After 22 hours of travel we arrived in Auckland. Our grand plans to hang out on a beach in Fiji went up in flames, but we all persevered with the assistance of buying a day pass to the Bula Lounge. Intro to NZ was a Kebab shop diner blaring rap music full of ‘N’ and F’ bombs. Lol.

First time grocery shopping today. Check out these ‘Lotatoes.’ I am in love with Lotatoes and New Zealand already.

While we tried to find a Halloween activity we came up short. A box of Cadbury Kiwi edition chocolates were also not a hit. I didn’t know there were so many flavours of marshmallows cream.

The day was saved with a long walk along the sea wall between Mission Bay and St. Helier topped up with a much more family friendly delicious dinner at Scalini’s Italian restaurant. Kass is now a fan of caramel figgy pudding.

Mt. \240Eden ‘Maungawhau’ is the tallest natural point in Auckland. In the middle is a crater from the eruption 15,000 years ago. The crater is sacred as it is where Mataaho lived. The walkways and trails around and up the mountain reminded me of Mt. Royal in Montreal.

Waiheke Island adventures wine tasting, chilling at the beach, and riding a double decker bus. It was a great way to turn 48! We did tastings at Goldie Vinyard owned by the Universty of Auckland and Batch Winery. The views from Batch Winery were picture perfect, but I loved the cozey feel of Goldie Vinyards. The kids loved swimming at Onetangi Beach and writing in the sand.

We picked up our car today - a Nissan X-Trail. Registration and insurance was easy and quick. I have never had such a good experience at the DMV.

Of course day one of left side driving was a rainy day so we passed the time at the Stardome Observatory and then lunch at Ollie’s Dinner. At the dinner, Chris and the boys played an old school Donkey Kong game.

Once clearer skies prevailed, it was time to let the driving adventures begin!

WXV1 International Women’s Rugby - \240Canada vs France and New Zealand vs England matches. It was a close match between Canada and France, but Canada won landing a third place spot. England was an absolute wall and dominated New Zealand the full game sweeping first.

We learned about and made Poi’s then used them to cheer on the game.

I bought a Black Ferns hoodie that was immediately taken over by the boys. Needless to say we bought a second hoodie and I am not the owner of either.

Watching the Haka was the highlight.

Rugby is such a high energy game. \240Amazing athleticism, endurance, and sportsmanship. I loved it.

Goodbye Auckland. En route to Raglan, we made a side trip to Middle Earth and landed in the Shire.

At Hobbiton movie set we saw Hobbit holes, the Green Dragon Inn and learned filming tips such as door sizes to make the Hobbits appear smaller and Gandolph appear bigger.

Our first hit water beach.. The much lesser known west coast hot water beach is in Kawhia. It was crazy windy and we were not successful making our own hot water bath, but we were able to move into another groups in ground hot tubs when they left.

Next stop the Waitomo Caves. These caves are filled with limestone formations and some have glowworms. \240These particular glowworms are unique to New Zealand and are part of the \240arachno family. The caves were traditionally used by Māori as shelter and burial sites. The Glowworn cave cathedral room has been used for concerts for local youth and internationally renowned musicians. \240We were not allowed to take pictures for most of the tour and the few I took did not turn out, but Kass captured a video of the ceiling above us. Chris managed to take a few secret \240pocket shots, but those are his to share.

Our first hiking attemp ended when the GPS stopped working. Take 2 was to Wainui Reserve Bush Park and the adjacent farm loop. I miss read the sign and thought the farm loop took us to a more private beach. After two hours of climbing up and down pasture hillsides, climbing over farm fences, and going through a mountain bike track we accepted we could not get down to the beach. The kids grumbled and then rallied a few times over. Eventually they overcame their apprehension to poise for a photo with the cows. Despite not summeting a mountain or making it to the beach, we had a fun adventure.

The long awaited surf camp was November 9-11. Three days of 2-2.5 hours in the ocean. A lot of falls, wave crashes, and mouths full of seawater, but we emerged as enthusiastic on day 3 as we were on day 1. I hope a few more days out will result in some footage of us riding waves. For now just big smiles on the beach.

A lazy day hanging around our Raglan Holiday Home. Every Room is a separate building connected by a walkway and patio. It took a bit of getting used to, but we settled in.

Still warming up from our morning surf the boys tried to both fit in one Black Ferns hoodie. lol.

Kite surfing and foil board wind surfing at Wainamu Beach. I had never seen foil boards before. It was fascinating to watch.

Nagarunui Beach at sunset.

While visiting Bridal Veil Falls near Raglan, Kassien played around with the Pano feature on my phone. He took some amazing photos. The twisting of orientations really draws you in. Of course it never occurred to me to twist the phone when taking Pano photos. A good reminder that amazing things can be created when you don’t follow the line.

I named Kass’s photos.

Today we made the long trek from Raglan to Ōmāpere through Waipoua Kauri Forest. At the time we enjoyed the scenery, but did not realize how special this place was as there were not a lot of pull-out spots and the road zig zagged up and down through two valleys.

An evening tour two nights later by the amazing Footprints Waipoua revealed the history and uniqueness of this forest and Kauri trees. The forest is home to both the oldest and largest Kauri trees.

Kauri trees are top canopy treees. All branches that grow prior to reaching the light fall off, knot and all so the trucks are solid, knot free trunks. The bark has scales and is and solid like concrete.

Te Matua Ngahere is the father tree. This tree is the oldest in the forest at over 3,500 years old with a 17m circumference and trunk over 10m tall.

The canopy of \240Kauri trees have their own ecosystem. The Father tree has over 100 plants and tree species living in his canopy.

Tane Mahuta is the mother tree. This tree is over 2,000 years old and is the largest in the forest. The circumference is close to 14m, the trunk is over 17m and the tree is over 51m tall. \240Like the father tree the canopy of the Mother tree has its own diverse ecosystem. \240We visited the Mother tree with darkness falling around us even though the photos look quite bright.

The boys also loved the ferns. The frawns of the silver fern light the way as the underside of the fern is reflective. The black fern (black trunk) can stand 30m tall and have been growing here since dinausaur times.

Todays adventure took us to the small town of Rawene. The town reminded us a lot of Nova Scotia towns. We visited a puzzles and games store called Simly FUN and had an amazing lunch at Boatshed Cafe. \240The seafood stew and tomato soup were both amazing.

A stop at the Koutu Boulders did not find any boulders, but we walked through mangroves and I saw some of the tallest pampas grass looking plant I have ever seen.

Beach time across the road from our Omapere Bach.

The crab on the beach reminded me of beach days with Ashlee and Morgaine when they were tweens.

Today we adventured to the sand dunes across the water from Omapere and Opononi.

The experience of walking around the dunes was a bit eerie as I ventured off on my own. It was amazing to see strips of lush vegetation surrounded by just sand. I understand how Luke Skywalker felt on Tatooine.

While most of the photos are standard or panoramic shots I played around with some mild bends to the horizon with the Pano feature. Thank you for the inspiration Kassien.

Sand boarding down the dunes and then splashing into the ocean was a blast. Even the climb back up the dunes did not slow us down. \240We kept going right to the end.

Goodbye east coast, hello west coast. \240The drive between the two coasts transitioned from quiet, rural beach and farm land to more bustling holiday areas.

We made some fun stops on the way:

Mahoe Farmhouse Cheese. The garlic chive Gouda was our favourite. We also bought a product called Quark which is a fermented yogurt.

Marsden Estate Winery and Restaurant for lunch. The wine was only moderate, but the ambiance was lovely.

Makana Confections Boutique Chocolate Factory. Wow! The samples were plentiful and we indulged in a few purchases. Hudsen bought a chocolate cook book so I see some treats in our future.

For the next week, we have a Beachfront \240Bach on Coopers Beach in Doubtless Bay. \240Originally this stay was the end of our trip, but despite being early in our travels we didn’t want to loose our week of beach front R&R.

Cape Reinga ‘Te Rerenga Wairua’ is the place a persons spirit comes after death to depart for their eternal home.

With the Tasman Sea to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and only small islands in the far distance to the north, I can see how this place creates an energy of a transition point.

It was amazing seeing the ocean and bays emerge from the fog. When the sun pushed through, the blues and touquoises were so vivid.

The lone Pohutukawa Tree (New Zealand Christmas Tree) on the edge of the cliff, has apparently survived there for many years, although it has never been reported to have flowered.

On the way down from Cape Reinga we stopped at the Giant Sand Dunes. The sand boarding was not that successful here so the boys did some body surfing back at our beach.

The surprise of the day was seeing orcas swimming near Pukenui Warf. Suddenly Kass and I both saw a large fin rise out of the water as we were driving by. By the time we parked, they had moved down the channel, but we watched three orcas making their way back out to sea.

Today we adventured to the most northern point of the Northern Island, Cape Reinga.

En route we stopped for ice-cream in Te Kao at the Te Kao Local Store. True to their reputation they had Woppa Stoppa, 5 scoop ice-cream cones. The boys indulged with a little rescuing from mom and dad.

The boys solo grocery shopping adventure. We made a list and off they went while Chris and I went for coffee.To our surprise they stuck to the list and didn’t add in a lot of surprise items. Lol.

Cloudy and rainy day at the beach. During the rain break beach walk, Kass found me this shell ring.

Last night was quite the storm at the beach house. The rain pounded the windows, and the wind pushed the patio chairs around.

The results of the storm made for a morning walk of beach finds. The boys and Chris looked for shells and sea glass while I took pictures of the sea life that washed up on shore.

The rain came and went all weekend, but the day ended with a rainbow.

A trip priority activity for Chris is fishing. Today was fishing day 1. We have heard people catch 20lbs snapper off the rocks at our beach.

Attempt 1 \240- we used equipment from our Bach. The rod reel didn’t really work and we only had one hook. So, back to the bait store and buy some of our own equipment.

Note - the boys had their goggles just in case the boat tipped. Chris’s boat skills proved satisfactory and we made it back to shore dry.

Attemp 2 - two new hand jiggers, a new rod, a small tackle box, and a knife Chris has had strapped to his leg since, we headed out at dusk as the tides were changing. Still no fish, but the equipment all worked and we had nibbles.

Nov. 21/22 Attempts 3/4 - we had lots of fun, but still no fish.

On the way to Ahipara Bay we stopped for lunch in Kaitaia at Peekaboo Backyard Eatery. To our surprise they had a great menu and an open area for kids to play. We all enjoyed a few rounds of corn hole before heading to the beach.

We spent the afternoon at the south end of 90 Mile Beach in Ahipara.

I went for a 20 minutes walk on my own and while Chris and the boys went out of my eye sight, I didn’t even see a bend or a point to break up the horizon.

It was a quiet day at the beach so the kids had the surf to themselves.

You can drive on 90 Mile Beach. Starting around 5, we saw a few cars driving on the beach with their dogs running alongside. It reminded me of the Lethbridge days out in the new subdivision behind our house, riding in the old white van with Dax running behind us. Lol.

A trip to the north end of the North Island would not be complete without a Bay of Islands boat tour.

There are 144 islands in the Bay of Islands. This area is home to some of the first contact points between European Explorers and Māori and some of the first European settlements in New Zealand.

Our adventure took us to two islands and the famous hole in the rock. We even had a surprise visit from a Blue Penguin. Blue Penguins are the smallest penguins in the world at only about 40cm tall.

The boys were in charge of the photography today(except for the snorkeling pictures and family photos). It is always interesting to see the world through their lens.

I felt sad leaving Coopers Beach this morning. My melancholy was quickly replaced with the thrill of exploration and adventure as we discovered new places.

It started with a rock structure rising out of the farmland. I have not been able to find a name for it, but it captivated my attention.

The next surprise of the day was the Whangarei waterfront. A short lunch stop turned into an afternoon of strolling the waterfront while the kids played in a park. The space was a mix of playgrounds, sculptures, regentrified industrial lands, arts centre and museum, and sailboat dock. \240I have so many ideas to bring home.

I especially loved the draw bridge that is in the shape of a plane.

The day ended with an adventurous, but a bit stressful drive into Leigh, with about a 2km section up a gravel road that was not always wide enough for to cars to pass. The scenery was stunning, although I am not sure Chris would think it was worth the stress.

It was a great week at the beach house. I am sad to go. The week was filled with beach walks, fishing, and exploring the north island. Our final photo includes our beach house dog Sunny who we nicknamed Sunny Sunshine. She would visited us several times a day, and a few nights we had to make her go home so her family would not worry. Lol.

My favourite moments were sunrise and sunset and strolling through the small grove of Pohutukawa trees. The peacefulness, the quiet and the changing light.

I will be back to visit again one day.

I spent some time out and about around Leigh. My evening walk was full of ocean look outs, hidden beach paths, rainbow sunsets, and some penguin houses. Small towns always have so much more than meets the eye.

The adventure to Goat Island today did not result in clear bottom kayaking or snorkeling. After walking around a bit we decided to try again tomorrow and took off in search of purchasing our own snorkeling gear.

Goat Island take 2 was not much more successful. Still no glass bottom kayaks. I don’t think the operator has a very good business strategy as we have yet to see him on site. Lol. \240The nots tried snorkeling. Let’s just say neither are naturals. \240Off to get more snorkelling equipment as perhaps it will go better if Chris and I brave the cold and get in the water too.

Morning artwork over a leisurely breakfast.

Todays adventure to Cairns, Australia started with a 3:00am wake up call to catch our 6:05am flight. Changing planes in Melbourne resulted in 90 minutes to get through customs so despite a close to 2 \240hour layover we missed our flight. The new flight is 6.5 hours later. ☹️ The troops are staying positive. $90 in airport food vouchers and some extra special donuts may be helping.

Trinity Beach is a small town in a bay to the north of Cairns. We can see the beach from the patio and hear the ocean crashing against the shore.

Life in the tropics means swimming in netted areas so you don’t get stung by jellies, and assuming water bodies could have a croc in them. I forgot how animals, insects, reptiles etc., in Australia are supersized. lol.

Snorkelling at Moore Reef started with a very excited Chris wide awake at 3:00am. The travel out to the roof was a rollercoaster with excitement at the dock, a crappy start to the boat ride, and then a return to excitement as we approached the reef.

The snorkelling was so amazing we were in the water for two hours and missed the other optional activities. Unfortunately, my phone did not work well in the water proof case so photos of sea life is minimal.

The coral was fascinating, the fish colourful and all shapes and sizes, and we even followed a sea turtle for a while.

Hudsen started the afternoon with high trepidation, but after I swam him off the deck, he was in and out of the water on his own all afternoon.

Even though the tour company did not live up to their reputation the snorkelling sure did. \240We definitely need another day snorkelling.

This great day ended with a delicious dinner in Cairns. \240Hudsen likes a new food, drum roll, it is gnocchi. Mmmmm.

Todays adventure resulted in an unexpected afternoon exploring Mossman Gorge. The gorge is about 1 hour north of Cairns. It is inland enough that crocs were not a concern. lol.

We swam in the fresh water pools, climbed over rocks, and were surrounded by the sounds of the forest.

The boys learned a lot about current and while it might appear calm on the surface you need to look for clues as to what might be happening under the water.

Christmas Eve! Chris and I drove up to the Remarkables Ski Hill and then hiked up to Alta Lake. Hiking around was not quite the same as skiing, but I was still so excited to be there.

The road was like nothing I have ever seen before. Move over road to Panorama, your twists and turns now seem like a cake walk.

The road winds up to literally the highest bowl with a series of twists, turns and hair pin turns. Tree coverage is minimal, guard rails are sporadic, and the drop off just keeps getting bigger. Even on a summer day Chris was white knuckling the steering wheel and I was holding the seat. lol. I would definitely be taking the bus up if it was winter.

The hike to Alta Lake took us through streams and up rocky slopes where vegetation grows in a cushion formation to protect each other from the elements. While at the lake, the clouds drifted in and out revealing new rocky faces and some snow still up by the peaks.

The ski hill was not as big as I imagined and there is only one lodge building, but the energy was great. I will be back to ski you one day Remarkables.

We kicked off our Christmas festivities with cookie decorating Christmas Eve. Our art work was a bit abstract on some cookies, but the cookies were delicious. The rumour is Hudsen ate 7 cookies Christmas morning while we were all getting up. .

A Christmas Day road trip from Queenstown to Glenorchy to view the mountains did not disappoint. The mountains have been the backdrop in movies such as Lord of the Rings, the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, X-men, and Mission Impossible to name a few. At the north end of Lake Wakatipu you can see the rise of the snow capped peaks of Mount Earnslaw in the distance. It amazes me how the mountainsides just fall into the lakes in this area.

Overnight rain and clouds opened up to a sunny morning. The kids were excited and despite our attempt to limit gifts the tree was full, stockings were filled, and Santa found the boys.

Decked in surfing Santa shirts the boys with equal enthusiasm opened and handed out gifts.

It looks like a few more squishamellows have joined our pack.

In Kiwi tradition we made our way to the beach. After some rock skipping the boys and I went for a half dip since a lake swim Christmas Day would not happen at home. The water was not that cold.

The home of commercial bungy jumping started here in the Kawarau Gorge, Gibbston. The AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre now also includes, canyon swinging and zip lining over the gorge as well.

Diving off the platform may feel scarier, but the whiplash seems a lot less. I have no desire to bungy jump either way. lol.

Since we started talking about going to Bew Zealand Kassien has been non-stop asking to do a classic Queenstown adventure activity. Today he got his wish as the two of us went Canyoning. There was a few nerves as we made our way into the canyon, but after the first slide he was all condfudence and smiles. I did not bring my camera so all photos except the first one are from the tour company.

Our Airbnb in Kelvin Heights (across the water from Queenstown), had stunning views of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown and Frankton. \240I walked the nearby shoreline trail most nights and when the boys came along they used the swing.

After a few attempts to see penguins we finally saw Little Blue Penguins at the Royal Albatross Centre. We were on site from 11pm until almost midnight and saw several penguins come in from the ocean. \240After socializing for a while, they made their way to their nests.

Chicks were still on the beach, although most were 6-7 weeks old and will be making their first treck to sea very soon.

New Years Eve in Dunedin. Attended an event at the Octagon, but they cool temp and wind sent us home to celebrate.

The boys insisted on silly string for the New Year. Five stores later we had success.

They rounded out the night with a game of beer pong.

Sunrise New Years Day in Dunedin.

Travelling from Dunedin to Stewart Island included short stops in Invercargill and Bluff. Invergargill is one of the first places we have been that is flat. lol.

We found a wonderful park called Queens Park in Invergargill. We visited the aviary, wondered through a few gardens and found a wonderful park.

While waiting for our ferry in Bluff we went to Stirling Point. This is one of the most southern points of the South Island.

The sculpture here ‘Te Puka a Maui’ depicts Maui pulling Stewart Island out of the ocean and symbolizes a history of interrelationship.

The ferry crossing from Bluff to Oban was one of the roughest ferry crossings I have every done. The ferry was a smaller version of the sea bus between the Pan Pacific Hotel and Lonsdale Quay. There were only 13 of 100 seats filled and all 13 of us made it across with sick bags in close reach, but not used.

The swells were approaching 3m. It was a long hour across, but thankfully swells lessened as we approached Oban. \240We recovered with ginger beer, a short walk and a chess game on the beach.

Despite the forecast saying it was 11 degrees, the sweaters, toques, and raincoats were used. I think this was the same weather at home today.

Our hiking adventure today took us from Halfmoon Bay, through Horseshoe Bay to Lee Bay to the start of the Rakiura Track. \240The Track is a 3 day 33km track. The boys looked horrified at the idea of this tramp so we opted to do day hikes from Oban instead. Halfmoon Bay to Lee Bay was 6km though, and Hudsen and I walked the first 1.5km of the Rakiura track and then back to Lee Bay.

A rest in Horseshoe Bay included drawing in the sand. Hudsen kicked it off with everybody joining in.

Along the track we watched a large sea lion come in from the ocean and make its way across the bay to the rocks. We had to move spots on the beach so as not to get in his or her way.

From Lee Bay we got a lift over to Ackers Point and then did another 4km round trip out to the lighthouse and back. The original homestead on this track was built in 1836 and housed a family of 8.

Total hiking today was over 10km for Chris and Kass and over 13km for Hudsen and I.

The day ended with a late night kiwi tour. While the tour was a bit disappointing we did see about 4 kiwi. A few interesting facts the tour shared:

1. Kiwi lay eggs that are approximately 20% of their body size.

2. Baby kiwi are born self sufficient,

3. Although they mate for life, kiwi are solitary birds and there is no name for a group of kiwi.

There are a number of short tracks around Oban. My favourite was a forrested track right along the ocean. When we stood quietly we could hear three or four different birds and waves crashing into shore all at the same time.

The surprising find today was Ringaringa beach. We arrived during one of the moments the sun came out so we could shed our fleece jackets for a while.

We have been told Stewart Island is a representation of pre-colonial NZ. The island is heavily forested. Tucked between the trees and ferns were lots of flowers. Most of the flower pictures are Chris’s artistic eye.

After a long drive from Wellington to New Plymouth I ventured down the block to Fitzroy Beach. My first feelings were this place is \240magical - tide was out, soft black sand, a few families playing in the waves, and a scattering of dogs frolicking on the beach/surf. The air was warm with a soft breeze, and as I enjoyed my walk I thought I may have found my place…a surf beach just outside the door for summer and a ski hill an hour away for winter.

It was a rainy morning so Hudsen and Kass played Pictionary and made pretzels. This was their second attempt, and with some adjustments they successfully made softer pretzels. We ate them so fast, I didn’t get a picture until the last few bites.

The majestic Mt. Taranaki remained a mystery. Shrouded in cloud throughout the drive and hike we explored the forest, river, and waterfalls never seeing the grand peak that hovered above.

It was a classic NZ day filled with sun, rain, cloud, and even a few ominous thunder claps when we were hiking. Kass was sure the mountain was sending us a message.

The waterfall pools were icy cold, but we still ventured into the water. \240Kass and I even did some waterfall pool yoga. I think we are channeling very different energies in our poses.

The weather change turned Fitroy beach back to a surfers paradise. To our surprise not a single blue bottle jellyfish on the beach. Unfortunately, it was too late to rent surf gear, but we still enjoyed watching the surfers and the sunset.

The beauty of this country keeps leaving me in awe. We passed beaches, rivers, hillsides, and valleys driving from New Plymouth to Auckland.

New Plymouth has an amazing multi-use path that weaves in and out along the ocean. We walked along the path about 1km of the path to the xxx river and xxx bridge.

Our last day in New Zealand also included a visit to Kelly Tarltin’s Aquarium. The aquarium was a bit dated, but was cutting edge experience when it was built in the early ‘80’s. It was built by Kelly Tarltin who was passionate about diving shipwrecks and the underwater world. \240The domed viewing area was the first of its kind.

Chris also found his family while there as a penguin ran to greet us. He recognized a kinship with Chris immediately. Who new a Padres cap with a yellow brim could also be a penguin beacon.

Back in Auckland to sell our car and have a final dinner at Scalini’s restaurant in St. Heliers. We ended the trip where started with a few new sites along the way.

After a rough morning with a few car selling setbacks, the deal was done.

Scalini’s was as delicious as we remembered and Kassien held with tradition eating two sticky date puddings for desert. lol.

Goodbye Aotearoa! There were moments it felt like so much time, moments we were frustrated and ready to cut our travel short, and momentslike it was all going too fast. There is so much we will miss. Travelling changes you, with pieces left behind and new pieces that come home.

We love you Aotearoa, New Zealand. We are excited to return one day!

We were greeted by a rainstorm in Fiji and did not make it to our hotel until after dark. It rained hard through the night and next morning, but when the clouds started to part in the afternoon, the Island majic revealed itself.

The rain did not slow us down as pool shenanigans are just as fun in the rain. The kids also discovered the table game pool and spent the day running back and forth between ‘the pool’ and ‘playing pool’.

The day ended with a glorious sunset that filled the whole sky with brilliant colours. The colours reflected on the water of the pool, and I felt enclosed in a sphere of orange, coral and pink.

Out and about around the resort this morning on the way to snorkel we saw some lovely flowers and layering of rocks from volcanic activity over time.

The kids learned to husk and cut a coconut and then we tried out coconut bowling. There were a lot more misses than hits. lol.

It was fascinating watching the hermit crab. That shell

A day out on the xxxx river. \240This is the largest river in Fiji.

Sahara Village

Kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, coconut bowling… so amazing to slow down for a few days. Our coconut bowling skills steadily improved and we got better at performing salty death rolls. Agents Croco, Fluffy Pancake, and Fantail perfected tactical manoeuvres, Fannypack and S7 to take down Chris.

Coconut bowling

Such an amazing culmination to our 3 months adventuring. The boys did a learn to scuba program. After an hour of skills development in the pool we headed out for a dive. Both boys had an instructor holding on to their BCD or right next to them the entire time. \240We did about a 1.25km drift dive at a depth of between 6-16 metres. \240It was amazing how immersed I was in watching the world below especially since I did not need to worry about the boys. The coral, fish, sting rays, and other sea life was fascinating. I can’t wait to dive again. Today put a lot in perspective for me. Observing and respecting this ecosystem, enjoying the quiet and peace, made the noise and commotion above seem less important.

We have no underwater photos, but we have before and after photos to bookend the experience.

Fiji sunrises and sunsets, and moon sets. Every night and morning I am captivated again. The calm, the colours, the glow, the realization that you can not capture and freeze the moment, you can only be present and take it in.

Sunrises