The End of 2018

So we spent the end of 2018 in Hawkes bay.  More time with the relatives and hot weather.

We went for a short walk thru a swampy area on a boardwalk.  It was a nice little time outside.  Archie thought an area of the swamp was grass except it was green algae on top of the water.  He stepped of the walkway and went shoulder deep into water.  He was fine but a little scared.  The only loss was one of his shoes that was never found.  And he didn't like his wet clothes so he walked around in his wet undies.

We had a couple more walks up Te Mata Peak before we returned home.

We explored nearby Napier and its revamped waterfront.  Lots to do and walk thru.  The kids took their scooters and had a great time.  

We had a few more games in the back garden with the cousins before we left.  The kids were super sad to leave them.  

And Hugo the dog found 2 hedgehogs in the garden!  I had never seen one in real life and didn't know they were in NZ.  They were introduced long ago and are actually classified a pest in NZ because they eat food that native birds and lizards may eat.  But they are too cute to be called a pest!

And we visited the honey factory again.  Super fun and we had a good time sampling all the different types.

And we tried to get some family photos.  This was pretty good for so many kids to get together in one place.

And we were able to get out to a nice dinner at Elephant Hill winery.  It was a nice evening to go out without the kids.