mitchell woke up with scuff on his legs from yesterday Rugby game.  He smiled and giggled a bit when I pointed it out to him.  He was a cute blond boy with dimples.  Logan was a tall slender young man with a rugby shirt on.  He spoke to me about his recent read “Harry Potter.”  Every child’s favorite!  The father, Steve, came out and greeted us all and played with his sons a bit before he went off to work.  He is a sergeant for New Zealand Police Department.

We didn’t stay more then an hour at the house.  I took a shower to wake myself a bit.  The jet lag was getting to me a bit but I didn’t want to waste a perfectly good day catching up on sleep.   We left on our first journey to Hot Water Beach in the Coromandeo.  The Coromandeo is southeast of Auckland New Zealand.