Swing bridge, pancake rock on the drive to Greymouth

Two days ago we left for Greymouth. Near Greymouth are the glow worm caves, and the glacier. As we drove we looked at the scenery on the windy road, as we twisted and turned around the mountains we considered the thought that maybe the builders tried to make the roads as sickly as possible. Finally, we pulled over into a parking lot and we visited the largest swing bridge in New Zealand. The first few steps across it were Ok, but then we got to the center then my dad started swinging it, and then there was the fact that we were walking across over an 100 ft. bridge. once we got to the other side we went on a short hike and then Gabe, Isabel, and I went on a zip line beside the swing bridge. It wasn't actually that scary, more slow and scenic. Once we left we kept driving for a while until we came to the glow worm caves. The last tour had already left for the day so we just decided to eat there and Gabe and I played pool. He beat me. (just like chess) After we left we went to a bed and breakfast that we were staying at, it was in the middle of a farm. It had sheep, horses, cows and the owners had a pet pig, his name was piggy. He was kind of cute, I felt bad for him though because he had no company. When ever he hear someone coming he would start snorting and become very ecstatic. After we brought our stuff inside my brother and I played tennis at the lit tennis court. Pretty soon I got to tired and went to bed. The next day we woke up and we ate at the cottage and then started to drive to the glacier. Once we got to the glacier it took us a while to find out if we wanted to take a helicopter up or to the heli hike, which was where we went up in a helicopter and hiked down. It was pretty expensive to do the heli hike so we were going to go up in the helicopter, walk around on the top of the glacier then ride the helicopter back down. Finally, after waiting a while we got up in the helicopter put on headphones because of the noise and than we were off. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen, there was snow and ice everywhere yet it was still kind of warm and below there was an ice river slowly moving about 4 meters per day. At  the top we walked around on the solid ice that was a lot layers thick. After we got back down we ate lunch and than we went on a hike to where you could see the bottom of the glacier. My sister and I made a giant S in the sand out of rocks and than while Gabe and dad went to get a closer look at the glacier, Isabel, mom, and I went back to wit in the car because it was to cold. Once we left we went by a store to get flashlights  because on the way home, we were going to see glow worms. We got to the path and it was pitch dark. We turned on the flashlights but kept them down so we wouldn't disturb the worms. Finally we got to the end of the path and  we turned off the flashlights. There were a bunch of little dots that looked lie stars. They were so pretty and they just hung there all peaceful. After we got back to the cottage we all went to bed. 

Sunday market, jester house and tennis at last

Today we got up pretty early to go to the Sunday market in the town of Motueka. We arrived there and we saw tents up in the town, we finally found a place to park and then went to look around. My sister and I went off on our own to look at jewelry, clothes, and other stuff. We found bracelets, a necklace and my sister and I both got my mom a gift. My sister got her a green necklace (with a ton of bribing it will soon be mine!) and I got her green earrings to match it. We also bought some licorice that was in tiny cubes and a lot of different flavors like raspberry and kiwi. We also got soap that was shaped and designed to look like cake, cupcakes and fudge. If you just picked one up you would try to eat it, trust me. (I didn't try to eat it) Once we left the sunday market we went by the Jester house which has tame eel, and a live sized chess board. When we got in we got to feed the eel bits of raw meat. The eel literally got out of the water to try to eat the meat. They were kinda cute. We also ate at the cafe there and my brother and I played life size chess. He beat me. It was kind of a work out carrying the big wooden pieces over the board. Once we left we headed back to the house to put away the food that we got at the market then my brother, sister, dad and I went to play tennis. My brother and I started to hit on a blacktop court and my sister and dad went and played on the playground. My brother and I hit for a long time then I went to get water at a nearby store, then we started hitting again. Not to long after to men started hitting on the court over and they asked Gabe and I if we wanted to play doubles with them. It sounded like a good idea so we started to warm up with them and we took some serves. We lost the first set 6,0 and then in the second set we started to make a come back we were up 3,0. We ended up losing 6,0 3,6. We played pretty good though. After we left as we were driving home we saw the most beautiful, glorious sunset with pink, orange, and yellow spread across the sky. We ate dinner and built a fire before going to bed. 

Hiking, swimming, and fish and chips!

Today was both planned and unplanned. It started out with us driving on the windy road to the place my brother, dad, Isabel, and I went the other day to try to hike, but it rained. This time, unlike last time my mom came this time the road wasn't as windy because we went a different way so no side stops. When we got there we started walking on the path, there was a lot of mud where the tide came in. In the mud lots of people had put rocks that said in giant letters, so and so was here. We kept walking until we got to the forest, the trees were pretty dense and we started walking by the ocean. We stopped at the sights along the way, and also a really nice beach with really soft yellow sand, and the best part of it was it was deserted. My brother immediately decided he wanted to go swimming, i immediately decided I did not. We still had a long hike ahead of us and I didn't want to go walking on the trail sopping wet, and the water was crazy cold. My brother got in and then was soon out, he said it was freezing and he wouldn't go in again unless either me or my sister got in. I went over to explore the rocks that went out into the ocean a ways. We explored some of the tide pools by the rocks and my dad and I discovered a little cave like crevice in the rock and a lot of snails. My mom and dad started to walk down the beach and I started to look for shells in the sand. Gabe, kept begging us to go in the water, I continued to say no! Then out of nowhere, my brother said and I quote "chicken, why don't you get in and become a man". That was it I flipped off my shoes and sprinted towards the water, what the heck was I doing, dooming myself to a whole lot of COLD! Oops, to late I was up to my waist in water. My shorts were soaked and half of my shirt but guess what Gabe kept yelling. "Chicken, chicken I'll only go in if you go under water. I thought about it, I was already cold now, freezing, or just cold. OK, one, two, three and I went under. It was a mixture of two thoughts, oh crap it's cold and wow long time since I've been in the ocean. But then I started to get used to the water. My brother ran in and under water then we played Marco polo and we raced in the water and ran as far out as we could without tripping in the water. I can honestly say that this was one of the happiest moments with my brother. After my sister finally got persuaded to come in but she was wearing long black cotton pants so she took her pants off and went in her underwear, ha ha ha. But she only went in for two seconds before my brother splashed her and she ran out. Then after five minutes she ran in again but then my brother splashed her and she ran out again never to return. Last my brother, sister, dad, mom, and I played spiders and flies. If my brother and I made it past the spiders we had to dive in the water and go under. After we started to get bit by sand flies so we started to leave. I was sandy and wet so I put my socks on over my disgusting sandy, dirty feet and then put my shoes on. My brother let me use his sweatshirt so I wasn't that cold. Once we got back to the car we went into the cafe and my mom, dad, and brother got coffee and my sister and I got hot chocolate. Then we went to get fish and chips. (chips=fries). We got home and ate tons of fish and chips and then my sister blogged and listened to Grease songs. Goodnight!

Making friends, aquarium, and Rabbit Island

Today we didn't have big plans. We woke up, ate breakfast, then my mom and dad went out on a date leaving us to do our work and just hang out. We were out on the porch when we saw two other kids playing at the other house. our conversation went something like this.
Gabe: you go meet them
Amelia:your always saying you have social skills, you go meet them.
Isabel: I'll do it.......... never mind
Amelia:common, I'll give you 5 kiwi dollars.
Isabel:no
Amelia:ten
Isabel:no, I want someone to go with me.
Gabe: Stop being chickens.
walks up to them, Amelia follows, then Isabel
AND SCENE.
After we went up and Gabe helped them build there bike ramp, and then went off it. After that we went and had an acorn fight and went up on a barn roof.
Finally, we went back to the cottage for lunch and after we ate a sandwich we got these weird marshmellow things that were in the shape of a bird. After that we went in the hammock and swung for a while. When we got in we were going to go to an Aquarium and then to play tennis and then to Rabbit island, which is an island that is on the other side of the estuary. When we got to the aquarium we went in and started looking at all of the fish. It was a touch aquarium so anything you could reach you could touch. We got to touch and eel, turtle, starfish, and even a stingray. The stingray kept following people, it was like he wanted to get touched. He was very slimy, he was a very social stingray. We also got to touch a shark, he was a very small shark so he wasn't dangerous. Beside the eel tank there was a sign that said "When you touch the eel use your fist because they can bite." After we left the aquarium, we went over to the tennis courts, we couldn't find any store that had tennis balls that were decent so we just wnet straight to rabbit island. When we got to Rabbit island, my Gabe and dad went running. Me and Isabel went looking for shells and my mom read on the blanket. then Isabel and I built a sand castle. Before we left all of us were doing carwheels. Even my mom. Once we got home, we had dinner and then Gabe and mom played scrabble, and isabel and dad played astroids, and old arcade game. I just sat knitted, and now i'm blogging.

2 things
Mom is finally done with her work
Happy belated birthday Grandpa

Hike, fly swat, and 100% new zealand yarn

Today we woke up to a horrible buzzing sound. We walked into the kitchen, looked up at the ceiling, and there they were. Lots and lots and lots and lots..... of flies! They were everywhere on the counter on the ceiling and in our food. Also we found ants in the honey and peanut butter. ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Once everyone woke up and ate we decided to go on a hike at a park by we I mean everyone but mom, she had to work again. We drove for a while on a really twisty road that was very similar to the Hana highway in Hawaii. We had to stop on the way because I got dizzy on the plus side the stop we made was a beach and I found a cool shell. Once we got there it started raining, instead of hiking we went to the cafe and had a panini and green mussels. Green mussels are a specialty to this part of New Zealand we agreed that we had to at least try one. When the got there, they looked disgusting, they had a green outer side but a silver in the middle. Gabe went first, and he liked them, then dad and he liked them to. I  then put the little chewy mussel in my mouth cringing. It was actually kind of good. Last belle, she took the clam and held it in her fork for a while examining it. Finally, very slowly she put it in her mouth, squinted her eyes. SHE HATED IT! She later talked about how much she hated it all day. We all laughed and I snapped a picture. After we left we decided even though it was sprinkling to walk up the trail a little. We walked along the path, it was a really pretty view of the coast and a lot of multi colored grass. After we got back we started along the windy road again. We passed a stand that looked like kiwi but it was pear so we got a bag of pears for two kiwi dollars. After we got back we swung in the hammock for a while and then my mom and I raveled up yarn from the sheep show. After that my dad went in a fly killing phase. He smacked one on the ceiling then laughed. We then went to bed. 

museum, ferry, and new house

Finally we made it to Wellington after driving 8 hours. on the way we ran my mom just happened to be reading about a geyser that we were passing at the very moment and how in fifteen minutes it was going to blow up. we decided to stop, and when we got there we had to move quickly  because it was erupting in 10 minutes we walked over to the geyser and there was already a huge  crowd so we just kind of stood in the back finally it was time and after the person explaining what would happen dropped some soap into the geyser it started bubbling. Gradually it started bubbling more and more until it was shooting out and into the air. We watched it for a while and pretty soon we decided to leave. At the same park there were paths where you could see sulfurous pits that contained boiling mud. There were also a lot of thermal pools, and creeks. After we left we started our drive to Wellington. Finally, after lots of sleeping, fighting, complaining, and playing video games we arrived, and went to bed. In the mourning we walked over to the museum across the street. We waited until 10:00, when the museum opened and then went in. First we went into and exhibit about mostly the earth's core, tectonic plates, and Pangaea. I found out that dinosaurs Jurassic age, also gigantic shellfish. We also saw the sea life which included a giant squid. (kinda gross.) After the squid we went in a simulator where you would get in a chair and it would shake you around and twist you as you did different New Zealand activities, like bungee jumping, and swimming with dolphins. After we left the museum we went to catch the ferry. Once we got onto the ferry we ate at the cafe and then spent most of the time on the deck watch in the water and the North Island land pass. (and played d.s) When the ferry docked we drove off and then drove for like 2 hours to a little village outside Nelson where we would be staying. We were staying in a place surrounded by orchards. There is A LOT of mud here when the tide is down but it's still really pretty. Today we played outside a lot and swung in the hammock. Goodnight!

A day at the farm, and lots of hiking

Today we got up early to go to the farm. We were going to see a sheep show at a world famous farm. After we got there we sat into a giant barn sort of room and waited. There were different kinds of sheep names like the marino which was a giant sheep that was had a lot of wool and  had giant horns. As the show went on we saw sheep sheering and sheep dogs rounding up ducks, then sheep. After the show was over we saw a performance with one sheep dog and three sheep. The sheep dog listened to the whistle that the farmer had and his voice. When the farmer said go right the dog went right or go left, or walk. The dog had to get the sheep over a through two posts over a bridge and into a pen. Once the performance was over, the sheep were in the pen and we went over to a tour tractor for the farm tour. As the tractor started we saw lots of different animals. First we saw cows, then pigs, then deer, then alpacas, sheep, and lama. We got out for a while to feed the alpacas, sheep, and lama. At first they were scared but then when they saw we had food the started coming closer and eating out of our hands. After we got back to the barn we went into a little shop that had gifts and wool. I picked out a ball of yarn and some needles so I could knit a scarf out of 100% real New Zealand wool. We also got a giant bag of wool for Ginises. After we left the farm we went home and my mom had to work again. The rest of us went looking for a place to hike. First we went to a place that had a geyser. We were going to see it but then we saw the admission prices and the were lets just say A LOT! Instead we looked for another place but when we couldn't find it we found another trail and we started hiking to it. It lead to the green lake, after taking pictures we walked back up a little and up some stairs. It lead to a real pretty trail and we kept hiking it until it lead back to the parking lot. Then we kept riding until we came to the blue lake. Around the blue lake was a 6 mile walk, we all started walking on it, it went on, and on, and on, and on. Until we finally came to a road we started walking along the road and then down another path. That path lead down to another beach that was across from the beach we had started at. We kept walking through a jungle type path until we got to another road. We had been walking for about a hour and a half and then we finally got back to the parking lot. We got in the car but then we  also wanted to see the green lake, (we didn't know we had already seen it) in between the green lake and the blue lake was a little hill which from the top you could see the green lake and the blue lake. The blue lake was actually really blue and the green lake was actually really green. As we came back to the motel my brother and sister went swimming at the pool and my dad went and got pizza. My mom and I stayed and watched "Over the hedge" and "Lord of the rings" because tomorrow we would be going to where Mordor was filmed. Then we went to bed. 

Zorbing and stinky springs

Today was one of the best days in New Zealand. First it started out with us driving to Roturua. We then found out that Roturua contains lots and lots of thermal pools and steam vents so that makes it very very stinky. As we entered we found a zorbing place and we just wanted to watch. We saw someone go down the hill strapped in and another two people go down not strapped in but with tons of water in it. We instantly decided that we wanted to do the water one so we went to the car, changed into clothes that could get wet, and then waited in line to zorb. When we got to the top of the hill, there was a little line and people were going down together and alone. How you got in to a zorb was dive into the little tunnel and in. When it was our turn my sister dove in first. I expected it to be freezing cold since there was a little cannel near by that was freezing, but the man said it was warm water. Once we dove in we had to sit there for a little while and then we took off down the hill. It was so fun the water was falling and we were tumbling all around and spinning and doing somersaults, I wasn't panicking just screaming "were gonna die!". As we got near the bottom I noticed we weren't slowing down but then we went up a little tiny hill and then went back down. Before we got someone was leaning in the zorb to take our picture, then outside the zorb. We were drenched and cold but it was all worth it just for the 50 seconds inside the giant ball rolling down a hill. After my brother went we found are motel and then we went to see the hot spring. my mom had to work again so we drove for a while and saw steam vents that were very very very "smelly", "stinky," disgusting odor". Finally we came to a thermal heated little pool where people were dipping there legs in. After we sat there for a little while my brother and I climbed a giant jungle gym. It had little tunnel looking ropes that you could go through and the highest one was about 20 ft. After we left we got groceries and had spam (yummy) and then we watched shrek 3 and went to bed. 

NEW ZEALAND, WERE IN NEW ZEALAND AHHHHHHHHHHH

Today, we the Staats family had our second day in New Zealand. First of all the plane ride, was soooooooo long. I'm sorry, I mean the plane rides. First from columbus to chicago, then from chicago to Sanfrancisco, then from Sanfrancisco to Australia, and just when you think it's over NO! Then three more hours to New Zealand. a grand total of........20 hours of flying. Ok, finally we landed in Aukland, New Zealand. Once we got our car and rode to our house it was very dark so we pretty much, went to bed. The next day we all got up really early, I know what your thinking, WOW! but we wern't very tired because we went to bed so early. We ate breakfast and then my sister and I went to explore outside. It was beautiful, there was tons of ferns everywhere and lots of trees. We took tons of pictures and also found a path with really steep dropoffs. We went down it a little and passed a waterfall, and a wierd picture of a tiger on a little fence. Then we headed back. Once we got back, my mom, dad, sister, brother, and I walked downtown and found the library. It was a really pretty town and a really pretty library. We didn't have internet connection at the house so we used the library computers. When we left the library we went to a little coffee shop and got hot chocolate. it was goooooooooood. After we got back to the house my mom had to work so the rest of us went back to the path my sister and i had found and we took a picnic. We hiked for so long in the rainforest then finally we came to a rode. we followed the rode to the BEACH! where we found shells and lots of birds and ducks and a giant swing made out of a log. We ate lunch and ducks came up to us and ate bread out of our hands. Then we rode on the giant swing. then it started raining. We ran under a shelter and waited for it to calm down but finally we made a run for the forest path again. in the path the trees were so dense that barely any rain hit us. Finally we got back and my brother, sister and I walked downtown together and went to the library and read for and hour, then went and got pastries at the bakery. another suprising detail-(my dad now has a new favorite dessert, it's not donuts. it's pastries!) After we ate we went to bed. The next day we got up early again. Today we were going to see the aquarium. We drove for about 45 minutes into Aukland (on the left side of the rode) and finally found the aquarium/Antarctica museum. Inside there were stingrays, and turtles, and lots and lots of penguin. we took a little cart around the penguins and saw them eating and even a baby penguin. Then we walked through a giant tube that had fish and sharks and stingrays. We also saw sea horses, moray eel, and giant lobster. After we left the aquarium we drove around for a really long time looking for a way out of Aukland and food. Finally we found our way back, then decided to visit a beach where the movie "The piano" was filmed. It was the most beautiful beach in the world. It had sand slopes, a river leading to the ocean (that was freezing and we had to walk through) and huge cliffs that we ended up climbing. After we left we were freezing. it was pretty cold outside, and because we had taken a wrong path we had to walk through knee deep ice cold water. (i would have swam in it) Then we got pizza when we went back into town, now i'm blogging and gabe is asking if we want to watch t.v. C YA!!!!!!!!!