Happy Holidays from us to you! We’ve taken a short break from boat work to spend some much needed time with family. We feel incredibly lucky that they were willing to travel all this way to see us, and we’ve been soaking up every minute together. We haven’t all been in the same place for two years, so this time feels particularly special! Ray and I have loved sharing this beautiful country with them, and so far our favorite activities have been…

Waipu Caves Scenic Reserve

There are small native fungus gnat larvae found in damp dark caves across New Zealand. These larvae produce a blue light to attract insects into fine silk threads they hang from the cave ceilings. We drove to the cave near our rental home, waded through shin-deep water, and turned off our flashlights to reveal thousands of tiny blue dots lighting up the ceiling; it was incredible! 

Piroa Falls

The Piroa Falls Track is a short but rewarding hike that ends at a beautiful waterfall, complete with clean, deep pools perfect for swimming. There’s also a picnic table, so we packed a cooler and enjoyed lunch in the forest.

TerraGallo Al Fresco Kitchen Experience

When Ray and I first arrived in New Zealand, a group of locals invited us to join them for a Sunday roast. Everyone was unbelievably friendly, it was such a warm welcome! Fast forward several months, coming from the USA, we had no idea that Boxing Day meant nearly every restaurant would be closed on December 26th. With such limited time with my family, I really wanted to plan something special for that evening. I reached out to one of the women from that first roast dinner, and she suggested “some Italian man’s house” in Mangawhai. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Donato is absolutely lovely, his home overlooks the valley, and he made us five different pizzas in his authentic wood-fired oven right in his backyard. We laughed, drank wine, and ended the night with tiramisu! 

The Landing Winery

We were picked up at the wharf by Gus, the skipper, and taken by boat to The Landing, a stunning vineyard and winery on the Purerua Peninsula in the Bay of Islands known for its award-winning estate wines and beautiful coastal setting. We enjoyed a tour of their incredible vineyard and cellar, followed by a wine tasting and a chef-curated seasonal lunch featuring fresh local produce. We even noticed a few mooring balls nearby… perhaps we’ll return one day on our boat?

Waipu Golf Club

We popped in for a friendly nine holes at the scenic Waipu Golf Club, just a few minutes down the road from our rental home. With stunning ocean views from every hole, we had a blast, although Ray and I are still firmly not golfers (haha!). If you visit, be sure to stop for lunch at the cafe; the food is delicious and the scenery is hard to beat!

This week we’re saying farewell to my brother and then getting back to boat work. We’re still waiting on two vital pieces of equipment before we can move forward with the wiring: the Quattro and our new air conditioning units. Fingers crossed they arrive soon so we can kick this refit back into gear!

Cheers, and thanks for following along 🙂