Raglan - In Our Elements

With the end of this journey in range, we decided to go a little extra on the accommodations for a couple nights. The fancifully garage-converted apartment did not disappoint. It was a delightful spacious accommodation, complete with snacks and sweets, a crystal studded velvet headboard that Melody insisted should be Danforth's (while she took the couch for herself), two landings with stairs that became immediate "stages" for their kitty & doggy performances, and the "million dollar view": full glass windows overlooking a cozy enclosed (yet openable) porch seated upon the heights of the inlet's bank. The panoramic view of rolling hills and bays, was made all the more extravagant each morning as we watched the sun peek over the hilltops.  

We felt our lungs expand and our bodies relax immediately as we settled into this incredible view. 

We soon discovered a "path" that lead down the steep bank to the shore. Getting through this overgrown jungle was a bit of an adventure in itself, but once we arrived the kids were absolutely delighted at having their OWN beach! We lingered for awhile, Corey and kids discovered they could make small fish jump out of the water by throwing stones & I took a moment to settle myself enough to even do some songwriting.

After some time we pushed our way back through the bush and headed into town.

The moment we arrived, we discovered Melody left her shoes at the bnb..ugh...Melody seriously?!?!!

However, not to worry!  There's actually no rule in NZ that requires shoes in public, so I pulled my shoes off right along with her and experienced the strange feeling of freedom of being out in public barefoot! 

We savored Turkish kabobs & rice, and Melody greeted as many dogs as she could while we sat back and enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere of this place, including it's own array of barefoot folk out on the town!  

After dinner we walked through town and crossed over the walking bridge, passing a woman clinging to the outer rail not quite ready to jump into the water below where her friends waited and cheered her on. On the other side of the bridge there were several playgrounds along the river bank and a skate park which, for our kids, was the obvious choice. 

Melody and I ran laps together, and despite her tiny bare-feet pattering along the unrelenting concrete, she was the epitome of a child in full-blown freedom and innocence. The Highlander rugby team flag strung around her neck fluttered behind her, her hair bounced along catching the golden rays of the evening sun, and there she was absorbed, happy, rosy cheeked, and fully alive. 

Danforth also was in his element running upon the unending curves the graffitied concrete. And I think Corey would admit he was having a pretty fun time also imagining his ole bmx bike days ;) 

We made a quick stop to get groceries and headed back to the bnb. The kids snuggled in their beds with a movie and Corey and I sat on the porch with drinks in hand relishing the true perfection of the moment at hand. As we stepped out to look at the stars, we realized under moonlight, the massive "beach" that had formed below from the low tide!  

Waking with dawn the next morning, Corey and I savored a quiet moment with our coffee.  Once the caffeine kicked in our conversations started to turn towards home and the new habits we wanted to form. As wonderful as travel is, we've always experienced a point at which, after enough time passes, the urge for meaningful work and purpose starts to kick in. I was inspired to get back to life and take on the next wave of projects and aspirations. 

But for now, the waves of the current day were calling. 

Corey cooked up a breakfast feast on the outdoor the BBQ, while the kids and I headed down to check out the beach at low tide, which was predominantly a mucky mess of mud! After a proper meal we loaded up and headed to Ngaruni Beach. 

As we descended to the wide expansive black sand beach edged by rolling terrain and endless surf, I knew we had arrived in paradise. We had a stack of boogie boards from Corey's aunt & uncle, and as we ran out into the chilly surf, speckled with an array of newbie surfers and a couple pros shredding waves, we began a succession of catching wave after wave after wave after wave. 

It was pure utter delight. So simple & easy, with a low-bar to entry and a high return on joy. Corey and I would occasionally catch the same wave, and as I looked over at him, he was a true sight to behold. Hair tussled by the waves, sun blushed cheeks, a brilliant white toothy grin, with a radiant blue sky and mountains behind.  I felt we were teenagers, bursting with jovial laughter as we flew along in the power of the waves. 

Meanwhile, the kids were in their own wonderland playing in the sand dunes. Danforth carved out some incredible sand pillar sculptures with shells as his tools. He also found a little treasure in the sand, a Rubik's cube of all things! We took a couple breaks from the cold water to warm up (we were some of the rare few without wetsuits on!) and eventually realized our bodies were surprisingly worn out, so we headed back for food and downtime.

After some rest and recoup time, we packed up for round two at the beach. We figured we might attempt to check out a new beach with new surf. And in so doing we came upon Manu Bay, home of the famous left-hand break, which is actually one of the longest left-handed breaks in the world! 

There were a handful of pro-surfers in action, and we stood in awe at the talent as they crushed the perfectly formed waves around the rocky point. We stood  mesmerized for quite some time, then headed up to check out Whale Bay which was also quite rocky.  The kids enjoyed rock hopping while we sat and watched them roam. 

After that, we came upon Soulscape Eco lodge, where Corey and his family had stayed when he visited in high school, and the kids enjoyed the trampoline with arguably the most epic view ever, while we sat and…yep, took in the view!   

Then at last, we circled back to what we had originally set out for. We headed to the original beach for more wave play until Corey's fingers & toes had taken just about all they could endure with his Raynaud's syndrome.  We were both thoroughly chilled and satisfied, so we headed home. 

Corey and Danforth geeked out on youtube videos learning the technique for solving a Rubik's Cube; their brains both thriving. Then we watched several clips of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to start prepping for our Hobbiton tour Sunday! After a little porch chat, the cockroach sightings and our tired bodies lulled us to our beds. We anticipated the next rainy day as a slow rest day. 

In the morning the grey fog descended with some drizzle. I bundled up on the porch for some writing time, then we headed into to town to check out the happenings and the shops. I enjoyed a dandelion latte and perusing an eccentric vintage shop which was definitely a feast for the eyes. Then we had a little chill time at the library and headed home for lunch. After a bit of lazing around, I started getting cranky and stir crazy, so I nudged us all out the door to head out to Bridal Veil Falls. 

Winding roads through pasturelands brought us to the entrance of the park.  It was then just a short jaunt through dank drippy forests which quickly brought us to the overlook. The kids were shocked and amazed at the scope of it!

We gave the kids the option to descend to see it from below (since another outing/hike wasn't exactly something they had been begging for by any stretch) and they were definitely all in by now. So we continued on down the path and met a friendly Kiwi who introduced us to a trick to see “moving trees”.  

It goes like this: stare and focus at the same spot in the center of a waterfall for about 10 seconds, then look at the trees around it, and.....they'll be dancing!  I'm sure it's not the best or your eyes (or for anyone who gets vertigo easily) but it was fascinating!

We made our way down through steps of sloshy puddles to the base of this glorious volcanic slab of compressed layers & carved limestone covered with vivid green growth. And there, the cascade of Bridal Veil Falls descended in all her glory from the heights above. Ahh the recklessness of waterfalls!

We bounded back up the steps then headed home.

I had it in my mind to get a little fancied up for a night "out on the town" and then we headed out for dinner; windows down, the family singing along to Mumford & Sons. 

Unfortunately though, the upbeat vibe faded, as the town was surprisingly quiet, apart from a band warming up for later set. We ordered some Stone Fired Pizza at a super quiet spot (that had been bustling the night before). The only available bathroom was multiple blocks away and of course Melody needed to poop right after I got back from my first trip to the toilet and the food had just arrived.  My notions of a festive night out, with some possible socialization...all dissipated as we crammed into the hot stinky public bathroom.  We finished dinner and for lack of knowing what to do next, we ended up at the playground. 

(I have some feelings about hanging out a playgrounds after 9 years of parenting...)

I was feeling pretty blue & deflated, so Corey and I headed down to the beach to catch the sunset.  He tucked his arm around me and lovingly reminded me that this was all far from a ruined evening.  But I couldn't shake it, as beautiful as it all was, I was just lonely for some new human interaction, of being an adult out in the world, of belonging somewhere, of contributing to something meaningful to the people around me. Those moments shared with strangers that make traveling truly extra special. The kinds of things that our past travels had always ended up opening doors for. But, guess this isn't the trip nor the time for it. So, acknowledging that it is what it is, I released the day and we headed back.

Along the way, we stepped into a bustling hotel pub, and realized...oh it's St. Patricks day! But the time had passed for us, so we continued home and I continued with my melancholy through the uneventful evening.  It's amazing what 24 hours brings, but I know humility and experiencing the lows are all a part of a "well rounded" cycle of living. 

And sure enough, as always, sleep brings new Grace and refreshment in the morning. By the time we were back in the pounding surf all the funk washed itself away.  There was no time for mood, as we fought the strong currents of the waves that we could hardly stand straight in.  There was a limited swimming area marked off this time, that was being closely monitored by life guards because of the strong currents stirred up by the storm of the day prior. The waters were full of people laughing hysterically and tugging each other along to try to stand up and pull themselves up-current.  The waves were particularly rough, and brutal to Surfers trying to learn, so we were glad again for the simplicity of the boogie boards and the ease of catching wave after wave. The regenerative energy of the salty surf coursed through my body and cleansed all the prior evening's "meh" out of my system. 

The kids did a bit of dabbling in the shallow waters with the boogie boards and we had some gleeful squeals together as they sloshed around in the cool waters and caught the mini waves.  

However, Danforth really found his sweet spot on his own; surfing the sand dunes!  He was fully in his element and all his boyhood glory; shirt off, riding line after line, crashing, getting back up, trying again, hopping off just before hitting the flat sand below. It was such a delight to see him so focused and in his zone. Mel followed suit, using her board as a slide. 

After we had thoroughly exhausted ourselves in the best way possible, we said farewell to this incredible place, brushed some of the residual black sand off our feet, and headed out. 

On a typical Meg & Corey style impulse we headed over to Manu Bay just to see some more surf. Only to discover that a full blown surf competition was happening!! The lot was packed with cars and spectators, tents, music, an announcer and scoreboard. We stood with jaws open at coming upon this, and stood mesmerized with the pro surfers absolutely crushing it. My teenage dreams of being a "surfer chick" were absolutely wide-eyed-fan-girl-status as I meandered through the crowds of surfer types, imagining how my life may have been different had I grown up somewhere where surf wasn't just a result of occasional big summer storms...

After many rounds of "just a few more minutes" to the kids waiting to leave, we eventually headed home for packing and prepping for the next leg of the journey.  Preparations included watching some more of "The Hobbit" for our excursion to Hobbiton in the morning!  I couldn't wait to gratify this other "fan girl" side of my teenage dreams!

-M