BULA! Fiji!

Ahhh Fiji!  There is no better place to stay than in a 5 star resort on a Southern Pacific Island!  Everyone greets you with a big smile as they say "Bula", this means hello in Fijian.  Palm trees are in every direction you look, the vegetation is very lush and the water is crystal clear.  It is still hard for us to comprehend the fact that we are in Fiji! 

     

Our first full day in Fiji was spent in complete relaxation.  We started our morning with a fantastic breakfast buffet and then a stroll on the beach looking for shells with the Cooper and Brady.  The beach was just as I pictured with an endless horizon of clear blue water and the occasional sun umbrella with the thatch roof.   After some time on the beach we made our way over to the main pool surrounded by palm trees and a very tropical atmosphere.  After lunch we ventured back to the beach where Natalie and Cooper went on a reef walk to explore some of the tropical fish and coral native to Fiji.  They saw many fish amongst the coral, a starfish which they held and a small crab as well.  After some more swimming and relaxing in the sun we went dinner where we were treated to Fijian Native Dance performers.  Of course we also bought some Fiji crafted items to bring home with us as well.  

The second day in Fiji started with a horse back ride on the beach, this is something that Brady was really looking forward to as soon as he saw the horses.  The remainder of the morning and afternoon was spent relaxing by the pool, swimming or strolling the beach.  Natalie took sometime to make some jewelry with a Fijian instructor, Cooper helped with this as well.  This evening was special as it was New Years Eve, accordingly we went to a special celebration dinner.  After dinner was completed we were treated to some native Fijian dancing.  Once the show was over it was nearing midnight and all the resort guest were gathered on the beach.  As midnight approached fire dancing was performed and as the countdown completed they set fire to a large structure which read 2013 in flames out in the water.   2012 has been such a monumental year for our family as we embarked to China unknowing what was in store in the years to come and then traveling all over the world.  An amazing year may be a better characterization as we worked hard to adjust to the new culture and treated ourselves with some wonderful vacations.  We are excited for what is ahead in the new year!

The third day Natalie and Cooper did a Sarong painting in the morning and of course we spent the afternoon swimming.  Prior to dinner we watched a fire walking performance which explained the origins of the ritual.  Following our dinner we watched a Meke performance.  All of the singing, dancing and traditions of the Fijian people is such a great experience.  

On the next day Natalie and Cooper took a Fijian class to learn how to do Tapa Painting, we plan to frame their pieces of art for our next home.  This was a good opportunity to take Brady for a second horse back ride on the beach seeing how much fun he had the first time.  The rest of our day was spent poolside soaking up the sun and the fun.  After a dinner beach side we strolled down to the water to take some pictures and search for more seashells adding to Cooper's collection.

Our last full day was upon on, oh how we are going to miss Fiji.  Another day on the beach and in the pool, pure bliss.  In the afternoon we all went snorkeling off the beach as our resort is on what they call the Coral Coast.  We saw some fish, coral and some starfish.  Afterwards Natalie went into the town for a shopping trip.  There is not much of a town as she quickly realized, just a few tourist shops that are also found in the resort.  

We really loved Fiji and the kindness of the people from the island.  After completing our morning breakfast three Fijian guitar players showed up at our table and sang a traditional goodbye song as they wish for our safe travels and a return visit.  We thanked everyone we encountered along the way in the native language, "Vinaka"!

New Zealand!

Auckland, New Zealand

Having completed the first island stop of our vacation in Australia we were eager to see what the North Island of New Zealand had in store for us to see.  With limited time in Auckland of two full days and also the fact that Christmas fell on the second day it was a challenge to find things which were open and available.  On our first day we went to visit Rangitoto Island.  This volcanic Island sits just off the Auckland coast and has a rugged lava landscape formed over 600 years ago.  We took a 4WD road-train guided tour of the island arriving at the base of the summit cone where we then took 300 steps to the very top.  The only unfortunate part of the trip was the summit was covered in mist clouds as most of our time in Auckland had weather resulting from the remnants of Cyclone Evan which passed Fiji the previous week.  Despite the weather it was very interesting to tour the lave fields and view the city from the Ferry as we left and approached the city.  In the evening (Christmas Eve) we went out to dinner with our friends and then went to a small village which was reminiscent of the Henry Ford for all of us.  Here we walked around and enjoyed the Christmas lights and festivities.  

Our next day in Auckland was Christmas.  To the delight of Cooper and Brady Santa stopped during the night and dropped off some presents for them and they are further hoping for more when they return to China!  We spent a majority of the day relaxing in the apartment and going out for a brief lunch.  Later in the evening we went to the Sky Tower to take in 360 views of the city and ate a Christmas dinner at the Observatory restaurant at the peak of the tower.  We enjoyed ourselves in Auckland and look forward to what ChristChurch has in store for us.    

ChristChurch, New Zealand

For our first day we started with the ChristChurch Grand Tour, this would take half the day and was a private tour.  The first part of the trip was spent exploring the city, or perhaps better explained as touring what is left of the downtown district.  In September 2010 and then again in February 2011 the city suffered two massive earthquakes.  This was then followed by thousands of aftershocks throughout 2011.  As we have traveled to many places we have seen first hand the devastation of natural disasters and the impact on the lives of the local people; for example the typhoon in Thailand, the bombings in Bali and now the earthquakes in New Zealand.  As you experience these things first hand it makes you truly appreciate how fortunate you are and also how much assistance is required after such events.  The earthquake literally left the city in ruins with two large "red zones" where no one is allowed to enter to this day as they work on the demolition of buildings and begin the rebuilding process.  

Our tour stopped at the seaside villages  of Sumner which are right on the beach.  Here we took in panoramic views of the city, surrounding plains, mountains and coastline as we ventured to the top of the city hills.  Next we took a tour of the Botanic Gardens which really displayed the natural beauty of the city.  Here we saw exotic and indigenous plants found in New Zealand.  Following this tour we went "punting on the Avon", a relaxing boat ride on the Avon River.  This was a 30 minute ride on a classic Punt boat with an Edwardian-dressed Punter through the banks and gardens of ChristChurch.  

The second half of our day we went to the Kiwi Wildlife Experience.  We visited the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve where we viewed many of the wildlife that is unique to New Zealand such as the Kiwi.  Next we saw a fantastic Ko Tane Cultural Performance.  Here we witnessed the Tane Mahuta, the Maori God of the forrest and learned how the Maori lived on the South Island.  We witnessed their heritage, dance, singing all while many of the audience participated including ourselves.  After the show we enjoyed a Hangi meal served in the restaurant overlooking the wildlife park.  

Our second day was spent taking a TranzAlpine train from ChristChurch on the east coast of New Zealand to the west coast city of Greymouth.  However this was not an ordinary train ride it passed straight through the Southern Alps!  Stating that the scenery was amazing would really be an understatement.  The train was designed specifically to enjoy the views on the ride from city to city complete with large table seating, large windows and a open rail car for taking pictures.  As the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words...  New Zealand is just as we imagined, an island with beautiful landscape!

Our trip to NewZealand was educational, the land was breathtaking and we all had a great time.  Having now completed a week in each of Australia and New Zealand we are looking forward to our next destination, a relaxing time in Fiji!