Bardsley's Go Surfing

Our first surf day out as a family on Smails Beach, NZ

Well what can I say, John shocked me last weekend by purchasing surf gear. We had talked about it before the move to NZ. "Wouldn't it be cool to learn how to surf?" But, honestly, I didn't think it would happen. I should know better. 

There are many beaches minutes from our home in Dunedin. All gorgeous with white sand and green/blue water. It almost seems unreal being at them because they are so beautiful and powerful. The strength of the ocean is truly humbling. The water is freezing cold! We all are in awe of it and have little butterflies being in it. John and I decided to always be out with the kids and chose one to be in charge of. This may seem fearful, but rip-tides are real even with experienced life guards and shark alarms. I really feel out of my element. John is more confident of course. His dad was a swim champion and coached for years at Butte High school. John also kayaked for years in class 4 rapids in Montana and Idaho before we had kids. The "kitchen sink rapid" on the Madison and other multi-day stretches in his back pocket of extreme experiences. I kayaked too, and did nearly all the good whitewater rivers in Montana, but I just liked to play and didn't really get my role down well. 
Swimming awareness was important to John. In fact, when we first hooked up as a couple, (1993) he wanted to know my swimming ability and accessed my strokes with tips and advice. So, as a result the kids are good swimmers and used to moving water with our land on the Dearborn river. Still, I am pushing my "mama-bear" button to heightened awareness.

Heading down to Smails Beach

Smails beach (just the week before John and Mountain biked above the beach up over the Peninsula)

One of the best features is that the beaches of Dunedin are not so crowded! The beaches of Tomahawk and Smails have very great waves and surfers will love it here. There is a gorgeous little island that separates these two beaches.We just surfed on the Smails side because the waves are longer and rolling into the beach. If fact, you can stand and just catch a wave without having to paddle out past the break point. 

Smails Island ( http://www.flickriver.com/photos/mundoview/tags/newzealand/)

We find out that we are lucky to get the southerly winds off the Antarctic iceshelf. Brrrr. 
However, it drives the huge swells that sweep in from the Southern Ocean.

Fortuitously, these gnarly monsters wrap around rugged headlands and roll into some Otago Peninsula bays as perfectly formed tunnel waves. (People wait in line for these in Hawaii) We have a choice of over 40 breaks within a one hour drive of the city. 
For those who brave the sharp winds and chilly waters, this coast can deliver the best surfing in the South Island. You just need to be outfitted in a complete neoprene wardrobe to survive. Our new wet suits are amazing! They keep you perfectly warm is freezing water. I wonder if we shouldn't sell them when we go back to home, but use them in the fall and spring to swim in the rivers around Montana....hmmmmm. 
The other bonus is that we look like a family of super-heroes. This is a good metal boost.

To cute Ellie in her new Roxy wet suit

Cold and windy - this photo was taken with our "water proof camera" - so it was wet

 Alex heads out with our Dart surf board. Since he my equal height and weight, we are sharing the board. Ellie and I had a so much fun body-boarding. 

While we were coming in on a great long wave, we noticed to our left a Sea Lion swimming in as well. He landed on the beach and bounced his fat body up into the Dunes for sleep.

smails beach and island

New past time for the boys....waxing there surf boards.

Bardsley Beach Film

Click here to see our new film featuring the first 3 months of "Beach Highlights"

Halloween in Spring

New Zealand does not really celebrate Halloween, so the excitement factor was not present. However, I was not about to allow my children to miss out. Halloween is like our fave family holiday. We have 6 tubs of dress-up clothing and decorations at home. So this year, we had to do what we did in Finland. Make our own holiday and look for any American's or Kiwi's that wanted to be goofy with us. This was not a problem for me.

Ellie carved these apple's into scary faces since we couldn't find a carving pumpkin. Remember - it is spring here.

Halloween in the spring is sorta odd. All the spring flowers are coming up. It is super green and super alive. Bright colors of life just don't go with Halloween's Brown and Oranges of autumn.

Our creepy scarecrow and Ghosts!

We ended up having our house featured on the New Zealand "Good Morning" Show because photos were sent in by tourist (we live on the steepest st in the world)
Click here to go to TVNZ  we were featured on the broadcast of October 26th.

We got invited to a Halloween party by Missoula friends of friends. Our buddy from Missoula Phil Gardner lived here awhile ago, so these folks were his contacts. Angie and Dean - super nice kiwis with neato kids the same ages as ours...The party was a teenager madhouse. Really fun for our kids.Of course, we came to the party dressed to the nines. Complete outfits and themes. But, when the kids looked out the window at the other kids not really dressed up, they quickly shed their costumes before they even got out of the car.

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Love that stash. John was a "Tiger Tamer" - and I was a Tiger.

Angie and Dean with John

The next day on Halloween was a Bike Jam downtown. It was organized by the BMX crew in Dunedin. Riders got extra points for being dressed up. It was a cool scene. Alex was the only kid with a "dirt jump" bike as compared to the small BMX bike. He had to step up with the big Boys. He was one of two kids below the age of 14years. It was mostly 20 year old guys competing. 

There were hundreds of folks cheering and dressed up for th event. Alex really rocked it and took 2nd place.

Alex with wings and bike!

Sweet Wheel Grab

Later that day on Halloween we hosted our fellow American/Kiwi friends for a pre-candy meal of "Sausage Fingers" and "Deviled Eye balls"

 Chris, John and Linn Layn

Ellie and our local Black Cat

Kids trick or treating on our street. People waved them to go away, some had signs that said "No Halloween Here" and many others went to their kitchen's to find anything to give the kids since they were not prepared. So their lot was limited. But they had fun!

GRRRRRRRR!

Ellie and her sweet little friend Holly eating "growing food" before getting "junk food" trick or treating.

Abel Tasman - day three of backpack

On day 3 we explored along the Tonga  Marine Reserve. Coming out of the bush, we decided to explore the granite boulders that were along the Beach. Along the way we got to see over 20 Fur Seals up close. Some just looked at us and a few barked. We kept our distance and kept moving on by... it was truly wild. I felt like we were in the deep "grizzly" backcountry in Montana.

Out of my element in another creatures space.

 This special place is located in the Abel Tasman National park, It is the third marine reserve to be created alongside a national park. Extending one nautical mile (1852m) offshore from the mean high water mark of Tonga Island.

More info and this map from: http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/abel-tasman/

Gorgeous!

 john with sweet little fur seal

To Cute!

Ellie with 2 Fur Seals behind her on the rocks napping. This made her very very very happy

Swimming next to us!

Click here to view video we filmed of the little Fur Seal above

Ellie thought these little guys were like our sweet old dog "Chug"

All done!

Our boat taxi!

We were happy to take off our packs for a ride.

We were singing "I'm on a Boat!" in reference to the Saturday Night Live Skit

We still had one more mile to hike out of the National Park after our boat ride.

Almost to the car....this means a trip to the local dairy for an icecreme cone.

Ellie after a 3 day backpack.

Abel Tasman - day two of backpack



On day two we woke up in the Bunk house early! I was not feeling the love for the "Bunk House" experience. Mainly because the kids built a massive pit in the sand to trap John and I, but instead a German guy fell into it! He was totally cool about it and complimented Alex on his "skills", but we had to sleep in the same room as this dude. Um, awkward. Of course the family voted me to sleep next to him (the beds are all lined up next together). Oui.
What I did like about the Bunk House experience was the fact that we did not have to carry as much weight with no sleeping pads or tent. Also, it is nice to cook in a big kitchen with travelers from all over the world. And you know me, I like to engage with folks.
So, with only a 10K day of tramping, but we needed to cross over the next beach at low tide to shave an hour hiking. Highlights from the day include a swing suspension bridge and more gorgeous weather!
When we arrived at Bark Bay, we chilled out in the Bunk House and claimed the only single room with 3 bunk beds.  All the other hikers had to sleep in the big rooms with 20beds each together. We were psyched! ( The previous night we slept in one room with 12 strangers - snoring!) 
I zonked out for a nap and John played with the kids out in the Bay. Alex really got into building sculptures out of sand, large driftwood and shells. Ellie and John swam out into the tide coming back into the bay.

 John crossing at low tide



 suspension bridge

Bark Bay Bunk House

playing cards in the bunk house

Ellie and Dad watching the tide flow back into Bark Bay

Kids make sand sculptures with shells in the evening.

Making tea at sunset

                                                                      Gorgeous Sunset!