So, my Angels had never flown before, and their first experience was to be a long haul flight.....well 3 actually....in the new A380 double decker airbus......and boy were they long.....13 hours to Singapore.....just a half hour while they cleaned the plane .....then a further 10 hours to Melbourne......1 hour to freshen up......then a final 4 hours to Wellington.....phew, 28½ hours of travel.....were we exhausted or what? But the excitement of landing at our final destination soon revived us. I have to say, I was a little concerned with the prospect of travelling such a long way, for such a long time, cooped up in such small spaces with all 4 Angels together....with long queues, and lots of security checks thrown in for good measure.......quite possibly a disastrous mix ......but they were absolutely brilliant......took it all in their strides.....helping each other and me, when necessary......I needn't have worried....they all made me very proud!
After a good long sleep in comfy beds, we were rearing to go and ready to explore.....so first off was a tour of Grandpa's farm on his tractor and trailer.....the Angels' first encounter with sheep and cows....and a walk along the river bank looking for wild flowers and love ❤ stones....
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| Little Miss |
Later we did a spot of eeling in Black Creek, but we didn't even get a single bite! Bummer.....we were assured there were loads of them.....and big ones too! But it was not to be.....not this time at least!
Weta Studios in Miramar was really interesting....a teeny tiny museum of sorts..... showcasing the special effects, props, armour, and weapons invented, made, and used for the Lord of the Rings, Narnia Prince Caspian, King Kong, Avatar, Tintin, and most recently The Hobbit films, to name just a few.....it was well worth a visit.....and it was free!
Te Papa Museum in Wellington was also free.....amazing......with lots of interesting things to see and do.....the biggest giant squid ever found......the extinct giant flightless Moa bird.....
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| Moa |
and the Angels experienced what it is like to be in an earthquake, in a specially built cottage inside the museum.....quite pertinent as Christchurch experienced another major earthquake just days before Christmas.
Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any live kiwis, but we did see these in the museum....
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| NZ Kiwi |
And as was to be expected, there was a large section devoted to Maori culture....
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| Maori War Canoe |
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| Maori Store House |
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| Detailed Carving of Maori Store House |
We didn't manage to see all the museum.....in fact, we only touched the surface....and we hoped to go back to see the rest, but sadly, we just didn't get there....too many other interesting and exciting things to do!
Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the chilly, with temperatures roughly the same as here in England.....cold for a New Zealand summer.....warm for a British winter.....around 13C......so we had to find lots of warm clothes and coats for everyone, as we only took summer clothes.
Despite the grey weather, there were new skills to learn.....a tractor just begging to be driven.....
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| Big Lad learning to drive |
and a flying fox (zip wire to the British) to be zipped along.....
We collected some pretty coloured eggs.....
cuddled some chickens......
and Little Lad found himself a lucky four-leafed clover to be preserved and treasured.....
at least he thinks it's a four-leafed clover.....I'm not entirely sure, and secretly think it's from an entirely different plant......a bit of a rogue.....but he was well chuffed with himself.
We also had a meet the POME's day, when friends and family came for a BBQ to say HELLO .....it was quite an overwhelming experience for me because I hadn't seen these people in many, many years, and it was just soooo good to catch up with them all......it was also quite overwhelming for the Angels too, and exciting, because they met Aunties, Uncles, and cousins of cousins for the very first time.....FAMILY......cousins their own ages who they could play with, and got on like a house on fire..... this feeling of belonging, being surrounded and embraced by family was simply quite wonderful for us all.......we've been so isolated here in England for the last 19 years, with no family except ourselves. I can't wait for the next time we can all be together again.
-xx-
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