Minneapolis

I am a big fan of Minneapolis but not necessarily the weather. When I arrived in the Twin Cities Kari and I had a few lovely sunny days for touring the city. Then the wind started to blow and the snow fell again. Yes it was April! But we still managed to cover a lot of ground and took many fun pictures. While I was there Brenda and Soren hosted a dinner at their house so all of us old friends could get together. Thanks you two. It was great, but as always too short. I am already looking forward to the next time I get to see you all again.

A photo of my favorite sculpture at the Walker Art Center The Grain Belt Premium Sign..it's huge Liz & Kari at the "bou", yummy Dinner at Big Bowl with Gena Liz with downtown Minneapolis in the background Kinses and Liz at Lake Calhoun, great walk, but cold Liz & Keri hanging out Jeff and Andie at Bren and Soren's house Kari with baby Lucy (parents Andie & Jeff) Grace, Kari, Claire and Annika before dinner Claire and Annika pose for a photo (Kari's niece & Bren & Soren's daughter) Liz & GG (Kari's niece) Trying to keep Jack and Claire still for a photo (Kari's nephew & niece) A visit to the Como Zoo (St. Paul) A winter wonderland in April!
Me and Kari self portrait #5987, the Stone Arch Bridge

Going to California

After three weeks in Phoenix, it was time to say goodbye. Mark flew back to New Zealand with a laundry list of boat projects to accomplish and I flew to San Francisco to visit some of my dearest friends. We had a fantastic time and I was spoiled rotten while I was there.

Aiden, Kevin and Amy near the Golden Gate Bridge
The View of San Francisco from Mt. Tam

Amy, Kevin, Aiden and Murphy on Mt. Tamalpais

Our girls day in San Francisco

Self portrait

Homecoming

It took us 2.5 years to get to New Zealand and only 12 hours to get back to California. We arrived in Los Angeles after a fairly painless flight to a gorgeous sunny day. We spent two days with my brother Matt who was kind enough to collect us at the airport. Below is a photo of me, Matt and Phronsie modeling his collection of hoodies on a cold spring night in LA.

After a short drive we arrived in San Diego for a brief visit with our dear friends the Frickers. It was wonderful to see them and amazing how big our little pals Zoe and Millie have gotten since we have been away. We had a great night of Thai food and even got to visit with our friend Gwen her two kids Maddie and Jack as well. Just like old times.

After a drive through the desert we arrived in Phoenix for a three week visit. Lucky for us, Mark's niece Maggie was on spring break so we had lots of time together. We spent lots of time cleaning out our shed and running errands but still had plenty of time for hiking Squaw Peak and going out to all our favorite old places. Marks Mom was kind enough to host us.
A few appetizers at T Cooks with Maggie and Margaret
Maggie's first climb to the top of the peak

Lisa, Liz and Karena in Karena's new beautiful backyard

Lisa and Damond, these two came all the way from Vegas to see us
Mark and I giggling with Ray and Tracey Mark and I with some of his oldest friends
Margaret and Marie all decked out for St. Pattys Day

After the Biltmore Easter egg hunt My Dad and cousin Megan celebrating Easter birthdays together

Charlie, Megan, Amy and Uncle Bud getting ready from some cake

The newleyweds, Josh and Karena

What's Up in Tauranga

In the past few weeks in Tauranga we have gotten to know the city a bit. We have decided to stay a few months, as we have made arrangements to haul Scholarship out of the water for some repairs. Below, a few pictures from last week.

The view from the summit of Mt. Manganui

Liz & Poki scale Mount Manganui

Happy sampling at the Mills Reef Winery

Treats from the Tauranga Farmers Market

The Hauraki Gulf

Just out of Auckland Harbor there are forty-seven islands. Some islands are sizeable while some are little more than rocks jutting out of the sea. The past few weeks we spent exploring two of these islands. The first being Waiheke Islands which is just fifteen miles from Auckland is covered in wineries and olive groves and is bordered by calm sandy beaches. A weekend getaway for Aucklanders, Waiheke is covered in million dollar properties and has plenty of cafes to satisfy the hordes of city slickers that throng here during the summer. Busy yes, but this place was so inviting that I even went for a swim. I have been petrified of the less than warm water since we arrived but it felt refreshing on a sunny 80 degree day. After a few days of sublime weather the wind decided to kick in and we were again stuck on the boat waiting for the wind to stop blowing so we could move on to our next destination. Weather is always on our mind here in New Zealand, as it is ever changing. It's one of those places where they say "if you don't like the weather than wait five minutes".
Finally after four or five days the wind calmed and so did the seas. We then headed out to Great Barrier Island which is the largest of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf and also one of the most rugged. It was the polar opposite of Waiheke. Most of the island is public and managed by the Departmemt of Conservation GBI has heaps of hiking trails, mostly dirt roads and no power source (besides generators). It's goergeous and a yachtie paradise. There are dozens of bays for anchoring and even at the height of summer we still managed to have some coves to ourselves. A few days it was just us and the penguins swimming around the boat. On land we hiked our butts off climbing to the highest point on the island (Hirakimata Peak) and also we rented a car one day with our friends from Irie. The island has several hot springs and we even found the irish pub for some fish and chips. What else could we want? In ten days we did not get to cover it all but we have it on the list to go back sometime soon. A few days ago we continued down the coast and we are now in a slip in the city of Tauranga where we will take a break and do some work on Scholarship. More soon and we love hearing from you all. Please remember to include your email address if you want a reply.
Cheers! Liz