Hahei, New Zealand

Pat found this perfect little sleepy fishing beach town in a tour book, and it's well worth checking out some day. I've never seen a beach with such a beautiful surrounding bay. Gorgeous rocks dotting the surf, arches, blow holes, headlands, it has it all right there.

We hiked, read, swam, napped (the story of these two vacation weeks, really. That and going through a lot of customs-s-s-s) and hung out in our caravan park.

We had a little bunkhouse, one room with minimal (but fine) cooking facilities. We ate outside on the picnic table, and used the communal bathroom facilities. The beach was a 2 minute walk on the other side of the tent sites. How great is that.

It was a full moon, so we spent each evening watching it rise and then looking for shooting stars. And that ain't all!!!!!

We'd heard it was jelly fish season with the waters warming, and also shark time as well. So when we went for a swim, we stayed in close and watched the water for floating objects! So when Pat gasped and shouted and wiggled his foot away in a crazy, unprofessional (particularly for a tough cop) kinda way, all three of us BEE-LINED out of the water up onto the sand, looking behind us and shouting ourselves. Once on the sand, we inspected Pat's foot. He had two large pincer marks from a very unhappy crab that Pat had been standing on. He told us he'd felt something hard he was standing on, but didn't think much of it. Hmmm. Sandy shoreline. Hard something. My instincts say move off of it and away, how 'bout yours?? :) We were very glad it was not something with many rows of teeth or swirling tenticles. But it did draw a little blood and made us a little wary to venture out again. We did anyway, but this time kept treading water!!

We stayed until Christmas Day, so our Christmas Eve started with Ross' Christmas stocking appearing on the camp table in the bunk room. Amazing how Santa makes due with no chimney and not a lot of floor space. It is Ross's first year to get Kangaroo chocolate coins and boomerang key chains. Santa helped out the local economy on this one. The afternoon was spent at the general store's Sausage Sizzle. Santa was hanging out in his red coat, but open at the chest with no tee shirt under - it's hot everyone! Someone was playing Christmas carols on a saxaphone with a synthesizer for fun. That was about it! The next morning we were off to Fiji, so it was an early night for us. Merry Christmas!