Sunshine on the Coast

On March 11th, I discovered something new about myself; I like surfing. The way the water feels against the board, the movement of the waves, paddling and actually standing up, all took a bit of getting used to. But the excitement you get when you realize you're "riding the wave" is pretty addicting! Erin was a great teacher and was super patient with me as I slowly began to learn the ropes. I definitely had my fair share of wipeouts, but standing up for a second at the end made them all worth it. That evening we watched the most beautiful sunset and said our final farewell to a city that has stolen my heart.




The next day we stopped in Waipu on our way to the Bay of Islands. This a small village in Northern New Zealand inhabited by descendants of settlers from Cape Breton, NS. It was such a neat connection to be made, especially since Erin's family is also from Cape Breton. While there, we even met a girl from Port Hood, which is only about ten minutes from Judique, where Erin's dad grew up. It was quite a unique and special experience. 



Then it was onto Paihea, an adorable little coastal town with lots of cute shops and other places to explore. It was from here that we took a ferry over to Russell in order to spend the day sailing around the bay. This was such a perfect day. We had the most beautiful weather, the best boat mates (Hailey and Tatiana), delicious food and the opportunity to go snorkelling, kayaking and/or swimming. We even spotted a penguin and a school of dolphins! Amazing! 






Next it was time to travel to the tip of the North Island, Cape Reinga. The drive here was quite scenic, and we stopped to take a few snaps. Once there, we walked down to the lighthouse and peered out over the landscape before us. We are so lucky to live on such a beautiful planet - something that I feel we all take for granted most days.


The next part of the story? I'll leave that for another post.

~Ms. C 💜

Comments

  1. Unknown31 March 2020 at 13:26

    A penguin and dolphins at the same time. I bet that felt special, coming from our side of the world! I am so glad you were able to enjoy a lot of New Zealand, although your trip was cut short, you made the most of it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather2 April 2020 at 16:42

      Yes, it really was special. I never expected to see both, was hoping for maybe one! Thank you, I am disappointed that I had to return early, but grateful for the memories.

      Delete

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