This is our last day in New Zealand. It has been a fabulous vacation and adventure in a new country.

Yesterday, we drove from Kaiteriteri on the coast, near Abel Tasman National Park, to Hanmer Springs, a small vacation town in the mountains.

Here are a couple last pictures of the beautiful beach at Kaiteriteri.

 

Hanmer Springs is famous for its hot springs. They have been developed into a beautiful family-fun water park with 22 pools of different temperatures and water slides and all kinds of fun. We spent this morning soaking in the hot pools and came out really relaxed.

Our traveling companions enjoyed the water park. They especially enjoyed the slide where you could slide in the mouth of a giant lizard and out the…well…tail.

 

There were some spectacular water slides as well.

 

We have been talking about the delicious “flat white” coffees. Here are the two we enjoyed yesterday.

We have also told you about the delicious pies. Here is yesterday’s lunch. A chicken, leek, and mushroom pie. Yum!

Yesterday’s drive made us feel like we might have distant relatives in New Zealand. First, we went through the village of Wakefield. Wakefield was my father’s middle name, and it is the middle name of George our youngest grandchild. Here are our traveling companions thinking of George! Hi George!

 

Not long after that we passed over the Hutchison Bridge. How about that! Even spelled like our name. Had to stop for a picture.

Tomorrow, (Sunday) we drive about an hour and a half into Christchurch to catch the first of our flights that will get us home. We catch a 4:00pm flight to Auckland, then an 8:00pm flight to Vancouver, BC, where we land at 1:00pm Sunday, seven hours earlier on the same day. Time will travel backwards tomorrow. We then fly from Vancouver to Seattle landing at about 6:30pm. A long day, but it will be good to be home.

Thank you for traveling with us on our 2025 Kiwi Adventure. It has been lots of fun having you share the adventure.

God bless,

Coe & Janet