There was a man plying the guitar- so we stopped there. We had cold drinks.

My night time photo on the out for our meal.

TOMORROW THE MOUNTAINS !

We visited the Falls

Awesome.

Dad said he needed another cold drink 😁

You catch your own prawns. So I had 6 biguns !

The manager had to teach me how to eat a prawn

Screw the head. In other countries the sauce in the head is a delicacy.

Twist the head off. Pull the shell off and pull the legs off. Then pull the tale off the meat.

Yummy. Dad needed a cold drink

But … there was one last prawn left. Yummy.

Caught you.

The helicopter followed the Waikato River from Lake Taupo to the Huka.

The helicopter ride was unbelievable. My dad was so excited he left his phone on the helicopter.

I was the co pilot. Dad said if anything happens to the pilot – is have to take over !!

Lift off.

Here I am with the pilot.

Landing safely. That was amazing. Dad was ready for a cold drink. I was hungry 😋

Landed

The pilot was really friendly. He rescued dad’s phone

Jet Boating 80km

The Jet Boats. If you come to New Zealand I would recommend that you would go on them straight away.

They go so fast and just turn around and around. My dad got soaked.

Here is a jet boat. Jet boats were invented in New Zealand.

We visited the Haka Falls.

The Huka Falls are really amazing. They are NZs biggest tourist attraction.

These are the photos we have. You can me and dad. We are behind the driver. The other people were all from Taiwan 🇹🇼

There is a DVD. Some of the drivers used to be rally drivers. They right up to rocks and almost touch them it’s really when it’s fast.

Being close to the Haka Falls was incredible.

Berkenhoff Lodge

Our room is right at the end. It is very creative and unique.

this is the room. this the shared kitchen. You have to bring your food in. You have to wash up, dry and put your dishes away.

I like it. I’d love to home back. There are a lot of back packers.

The ocean in the mountains

The lake is massive can’t see the other shore. We’re staying in a back packers lodge called Berkenhoff Lodge.

We went for a meal overlooking Lake Taupo.

back at the lodge.

Rotorua geo-thermal lakes and craters in the mountains

Today we drove to the mountains where there is a lake bigger that an ocean it is called Lake Taupo.

But on the way we stopped and saw some amazing lakes and smelt them too 🤢🤑🤑🤑

it’s very hot and smelly

the lake below is called the artist’s palate

the heat and sulphur were too much.

the lava flow looks like a river

You can buy a MUD facial. I bought two so I can have a Spa Day with my mom.

Here is the bubbling mud

The thermal lakes are on a sacred Maori burial ground.

More tomorrow

Today I competed for Whakatane in the Surf Sports. Whakatane won the overall prize.

My cousins won gold, gold, gold and silver.

the Winning team ‘Whakatane’.

The was the start-a procession to promote sportsmanship.

we all processed and then the competition started. I had to learn the events.

Surf Sport is really big in NZ. and my cousins are in the Nationals in February.

It started with training for Sea Surf Rescue. All the teams are from Sea Surf Rescue centres that have lifeguards and organise the events. Sea Surf Rescue is 100 years old.

https://www.surflifesaving.org.nz/

100s of children take part and become members of the Rescue centres. And then lifeguards.

my two cousins came first and second in this race. They have to surf right out to where the reduce boats are and race back.

This was one of my events. It was a run, swim, run and surf relay.

I came first and tagged Naihm who went on her surf board. And then she tagged my cousin Holly who swam right out to sea and around two buoys. Holly won gold overall for her age group.

This was my first win in Surf Sport.

We ate oranges for lunch. Ha ha. Layla and Holly competing first and second place.

on this video Layla is in first place and Holly is third. Layla is 12 and Holly is 10.

This Holly getting her gold

medal.

This was my relay race. Dad said “run like the wind”.

Here are my cousins getting two more golds and a silver. Layla 12

Dom 8

Piper 5

After today we played in the pool until 10.30 at night with new moon. 4 hours we were in the pool.

TOMORROW me and dad leave Whakatane to Lake Taupo in the mountains and Huka Falls

https://www.lovetaupo.com/en/discover/highlights/huka-falls/

We are going to Jet Boat down massive rapids and take a ski lift to the top of a mountain.

Pumice is the only rock that floats. It is made from the molten rock that explodes into lava. Underground it’s magma.

There were lots and lots of pumice stones on the beach. I found one for my mom that looks like a shark’s tooth.

You can see Whakatane in the distance.

Here is Pumice Stones beach. Piper is holding some Pumice Stones.

This is me, my cousin Nigel and Piper swimming out to a reef near the Whakatane statue “I shall act as a man”

https://www.whakatane.info/business/wairaka-statue

You can see us swimming out to sea with Whale Island in the background.

Maori people called it Moutahora (it looks like southern whale) and Captain Cook named it Whale Island because it looks like a humped back Whale. It’s linked to Quidditch in Harry Potter home to the Moutahora Macaws (red yellow and blue).

It is a very important reserve for the Maori people and only New Zealand animals are allowed to live there.

You can see Whale Island. It was once a volcano. The next island is White Island and we are going there. You have to wear masks because of the smell 😳😳 we are going with my cousin Holly.

We followed the cycle track right from Nigel’s house to Pumice beach it’s 6 km – even dad made it 😁

There is drinking water along the cycle path.

We played in the water fountains to cool off and dad needed a cold drink. It was 30 degrees hot 🥵

Whakatane. Dad took us for Some food and a cold drink

Nigel found us and we crossed the road for a cold drink 😅

And saw a Maori band who were really good. Dad and Nige loved them.

In the middle of Whakatane there is an ancient Maori cave that has a lot of history to it.

The Maori tribe would perform famous tattoo rituals. It is now an arch way that we can cycle through. But when it was a cave the bones of important Maori people were put there. It is also used as a place to remember the soldiers that died in World War 1.

We cycled through Te Arikirua.

Back home cooling off hot

My second cousin Piper jumping in the pool. It’s cooler in the pool.

I was sending a happy birthday message to my Great Nana from New Zealand and I started to giggle tooooooo much. Dad said it’s an out-take and I should blog it. The moon is bright in NZ.

Today Layla and Holly competed in sea swimming, biking and running events up the coast. Holly got second prize and Layla got firsts and seconds. They are competing in the Nationals in February but we will be in England. Tomorrow we are going down the coast to compete in a family beach competition. I think dad will go for a lie down or a COLD DRINK again.

Is it cold in England have you got any snow yet ? I my friends at Catshill Middle School are keeping warm. Alice