my family ("whanau" in the maori language) flew over to new zealand & australia for our 1st family reunion on my dad's side. my father is the oldest of 13, and was born & raised in a tiny town called te hauke, on the north island of new zealand.
i've been to new zealand 5 times prior to this occasion, but that was my first time ever to australia. i L-O-V-E it in new zealand...not only for the mesmerizing beauty of it's landscape, but mostly for the fact that i was able to spend time with my relatives that still live there.
the actual reunion activities lasted two weeks long on the sunshine coast of australia. my uncles (andre, nia, nepia, phillip, and shane) and aunties (sheree, katrina, dallas, and maxine) were all there along with their spouses and children. we spent the two weeks playing games, hanging out, canoeing on the lake next to our campsite, and hitting the hot spots of aussie! there was some awesome theme parks to see, and the australia zoo (where steve irwin got his start as a "crocodile hunter" superstar).
as you can see, it was quite freezing in new zealand - then quite warm in australia. i had to pack for both climates, but i didn't complain. everyone in my family made fun of me for having such a large suitcase, but they also didn't complain when they wanted to wear my clothes!
in the end, all i can say is - i love my whanau. i can't wait for our 3rd reunion in 2011...next time in new zealand. the anticipation is unbearable!!!
3 comments:
Man that looks like fun, Vete served his mish in Sydney and absolutely loves the place. Maybe one day we'll be able to visit, that will probably happen when I become a senior citizen.
Hey harms and fam!!!
I fully didnt know your dad is from Te Hauke!! I live in Hastings a 20 minute drive from Te Hauke!!! My nan and uncle and cousins are buried out at the Te Hauke Chapel Urupa (cemetery). Where abouts in NZ did you fullas go to and when did you guys come? Thats so cool that you got to catch up with your family!!!!!
heaps of love and kisses
The Laulu's
we hope to make it out to nz sometime in the future, to visit ty, nic and their family. if only it was free to fly there. lol. but that's so cool you guys went to sydney. wish i had an excuse to go there. :) oh and i'm going to tivo your show coming up. can't wait to see it!
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