New Zealand

In Auckland NZ we went on a ferry to a beach.  This is the view of Aukland from the ferry. It was really windy!

This is the beach that we went to. The water was really cold! On the way back from the beach we had to run to catch the ferry. We were the last people on.

When we were leaving Aukland and driving to the next place to stay we stopped at a pig farm. It smelled horrible! There were pigs everywhere! I even got to hold one!


We also stopped at a place called Water Works.  I got to see lots of things that were powered by water.  Also, there were obstacle courses, zip lines, and swings.  The zip line went so fast and it stopped you with a wooden block.  I don't think I would ever be able to do that in Boulder without a harness!  The next stop was a waterfall that you could swim in.  It was getting colder so I didn't go in but my younger sister Abby, my older sister Emma, and my dad went in.  They looked so cold so I was glad that I didn't go in!  That same day after we had eaten dinner we went to Hot water Beach.  If you sit up in the sand and dig a hole then hot water comes in.  The water gets up to 147F!


This is the waterfall that my sisters and my dad went in.


We also stopped at a place with geothermal hot springs. The water got up to 290'F! There was a sign that said "If you throw litter or rocks in the pool you will be asked to retrieve them." It smelled so bad! It was the worst thing I have ever smelled in my life! Right behind us is the hottest hot spring pool in New Zealand!

We stopped in Papamoa for three nights.  We could rent bikes that look like cars and we rode them all over the place that we were staying in.

The Bikes...

This is me in front of a volcano. When the clouds move away and you can see the whole volcano it is really pretty!






This is me in front of a volcano. When the clouds move away and you can see the whole volcano it is really pretty!














The Volcano...

When we moved from the north island to the south island we stayed in Picton. On our second day in Picton we went on a boat to a different island.  On the island we went kayaking and saw eels being fed liver.  We also got to hold bird seed in our hand. Birds landed on your hand and ate the seed from it.  When we went exploring on the island we came across chickens and roosters.

This is the view from the boat coming home from the island.

Here is one of the chickens that we saw.

This is the New Zealand bird. The kiwi bird.  You see it on many signs but I have only seen one out in the wild.

This is me, my my older sister Emma, my younger sister Abby, and my mom kayaking on the island.

 After Picton our next stop was Able Tasman. On our first day in Able Tasman we went to split apple rock beach. You could swim to the rock and climb up on to it. We had the beach all to our self.

This is me and my younger sister at the beach when it was low tide. My sister made me pick up a really big crab!  It was crawling all over my hand! Then I dropped it on my sisters foot!

In Able Tasman we went on a walk on the beach when it was low tide.  You could go out so far! When we were walking we saw a small puddle of water with a ton of star fish in it!  Some were really tiny and some were huge!

In Able Tasman we went on a water taxi ride to another beach. Then we did an hour and a half hike to a different beach. On the way we stopped at a waterfall.  You could swim under the waterfall in a little pool. The water was so cold! After we swam, when we were eating lunch we saw an eel! It was so long and we were all swimming near it!

On water taxi we stopped at a really rocky beach. No body was on the beach just a few big seals and these two baby seals! They were fighting and slapping each other! It was really cute!

 On the way to Wanaka we stopped and crossed the longest swinging bridge in New Zealand. On the way back we took a zip line. The zip line stopped with a wood block that was connected to the wire.

This is the view from our house in Wanaka. We will be staying here in Wanaka for a month.

In Wanaka we went on a really steep hike called Iron Mountain. This is me at the top of the mountain. Right behind me is a huge lake! You can see this lake from almost anywhere in Wanaka!

We found our own private beach at Lake Wanaka. the water was so cold! It takes a really long time to get used to. We swam to a rock and we jumped off it into the water. The sand in Lake Wanaka is always so much softer than the sand at the beach! Your feet sink into it so it's hard to walk.

We went on a 6 mile hike in Mt. Aspiring national park. It was mostly in the shade. At the top of the hike you can see Rob Roy Glacier. There are two waterfalls coming off of it and it is really pretty!
                                                                       
                                                                               
             

This is me in front of the glacier. It was cold standing right in front of it!      

            

 We went on a walk to the blue pools. The water is so clear and cold!

    

We saw some really weird trees.

Here is a river that we saw driving to Queenstown New Zealand. The bridge in the back is where people bungee jump from. Bungee jumping started in New Zealand so there are lots of places where you can do it.

We went on a ferry in Milford sound New Zealand. Here is a dip in the mountain that was made from a glacier. We saw a bunch of waterfalls from the boat. One waterfall is supposed to make you look 10 years younger if you get touched by the water.

This is Mt. Cook. It is the tallest mountain in New Zealand. 

We took a helicopter ride to the top. It was my first helicopter ride. It was the first time that we had seen snow for a really long time! We were on the glacier in shorts and T-shirts!

 On our last day in New Zealand my older sister and I bungee jumped. I didn't weigh enough to go by myself so we went together. We both screamed the whole way down but it was super fun!