Shira: Bye Bye New-Zealand

“Tomorrow we are leaving. And I am feeling sad about it because we are leaving and it is such a beautiful country with all the snowing mountains and lots of Keas that I love. These are the only birds that aren’t scared of you but only if you chase them and they always come on your car roof.
Or we can call it New Zealand or we can call it NZ. And now we’re in a home like a holiday home. If you don’t know what is a holiday home so it’s a home but it is not for people who live in the country but for peoples that are doing trips. I don’t like about New Zealand that we have always long long long drives but if my sister or brother let me be on the DS so it will be fun. And there are lots of games on the DS”.

The most important thing that happened to Shira in this trip – and she asked to write about it herself - happened on the 28th of November: “it was shira’s frst wigly tooth. Raet ther is 4 teth that can fol frst it”. You can see it in the photo :-)

Ido: Bye Bye New-Zealand

When we arrived in OZ, we had no idea what kind of ‘holiday’, (lets call it that) we were going to face. We had no idea we’d be in a boat a meter away from the Australian crocodile. We had no idea we would drive 60 kabrillion hours a day. I had no idea making the bed would mean hitting your head 50 times on the ceiling, on the wooden boards and in the metal above the low doors. The kids had no Idea we’d be jumping on enormous pillow shaped trampolines that you do summersaults on. We had no Idea we’d see a huge humpback whale jump with his full body out of the water. We had no idea we’d see the platypus, black snake, (wild) echidnas and Tasmanian devil, (zoo). We had no idea we’d be sleeping in the clouds in the middle of nowhere. We had no idea we’d see awesome surfers doing wicked tricks in freezing water. We had no idea we’d be climbing a monument almost as high as the Eiffel tower overlooking the volcanic city of Auckland. We had no idea we’d be camping under the stars on top of a big mountain overlooking a harbour. We had no idea we’d see a beach where the high tide and low tide are a 600 m difference. We had no idea we’d be walking in a 1.3 km tunnel where trains used to go. We had no Idea we’d be rolling down a steep hill in a plastic ball filled with hot water, (zorb). We had no idea dad, SHIRA and I would be dropped 40m above the air and swoop through the air. Mom and Ophir had no idea they’d be floating in a tube in a cave seeing little glowworms. We had no idea we’d be sledding down the highest mountain in the north island. Dad and mom had no idea they’d taste such delicious wine. We had no idea we’d be sailing one of the most beautiful ferry rides in the world. We had no idea we’d take a water taxi across the turquoise waters of the Abel Tasman National Park. We had no idea we’d cross the longest swing bridge in New Zealand. We had no idea the waves of the Tasman sea could reach about 60m high once they crash into a rock. We had no idea we’d be walking on one of the biggest glacier in New Zealand. We had no idea we’d be eating the best ice cream in the world (Queenstown)! We had no idea Ophir and dad will do a 43m bungy off a bridge. We had no idea there was a town called Ophir. We had no idea we’d see yellow-eyed, little blue and fiordland crested penguins in the wild. We had no idea I’d walk half and run half the way up the steepest street in the world. We had no idea we go to a chocolate factory. We had no idea we’d see so many seals and sea lion. We had no idea we would do a 17km, 2-3 day walk. We had no idea we’d take an overnight cruise in a fiord. We had no idea we’d see the worlds only alpine parrot (Kea). We had no idea we would see the highest peak in Australasia. We had no idea returning our motorhome would be so sad. We had no idea me and dad would go sea kayaking. We had no idea we’d be driving all across a peninsula. And last but not least, we did not expect to have such a successful blog. And I think our directors, mom and dad, should get a big round of applause. My conclusion to New Zealand is this:
It’s probably the most beautiful country I’ll ever be in.

Ophir: Bye Bye New Zealand

Hi,
Here I am, sitting down, writing this post, knowing tomorrow it will all end. Knowing that after tomorrow, no more 24/7 with Family, no more seeing sheeps everywhere. No more eating sandwiches for lunch, and the most fabulous food for dinners. No more public toilets, (yes) and no more holiday. Tomorrow I will go back on the plane, yes, I will go to Australia, and then S’pore. But then it’s back to Israel. At the beginning everyone will be so happy we came back, and we will have really good times with all our friends and close family. And then, after we settled in, we will go to school, make new friends, do test and exams. Go to sleepovers, eat at friends house, go to the mall, have a room, have a house…NOT use public toilets. In other words, forget all about this trip. All about seeing 3 chickens up a tree, that kept us awake all night. No more 100000 dead possums on the roads. No more eating in “Bla Bla Bla” or “Yuckie Yuckie”
I just don’t know how to put all my thoughts in words. I had the best time in my life doing stuff like jet-boating and bungy, when everyone else are all in school. I just can’t accept that it’s all over. The kind people, the funny accents. And my fears are that we will forget it all. And forget how to talk in English.
Here I am, sitting down rereading my post, and feeling the tears rush up to my eye’s but with lots of force, stooping them. Knowing that now, I only have pictures for memories.
And here I am, Akaroa 1.12.2008,
Saying goodbye.