We Take Ourselves With Us

Somehow, Santa found us all--even though we were thousands of miles from home (8,678.1 miles as the crow flies to be exact).  The time shift meant that our NZ Christmas was the day before our friends and family were celebrating back home, leading to some Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter cognitive dissonance. Despite the change in scenery, Christmas morning in Rotorua was about the same as everywhere: too many gifts, lots of bed-head, early morning faces, and energetic children.  Some scenes from our NZ holiday: Beach towels ... because it is summer! Christmas hats, sweaters, and t-shirts in full effect. Many Trey and Cody gifts (bc we had an early Christmas in ROC already!) Curtains still closed from our star gazing on Christmas Eve :) So many Davii Make-up from NZ?  Yes, please. A stocking filled with NZ candy and trinkets?  Yes, please. A murderous shark beach toy?  Yes, please. Someone always goes one ...

Aside from hanging with family, we had a couple things we really wanted to squeeze in to our time in Rotorua: Hobbiton and the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves .  Ned booked a package tour with a driver who would zip us (well, zipping is a relative term in NZ) from the house to Waikato for Hobbiton and then to Waitomo for the caves.  All told, we'd be on the road and touring from about 8:30 am to 6 pm. Our driver to Hobbiton was Fran--who had some very definite ideas about migration into NZ that were balanced with a wide-ranging sense of NZ history and geography and solid recommendations on ice cream.  So, six of one, half a dozen of the other.  On the drive, we were struck by the beauty and variety of the countryside.  For a few kilometers, we'd be surrounded by mounds in the earth that served as pressure release valves for the region's volcanic activity; then, rolling farmlands with hundreds of sheep or cattle; then, acres of corn; then, small suburbs; then, ...