Long delayed post....

Okay since I have now been back in the US for 3 weeks it is probably about time I at least finish up some post-action updates from New Zealand! So I will start where I left us off in Rotorua for this post and try my darndest to remember! Also, in a effort to be succinct I'm going to do the "twitter" version of the trip (i.e., a series of "tweets" to describe our experiences) Granted, I don't even have a twitter account so we will see how this goes....

-Freezing in our kiwi batch
-Yes--Erica and mom found water bottles--fill with boiling water, lay them in the bed, and ta da--warm beds!
--Awesome breakfast next door at the B&B--fresh squeezed kiwi, apple, and orange juice!
--after a late start, checking out the geysers!
--tour guide took a liking to Erica and gave us free tix to the Maori cultural performance-Liam loves the haka!
--Erica is rolling down a hill in a giant ball (aka "zorbing") Liam keeps asking to go too
--On a mission for Erica to get a pic of an "oreo"cow she spotted with a heart shaped spot
--Dinner at subway--too tired to do anything else
--Up and ready to head to Kiwi 360
--pit stop at the manuka honey place--who knew how many products you can make from honey? Loaded up on lotions, etc.
--Did you know that the kiwi is the most nutritional fruit in the world?
--Asian tourists love Liam--they all want to take pictures with him (not just of him) There must be many pics of Liam now floating around in various Asian homes!
--Lunch in town and scheduling appointments at the thermal spa
--Evening at the spa for a dip in the thermal pools and massages for all (except Liam)
--Quote from Liam--"this is a stinky pool"
--Don't care that it's stinky--it feels great!
--Overall, nice trip to Rotorua now back to Auckland via Waitomo
--Raining the whole way to Waitomo--let's hope the caves stay open
--Some caves open--mom, Liam, and I will do the walking tour--Erica's giving blackwater rafting a try
--Erica is looking awesome in her wetsuit and already freezing--just wait until she has to get in the ice cold water in a tube!
--Checking out the glow worms!
--Back to pick up Erica--she said she has finally thawed out after a freezing trip through the caves
--Back home to Auckland--goodbye "monster car" (liam's name for our rental)

Alright then--our trip to Rotorua in a nutshell! I will add some pics once I'm back on my computer (in Horseshoe Bay with the padres right now--loving days spent on the boat and by the pool. Must say I did miss that aspect of summer while doing our second winter in NZ!)

Slowly but surely I promise I will capture the rest of our trip here! Josh is still in NZ until September. We are missing him a ton but I suspect he may miss us even more (especially since Liam is here with me) He's trying to make the most of it though and gave blackwater rafting (said it wasn't as cold as he expected) a try last weekend and then headed this weekend to the Gold Coast of Australia for a little warmth and beach time. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it from him!