Snorkelling in Rarotonga

We are fortunate to be 100 m from Puiakura Reef, and contained within the lagoon is the Aroa Marine Reserve.  There are hundreds of different types of fish and coral. Today we tested the water...

Moorish Idols, Butterfly fish, and striped Convict Surgeon

A magical world underwater

Stiped Convict, and Parrot fish feeding on coral

Damsel fish hiding in coral

Giant starfish and unknown fish with black kina

Rarotongan Holiday

The tail end of Winter, cold and wet, in Rotorua, so we are off to Raro for a week of fun, rest and snorkelling.  Erik says he will do some walks. I am just going to enjoy the sun and 24 degrees.  We arrived at Rarotonga at midnight, so the children had no idea what to expect when they woke up in the morning.  Sunshine!

Tighe's and Oscar's first flight - 4 hours to Raro from Auckland

Puiakura Reef, 100m from the house - perfect

Papaya for breakfast!

Where we spent most of the holiday.... snorkelling!

Ice Skating

There is an ice skating rink opened at the Lakefront for the school holidays.  Jack and Danielle are here for the school holidays, so as a treat, we are going skating.  The urchins were surprised how well Mama skated, and how fast she was...

Tighe, Gina, Danielle

Oscar's Gold Medal

The Rotorua Library had a competition in the school holidays.  Build a flying machine with 200 or less Lego pieces.  Oscar got a gold medal!  Way to go Oscar!  Well done!

Grand Design Lego Flying Machine 1st Place

Silver Medal - Lego Creature Design  ( a Flying lion)

Hamilton Zoo continued...

Bison, Zebra and lizards were popular.

Quinn and Tighe and aninals

Tuatara

A zebra for Tighe

Bison

Hamilton Zoo

Excitement - we got to see Rhinos, cheetahs, tigers and other exotic animals at the Hamilton zoo.

Sumartrian Tiger

Cheetah

Green Tree Frog

Rhino and Baby Rhino

Quinn's 9th Birthday

A construction party and lots of boys :  Quinn, Tighe, Adam, Luke, Zach, Kyle, Nelson, plus the rest of us girls got together Saturday afternoon and wished Quinn happy birthday.  He wanted a Lego cake, and it was interesting that the small children didn't want to eat it, as they are not allowed to put Lego in their mouths.  Zach was surprised that the cake was chocolate, he expected it to be Lego all the way through.  Great afternoon with all the boys.