Settling in

We are slowly but surely settling in to the swing of things here in Raglan, NZ. We've opened up a bank account, we've found the cheap eats in town, we have all adjusted to the time change, and Luna has started growing dreadlocks to fit in with the local crowd (the maori tattoos will have to wait)

We move into our more permanent house tomorrow - a big relief for Noah's cranium which regularly hits the 6' high ceiling beams in the hobbit cave where we are currently staying.

Most importantly - we have purchased a surfboard (a.k.a. Old Yeller) - she has already proven to be a loyal companion in the surf.

We also got Luna a bike so she can cruise around town (she calls it her 'slash purple slash pink bike').

It has been a 3-day holiday weekend here in NZ, so the beaches in town have been fairly crowded (crowded is a relative term). This beach session was fueled by strawberry ice cream!

Here is a video of Noah jumping off the bridge in the harbor. Can't see Noah? - look for the palest guy on the bridge.

Welcome to NZ!

We thought our trip to New Zealand would be a good opportunity to start using the blog again - so, at long last, here it goes.....

We flew into Auckland early this morning. It was smooth - Luna slept for about 10 hours of the 13 hour flight from Los Angeles to Auckland. She really is an excellent traveler - excited the entire time and not a single bout of fussiness (I can't say the same for myself). Here she is taking an impromptu nap on the floor of Terminal 2 at LAX (a.k.a the Dirtbag Hilton) while we wait for our flight to Auckland to depart.

Snuggling with mom on our Air New Zealand SkyCouch (a.k.a. 'cuddle class'). Well worth the extra $ as both mom and Luna slept well as we traversed the Pacific. Dad was stuck in a basic economy class seat, but managed to survive by going into torpor during the flight.

The Air New Zealand flight was great, but they had some unnerving Lord of the Rings-style safety briefings. Can't say I'm a big fan of receiving my safety info. from Bilbo Baggins and Gollum.

At long last, we arrived in Auckland and drove two hours south to Raglan on the west coast of the North Island. This will be our home base for the next 5 months and, needless to say, we made a good choice. The town is incredibly beautiful - surrounded by water and spectacular views. This is just one of many beaches located close to the town.

It was a bit windy, so we headed to a harbor beach that is about a 2 minute walk from downtown Raglan (with only 2,000 inhabitants, calling it a 'downtown' is a bit of a stretch). The Creature from the Black Lagoon spent some time in her native habitat:

Hmmm, what should we have for dinner? Fish and chips of course! A great meal made with snapper brought into the dock about 15 feet from the table.

It is now almost 7pm here in Raglan and everyone is going to sleep. It has been a great day and everyone is eagerly awaiting new adventures tomorrow!