We're going!
That's really all we know right now. Soon, I'll start worrying about where we'll live and what we'll drive and what I'll do, but for now, I'm just excited we are going!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
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Vineyard lawnmowers
Erin with Mount Erin in the distance
Hawke's Bay from Te Mata Peak
Walking around White Island
Erin amidst a cloud of sulphurous gas
White Island - NZ's only active marine volcano
Brownie at Owharoa Falls
Old railway tunnel - Karangahake Gorge
Erin and Brownie - Karangahake Gorge
Stalactites - Waitomo caves
These grow about 1 cm every 100 years
Stalactites - Waitomo Caves
Erin and Brownie in Ruakuri Cave - Waitomo
Brownie with kiwi fruit - Kiwi 360
Hot Waterfall - Hell's Gate
Farewell send-off
A day of paintballing with the ortho crew
Bills of NZ
I took this picture when Dad was here, as I never have a 50!
Crayfish Bay
Opito Bay dolphins
Shortly after the hailstorm on Mount Beach
May 11th, 2009
May 11th hailstorm at the Mount
The Estate
Those dark spots are all pheasants
Hanging out with the pheasants
Erin's response to me bringing home some pheasant for dinner
Feijoas
Cape Reinga and the lone pohutukawa
Erin admiring the surf
Who knew sand could get into so many places so quickly
Hiking up the sand dunes at 90 mile beach
Tane Mahuta
New Zealand's largest living Kauri Tree
Erin and Yakas (the 7th largest Kauri)
Erin atop the Southern Crater
The Red Crater and Mount Ngauruhoe
Looking down on the Emerald Lakes
Emerald Lake and scree field
Hikers descending Tongariro above Emerald Lakes
Lavaflow in Tongariro central crater
Birthday Glider Flight
Pre-flight instructions - "don't pull the red knob that opens the cockpit midair"
Off the wing
Sulfur point and the Mount - Birthday glider flight
Cockpit shot turning toward the Mount
Kayaking on Hooker Glacier Lake
Iceberg at Hooker Lake
Shotover Jet Boat - Queenstown
Shotover Jet Boat in Shotover River Canyon
Erin along the Clinton River
Clinton Hut - Milford Track
Milford Track
Erin heading up to Mackinnon Pass
Mintaro Hut
Mintaro Hut from Mackinnon Pass
Mount Balloon
Erin and I atop Mackinnon Pass
Mackinnon Pass
Cascading Falls - Milford Track
Cory below the 3rd tier of the Sutherland Falls - Milford Track
Together all 3 tiers are over 580 meters tall
Mackay Falls - Milford Track
Jumping for Joy
The end of a great hike - 33.5 miles in total
Friends - Nate, Tina and Aleia
Have a closer look - This rock is covered with 35 million year old giant oyster shells
Mangapohue Natural Bridge
Gary and Karen coming back from their flight
Fresh Bobby's Fish Market
Photo courtesy of Gary Christiansen
Erin seeks shelter during the stormy walk around the mount
Christiansens and the Kauri
Digging our hot tub at Ocean Beach, Kawhia
Blue Sky
Dolphins swimming along side the Blue Sky
Photo courtesy of Gary Christiansen
Gary at Classic Flyers Aviation Museum
Photo courtesy of Gary Christiansen
Cockpit shot while being towed to 3000 ft in the glider
Classic Flyers Aviation Museum
Karen making a wish in Waiwhakaata (pool of mirrors) at the base of Ruatapu Cave
The water also cleans your jewelry!
Fur seal mother and pup off Whale Island
Oh Karen!
A stinky situation at Orakei Korako Thermal Area
Gary and Karen preparing for floatplane ride over Lake Taupo
Bottlenose dolphin
Yep, that's my toe to the left
Marokopa Falls
Glowworm Kayaking - photo courtesy of Canoe & Kayak
As if kayaking weren't fun enough, why not try it in the pitch black?
Gary along the Mount walkway during a storm
Gary coming in for a landing
Gary Gliding
Kayaking along Matakana Island
Photo courtesy of Canoe and Kayak
Kayaking crew
Lavene and Cheri at Wellington Botanical Gardens
Tui and Flax flowers - Wellington Botanical Gardens
Erin pointing out "The Mount" on a huge map at Te Papa in Wellington
Roof top art at Te Papa Museum in Wellington
You remember Weeble-Wobbles don't you
Erin and Cheri enjoying more roof top art - The Tool Sheds
The Interislander Ferry between Wellington and Picton
Photo courtesy of Lavene and Cheri Payne
A bit breezy - Lavene on the Interislander Ferry
Erin waiting for her ship to come in
Boating in the Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman
Little blue penguins at the International Antarctic Center in Christchurch
Erin and a Moeraki Boulder
These giant concretions are thought to have formed 60 million years ago. They are slowly emerging from the mudstone cliffs along the beach
Big stones - Moeraki Boulders
Rock on!
Moeraki Boulders
Yellow-eyed penguin at Nugget Point
Sleeping sea lion at Surat Bay
Sea lion on the beach at Surat Bay
Knobs Flat
The Chasm
Kea (alpine parrot) and a magnificent view
Erin and I and the Milford Mariner
Photo compliments of Lavene and Cheri Payne
Mitre Peak in Milford Sound
The small white speck at the base of the mountain and to the left of center is a large cruise boat
Seals sunning on a rock in Milford Sound
Cory and Stirling Falls - Milford Sound
South Island traffic jam (cows being transferred from one pasture to the next)
Photo courtesy of Lavene and Cheri Payne
Paynes on a rope bridge on the way to Blue Pools
Erin and I at Fox Glacier
Fox Glacier
Mount Cook - New Zealand's tallest mountain
Franz Josef Glacier
Falls at Franz Josef Glacier
Catching the train at Greymouth
Train exiting one of 19 tunnels and crossing a viaduct
Photo courtesy of Lavene and Cheri Payne
Enjoying the view from the train's observation car
Photo courtesy of Lavene and Cheri Payne
Put through the paces - our electric blue Subaru clocked 2505 kilometers in the South Island
Tane Mahuta - Lord of the Forest
The oldest Kauri tree in NZ, 2000 years old. Circumference is 13.8 meters
Lavene and Cheri and a large Kauri (Yakas) in the Northland
Erin doing the Poi dance at Te Puia
Pohutu Geyser at Te Puia
Te Puia Marae
Weka
Wood Pigeon
Swan and rainbow trout at Rainbow Springs
Erin's necklace
4X4ing at Pureora with our gracious host Dave
Notice his sponsor is a funeral home with the slogan, "Don't take life so seriously . . . it's not permanent."
Erin all smiles before the first track
and the first mouthful of mud
Erin, Bruce, and Fleur getting stuck as
About to enter a deep one!
Nothing a winch and a towstrap can't cure
Merry Christmas from the Christiansens
Brown Kiwi
Photo from the web
Kiwi x-ray
Vanity
Duckling Twins
Pukeko posing
Beautiful bird, can't remember its name
Suited up for some Black Water Rafting
Erin abseiling (notice the small black hole to the left of Erin, that's the cave entrance.
The tour guides had only seen 1 person lose their thumb in the line. Luckily Erin and I still have both of ours!
Cory Abseiling (only 35 more meters to go)
Tour guide quote, "Now, just sit back as I kick your feet off the edge. . . ok?"
A river runs through it
Picture courtesy of Black Water Rafting Co.
Glowworms
Glowing urine of the fungus gnat maggot
Glow worm closeup
Picture courtesy of Black Water Rafting Co.
Within Ruakuri Cave
65 meters below ground
Happy to see daylight
Pohutakawa
The New Zealand Christmas Tree
Whangamata Beach
The Movember Crew
Our "mo's" raised $1100 for charity
Tending the spit
The Haka - Maori War Dance
To see a live haka click on the image
Poi Balls
These are used in the traditional Maori Poi Dance. You can view part of a Poi dance by clicking on the image
Wind Wand by Len Lye
For more information on artist Len Lye please click on the photo
Pukeko at Pukekura Park
Three Sisters
only 2 of the 3 remain standing
Art Installation by Peter Robinson
Photo from the Govett-Brewster Gallery website, please click on the image for more information on this impressive work of art
Erin at the fern house at Pukekura Park - New Plymouth
Cory and a 2000 year old Puriri tree
Ahu Ahu Beach Villas
Happy Movember!
Mokau Falls
Lake Waikaremoana
Goblin Forest below Manuoha Summit
Erin and the "goblin forest"
Manuoha Summit
At last!!!
Manuoha Hut
Ferns - Tuahu Track (Kaimai-Mamaku Forest)
Tuahu Kauri Tree
It's a conifer
Tree Hugger
You just have to hug a 600 year old tree
Kauri leaves
Leaves on the left are from an old tree, those on the right a young tree. Young trees leaves may be 50-100% larger due to less light below the canopy
A nice spot for lunch
Tolaga Bay Wharf
Anaura Bay
Sunset at Hicks Bay
East Cape Lighthouse
East Cape Signage
McLaren Falls
yes. . .another waterfall, we just can't get enough!
"Free range" chicken at McLaren Falls carpark
"Free Range" Chicken
Friendly onlookers
Erin and I at Huka Falls
Huka Falls
The elusive Tui
Aratiatia Dam
Downstream of Aratiatia Dam
Craters of the Moon
Barbary at the dock
Erin getting a bit tipsy on the Barbary
Water coming over the side of the Barbary as the wind hits the sails
Maori Carvings - Lake Taupo
Mount Ruapehu
Waitonga Falls
Waitonga Falls
Cory at Waitonga Falls
Emerald Terrace - Orakei Korako
Ruatapu Cave - Orakei Korako
Mud Pools - Orakei Korako
Friend or foe?
Picture courtesy of http://www.bunny-rabbits.com
View from the balcony
M.M.B.C - Mount Maunganui Bowling Club
It's no Plamor Lanes but it will do
Bad boys, bad boys . . . whatcha gonna do
The port and the bay
Sunny's - Erin's new favorite store
Loading up
(photo lifted from web)
Port of Tauranga
(photo lifted from web)
Surfers (off to the left) at Manu Bay
Erin pointing out some difficult to spot toadstools
Bridal Veil Falls - view from above
Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls
55m or 180 ft
Erin and Bridal Veil Falls
At the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls
Giant black sand dunes at Ocean Beach
In the center of the photo there is a child walking up the dunes
Ocean beach - black sand with hot springs below
Self dug hot tub at Ocean Beach
Only 750 meters to the top
The Pinnacles
Sunrise over the Coromandel Coast from the Pinnacle Summit
The Pinnacles Hut
Fate of the Kauri tree in the Coromandel
Remnants of Kauri Logging
Taking up roots in New Zealand
Historic picture of Coromandel Kauri tree
Find out more about Kauri trees at http://www.kauri2000.co.nz
Erin on the cable bridge over Kauaeranga River
Maori Carvings - Downtown Tauranga
Kite surfing at the Mount beach
Sand dunes at the Mount beach
Flowers along Mt Maunganui beach
Erin in Puriri Grove
Rain gear. . . money well spent
Rock formation at Cathedral Cove
Beach at Cathedral Cove
Cathedral Cove
Stingray Bay
Storms behind Cathedral Cove
Coromandel Peninsula
Butterfly House - Thames
Butterfly House - Thames
Marmite - Love it or Hate it!
(source: Marmite website)
Wai-O-Tapu - Champagne Lake
Wai-O-Tapu
You'd think hell would be warmer
Wai-O-Tapu - Lady Knox Geyser
We're legal!
No worries, Mom, helmets are mandatory!
Kaiate Falls
Kaiate Falls
Stairway to Heaven?
Kaiate Falls
Kerosene Creek
Our apartment as seen from the Mount
View of Mount Maunganui from "The Mount"
Crazy Kumara
Hot spring - Waimangu Thermal Park
Inferno crater - Waimangu Thermal Valley
Cold Erin, hot springs
Waimangu - Frying Pan Lake (outside of Rotorua)
The beach at Mt Maunganui
Walking trail along base of Mt Maunganui
Mt Maunganui
1 of 2 - We have room for guests!
Not exactly roughing it
Home for the year
Our apartment building with Mt Maunganui
Sweet new ride - 1997 Honda Accord
WTF?
still happy post-flight
About Me
- Cory and Erin Christiansen
- Cory and I grew up in Muscatine, Iowa, and had been living in Iowa City, Iowa, before our recent move to New Zealand. Cory is a fellow in the orthopaedics department at the Bay of Plenty Hospital and I am a reliever at Kaka Street Special School and a volunteer at Otumoetai College.