Goat Island

Goat Island Marine Reserve  is on the coast at the small town of Leigh, approximately 90km north of Auckland, New Zealand.

For more than 30 years marine life has been fully protected from any form of fishing. For the marine enthusiast, the experience is one you will never forget.

Fish seen include snapper, blue maomao, parore, red moki, goatfish, leatherjackets, sweep, blue cod, spotties, kelpfish, marblefish, eagle rays and stingrays. Some of the snapper for which the reserve is famous, are a metre long and have lived in the reserve for many years.

Snorkel, Dive, take a glass bottom boat ride or just relax on the beach side.

  

Gourmet Sculptures

Brick Bay Sculpture Trail near Matakana showcases an ever-changing exhibition of around 45 contemporary sculptures

 

Gourmet grazing platter and fine Wine on a warm NZ summer day is Bliss

Going somewhere guys?

would love to take these home

Peek a BOO!

LIVE WIRE

ollie ollie ollie

Priceless moments with a favourite Uncle , we love and miss you!

(Yasmine styling fresh design bloomers from Katie and gorgeous top from Sarah Lux)

cousin mania!

Yasmine had no idea the people she would meet in NZ and the relations on her mothers side , there really are no words for these beautiful girls, maybe action packed sums it up!

Yasmine's first cousins -once removed...

If someone walked up to you and said "Howdy, I'm your third cousin, twice removed," would you have any idea what they meant? Most people have a good understanding of basic relationship words such as "mother," "father," "aunt," "uncle," "brother," and "sister." But what about the relationship terms that we don't use in everyday speech? Terms like "second cousin" and "first cousin, once removed"? We don't tend to speak about our relationships in such exact terms ("cousin" seems good enough when you are introducing one person to another), so most of us aren't familiar with what these words mean.

Cousin (a.k.a "first cousin")

Your first cousins are the people in your family who have two of the same grandparents as you. In other words, they are the children of your aunts and uncles.

Second Cousin

Your second cousins are the people in your family who have the same great-grandparents as you., but not the same grandparents.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Cousins

Your third cousins have the same great-great-grandparents, fourth cousins have the same great-great-great-grandparents, and so on.

Removed

When the word "removed" is used to describe a relationship, it indicates that the two people are from different generations. You and your first cousins are in the same generation (two generations younger than your grandparents), so the word "removed" is not used to describe your relationship. The words "once removed" mean that there is a difference of one generation. For example, your mother's first cousin is your first cousin, once removed. This is because your mother's first cousin is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents. This one-generation difference equals "once removed."

..... according to the genealogy website.

Going to the Zoo Zoo you can come Too!

AUCKLAND ZOO

Oops! how did that one get out! Sorry these are a rare creature and not always seen in the Auckland Zoo.
Uncle Stigs surely know how to have fun, some say he tastes like bubble gum, that he lives in a tree and that his sweat can be used to clean precious metals.


DAY 3:

We're going to the zoo. You can come along too.
  Sometimes we go the zoo. It's our favorite thing to do.
With our family, Uncle Stig and me
Go visit our friends at the zoo. We'll introduce them to you.

Giraffes and kangaroos, Zebra and lions too, all live in our zoo.
They will welcome you with a how do you do to you.

Who's that over there? Sneaking through the dark and fern trees

Makin' no sounds and hard to see? Can you-oo guess who?
The Kiwi and Tuatara says hi to you.

What do I hear now? Such a scary growl.
It's a big cat with stripes down his back. Can you guess who?
The tiger says hello too.

What do I see lookin' down at me with a long stretched out neck?
He's a giraffe and he's the tallest I've ever met.

 

What have I found? The biggest animal around.
With great big ears and a great big trunk he can make a trumpet sound?
The elephant says "How do you do?"

  Sleeping animals fat and thin 

Seals all honkin'; swimming and flapping their fins 

How the time does fly. We've got to say good-bye.
The zoo is a great place to be. There's so much to see.
I'm glad that we came to the zoo.

City of Sails

 Auckland's waterside location has fostered the locals' love affair with the sea, earning this place the nickname "City of Sails".

Auckland sprawls over the sparkling waters of the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours. A cloak of rainforest covers the surrounding hills, dozens of dormant volcanic cones dot the landscape and enchanting holiday islands are scattered throughout the vast Hauraki Gulf.

DAY 2: Today's trip to downtown Viaduct marina and ferry ride to Devonport with Granddad.
 The Viaduct probably one of Auckland's most talked about locations.
For al fresco dining, great nightlife, or a fantastic setting for day-time sightseeing, head down to the Viaduct Harbour. Enjoy a leisurely stroll around the Viaduct and take in the super yachts, before choosing from a delicious range of restaurants and bars.
Regardless of where you dine, you can count on being seated overlooking the water and surrounding activity, while sipping on a fine wine and enjoying mouth-watering dishes.
Try some fresh seafood at Kermadec Ocean Fresh Restaurant.

The seaside village of Devonport has a charming and relaxed atmosphere, you can stroll the streets of top cafes, art galleries and boutique shops , stop for an icecream while you sit by the waters edge boat watching, or visit historic points of interest and lookouts.

Wandering around the village takes you back to a bygone era of colonial settlement in the 1800s, as the streets are lined with beautifully renovated Victorian villas.

9 Months

Stay posted and enjoy our Auckland trip where you will see many more pictures of Yasmine 8-9 months, 

she blows kisses 

and pulls fish faces, 

says olly olly olly
has 6 teeth!

and moves quicker and quicker everyday