canyoning

Went canyoning today. Had the best time! Supposedly there are pictures to come {they're pretty ridiculous}. 

A fun kiwi guy, Tony, picked us up from the hotel and we embarked on a drive to the western side. The drive was so beautiful! Filled with laughter, per usual. The road zigzagged up and down hills, and Tony cruised them as if we were on a track.  Oh, what I would give to have a house on one of these hillsides overlooking the lush forest and sea..

piha beach down below

 About an hour later, we made it down to the other side of the island. Got outfitted with stinky 5 mm wetsuits, booties, and helmets. Oh yea, we looked good. 

For the next few hours, we hiked up a path and treacherous stairs {ugh} to the top of the falls. This place was dammed years ago for logging purposes. When the dams were released, the heavy water washed out all the really, really large trees :(  But anyways, from the top we began the long haul back down to the bottom. This time, via the falls and rocks–not the dirt path. 

Rappelled down cliff-sides and waterfalls. Sang "Waterfalls" all too much. Took glamor shots in our fashionable wetsuits and helmets. Tried to figure out how to work a GoPro.  Climbed over and under rocks and tree trunks. Saw an eel in water where we were just swimming. Jumped off rocks. Oh, it was just a giant playground! The guides must love their jobs. 

a bunch of starvin marvin's

After a much needed lunch, we ventured over to Piha beach: home of Lion Rock, black sand, and strong riptides. Walked around on the hot sand for a bit. Saw a lot of surfer bums. And soaked up the beautiful day it turned out to be!

Our van ride home proved to be just as fun. Erin and I sat in the front of the van. Full-on action. Chatted with Tony. He's super, super cool–works on movie sets; has traveled the world; is a bit of a renaissance man. 

We got back in time for some exploring of Auckland.

real life frogger

family photo