Goodbye

Our family reunion is over.  The last of the family left early this morning on their long trip back to Germany.

Packing done, there was time for a last coffee on the deck in the early morning sun. They generously came together for Grandma to take some final photos

What a wonderful time we have all had.. The boys absolutely loved New Zealand. As well as admiring the scenery, they visited Hobbiton; rode the luge at Rotorua; visited the glow worm caves at Waitomo; explored Te Papa at Wellington;  travelled on the ferry to the South Island; went whale watching at Kaikoura; visited the seal nursery; swam with dolphins; jet boated down the Buller river; pumped the adrenaline on the Flying Fox; boated in the Abel Tasman National Park; kayaked at Kaiteriteri; rode horses; saw the Star Wars film; gathered cockles and mussels to cook up and of course, swam at the beaches. Somewhere in all that they shared Christmas with us.

They swear that meat and milk and water taste much better here .

What a lot of great memories they have to take back with them.