Our visit to Australia! -part two

(Zach's May-mid-June 2012)

We also learned to crack bullwhips!! -And to throw boomerangs, too. 2012-05-09

(He did manage to actually crack it!) 2012-05-09

Another visit to Carss Park with Dylan & Liam 2012-05-10

A Mother's Day hug in Oz is just as good! :=> 2012-05-13

Mommy enjoyed a delicious breakfast in bed! 2012-05-13

"Happy Mother's Day Mommy! I will give you 12 x's! And 10 o's. I love you Mommy love from Zach" :=) 2012-05-13

We capped off Mother's Day with delicious deep-dish "Chicago-style" pizza, mmm! 2012-05-13

...Silliness ensued... 2012-05-13

...Continued. :=) 2012-05-13

...Never a dull moment for Zach. Even an airport is fun! This time, on our way (after some visa fun, arg) to New Zealand :=) 2012-05-14

One of Zach's favourite parts of air travel is the TV/movies! :=] (Here, Cars 2) 2012-05-14

We got to experience (long-extinct) volcanos first-hand, in Auckland! (Here, Mt Wellington) 2012-05-15

Zach obliged us and had a bath with Keyworths' previously bath-shy foster child. It worked! :=) 2012-05-15

Keyworths' home, full of kids :=) -- Zach had fun with Tumenaco! 2012-05-15

More fun with Tu... :=> 2012-05-15

Zach enjoyed the windy ferry ride back from Waiheke Island (despite not seeing a single penguin!) 2012-05-16

We enjoyed some beautiful New Zealand sights with the Jonathan & Lesley Longstaffs (Zach with Sophie) 2012-05-17

More fun with Sophie, here exploring the black sands of Karekare beach 2012-05-17

Zach did a little jig on our way over to the hot sands... 2012-05-18

Hot sands beach: hot water bubbles to the surface! (and some of it was really hot!) 2012-05-18

Hot rock, waaay below the surface, heats pockets of water, which seeps up to the surface to produce said hot sands. Wow! 2012-05-18

....If you look closely, near Zach's hands, you might just see him catching a rainbow! 2012-05-18

Speaking of geothermal wonders, we saw some impressive (and sulphery stinky!) sights at the Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland 2012-05-20

Here we are at the very *green* Devil's Bathtub! 2012-05-20

Lady Knox geyser erupts daily at 10:20am. Way to go, Lady K! 2012-05-20

More cool wonders -- and a silly boy! :=D 2012-05-20

We also saw bubbling (boiling) mud. 2012-05-20

The wait for food at this Rotorua restaurant was RIDICULOUS... 2012-05-20

...but it didn't dampen this boy's spirit! :=) 2012-05-20

(Or, maybe finally getting the food is what sillied him up?!) 2012-05-20

How often do we get to play at a VOLCANIC playground?! :=D 2012-05-20

Zach & Daddy working ninja-ing around 2012-05-20

...Again, never a dull moment with Zach; he's always got *something* to make-believe! :=) (Those are beaters in his hands. They helped him reel the ship in closer to land.) 2012-05-21

Back in our room, chillaxing with Jake & The Neverland Pirates (courtesy of Daddy -- I don't think they had Disney Junior, over there?!) 2012-05-21

Day 8 in New Zealand: a visit 'round Lake Taupo2012-05-22

We went for a (2-hour!) hike around Tongariro National Park. That's a beautiful, snow-capped Mount Tongariro in the background! 2012-05-23

Daddy climbed down to get closer to the water 2012-05-23

...Then Zach joined him! (Thumbs up!) 2012-05-23

Then Mommy joined them, too. It was a beautiful sight! 2012-05-23

The next day we visited the caves at Waitomo. 2012-05-24

--Voilà! Here we are in Ruakuri Cave. [Despite these being "glow-worm" caves, we did not get any web-worthy photos of them, alas...] 2012-05-24

In true Zach form, his favourite part of the caves tour was when the guide invited him to press buttons and 'magically' open doors! :=D 2012-05-24

Awaiting our turn for the next cave tour, Mommy & Zach enjoyed some "This is the way the lady rides" :=) 2012-05-24

Zach and his lambs kept each other company on the plane ride home :=) 2012-05-25

Zach + seatbelt = creativity (it's a slide, as I'm sure you can tell?) 2012-05-25

At Symbio, we got to see real live 'roos, up close and personal! --Got to feed & pet them, too!! :=D 2012-05-31

:=D Is this Southern Cassowary right out of the dinosaur era, or what?! 2012-05-31

Zach got to try three days' worth of Southside Montessori School; here's his "first day of school" picture! (P.S. It seems like a good fit!) 2012-06-05

We attended our first Vivid Sydney light show ~ Zach's favourite might well have been this very blue "tunnel of happiness"! 2012-06-09

Zach finished this Sunday School project at home: a "spiral to the Lord", showing what we can do to be closer to the Lord (be nice, share, obey, etc) 2012-06-11

Zach helped celebrate Daddy & Mommy's 13th wedding anniversary with a 'becandled' breakfast and a rousing round of "Happy Annivesary to You"! :=) 2012-06-12

Very much enjoying his Chickadee magazines, Zach emailed a thank-you to Grammy 2012-06-12

Little man Zach has had many opportunities to engage with grown-ups! :=) -Here, at the New Church Day progressive dinner (notice that, in Oz, poinsettias are *NCD* flowers!) 2012-06-16

The kids celebrated New Chuch Day with a seven-headed-dragon piñata! 2012-06-17

Zach's newest "toy": bunk beds! :=D 2012-06-14

Travel tie again. Time to dip back into the Pokemon travel bag stash! Thanks again, Younies! :=) 2012-06-18

Ahh, another airport. Our visit to Australia drew to a close, we headed back to North America to await our permanent resident visas, and then return "for real"! :=D 2012-06-19

A further glimpse into Zach:

- Zach and Mommy have done some weeding of this beautiful, expansive property. Zach to Mommy: "Mommy, don't pull those weeds and leave just dirt. You'll make it unbeautiful!"

- "It's a mickle hygrenator -- it's like a sprinkler, so we use it only in the water, and when we go it sprays water on your feet so you have to make sure you're wearing your bathing suit." :=D Ah! Right!

- Zach just loves to be around *people*! When Mommy pops out to run some errands (Daddy's in his office, two doors down), Daddy soon finds Zach joining him next door in his office! When Daddy pops back home to use the facilities, Zach scoots back home and down into the basement, following Daddy. :=)