narrow neck beach

We went to the beach and got in the water for the fist time today, which is a bit strange because we are surrounded by beautiful beaches and the weather has been wonderful.

I was worried about taking the kids to the beach by myself and when Lonnie has been working long hours, and when he does come home it is almost time for the kids to go to bed or we spent the time looking for a place to live. We still have things to get done o get settled, like buy a car (we rented one for this week) but we decided to take the afternoon off and enjoy some time at the beach.

Unlike the beaches in CA that I am used to the beaches here do not have strong tides. Auckland is tucked into a large bay and is surrounded by small islands. The beaches close to us are calm. Maya and I walked far out into the water and it was still just above my knees. The kids had a great time exploring. The beaches are also not very far from grassy areas with trees, which is especially nice for our pasty family.



We didn't go to the beach until about 4pm, so we didn't have to worry about getting burned, so Max only wore his swim diaper. Thankfully Speedos are perfectly acceptable here, but I don't think we will be seeing one on Lonnie anytime soon.

city photos

I have to agree with Stephanie's comment....the kids are just as happy in a small little apartment as they were in out big Texas house. We had fun living in the city for a month, riding the bus and chasing pigeons. They also liked that we spent as much time away from the apartment as possible. We went for lots of walks and did lots of exploring. I am certainly grateful for a good double stroller.

perspective

There is a large volcanic cone with a road to the top not far from where we are living. The view is amazing. We are surrounded by amazing views. These are just a view...more to come....

One of the many beaches with in a 5 min drive of our home.

On brezzy days you can find lots of sail boats on on the water. It makes me want to learn to sail..

The view of a couple of the small islands outside of Auckland harbor.



More sail boats...

The photo gives a good perspective of where we live. You can see Auckland on the far left (look for the tall buildings and the Sky Tower). On the far right in from of the bridge you can see another tall building. This is just around the corner from where we are living. In the foreground you can see some of the homes and shops in Devonport, where we go shopping and visit the library.

home again

We moved into our new place last Monday. We are loving it. We are living on a small little point just a ferry ride across from Auckland. The duplex we rented is small but is fully furnished and the lovely four year old who lives next door (with his parents) is gracious enough to share his ride on toys with our little ones. Max and Maya are so happy to have a yard to run around in, which in turn makes their mom very happy.
It has been nice to finally unpack our bags. After just five days we are already feeling very at home and starting to make friends in the community.