The last of our summer visitors...

Cory’s parents, Gary and Karen, are just wrapping up their visit here in NZ. We logged a few less miles than with my parents, but had some excitement just the same.

We walked around the Mount a few times and up it as well. Cory clearly gets his photography skills from his dad, so these trips included plenty of photo ops. One event that was difficult to get photographic evidence of, though, was our nighttime kayak to see glowworms. Kayaking in the dark is certainly a little challenging, especially when the lake water is low, and you have to avoid sandbars and shallow areas. But the glowworms were fantastic. It was difficult to discriminate where the glowworms stopped and the stars in the night sky began. It was really beautiful.

Gary is a pilot, so we spent some time exploring the local aviation museum, complete with a glider trip for him. He soared above Tauranga, the port, and Mount Maunganui. Cory had also planned a surprise sunset float plane trip over Lake Taupo for both Gary and Karen. (The last time Gary landed in water, it was upside-down and unplanned, so we were glad to see he didn’t suffer any sort of flashback!)

One highlight of the adventures was swimming with dolphins. We all loaded into the boat, “Blue Sky”, and sailed out into the ocean east of Whakatane. We spotted dolphins and were able to swim with them a few different times, though we never got closer than several meters away. Sitting on the bow of the boat, though, and watching them race along in front of us, weaving in and out, was magical. Both Cory and I got splashed when a dolphin blew out of its blowhole, and one even brushed Cory’s foot with its fin. We also got to swim with fur seals. We were probably within a foot (or less) of these big girls! The skipper said they like to play “chicken”, and will swim right at you to see who will turn away. Definitely true, and I definitely lost every test of will.

Another highlight was the bi-annual national Kapa Haka festival. It was held in Tauranga this year, and showcased 36 kapa haka teams from around New Zealand. These teams each put on about a 30 minute performance, showcasing their talents. I still get goose bumps every time I hear a haka, and the other pieces were equally awesome.

We revisited some favorite locations with Gary and Karen as well, seeing Orakei Korako, a thermal park near Taupo; the black sand beaches of Kawhia, where we dug our own hot pool; the rushing waters of Huka Falls; the kauri trees in the Kaimai forest; the local harbor, via the ferry; and Rainbow Springs, an animal park in Rotorua.

Tomorrow, we head to Auckland, as Gary and Karen soon fly out for home. They are the last of our summer visitors, making it official that summer is almost over here. The good news, though, for those of you in the northern hemisphere, is that winter, then, is almost over!