Coromandel Road Trip

The Coromandel Peninsula juts out into the Pacific Ocean off the east coast of the North Island. It measures 120 KM (75 miles) from its base to the northern tip. The Pacific Highway starts just slightly south of Auckland, goes all the way down the eastern coast towards the base of the Coromandel Peninsula and then completely encircles the peninsula. This was the day long drive we took yesterday, 27 December. We left about 10:00 AM and arrived back home around 8:30 PM. For those of you who have ever been on the road to Hana in Maui, this was very reminiscent. Very narrow two lane road with hairpin curves and one lane bridges. The scenery was truly spectacular. The town of Coromandel is renowned for it New Zealand green lipped mussels, so I had some and they were great.



One does need exercise caution for unexpected hazards.







One of the scenic hikes along the highway takes you to Cathedral Cove. A somewhat arduous 45 minute walk each way was well worth it.














There are so many things to see on the peninsula that one day cannot do it justice. We will need much more time.

Christmas in New Zealand

Christmas in New Zealand has proven to be a very different experience in some ways and a familiar one in others. Normally our Christmas morning platter would contain several different kinds of cookies and our homemade candy. We only made Goufletes this year and purchased several great pasteries from the Howick Farmers Market. They were really good!!!



Our normal live tree was replaced with a Charlie Brown look a like. All of the decorations were handmade. Somehow it did not seem to matter. We missed Steph and Scott tremendously. Maybe next year.



It's early summer here, so the popular thing to do on Christmas day is to have a cookout on the beach.



Tradition at the Welsh's has always been turkey and all the trimmings on Christmas. Turkeys the size of roasting chickens cost about $60 NZD ($45 US) here. We opted for lambs shanks cooked in a slow cooker. Becky's first time fixing them, and they were over the moon. Ann fixed mashed potatoes, and roast pumpkin (her first) and they were fabulous!!



All in all, we only needed Steph and Scott and it would have seemed pretty normal. It's always a blessing to be with family.

Arrival

Last we heard about the Welsh/Costa group they were headed to Auckland. Well as you can see, they arrived safe and sound, albeit two bags short. The bags showed up the next day and were delivered to the house, happy to be reunited with their owners. We have settled in, Ken and Ann purchased their car, and all seems to be going well and according to plan. Yesterday, we signed the lease on the long term rental. 157 Mellons Bay Road will be our new home. It is not far from where we are now, in fact Ann and the kids walked over via the shore line at low tide. It's a great location, about six houses from their new school, about a ten minute walk for Ann to catch the bus to the college, and a quick walk to Howick, our quaint little seaside village. The area is very family oriented and just has a great feel about it. We will take possession on 9 January and probably move in within a week or so. Next up will be Christmas in New Zealand!!!

Welsh/Costa on the Move

Today Ann, Ken, Zack and Emma left Jacksonville headed for the land of the Kiwi. They rented a van and drove down to Orlando this morning for an 8:30 departure headed to Denver, San Francisco and finally Auckland, arriving at 5:00 AM tomorrow. So far the flight from Orlando to Denver has been on time, and they left Denver on time. Yes, grandpa is tracking their progress on a frequent basis.

Yesterday, we found what we hope will be a more permanent residence, year or two. It is in Mellons Bay, not far from where we are now. It has a great sea view and is just a 100 yard walk to the kids new school. We want Ken and Ann to see it before we finalize the deal.

Not much gets done here for the next couple of weeks. Many businesses are closed from December 24 through January 9. Consequently, I won't be doing much on the business front.

Bec and I aren't playing much golf, the weather always seems to be threatening. Many times nothing comes of it. We will learn, just as everyone here does, to just ignore the weather and do what you want.

Is It a Sign?

Just recently we were treated to a most spectacular sight right out the front window. This is one of the most beautiful rainbows either of us have ever seen! The pictures truly don't do it justice. We are wondering if someone is trying to tell us something.