A bit of the Northland trip

Another week of touring in New Zealand. 

Another week full of exciting and fun adventures. 

Only TWO more days left in New Zealand and then it's off to Australia :). 

Here's a bit of the Northland trip (up at the Bay of Islands). . . .

We stayed at our favorite hostel again. Oh X-Base, how
I will never forget you! (This one was nicer than the one
we stayed at on the South Island.)

Grocery shopping is always fun when you have 5 girls buying food together
and trying to split the costs. 

Fresh fruit ice cream. Need I say more?

Cooking hard boiled eggs in the kitchen of our X-Base hostel. Scary place
to be!

Eight girls in one room for 5 days. . .there's bound to be A LOT of fun!

90 mile beach. Driving on the beach which is an actual motorway (freeway).
It was SO MUCH FUN!

Chris's van and Ramona's car tried to speed up and pass us as we drove on
90 mile beach.

Yes. . .we are driving on the beach way fast!

Blasting music, singing at the top of our lungs, doing the macarena, and
driving on the beach. What can get better than that?

Well. . . it was fun until Chris's van got stuck in the soft sand.
That was a real treat to get unstuck. Pretty sketchy that's for sure.

Riding on the sand dunes on boogie boards. 

WAHOOO!

Northern most point. VERY TOP point of New Zealand. 

Which way should I swim to?

It was beautiful!

Best Fish and Chips in all of New Zealand, plus eating right on the water,
I think I will :)

In heaven. . .

:)

I bought myself an island dress. . .

. . .and a new purse. Best thing I bought all trip. I forgot to bring a
 purse from home and have been searching for one since the day
I landed in NZ. (oh and yes I am sitting inside of a shell sculpture.)

Seeing the movie The Lorax because it was RAINING when we were
supposed to have our beach day. What else is new?

Going to Haruru Falls (mini Niagara).

Trying to attend morning mass at the Anglican Church, but we mixed up
the times and missed it. We still got to walk around and inside the
church building though.

Sunday morning walk on the beach. A very beautiful
and peaceful morning!

Us in our new dresses we bought together at the shops!

Eating NZ's type of Roman noodles every day for lunch and dinner :). I
saved a lot of money ok?!!

Going to the Brown's house (a family from the branch we went to for
church on Sunday down in the Northland) and eating yummy scones, or
fried bread as New Zealanders call it.

Having to introduce ourselves Brown family style. We
had to get up on the hand made table and tell about
our self and then sing a song. Mikaela and I sang "The
Itsy Bitsy Spider". 

Sneaking onto Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Sunday
for a Maori culture tour. This is a warship called a waka.

New Zealand Flag

Carvings inside the Marae. I love this culture and can't
believe how much I have learned since I arrived in January.

Getting ready to go swim with dolphins as a tropical storm was hitting :).

But we lucked out and were able to see them!!

And swim with them in the open ocean water.

It was pretty INTENSE. The water was rough and the
instructors told us over and over again that we should
not go out if we were not GOOD swimmers, and were not
comfortable with snorkeling gear. It was a BIG workout.

It was also so funny swimming around trying to find the dolphins as
they swam away and around us in all sorts of directions.

But it was the coolest thing I have ever done. 

Largest and oldest tree in NZ (800 years old). Saying goodbye to James
and Ramona :(.

Last time all together as a group. I love all 20 of my NZ study abroad girls.

Roomy love.

Saying goodbye to Kirsten :(...so sad. I love her so much!
We promised to hangout over the summer and keep
in touch. 

Driving home from the Northland for 3 hours and running inside to check
our e-mails to see if we got our internships. Brittany and I were the first to
find out in our room and were full of PURE JOY. This was taken right after
we both found out. . .we were still both like shaken up but so excited!

YAY! I'm going to be either a 2nd or 4th grade teacher
in August at Rocky Mountain Elementary. My dream
is coming true!!!

I have loved my adventures here in NZ. Most amazing
experience of my whole life. I can't believe I only have
2 days left.