We're Tramping

For the past several months, whenever we ventured off-road, my husband would announce we're tramping. According to wiki, tramping is walking over rough country carrying all the required food and equipment; the term is generally used for trips that are of at least one overnight stay in the backcountry. Therefore, I'm fairly certain our New Zealand tramp count stands at....zero. Today, we decided to take one more non-tramp in New Zealand.

Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island rising out of the Auckland Harbour, for me, it is my favourite landmark in Auckland. For kilometer after kilometer, it has been my companion as I ran the shoreline. As I gazed out at it, I imagined a scarred and barren landscape, red brown and covered in lava stones. I was wrong.

As the ferry approached the island, I was surprised to discover there were trees, lots of trees. Not only trees, but there were a handful of baches (cottages) scattered along the waterfront. My barren island had once supported seven hundred permanent residents! We disembarked and began the one hour climb to the summit; obviously the people who climbed in an hour did not have a three-year old and they were not six months pregnant. Although the trail was obvious, it did have it's challenges in random jutting lava rocks, the occasional root, and slippery leaves. After allowing Mikaela to walk and play hide-and-seek for over an hour, we began to panic that we wouldn't make it to the summit in time to return for the last ferry. Dave, once again, showed he was an IronMan. He hefted our forty pound daughter, and carried her to the summit. I panted my way behind them, hoping I wasn't cooking the foetus. Twice, Dave suggested we give up and start heading down...particularly when one section that should have taken us five minutes took fourteen, but we persevered. And the view was worth it...

The Rainy Season

When Dave first arrived in NZ last year, one of his first blog entries called the weather annoying. At home safely under the July skies, I scoffed at this description. How could anyone call 14 degrees in the dead of winter annoying? It sure sounded sweet to me.

Over the course of the past two weeks, I now understand this description. The weather really does alternate between brilliant sunshine and plummeting rain all day long. With my time here winding down, I often think I should get out and do more...and yet, I loathe the daily drenchings. Interestingly enough, the Aucklanders seem completely unphased. They do not wear raincoats, and only the staunchest carry umbrellas. As each downpour begins, I can't help but sprint for the nearest tree or bus stop...that alone identifies me as a tourist :-)

Dangly Bits

From the beginning, this pregnancy has been significantly different from my first. Not that my first pregnancy didn't have its share of glorious symptoms but they were minor irritations, instead, this time I found myself intimately aware of how inadequate the couch is in this rental. For the better part of the first four months, I was useless. The limited energy I possessed was expended on Mikaela, and my short temper and grumpy disposition were showered on Dave. As such, I began to think of this baby as a boy. My logic followed that only a boy could wreck this much havoc on my normally energetic, on-the-go lifestyle.

Since Mikaela's best friend, Bianca, had a baby brother, she seemed content to accept my opinion that I was carrying a boy and she began requesting we draw pictures of her baby brother. Dave also felt I was correct due to the marked differences in the pregnancies, but he secretly held out hope that we would be proven wrong with another little girl.

With the approach of the 20-week anatomy ultrasound, we wavered on whether to find out the gender. Should we? Or shouldn't we? As the technician went through the scan, there were lots of beautiful, perfects, and looks good. Although I was extremely happy to know all was well with baby Stachon, I found I couldn't get the question of the gender out of my head. I wanted to know, and I wanted to know NOW!

It pains me to admit, I was wrong, so very wrong. In the technician's words, there were no dangly bits ;-)

Kudos from Kids

As parents, we often lament the overwhelming lack of appreciation from our offspring. Never once have I heard a child say thank you for the clean laundry, the supper I rejected, or cleaning up the vomit in my bed. Over the course of the last couple weeks though, I have to admit that Mikaela has been doling out encouragement. First it was the exclamations of "You know all the colours!" as I recited them in English, French, and Spanish at her request. Next, it was "Good counting!" as we repeatedly counted her Easter eggs in all three languages. And finally this morning, I was rewarded with a "You make me so happy!" when she heard me go wees in the toilet. I'll take whatever kudos I can get...

My Own Backyard

For months now, I've spent hours reading about what's what in New Zealand. I've sifted through the fluff, and decided what was on the must-do list, the wouldn't-it-be-nice-to-do list, and the damn-I'm-too-pregnant-to-do list. While undertaking this research, one cannot help but think of all the interesting places and activities that I've yet to experience in both Canada and the US. It could be something as simple as a day-trip to the Lusk Caves in Gatineau Park or visiting Boldt Castle in 1000 Islands. Alternately, I'd love to visit Jasper National Park in Alberta, the Grand Canyon in Nevada, or return to Gros Morne in Newfoundland. There are cities on my wish list too - Quebec, New Orleans, and San Francisco are all near the top of the list. The challenge, of course, is to balance the desire to see my own backyard with the desire to experience other countries. Perhaps alternating vacations are the answer...one vacation in Canada, one vacation abroad. Now if only we could win the lotto...

Bay of Islands & the Kauri Coast

With my time winding down in New Zealand, the Easter weekend provided a good opportunity to check a few more boxes on my NZ wish list. In an attempt to avoid the worst of the long weekend traffic, we departed Auckland on Friday morning. It would seem others had the same idea and the first few hours of the drive were filled with much stopping and starting; Dave even began to suggest we throw in the towel and just go home. I *think* he was kidding. After four hours on the road, we finally arrived at our destination - the picturesque Bay of Islands, specifically Paihia.

In a country full of 'picturesque' locations, I have to admit that the Bay of Islands was a bit disappointing. I mean, sure, it was pretty but Akaroa was prettier, the Coromandel Peninsula is prettier. Heck, I even think Piha is prettier. For scenery, I just don't think I'd put the Bay of Islands at the top of my list. On the other hand, it was a fabulous location for history! There is the Wantangi Treaty Grounds, considered the birthplace of New Zealand, Russell, the first capital of New Zealand, and historical buildings galore in the region. To amuse Mikaela, there was also shape-drawing in the sand, rock throwing in the water, and hide-and-go-seek in the gardens - all free of charge.

I would absolutely put the Bay of Islands on any itinerary of the North Island, but then, I'm a sucker for museums. Dave says he could spend minutes reading about the Treaty House, he means that, he literally spent a few minutes glancing over the information before moving on. I could spend hours, scrutinizing each photo, envisioning the original structure prior to the add-ons, and wondering if that statue is an eel or snake. I love the fact that they have a waka (canoe) that will hold 86 warriors, but I also want to know that it was built with wood from three different Kauri trees. And, not only that, I like knowing that these trees were blessed prior to the chopping down and that the Maori had to relearn lost skills to create the waka. I leave these sights filled with useless information that fascinates me and bores Dave as I try to impart my enthusiasm. He is a good sport though, and I appreciate all the time he spends chasing Mikaela while I indulge in my luxurious museum wanderings.

Yesterday, on the way home, we decided to take the road less travelled through the Waipoua State Forest. There are a number of tracks maintained by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to allow visitors to view some of New Zealand's largest trees. Although I know we have bigger trees in Canada, I still wanted very much to witness the large kauri trees of New Zealand. They were incredible. On each track, there would be a number of large kauri trees that would put any tree I'd ever seen to shame until finally we would arrive at our destination and stand in awe of the 13.77m diametre Tane Matuna or the 16.71m diametre Te Maua Ngahere. It was a big hit with Mikaela too, as she ran through the forest, hiding in tree trunk holes or amongst the tall grasses!

Kiwi In Training

One of the most common questions I heard prior to leaving Canada was Do you think Mikaela will develop a Kiwi accent? This seemed a highly unlikely possibility since she would continue to spend most of her time with me, the most she/ could hope for were some grammatical errors to drive Dave crazy. What I didn't account for, was the variation in her vocabulary as a result of our time in New Zealand.

A few months ago, Mikaela started referring to the bathroom as the toilet. This is not unheard of in Canada, but we do seem to prefer the more polite term. As I strive to make the toilet training a strife-free experience, in the desperate hope that she may (again) embrace the idea someday, I changed my vocabulary to be in sync with her daycare. I would ask if she needed to go to the toilet or make wees. This morning, she went one better, and referred to garbage as rubbish. With the hiring of a part-time Kiwi nanny last week, I wonder if she'll soon be calling the living room the lounge, her stroller the buggy, and searching for her togs to wear to the pool. On the day she exclaims Sweet As, I'll know she's been officially converted.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sweet%20as