Week 5 - Gisborne, East Cape, Mt Maunganui

Traveled from Napier to Gisborne to East Cape to Mt Maunganui this week.  

                              Then came back to Taupo for a weekend conference
                                            at Koinonia Institute called "Leadership for the End Times."

Capt Cook landed in Gisborne NZ in 1769

Lamb at McDonalds

 They just introduced lamb at McDonalds

Largest Pohutukawa Tree (NZ Christmas Tree)

The Pohutukawa Tree blossoms in December so they call it the NZ Christmas Tree.  The largest one is located near East Cape.

Cows roaming freely near East Cape

Horses roaming freely near East Cape

Cows and sheep are always walking along the road.  There were quite a few near East Cape.

East Cape looking at Whangaokena (East Island)

We went to the East Cape Lighthouse.  Beautiful view.  It used to be on the island behind us, but due to some crashes and deaths, they moved it to it where it stands now.

Waterfall in Whakatane

Lots of mountains = Lots of Waterfalls.
Wairere Waterfall is in downtown Whakatane and is where Moa use to roam.

 KIWI 360 is located in Te Puke - Kiwi Capital of the World!  Learned that Kiwi are super hard and sit in storage for over 9 months before being shipped.

Kiwi Vines (Not Trees or Plants or Bushes)

Just thought this sounded funny

Z climbing on Moturiki Island

Hannah climbing on Moturiki Island

Moturiki Island (long one) viewed from Mt Manganui - Good Hike

We drove to the town of Mt. Maunganui.  We explored Moturiki Island and climbed Mt. Maunganui.  There were oysters in the soil way up the mountain ...hmmm. 

Week 7 - Napier - Youth Rally

We went to Equippers Church in Napier again.  Stayed in the parking lot of Pak-N-Save. for a couple of nights.  Then went to stay with another friend we met at the conference - Estelle Davis.  She has a lovely home in Green Meadows - right near the church.  I got caught up on the 2 classes I'm taking with Koinonia Institute and our Blogs.  I also had a chance to do some yard work on Ms. Estelle's place.  She took us to the Arataki Honey Factory - 88% of Kiwis eat honey!  They have all kinds of flavors - Pohutukawa is the smoothest, Manuka has healing qualities, multifloral is nice, clover, etc. but watch the Thyme ... don't even think about trying it. Funky!

Ms. Estelle & Z at Arataki Honey Factory

Ms. Estelle, Z & Hannah
eating ice cream at Strawberry  Farm

Crazy Youth Leaders!!

Erin & BJ after Youth Rally

Maori Warrior Pose - After Haka

Joel (Youth Leader) - Just Cool!

Gang Signs at the Youth Rally?!?

check

Week 4 - Koinonia Institute, Taupo NZ - Napier NZ

Week 4 - Spent the week at Koinonia Institute located at the River Lodge just outside Taupo.  Went for a Bible study on Monday night and didn't leave till Sunday morning.  Great team working there.  Met Chuck Missler and got to help out a little around the lodge.

Chuck Missler w/Ron & Chel

Ron Matsen w/ Ron & Chel

Ron Matsen and his sons - Ben, John, and Matt, along with Dean Packwood produce DVD's and live streaming for Chuck ... along with a lot of other broadcasting stuff.  Pretty impressive.

 Equippers Church (click on Napier) on Sunday Morning.

We had lunch with the senior pastor, Lyle Penisula and his lovely wife, Debbie, then went back to church for the night service.  Rockin!!

Mia Penisula (pastor's daughter) & Hannah

Noah Boyd, Z, & Reuben

Hannah & Z continue to make friends everywhere we go.

Chloe Boyd & daughter Lotte

We went to Reuben & Chloe Boyds for lunch on Monday so Z & Noah could scooter at the skate park.


Reuben & Chloe used to be the Youth Pastors at Equippers Church so it was great to be able to spend an afternoon with them and learn about the church and program.

Z running on a stone beach in Napier NZ

Look closely at this beach.  It is all stones.  The beach got pushed up in the Hawkes Bay Earthquake of 1931.  All the sand washed away and they were left with tons and tons of these little stones.  Interesting to tun in, but can't build a castle with them...unless you got a little mortar...

Z & Hannah at playground on beach in Napier

Tania Howes with her boys - Seth, Wade, & Theo

We seem to always find a playground for the kids to get out a little energy.  Neat seeing all the different types.

I'm getting really anxious though cause I haven't been biking, blading, or running and feeling super out of shape.  Can't go running in the country - Many farmers have 9-10 Working  DOGS.










We enjoyed Lamb Roast dinner with Equippers Church-Napier Pastor Aaron and his lovely wife, Tania, who let us stay at there place for the night and get a fresh shower in the morning.

Week 6 - Murupara NZ - Dairy Farming!

Started the week in Taupo at the Koinonia Institute where we met some really cool Kiwis.  

A few of them invited us to come visit them.   

So...

 we went to the Mills Dairy Farm in Murupara (owned by Richard & Jenny Mills) 

for the week and did a little dairy farming. 

Jonathan & Hannah feeding lambs

 

Hannah & Z helped the Mills children with some of their chores.  

While Chel & I milked and helped the Mills adults with their chores.

Chel & Rebekah feeding 10 Hungarian Vizsla puppies .

Josh, Caleb, Z & Hannah taking the "milk bar" to calves

Ron "Poppin a Cap" on that cow

Chel exchanging milkers

Hannah & Z helped milk too

Jonathan & Z feed Milo & Lollipop

Caleb, Hannah, & Emma w/ Jonathan & Z in the trailer

Z made some Butter

The Mills Family (Left to Right)
Josh, Jonathan, Emma, Rebekah, Abraham, Hannah, Jenny, Caleb, Richard
& Tas (the dog)

 

Jonathan carries newborn calf to trailer

Hannah pets the newborn calf

Z, Hannah, Abraham, and Chel with newborn calf

Week 3 - Some Sightseeing - Waitomo Caves, Mt Taranaki, Mt Ruapehu, Taupo

Ms Glenyss w/ Chel, Hannah, & Z

Mr. Kelvin & Ron

Dawson Falls on Mt Taranaki

Week 3 - Make sure to click on the links to see some more cool stuff like the Glow Worms!

Did a little bit of sight-seeing.  We went to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves just south of Hamilton and saw glowworms - pretty amazing creatures.  They light up the caves like stars.  Drove to Awakino where we met Glyness and Calvin and helped them with their garage and chatted for half the day.  From there we went to Mount Taranaki - Gorgeous 2000+ Meter mountain that you can see all the way from sea level to the top.






Then on to Mt Ruapehu - active volcano that the kids wanted to ski.  Much bigger ski field -Whakapapa - than we've ever been on before.  Ended up in a little bit of a storm, Hannah crashing, Ski Patrol helping us, Z & Hannah riding down on a snowmobile, and a nice cut on Hannah's eye.  No eruptions from the volcano, though.

Z at Whakapapa Ski Field on Mt Ruapehu

Injured Hannah - Mt Ruapehu Ski Patrol

Finally arrived in Taupo and stayed on the lake.  The best camp site in town - Free!  Beautiful lake, met some cool people, been eating Fish and Chips a lot or rice and soup.  Went to an ELIM Church of about 30 people and met Dean & Kathy Packwood that had us over for BBQ where we met his work colleagues and ended up going to a Bible study at Koinonia Institute locate at the River Lodge near Taupo.

Lake Taupo w. Mt Ruapehu in background

 Didn't eat it - just wanted you to see the prices...!!

Ron w/ Sam McCarrol in Taupo

Chel & Hannah w/ Suze McNeill - ELIM Church, Taupo