Whangerei - lots to do!

We have been socializing like crazy here!! We have been here exactly a week now and busy everyday! lots of kids around so ours have been "relating" tons.
Tuesday was our last day with O'Vive - they flew out on Wednesday to Colorado to ski. We went to the Whangerei Fernery together. It was really pretty , there was also a garden area and cactus too. The kids love the venus flytrap, had fun puttin a plastic spoon in it's "mouth" to make it close. It was nice to end our time exploring. After that we walked to O'Vive's flat and hung out for a while. The kids came back to Orca III for dinner and the adults went to Reva's for the cruiser's night. We met up with all the other cruisers around and we all said our goodbyes to the Ovive clan. they will be missed but I know we will meet again!
Alec, Emma Kyle , Emilie , Maya and Chris - our Fernery lesson
Nathalie in the Fernery- very green and mossy just like BC
the kids checking out the goldfish pond, we had a nice day hanging out , our last for a long time


The rest of the week has been just hanging around with our other friends. swimming in the pool - I got a pass for the local aquatic center, its a wave pool and waterslides too! heap of fun.
We went of to the library the following day where we had no problem killing over 2 hours and the kids where thrilled to get a ton of books - different library experience - it costs $60 NZ to get a card and then when you turn the card in and all books are back you get $30 back. lucky for me Nathalie gave me here card and I just gave her $30 - so I break even. a few of us are sharing the card. also in the library the best sellers books you have to pay $4 per week for, and dvds, cds, you pay $2 for 2 weeks. at home that is all free with the card. anyway, we can't watch the dvds cause this is a different zone here and our computers have switched the max amount, we are on the north american zone only now. that's okay with us.
They have a big produce market here on Saturdays. Early 6:30 am - 10 am so off I went , nice veggies and fruit ect. great prices compared to the grocery stores! next week the rest of my family will join me. they have music and everything. However, the Raratonga market has been the biggest and best so far!!this is the Catydid- they are noisy noisy bugs, you hear them all over. this one I happened to hear him on the sidewalk and he stayed long enough for a photo, they usually are in the trees.

Steve has been working on a couple of boats and that is helping our "kitty". And Malachi, O'Vive and Hanna all emptied their fridge and extras to us as they have gone on road trip, to Australia (couple of weeks) or have left for good. So its been like Christmas around here. Maya has even been babysitting, making some cash for herself. So far staying here is "paying off".
Steve has found a place to "jam " on Wednesdays , this makes him very happy! and there is a big party happening in March with the Street closed off and 9 bands - this should be fun!
Everyday the weather here is different - poured rain 2 days ago and I mean poured! then the sun was out yesterday and it was sooooooooo hot!! and today , well it started to sprinkle, there are many a cloud in the sky, but may just get some sun too. nice to have it a little cooler though cause it was so hot yesterday. well that's it for now, boat chores and hopefully a hike to the waterfall - oh yeah almost forgot to mention , the boat Earthrace - the power boat that made the record of going around the world in 61 days is here. Just in front of us. They were in Granville Island in 2005,funny looking thing. It can pierce 7 meter deep waves.our home here in Whagerei. we are rafted to Hanna, and he has complimented our kids , saying how quiet they are when they cross, he can tell when its not our children as all the rest walk loud and bump into things. I like to hear that! Thanks to all you we've rafted to , you taught our children well.