Family Time

"There's only one rule...

...you're family now."

Many people in New Zealand have welcomed me as family, not just with kind words, but kind gestures as well.

Geothermal lake near Rotorua

In Rotorua, a town known for Maori culture and for its geothermal activity (which you can smell even before arriving due to the sulfur), I stayed with a Maori father and daughter who have hosted literally hundreds of Couchsurfers over time. They helped me decide where to explore during the days and then we enjoyed dinners together in the evening along with the daughter's mother, who while divorced from my host, still spends time with the family. After Rotorua, it was on to Gisborne, the surfing capital of New Zealand, where I stayed with a retired couple who live right on the ocean. Barb and Wes recommended a few good day hikes for me and one evening we had a great family dinner with their daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids, who also live on the ocean and are avid surfers. 

Sunrise view from Barb and Wes' home

Aaron, Wendy, Phoebe, and dog Olive

The next family I stayed and WWOOFed with for a week live in Morere, a "town" of about 25 people, known for its hotsprings and lovely rainforest day hikes nearby. Aaron, Wendy, and a their 9-year old daughter Phoebe (who they homeschool) live on a wonderful little farmlet with a considerable orchard and veggie gardens. Aaron is a motivational coach (often meeting with clients online) and authour of two books, and the whole family is very kind, grounded, and willing to question "the norm." We had many good conversations about life, global affairs, etc. while I was there. It was fun taking dips in the local hot springs and I went hiking almost every day. The hikes wound through lush forest teeming with nikau palms, chirping birds, and a lovely river and streams. One day, 9-year old Phoebe joined me for a challenging hike called the Mangakawa Track. It was her first time doing the hike and it was fun to see it through her eyes. She surprised me by leaping right over the trickiest parts even before I had time to finish cautioning her about them.
 

Hiking the Mangakawa Track with Phoebe

 

Next, I headed down to Napier, which is located in Hawke's Bay, known as "the fruit bowl of NZ" given all the surrounding orchards and vineyards. I WWOOFed with a couple named Gary and Rosemary in town, mostly helping out around their home. It was the most "residential" WWOOF stay I've had, but I enjoyed my time with the couple, who really included me as family and encouraged me to spend lots of time exploring (the coast, surrounding vineyards, great day hikes/bike rides, etc.), even lending me one of their bikes to get around on. Gary is a Freemason and there happened to be a Freemason dinner for members and their wives while I was there. They took me along for the dinner and then later showed me the Freemason lodge room, which has a long history of hundreds of years.

Biking along the coast near Napier

Biking along an estuary near Napier

Hiking Te Mata Peak with views of Hastings and Havelock North (near Napier)

Since these stays, I've put family time on hold for adventure time, doing a seven-hour volcanic alpine hike called the Tongariro Crossing and then a four-day kayak trip down the Whanganui River with what turned out to be a fun, international crew of paddlers. Will fill you in on these adventures soon!