(Dawn) We took a family day outing last Saturday. We started with a glow worm cave where we were unfortunately not allowed to take photos. For our Mountain Ridge church friends who remember the caves below Gettysview, it was a similar spring fed cavern but had a wooden walkway above the water through the cave. The worms are tiny (like a speck) glowing larvae on the cave roof. They rest in a spider web type hammock and extend about 4 cms of thread like material similar to a fishing line to catch flying bugs attracted to the light at night. They reel the bug in for a nocturnal meal. After some months of this they form a cocoon, hatch a small fly, mate and die. It was fascinating to see the geology of the cave and the unique chemiluminescence of this larvae poop. Our tour guide was the maori great great great great grandson of the guy who discovered the cave and his family owns the property. There was also a Marai there (maori meeting place where they sleep communally and have services on the weekends. The maori were preparing a meal in the adjacent dining building and lots of barefoot maori kids were playing about. We then drove further north crossing a car ferry to the old historic town of Russell where much of New Zealand's early Maori and English wars were fought and treaties were forged. There was a beautiful overlook with a 360 view on a hilltop which had been fought on many times over an English flagpost. It was raining so sorry not photos this time. We then drove the long way home along the Pacific coast and saw the beautiful overlooks I put on the blog below.
Russell is an old town and this is the oldest operational christian church in New Zealand
Beautiful Anna and huge camellias in the old Russell Church Cemetary 
Phillip saved a starfish at Russell. Claire is always the teacher.
Beaches here are rocky and sandy
The kids enjoyed the swing someone had put on this beach.
Beaches here are rocky and sandy The kids enjoyed the swing someone had put on this beach.
Claire on the beach
We drove north and took a car ferry to Russell and kept on driving
The two of us on this black sand beach
A cove and a minute of glorious sunshine
Phillip on the beach at sunset- Pink to Blue sunset 
2 comments:
I love hearing of your adventures and seeing your wonderful pics! What a great gift you two have given the children! They have all 4 changed so much! Anna looks so much like you, Dawn! I really enjoyed talking w/ Claire on Skype the other afternoon... so is still the same super sweet ... very well mannered Claire! God is so good! Couldn't you just see his greatness in that little tiny glow worm... He's a specticular Lord! God Bless all of you! Much love from home!
BTW - GO VOLS (Sept. 27th ... Auburn here we come ;)
Hey Y'all,
Glad to keep reading and seeing your blog, and passing it on to friends to watch as well. Great pictures as well, so please keep it up!
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