Australia...until we meet again!

We had a wonderful invite for a scrumptious dinner with the Cross family and a few neighbors. Great conversation, fantastic food, and new friends.... these are the 'sweet things' in life!

Our last day here we took a break from packing and decided to do a little paddle boarding with Surf Connect on Sandgate Beach. Why not? This was so much fun we wondered why we had waited so long! It would be great as a daily arm work out and with my 'over 40 arms' that could really be good.

Marissa is loving it!

The Cross's cute little dog 'Patch' always greeted us with some sort of ball or toy in his mouth, hoping we would play for a bit. Marissa couldn't handle how sad he looked after playing ... almost as if he was saying, "One more time ... Please!" 

Our farewell sunset.

We had to get one game in with Finn and Taj before leaving... guess who won????

The Beach House we rented in Brighton, QLD came with   incredibly wonderful and entertaining neighbors (at NO extra charge). Even the dog came to say Good-Bye.

We have met so many wonderful people along our travels in Australia, in some ways it is hard to say to leave but we feel blessed that we shared a moment in our lives together that we will never forget. And we hope that many friends will come and visit or that we can see them again on our travels back 'Down Under'. Thank you to all those that made our experience magical by sharing your lives with us!

Brisbane, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, crazy storms and ...........

There is fishing right off the shore from our house in Brighton. Our friends next door, Taj and Finn came over to help us fish. Taj helped give grandma a few tips in the 'musts' for fishing in the ocean with constant praise for how she was doing. We love his accent... check out the video above.

The infamous storm... notice while you watch this video how much the water has risen on our car outside in just a few hours. We finally had to move it across the street so the water wouldn't get in the car. As long as we didn't need to go anywhere, it was fascinating to watch!

Grandma didn't come to Australia just see us (OK... we might be one of many attractions) but she really wanted to hold a Koala. We had a few days of being stuck in the house since Brisbane had one of the worst storms in 10 years raging outside.

 When the sun finally showed her 'shining face' we were ready to break out and do some exploring. What a perfect day to visit Lone Pine Sanctuary. There are many wonderful small "zoo's" or Sanctuaries across Australia. Each one specializes in something, either Kangaroos or in this case Koalas. It is just the perfect size for amazing animal interactions. In addition to Koalas & Kangaroos, they have many native animals and shows you can watch. 

Grandma can check this one off her bucket list!

Taj made friends with an Emu.

Taj had to sport this fantastic hat... yes, he should get it.

Brisbane is buzzing a myriad of colored lights.

The Brisbane LDS Temple by night from our water shuttle.

After almost two weeks of adventures, grandma had to finally say good-bye. We are glad she dared to come share in a few experiences with us!

How high did we fly on Moreton Island? 'Tangatours' is the best!

Moreton Island could be seen across the bay from our house on Brighton Beach, we could not let this beautiful island be 'undiscovered' by us before our departure. And what a better time to go but when Grandma was here to share in a few adventures. Little did she know...

Our welcoming committee.

Tangatours was incredibly gregarious group of people to share adventures with. We knew that they would keep us safe even though we were feeling a bit nervous about the adventure. They kept the jokes flying around beforehand to ease our 'excitement'. We couldn't wait to try our hand at parasailing though! 

Once in the air it was so beautiful you forgot you were hanging hundreds of feet above the air tied to a rope to what now looks like a toy boat. It was also remarkably quiet until that was broken by the screams of joy we let out as we saw stingrays and other incredible marine life below. We highly recommend meeting up with Tangatours while you are on the island and they will surely take care of you the same way they took care of us. 

Checking out the water. It was so crystal clear it looked like moving glass.

When you have a little extra time what is better then building a sand castle?

Marissa and Dale's finished masterpiece.

Do you think we look a little nervous? YIKES!

Here is how our story ends....

After this, we could do anything right? Grandma does not love swimming but we talked her into snorkeling with us. Why not?!

She quickly got the hang of it and enjoyed the amazing beautiful fish amongst the man made reef. Many years ago the government sunk many old ships off part of the coast on Moreton Island for two reasons: 

1- This would create a natural reef over the ships 

2- This would also give small ships refuge to anchor down with less winds and waves between the 'reef" and shore.

Ingenuity! Marissa found a new way to dry her hair.

Our farewell sunset.

Dolphin feeding time. The water was so clear and shallow you could see their every move. What beautiful, graceful creatures... it made us want to jump in and join them!

What do Natural Geysers, Haka Dancers, blueberries and Kiwis have in common?

What do you get when you crisscross a plethora of Natural Geysers, Haka Dancers, blueberries, and a live Kiwis? This probably describes many places in the area of Rotorua but we chose Te Puia Cultural Center because you could find all the above in one place.

Because it was their National Anzac Day (similar to the U.S. Veterans Day), we found that NOTHING would be open until 1 pm. This made us quite happy and allowed us to take a relaxing morning in getting out the door, until we realized that we weren't going to be able to find anything to eat. We took our sweet time on the way, stopping at a blueberry farm which toted succulent and healthy blueberry dishes (this made me happy) but even after 1 pm she said she wouldn't have time to fix us anything for quite a while.... we were confused as the sign said 'OPEN'. We didn't let that stop our hunt for a good place to eat and do a little shopping before we headed to the Cultural Center.

Rotorua is the cultural mecca of the indigenous Maori people. The town is set in the North Island of New Zealand. There are many geysers and thermal mud pools that are fueled by the area's geothermal activity. The mud from the pools are known to be good for the skin (Hummmmm).

Dale was really excited to see a live Kiwi but sadly they were sleeping. Such a disappointment, even though he knew they were Nocturnal, he had hoped to find at least an eye open. It was not to be. We did however enjoy a crazy Haka performance, which Dale was asked to participate in.... his claim to fame perhaps? You decide after watching the video!

Dale and Marissa tried to see how the Maori houses (found in one of the villages) could work for them. Marissa was thrilled to know that the houses were toooo short for her, since she doesn't see that very often! Apparently it will not be called her permanent home.

1. 
   

Hot Water Beach or bust.

Some breathtaking New Zealand scenery along our journeys.

We love tidbits of travel information from locals. We were told of a Hot Water Beach where you can dig your own 'Hot Tub' in certain parts of the beach where the volcanic tubes heat the water from underneath but .... you need to wait until low tide, so this only works at certain times of the day... but you need to dig deep, trying not to let the cold ocean water in.... but you have to have something to dig with... we were up for the challenge. We were headed to Matamata so we took a little detour, isn't that what travel is all about?

WOW!

We stopped in the little town of Tairua close to Hot Water Beach for something very important... food. We not only had food but we had a culinary experience at Manaia! Everything was incredibly fresh, gourmet, and hit just the right spot.

We needed towels for our beach visit so we stopped after lunch at an 'Opt shop' (better known to us as a 2nd hand store) which you can find all over Australia and NZ -- 4 towels and two bowls later (to dig the sand) -- total cost $4.

Dale kept digging by himself while others did the same until they all started working together. That is when it all came together.

We had to keep adding to the edge nearest the water to keep that cold ocean water away but then that was half the fun.

This was the best multi-country community hot tub ever. Our time was spent enjoying conversations with many new friends.

Travel Saving Tips:

1- Ask locals about activities that they enjoy in the area you are visiting. On this particular day, we had the Hot Water Beach recommended to us and we were not disappointed. Better yet it was FREE... a bit off our path but worth a little extra gas.

2- We did not want to pack towels with us to NZ so we bought some at a local 'Opt Shop'. We bought 4 towels and 2 bowls to dig in the sand (otherwise they charge you to rent one at the beach) ... all for $4. Never be afraid to buy items from a 2nd hand stores when you need something that might be only used a time or two, you can't beat the prices.

Hobbiton... awaiting our next adventure with Bilbo!

"Sorry! I don't want any adventures, thank you. Not Today. Good morning! But please come to tea - anytime you like! Why not tomorrow? Good bye!"

-Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit-Unexpected Party)

Unlike Bilbo Baggins we were excited and ready for an adventure!

From the moment we entered Hobbiton our eyes were in constant 'AWE' everywhere we turned. The green foliage was so bright it looked as though it was spray painted it on. We were ready to pack our bags and stay for a while... even if we did need to duck a bit.

Any mail today?

Wow! Really the pictures don't do it justice. 

We found the house for us!

Movie sets are typically built for a one time use. Hobbiton was no different. However, as they were dismantling the set after the first Lord of the Rings movie they decided, why not let people come see and feel as if you are part of this incredible world created from the pages of J.R.R. Tolkien. Now that all of 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Hobbit' movies have been filmed here there are even more homes and fresh gardens to enjoy on your visit. 

"Cheers" with our freshly made Ginger Ale. Unfortunately Bilbo Baggins was not here to join us for tea.

Relaxing by the fire at The Green Dragon Inn. 

"I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."

-Frodo Baggins

We are grateful he saved the Shire for all of us!