Just a quick blog today.
Will answer some of the questions from the comments you all left!
Thanks so much for commenting on our blog :o)
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To answer what is the "funnest" things we have done here in NZ--
Gillie says "Hot Water Beach" or "Taupo/Lake Taupo"
and Tracy says "living in Tauranga" or "Bridal Veil Falls"
Annika, Gillie was drinking WATER from that green bottle in the picture.
(Kind of looked like a wine bottle, didn't it ;o)
She was in the cafe in the old train station. That building was built in the late 1800's.
Pictures of her on the train will be on Shutterfly soon.
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Hard to believe she just finished the 7th week of school!We have had a wonderful adventure over the past 10 weeks.
We are getting excited about seeing family and all our friends back home.
Monday and Tuesday were normal school days. (Well as normal as the school is here ;o)
On 16th March we went on a sailboat...searching for wild dolphins!
We went with some friends from Gillie's class as some friends of theirs were
moving back to Great Britain and we got invited along on this sailboat trip.
Part 1 of the Great Dolphin Search is up on You Tube.
Search under tmkusik
or
Gillie New Zealand
and all our videos will come up.
Part 2 should be available in 48 hours.
Thursday the 17th Gillie had her 4th Young Mariners meeting,
and they went sailing out on the harbor again.
There is a camp that the YM went on this past weekend,
but Gillie elected not to go to the camp, we did things together here.
Friday the 18th, Gillie and some of her classmates participated in a duathalon--
so run, bike, run.
Some of her classmates did the whole thing, but others were in teams.
One person would do the running, and the other would do the bike.
Earlier in the week, Gillie's teacher said that we'd be "Back by 11am."
Since we were not leaving till 9:15am, that did not make any sense to me.
It was a 1.5K run (so about 1 mile)
a 5 K bike (3.1 miles)
and then a final 3K run (2miles)
Gillie did the running. She did well on the first lap, was in the top 5
out of about 40 girls.
Her friend Shelby did the bike portion, but was hampered by her small bike!
Her wheels were 1/2 the size of everybody else's bike, so Shelby had
to pedal 3 times for every 1 time of the other competitors.
I knew Gillie would be impatiently waiting to do the final run.
Gillie did great on her last 2 laps around the lake and passed a lot of other runners.
(I think she is getting ready for the Bellin... ;o)
However, her team did not win ;o)
Gillie's teacher was mistaken! Our class did not start running till 12:15pm,
and there were about 30 other schools there...it was huge, and there were people everywhere!
We got back to school 2pm and the students ate lunch and then just played a game
in the bamboo 'forest' at the school.
On Saturday, Gillie and I went to a multicultural festival, where many different countries were
represented, with food, costumes, a parade, and dancing. It was held at a historical site in Tauranga, where they have taken old buildings from Tauranga and moved them to one place
where people can come and see them. It was fun! We met Delilah and her mom Caroline there, and then Delilah came back with us to the "bach" and the girls went boogie boarding
in the surf.
Be sure to check out the videos on You Tube, there are 2 on our "dolphin search"
and 3 new ones from earlier in January, when we visited Bridal Veil Falls...very cool
waterfall videos! Start with Bridal Veil Falls, the top, then middle, then bottom...although
it really does not matter ;o)
(remember, search under tmkusik
on You Tube)
I'll post some more pictures on Shutterfly.
Blog seems to be running slow here lately, maybe due to me putting up so many pics.
(I will have a LOT of scrapbooking to do when I get home! ;o)
We'll see you all in just over 2 weeks!!
Tracy & Gillie ;o)
Gillie on the boat searching for dolphins...
did we find any??
Go to You Tube to find out!!
16th March 2011
Gillie running for the finish line,
the duathalon at "The Lakes"
18th March 2011
Gillie and Delilah got tattoos
at Japan's tent,
International Festival
Tauranga, NZ 19th March 2011
(Gillie's means 'strength' and Lilah's means 'the bond between friends & family')
1 comment:
We have been checking the blog often but I am terrible about leaving posts. You'd think being a teacher and all I'd be all over this but I'm never good with words. Speaking of school, I can't wait to here more about Gillie's school. It sounds very different from our traditional schools in WI. With spring finally here the girls are looking forward to soccer which always brings up the question when are Gillie and Tracy going to be back. We are excited to know you will be back in the states in less than 3 weeks. I haven't checked out the You Tube videos I am waiting until the girls get home tonight. Enjoy your next adventure(s).
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