The Heards Arrive; or Which House ?!?!?!

On first coming to New Zealand in 2010 I really didn't know what to expect. I knew it would be "fine" and "interesting", but almost immediately recognized how special this place and opportunity would be for Fayne and me. I looked forward to sharing that with my family and friends, and most especially our daughter Sofia.
Her life intervened: two children and a husband in the USAF requiring multiple moves. I thought they would come over Christmas, 2017, but another move from Phoenix to LA put the kibosh on that plan.So it was with excitement (and a little skepticism) she told me in May the family finally decided to make their first visit here in August. When that appeared to be happening, I had some anxiety as to how well things would go. Would the winter here be too cold, the days too short, our wee house too small? How would the four of them endure the long flight, Isaiah's first flight and their maiden long trip as a family? Would Kiwi food suit them? Would the grand-kids' stamina and interest be sustained throughout long car trips through the South Island? As it turned out, I was worried for naught, and their visit may have been our most successful to date.

3/4 of our visitors overlooking Caroline Bay, Timaru, NZ

We departed from San Francisco and the Heards from LA the evening of Thursday, August 9th. We landed in Auckland a bit earlier and waited anxiously for them to clear customs as their flight was delayed. We all then rushed from the International Terminal to the Domestic in time for the next flight to Wellington, then on to Timaru by noon Saturday.
It was a brilliantly clear day and the Southern Alps running down the spine of the South Island have never been more beautiful. Our visitors were duly impressed as the kids had never seen snow before. The rental van large enough for all of us waited at the airport. It was our transportation for the next nine days. For coming such a long way, their stay was quite short, and as the designated tour planner I knew it would be a challenge to show them as much as possible without completely exhausting everyone. I think I did pretty well with that.
We spent the first two nights in Timaru. The house was kept comfortably warm for all (and the energy bill was not as bad as I feared),  and they got a nice introduction to Timaru. This included some good local food, Caroline Bay (above), the South Canterbury Museum, and Maori Rock Art Museum. The highlight was an invitation to share Sunday night dinner with Dagmar Crosby and family. Dagmar is a local GP originally from the Czech Republic (aka Czechia) via Washington State. She and husband Paul are lovely, generous people and the two pairs of children seemed to have a lot of fun together.
Enough sitting around! Monday morning it was off to Christchurch via the Inland Scenic Route. It lives up to its name particularly when crossing the Rakaia Gorge and River.

I prepared for their visit by asking friends with small children for suggestions, and it was agreed the International Antarctic Centre adjacent to the Christchurch Airport was a good place to start. Attractions include little blue penguins, experiencing a simulated polar blizzard, a 4-D movie excursion to the continent,  and an adventurous ride in a giant Hagglund all-terrain vehicle.

Hungry birds

Hagglund Ride (Photo courtesy of International Antarctic Centre)

After walking through the still severely disrupted post-earthquake CBD, it is always fun to drop by Fred and Myrtle's Paua Shell House transplanted from Bluff to the Canterbury Museum.

The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is on the edge of the city. It is the BEST place to see the brown kiwis (photos banned as it is a "nocturnal house") and lots of other kiwi and non-kiwi fauna.

Feeding and petting the native eels, called tuna in Maori

Kea

Kimarra and friend.....

...a strange-looking Muscovy duck that seemed to want to go home with us.

Dinosaurs' distant cousin, the tuatara

The tui (also the name of a popular NZ beer)

We even managed for Marquise' sake to squeeze in a visit to the NZAF Museum.

Back to Timaru for a night and a brief introduction to other medical colleagues during their traditional Tuesday night dinner, we headed south Wednesday and first stopped in Oamaru and its fantastical playground.

Isaiah atop the elephant slide

Kimarra having a ball on the zip line

Mother cleaning up son photo-op.

The family battling a local Steampunk warrior

It would have been touristic malpractice to NOT visit the Moeraki Boulders a bit further south.

Our destination that night was the spooky Larnach Castle outside of Dunedin on the Otago Peninsula. We have toured the house and gardens before but never stayed overnight. It is a true oddity, complete with a tragic history from the latter 19th century, fortunes gained and lost, a twice-widowed banker and politician whose third wife took up with his son. William Larnach was a member of parliament and he took his own life in the New Zealand Parliament Buildings in 1898. To build the country home, he hired expert craftsmen from around the world, and it shows. The woodworking, stone masonry, and windows are all impressive.

Dinner with other guests in the castle

The view of Otago Harbour from our adjoining balconies

Isaiah enjoying breakfast tea in the converted stables

The castle stay may have been the trip highlight for all of us (and something Fayne and I had wanted an excuse to do for years), but there were plenty more sights to enjoy.

Our full contingent on the roof of the tower

Marquise had heard from friends about Queenstown, so we had to go there. It was a bit cloudy and rainy/snowy at times, but that was not going to stop us from enjoying one of this country's tourist jewels.

At the top of the gondola, overlooking Q-town and a cloudy Lake Wakatipu

On leaving town we went up towards Coronet Peak ski field, but the authorities were requiring chains. We had none, so we turned back but not before the kids had a minor snow experience.
Heading north again, despite some cloudy weather, we did drive into Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park and the Hermitage Hotel. Isaiah paid his respects to one of New Zealand's favorite sons, the late Sir Edmund Hillary.

Statue of Sir Ed and friends gazing on Aoraki

By nightfall we reached Lake Tekapo. Saturday morning was as bright and beautiful as could be.
Spectacular!!!

Church of the Good Shepherd, Tekapo

Selfies with Isaiah: sweet,

and spicy.

The whirlwind trip wrapped up with Saturday night back in Timaru on James Street, then to the Richard Pearse Airport mid-day Sunday. I am confident in saying that the visit was 100% successful. Much like for us, it was obvious to our guests why we decided to come and stay here. They all loved the region, felt they were leaving too soon, and talked of returning. 

Departure day, in front of James St. house...

...and at the airport.

It could be evidence of a true desire to return that Isaiah forgot his cherished shark toy (aka Finney) in our bed. When he learned Finney was missing, he was quite distressed. His mom tried to reassure him that the miniature man-eater was safe at Papou and Grandma's house, in a panic he asked "Which house ?!?!?!".  This is not an unreasonable question given our trans-Pacific life, one I ask myself frequently. It also regrettably provides fodder for my German colleague Dr. Caspritz's claim that like all American doctors, we have an over-abundance of homes.

Finney hiding in our bed......

...and planning more NZ adventures before returning to Isaiah