Farewell, Auckland

Surprisingly (Byron), tomorrow marks our last day in Auckland.  Time has sure flown, especially with all the excitement and fun that has been packed into the last few days.  First, while wading in the beautiful Pacific Ocean, we had a little visit from some friends--KILLER WHALES!!  How exciting it that?! When we first spotted them, they were a little way out (maybe 100 yards), but we must have looked friendly enough, cause they came right in close and hung out for a while.  While Corie likes to tell people that we swam with them, worry not, we enjoyed their visit from the safety of the sandy beach.  It was surely a once in a lifetime experience--one we will not soon forget.
After a couple days of projects around the house (including, but not limited to, painting a storage space white), we set off down the windy road, camping supplies in tow, to explore a little beach called Piha! It's a popular, local surf beach known for its fine, black sand.  We pitched our tent at the lovely campground and trod off to bask in the sun.  The ocean breeze and coastal clouds kept the heat from scorching us.  After laying around for a bit, we climbed up Lion Rock--a lush and looming rock jutting out of the ocean--then we enjoyed a picnic dinner (Mexican style) in the sand.  After dark set in, we busted out our headlamps for the first time--we were the coolest campers around. 

When the sun lit up our tent the next morning, we jumped out of our sleeping bags and took off to see the famed Kitekite Falls.  We were encouraged when we discovered that we were on the Hillary Trail.  If we can follow in his footsteps here, why not try Everest next?  We wandered up the trail under the jungle canopy until we spotted the falls! Breathtaking to say the least.  If breathtaking is the least, you know it must have been exquisite.  Much to our surprise and amazement, the track didn't end there.  A couple minutes later, we found ourselves sitting on the rocks at the very base of the falls.  We can't say enough to do it justice, so we'll let a few pictures try to convince you. 

Excited about chasing the whales down the beach...Corie, Taz, Taylor

Our little home in Piha!

Our lovely host, Lucy, dropping us off for a weekend at the beach.

Hiking down (or sideways, it seems) Lion Rock.

Piha Beach

Kitekite Falls--Taylor excited to be in front of it.

And Corie enjoying the view, too.

We are off on a 4-day bus/ferry tour of the country tomorrow, stopping off in Rotorua, Wellington and Christchurch, before arriving at Queenstown for our last week in NZ.  That's all for now!

don't get too used to this...

As promised, here are some snapshots of our time in New Zealand thus far.  Now, we know we have gone a little bit blog crazy up to this point, but that trend will definitely not continue through many of our less technologically advanced destinations.  So soak it up while you can :) Please enjoy this brief tour of Auckland and its surroundings.

 Corie and I at the foot of what Lucy calls "the storybook tree." "It's our favorite," says Corie.

 Us plus Taz and Meg--Lucy's daughters--atop the highest point of Devonport peninsula.

 Here's our view from the top...Auckland City in the background.

 Lucy's backyard BBQ preparations with a few friends.

 Corie stepping out on a lily-pad at the Wintergarden in Auckland.

Taz, Corie and Rory enthused in front of the Auckland Museum--packed with Maori history and relics, as well as "taxidermied" New Zealand critters.

To the city and beyond...

We've come to feel quite at home here in Lucy's place. We have our responsibilities figured out and have enjoyed some nice times with our new friends. We wake up never quite knowing what the day will hold--sometimes weed-pulling, sometimes spontaneous trips to Auckland city, and sometimes (much to Taylor's disappointment) a little jog around Konini. We've been amazed by our disappearing mosquito bites, then sun-triggered reappearance of them...what in the world is that about? But all in all, we are loving this beautiful and hospitable country.

On Friday (your Thursday), Lucy offered to take us into the city--how could we say no to that?? We were dropped off at the ferry building, where we sailed across the water to Devonport (a small touristy village), and hiked a hill to catch the most stunning view we've seen so far. The city on one side, the ocean/volcanoes/islands on the other. (Right here is where we would have inserted a picture, but it turns out that neither of us knows how. Sorry about that, but you'll have to use your imaginations for now). Aside from that, we've been on a couple of incredible runs. A little more uphill than the two of us fancy, but our angry legs have been (somewhat) remedied by the rainforest-like scenery that surrounds every home. Last night, we all enjoyed a barbecue at Lucy's (to get a taste of Kiwi tradition). Tay's highlight was the guacamole; our English housemate (Martyn) was more a fan of the rusty nails that Lucy served. We are happy here. Surrounded by great scenery and wonderful company. Hoping the same goes for all of you :). We'll check back again in a couple of days...

Sweet As

We have arrived at destination número uno: Konini, New Zealand. It's summertime!! Coming from winter, there is a shocking variety of green trees and chirpings things. Plus, we get to hang out with the ducks that waddle around at will. We have settled in to our own little room at Lucy's place. She is a wonderfully eccentric host with 3 kids, who are surprisingly welcoming to two gallavanting American girls. On day one, after a little jaunt to a nearby hillside (picturesque as can be) and tucked-away waterfall, we enjoyed dinner on the still-sunlit balcony at 7:30. It seems our duties for the next 12 days will include hanging laundry in the summer breeze, gardening in the sunshine and other tasks around the house. We are also looking forward to getting out and seeing the sights and enjoying the laid-back life that seems to be the norm here in New Zealand. We will keep you posted as we venture on :)
PS. pictures to come!

great to have you with us.

Hello, people!  And welcome to our blog :).

Now.  Don't go getting too excited in that seat of yours; our journey hasn't yet begun.  Right now, Taylor and I are both still sitting cozily in our homes in Colorado and California, spending our days doing things that most of you would be very uninterested in reading about (and rightfully so).  Come Monday evening, however, that will no longer be true--and THAT is why we are getting this going, and also why we are here to say that we are so glad to have you with us.

Since this is just the little introductory post, please don't expect too much excitement.  I just can't live up to the high standards, and would hate to disappoint you one by one.  What I can do, though, is get you prepped for the potentially exciting posts to come.  So with that said, here's the information you might need to feel included, should you choose to check in every now and again:

Over the next 7 months, Taylor and I (Corie) will be traveling to 10 different countries (the first bit of information you might want to know).  We are beginning in New Zealand, then heading to Australia, India, Nepal, Uganda, Turkey, Malta, Switzerland, Brazil, and (probably) Haiti--a few of our plans are still in the works.  In most of the countries, we will be spending our time volunteering (often at orphanages and in schools, but details on that will come later), and we are both truly humbled to have the resources to do so.  As we both love other cultures and people, this really is a dream come true for the two of us.  All in all, we are thrilled to begin a journey that has been in the making for a long while, and we are excited to share it with you.

For those of you who know Taylor, you know how great she is.  But for those of you who don't (my people), here are some of the basics:  born and raised in Colorado, LOVES snowboarding, takes way better pictures than I ever could, may not ever be able to have too many sweets, is easy-going and a joy to have around, and really is liked by pretty much everyone who meets her.  Obviously there's more to the girl than what I've said here, but you can piece all of that together on your own over the next 7 months :).

As for me, my name is Corie and I was born and raised in California.  I like things like picnics and hikes and other fun activities outside.  I don't love snowboarding, am more of the point-and-shoot photographer-type, and can definitely get sick from too many sweets.  If you didn't already pick it up, I also don't like talking about myself, so if you are really dying to know something else, just ask and I'd be more than happy to satisfy your curiosity.  Otherwise, we'll move on to our final point:

Like I have said multiple times, Taylor and I really are grateful for all of you and are excited to have you along on this journey.  We would like to give a disclaimer, however, and say the following: we're pretty sure that we both stink at this whole blog thing.  So.  Our commitment to you is that we will try our best to update when possible and with as much enthusiasm as we can muster.  On the other hand, please don't be too disappointed if our predictions about our non-blogging selves are more accurate than you were hoping.

Well, that's really all we have to say for now.  Thanks for being you and for caring enough to read this.  Talk to you soon from NEW ZEALAND!