Itinerary for the next 666 days…In five days, we’ll leave NZ…In six days, we’ll board a cruise in Sydney…Tomorrow…two great videos!

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Colorful sunset over the farm.


Our itinerary for the next 666 days…more to come in the future…

 Sydney Hotel 1  4/15/2016 – 4/16/2016 
 Cruise – Sydney to Singapore  14 RC Voyager of Seas   4/16/2016 – 4/30/2016 
 Bali House  59  4/30/2016 – 6/28/2016 
 Hotel Singapore 7  6/28/2016 – 7/5/2016 
 Hanoi Hotel 3  7/5/2016 – 7/8/2016 
 Cruise – Mekong River – Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City  15 Viking
Mekong
  		  7/8/2016 – 7/22/2016 
 Phuket House  41  7/22/2016 – 9/1/2016 
 Bali House  59  9/1/2016 – 10/30/2016 
 Sydney Hotel  1  10/30/2016 – 10/31/2016 
 Cruise – Sydney to Perth  16 RC Radiance of the Seas   10/31/2016 – 11/16/2016 
 Cruise – Perth to Sydney  17  RC Radiance of the Seas   11/16/2016 – 12/3/2016 
 Tasmania #1 Beach House  44  12/3/2016 – 1/16/2017 
 Tasmania #2 River Waterfront  44  1/16/2017 – 3/1/2017 
 Cruise – Sydney to Sydney  12 Celebrity Solstice   3/1/2017 – 3/13/2017 
 Sydney House 40  3/13/2017 – 4/22/2017 
 Cruise – Sydney to Seattle   24  RC Explorer of the Seas   4/22/2017 – 5/15/2017 
 GAP 5/15/2017 – 5/17/2017  2  5/15/2017 – 5/17/2017 
 Cruise – Vancouver to Seattle – Alaska   9 Celebrity Solstice   5/17/2017 – 5/26/2017 
 Seattle to Minneapolis – drive through Yellowstone – hotels  13  5/26/2017 – 6/8/2017 
 Minneapolis Family Visit – RV rental  42  6/8/2017 – 7/19/2017 
 Nevada Family Visit – Stay with son Richard in Henderson 11  7/19/2017 – 8/1/2017 
 Costa Rica – Atenas House 114  8/1/2017 – 11/22/2017 
 Hotel – Fort Lauderdale – Not booked  1  11/22/2017 – 11/23/2017 
 Cruise – Ft. Lauderdale – Santiago, Chile  15 Celebrity
Infinity		  11/23/2017 – 12/8/2017 
 Cruise – Santiago, Chili – Buenos Aires, Argentina  15 Celebrity
Infinity		  12/8/2017 – 12/23/2017 
 GAP Buenos Aires – Hotel or vacation homes 31  12/23/2017 – 1/23/2018 
 Cruise -Antarctica – Ushuaia, Argentina – Ushuaia, Argentina – 16 Ponant
Le Soleal		  1/23/2018 – 2/8/2018 
 Total number of days  (153 days cruising) 666

Each time we’ve posted an updated itinerary at least one reader writes asking if our journey will end at the conclusion of the posted itinerary. If and when we’re forced (for health reasons) to change the course of our travels, we promise to post our intent of the necessity of doing so. 

Also, we’ll certainly continue to document that process (health providing) including medical treatments, settling in to a new location whether temporary or permanent and the resulting expenses for all aspects of such a transition.

While on the way to shop we stopped for cows crossing the road.

Is there a chance the above won’t transpire? (Warning: morbid talk here). If we stay relatively healthy and are able to continue on, we may find life comes to an end for one of us during the journey. One way or another, we’ll notify our readers.

As we age, along with the rest of us, we realize that life may change at some point. Actually, life will change at some point. For now, we don’t worry or concern ourselves with that eventuality. 

The farmer offered to stop the flow but we insisted they carry on.

Striving for good health, living in the moment and joyful planning for the future are the main focus of our nomadic lifestyle. As we peruse our above itinerary it’s hard to wipe the smiles off of our faces. If happiness is instrumental in living a long and healthy life, we should be around for awhile.

A few stopped to check us out as the crossing continued from the paddock.

No, we aren’t slapstick happy every single day. Like the rest of us, we have quite uneventful days. We have other days where we may feel worried or angst-ridden. On occasion, we have fitful nights spent worrying about the well being of family and friends. 

But, overall, a powerful sense of contentment surrounds us. Yesterday, on the deck with 47 alpacas within our reach, we felt the endorphin rush of interacting with nature. Laughing, commenting, smiling while handing them an open palm of their grassy treats, we can’t help but appreciate every moment of our lives.

The cows were being moved to milking. Moving them must be a daily occurrence.

For however long this journey lasts, we remain grateful each and every day. Grateful for the experiences, grateful for the good health and grateful for the opportunity of sharing it with all of you!

Photo from one year ago today, April 10, 2015:
One year ago today, we wrote about “Birdie,” a Red Cardinal who visited our veranda in Kauai more times a day than we could count. I chopped batches of unsalted organic macadamia nuts, almonds, pecans and walnuts feeding them to him and his “wife” when they came to visit.  He sang a song when I didn’t get the nuts outside to him quickly enough. To hear his song in our video, please click here.  To see the year-ago-post, please click here.

A dream come true…Antarctica, here we come!…Exciting and…pricey!…Tomorrow…the 666 day itinerary!

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Not our photo, but not unlike the experience we hope to have on our booked cruise to Antarctica in 21 months. The cruise was booked up so fast on the day it was posted, we decided to book this far ahead.

When we first conceived of the idea of traveling the world in January 2012, a few of what we considered as “must do’s” in our travels have changed or have since been fulfilled.

That’s not to say the list isn’t still extensive at this point. The more we learn about this enormous world we live in, the more we find appealing to our tastes and desires.

For me, my number one dream was to see wildlife in Africa.  After almost nine months on the continent, my greedy self longs for more. Someday, we’ll return to fulfill my desires to return and also to fulfill one of Tom’s dreams to see Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Of course, that future trip will include seeing the gorillas in Rwanda, an experience we both will treasure.

As for Tom in the beginning, his first priority was to visit the Panama Canal.  Our first cruise in January, 2013 our ship traversed the narrow passageway at the Panama Canal, which proved to be an extraordinary experience for both of us. 

The newly built locks on the Panama Canal are yet to open due to construction delays although the expectation is that it will be operational by the end of June. Even if the new canal its not open by the time we arrive in 2017 we still look forward to it once again as another layer in the experience.

The Panama Canal is not a “final” destination, instead its a means for us to make our way to South America from our location in Central America at the time. As mentioned in yesterday’s post, in November, 2017 we’ll again cruise through the canal on the first of the two cruises we mentioned.

As we’ve continued on our travels incorporating almost constant ongoing worldwide research, we’ve added many locations to our list of places we’d like to visit. Will we be able to see them all?  Most likely not.  Both time and finances have a bearing on our ability to do so.

However, added to our list of “hope to see,” eventually moving over to the “must see” list, Antarctica quickly moved up to the top of the list over these past few years as we conducted more and more research.  We knew the price would be outrageous. As we’ve fine tuned our budget, we’ve saved and trimmed to make this possible.

The itinerary for our upcoming cruise to Antarctica.

Availability of Antarctica cruises for the right dates became imperative based on current bookings and, as described in yesterday’s post, as we began to explore South America for the later part of 2017 and 2018. 

Here is a link with considerable information about cruising in Antarctica from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) that has provided us with valuable answers to questions.

The quality of the cruise lines and ships became a vital aspect as we continued in our extensive research. We watched videos, read hundreds of online reviews as well as endless comments in CruiseCritic, constantly on the search for the perfect scenario for our needs and wants.

The most important criteria for us is taking an Antarctica cruise is the inclusion in getting off the ship to board small Zodiac boats that travel to the ice floes for close encounters with wildlife.  

The “cruising only” options of many ships with no “off ship” experiences typically last for 10 to 11 days. This was definitely not worth the lower cost to us.  We wanted more. We knew a 14 to 17 day cruise with use of excursions on guided Zodiac boats for up close and personal wildlife experiences was the driving force behind our research and ultimately, our final decision.

Then, of course, the price, age of the ship, quality of ship, number of passengers, reviews and accommodations on the smaller ships that visit this vast area of the world became a vital factor in finding the right cruise.

ITINERARY
DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE   DEPART
Tue Jan 23 Ushuaia, Argentina 6:00pm
Wed Jan 24 At Sea
Thu Jan 25 Grave Cove, Falkland Islands / New Island, Falklands
Fri Jan 26 At Sea
Sat Jan 27 At Sea
Sun Jan 28 South Georgia Island
Mon Jan 29 South Georgia Island
Tue Jan 30 South Georgia Island
Wed Jan 31 At Sea
Thu Feb 1 Elephant Island
Fri Feb 2 Astrolabe Island, Antarctica
Sat Feb 3 Neko Harbor, Antarctica
Sun Feb 4 At Sea
Mon Feb 5 At Sea
Tue Feb 6 At Sea
Wed Feb 7 Ushuaia, Argentina 5:00pm
Thu Feb 8 Ushuaia, Argentina Disembark

For me, I’d have been content to sail on the less luxurious ships with minimal accommodations if necessary to make it affordable. But, as our research continued, the lower priced older, less luxurious ships didn’t offer much lower pricing and…sacrificing luxury no longer became an issue. In any case, it was going to cost us dearly.

After considerable research, we decided on the French Ponant Cruise line which has small enough ships to maneuver into areas larger ships cannot navigate. Also, the cruise line offered excellent accommodations and amenities including tips and alcoholic beverages, upscale food with scientists and professional photographers on board.

Over these past 18 months, as we continued our search, we resigned ourselves to the outrageous cost of these 14 to 16 day cruises.  Prices on most Antarctica cruises begin at a low of NZ $14,682, US $8800, per person for more modest accommodations on less desirable ships to a high of NZ $79,285, US $54,000 on luxury ships.

Ships are categorized by “number of stars” ranging from a low of “3” to a high of “6” for the pricey high end ships.  The ship we selected, Ponant’s Le Soleal, is rated a “5.5”. We’re very happy with this. The price, on the other hand made us cringe a little although we were prepared it would be high.

The cost for the balcony cabin we selected on the fourth deck of Ponant Le Soleal is a combined (for two) NZ $50,654, US $34,500, as opposed to the much lower priced third deck where the medical center is located. We didn’t want to be close to that!  

Here’s information about the ship:

Le Soléal

Ship Rating:
Le Soléal features a sleek silhouette and a welcoming, intimate atmosphere. Le Soléal accommodates up to just 264 passengers and embodies the philosophy and spirit of yacht cruising that has made Ponant a success.

All 132 staterooms and suites feature ocean views, and the interior of the ship boasts contemporary décor with fluid lines and a modern color scheme. Trips in a Zodiac boat will allow passengers to get as close as possible to the natural grace of the Arctic lands, and a team of naturalists and lecturers will accompany guests and share their knowledge, experience and passion for their subject.

Carrying on a tradition of reducing impact on the environment, Le Soléal also features a state-of-the-art navigational positioning system, eliminating the need to drop anchor and therefore protecting the seabed. This advanced system also lowers smoke emissions and includes an optical and submarine detection system to avoid collisions with marine life, both day and night.

 Le Soléal
Detailed Information
Deck Plans Dining Wireless
Internet  
 Ship Statistics 
Year Built 2013
Tonnage 10,944 tons
Registry France
Length 466 feet
Beam 59 feet
Passenger Capacity 264
Crew Size 139
Total Inside Cabins 0
Total Outside Cabins 132
Cabins & Suites w/ verandas 124
Suites 4
Maximum Occupancy per room 4
Age Restrictions One person must be 18 or older
Dinner Seatings 1
Seating Assignments
in Main Dining Room		 Open
Dining Hours Open Seating
Dining Room Dress Code Dining
Tipping Recommended? No
Tipping Guidelines Gratuities are included in the cruise fare.
Onboard Currency European Union Euro
Services & Amenities
Bars/Lounges 3
Beauty Salon/Barber Shop Yes
Casino No
Chapel No
Disco/Dancing Yes
Elevators Yes
Hot Tub No
Cell Phone Service No
Internet Access Yes
Internet Center Yes
Wireless Internet Access Yes
Laundry/Dry Cleaning No
Library Yes
Movie Theatre No
Outdoor Movie Screen No
Onboard Weddings No
Self Serve Laundromats No
Shops Yes
Showroom Yes
Spa Yes
Video Arcade No
Fitness & Sports Facilities
Basketball Court No
Fitness Center Yes
Golf Driving Net No
Golf Simulator No
Ice Skating Rink No
Jogging Track No
Mini-Golf Course No
Rock Climbing Wall No
Swimming Pool Yes
Tennis Court No
Water Slide No
Water Sports Platform No
Cabin Features & Amenities
24-Hour Room Service Yes
Hair Dryer Yes
Safe Yes
Telephone Yes
Television Yes
Kids Facilities
Babysitting No
Children’s Playroom No
Kiddie Pool No
Supervised Youth Program No
Teen Center No
Special Needs & Requests
Adjoining Cabins
(private connecting doors)		 No
Kosher Meals No
Single Occupancy Cabins No
Single Share Program No
Wheelchair-Accessible Cabins Yes

Yesterday, we paid the non-refundable deposit of 25% at NZ $12,666, US $8,625. Even that made us cringe.  But, we look at this much desired cruise as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one neither of us ever dreamed possible. 

Going forward, we’ll share more information on this cruise including the cost and details of renting appropriate outerwear clothing, boots and gloves which the cruise line arranges after we make our online selections. 

The cruise lines have requirements on which items we must rent to ensure they don’t have to deal with less appropriately dressed passengers. Today, we received an online form from our highly competent cruise rep at Vacations to Go, Brooklyn Earnhardt who can be reached here which included medical forms we must have signed by a doctor no more than 90 days before departure date.

Over the next 21.5 months until we board the cruise on January 23, 2018 in Ushaiai, Argentina, referred to as the most southerly city in the world (the ends of the earth) we have plenty of time to take care of everything we’ll need to do

Here we are today, only one week from boarding the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas at the Port of Sydney, Australia.  No, this upcoming cruise may not be as exciting as the Antarctica cruise. But, our enthusiasm and level of excitement is high, as always, as we continue on to our next adventure. 

May your day find you filled with enthusiasm for whatever your day brings. Today, we’ll be hanging out with 47 adorable alpaca moms and babies. What more could we possibly want?

Photo from one year ago today, April 9, 2015:

A juice bar on wheels in Hanalei. A tour we’d planned was rained out.  Instead we visited Hanalei, a small tourist town in Kauai. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…South America, here we come!..A new continent…A new leg in our journey…

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With only one week until departing New Zealand and an upcoming cruise beginning next Saturday, the 16th, we decided to wrap up a few bookings for the distant future while we had a good Internet connection.

When we reviewed our itinerary ending on our five-year travel anniversary on October 31, 2017, a mere 18 months away, we knew it was time to pin down what was next on the horizon. 

In the past few days, we were able to extend our vacation rental in Costa Rica to November 22, 2017 (19 months from now) making all of this planning work well. Costa Rica has a 90-day visa maximum for US citizens.  Halfway through our stay we’ll leave the country for a day and re-enter providing us with a new visa end date.

ITINERARY
DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE   DEPART
Thu Nov 23 Fort Lauderdale, FL 4:30pm
Fri Nov 24 At Sea
Sat Nov 25 Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 8:00am 5:00pm
Sun Nov 26 At Sea
Mon Nov 27 Panama Canal (Full Transit) (Cruising)
Tue Nov 28 At Sea
Wed Nov 29 Manta, Ecuador 7:00am 2:30pm
Thu Nov 30 At Sea
Fri Dec 1 Lima (Callao), Peru 9:00am
Sat Dec 2 Lima (Callao), Peru 7:00pm
Sun Dec 3 Pisco, Peru 8:00am 6:00pm
Mon Dec 4 At Sea
Tue Dec 5 Arica, Chile 8:00am 5:00pm
Wed Dec 6 At Sea
Thu Dec 7 At Sea
Fri Dec 8 Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile 5:00am

Although pre-planning to the extent we do may not appeal to some, without a home to return to, we find tremendous peace of mind in planning well into the future. In any case, it’s always delightful anticipating future plans and adventures. 

In reality, most of us take great comfort in knowing where we hope (and plan, if possible) to be in the next few years. It can be a little unsettling not knowing what the immediate future holds. 

No doubt, everything can change in a moment or in a day.  But, that reality seldom prevents us, humans, from planning for the future and comfortably settling into the present.

For our way of life, however quiet or adventuresome it may seem at times, we find packing our itinerary with future plans a huge source of excitement and anticipation while we’re fully embracing our lives at the moment.

Now, with leaving this glorious location one week from today, we decided to wrap up a few bookings to place us well into the future, after we’ve left the US for the family visit and after over three months in Costa Rica living in the fabulous villa owned by our friends Bev and Sam whom we met in Kauai.

After accepting their generous offer of an excellent “friend” rate for the Costa Rica property we realized that keeping our costs down during this period enables us to plan a few pricier plans for the future when after Costa Rica, we planned to head to South America.

In today and tomorrow’s post, we’ll share these few cruises that will be instrumental in taking us to the perfect locations in South America as a segue into our possible two-year tour of the continent where again, we hope to fulfill more of our dreams.

In another post upcoming this week, we’ll be including our itinerary for the next 666 days that contains only a few gaps we’ll fill in months to come. If life proves to be quiet while in Bali and the wifi is adequate, we’ll be able to spend time searching for bookings to fill the gaps.

Then, of course, we’ll be posting our total final expenses for New Zealand on the morning we leave to drive to Auckland, one week from today, to take the flight to Sydney, Australia, where we’ll once again spend one night before the cruise the following day.

Sure, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed quiet farm life here in New Zealand. But now, as we continue on, we look forward to “shaking it up” a bit while seeing more of the world as you’ll observe in the upcoming post with the itinerary.

ITINERARY
DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE   DEPART
Fri Dec 8 Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile 6:00pm
Sat Dec 9 At Sea
Sun Dec 10 Puerto Montt, Chile 9:00am 6:00pm
Mon Dec 11 Chilean Fjords (Cruising)
Tue Dec 12 Strait of Magellan (Cruising)
Wed Dec 13 At Sea
Thu Dec 14 Punta Arenas, Chile 7:00am 5:30pm
Fri Dec 15 Ushuaia, Argentina 10:00am 7:00pm
Sat Dec 16 Cape Horn (Cruising)
Sun Dec 17 At Sea
Mon Dec 18 Puerto Madryn, Argentina 8:00am 5:30pm
Tue Dec 19 At Sea
Wed Dec 20 Punta del Este, Uruguay 9:00am 7:00pm
Thu Dec 21 Montevideo, Uruguay 7:00am 5:00pm
Fri Dec 22 Buenos Aires, Argentina 5:00am
Sat Dec 23 Buenos Aires, Argentina Disembark

These two cruises we’re posting today are “back to back” which we hadn’t posted at an earlier time. To explain “back-to-back” for our less experienced cruisers, it’s when passengers stay on the ship for its next cruise continuing on later in the day.

In most cases, we’re required to get off the ship for a short period, leaving all of our belongings in the same cabin while the ship is prepared for the next barrage of passengers embarking a few hours later. 

In most cases, we won’t need to stand in long lines when we re-board and will be pushed along to easily gain access without any commotion since “back to back” passengers are given priority re-boarding.

On two other occasions, we’ve booked back-to-back cruises, once in Belize in April 2013 and another in Barcelona in May 2013. In both cases, it worked well when we were able to keep the same cabins except mid-cruise when we asked to be moved to a different cabin as a result of the pounding noise in the middle of the night from the disco below. (That was the last time we selected Carnival Cruises, not quite our type of cruise).

We’ll be back tomorrow sharing a “dream come true” while in the interim we’re totally wrapped up in the excitement in our backyard after Trish and Neil moved the alpacas to our backyard enabling us to enjoy them up close and personal during this final week. We’ll be sitting on the veranda most of the day watching them. It’s wonderful! 

May your day be wonderful as well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 8, 2015:

Could this albatross chick be any cuter?  A year ago while living in Kauai we spent hours observing the lives of the Laysan Albatross and their growing chicks.  This experience added so much joy to our four months on the exquisite island, along with all the friends we made. What great memories!  \Click here for more photos.

Final photos of Taranaki Pioneer Village including a peek inside an historical hospital…A new way of life upcoming soon…

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This could come in handy on “overly grumpy” days!

We’re still awaiting final documents for upcoming bookings which we’ll share as soon as we have them in hand which should be later today.

Here’s the library and general store at Taranaki Pioneer Village.

Yesterday, we breezed through town making the multiple stops we’d planned. At the pharmacy, several staff members who’d assisted me over these past three months gathered around to wish me goodbye. That’s amazing! 

Each room in the settlement houses contained authentic antiques with some funny plaster characters.

Tom usually waits in the car while I shop except at the meat market and at the farmer’s market, which we’ll visit for a final time this Sunday to return eight empty egg cartons and to purchase our last batch of eggs, enough at that point to last only four more days.

A hat and garments shop.

As of today, we’re leaving in eight days. It’s at this point we begin calculating how we’ll use the remaining food in the freezer, fridge, and cupboards. We’re in great shape for using up most of our supplies as we plan the menu for the upcoming week.

It was enjoyable to see the clothing from the era in various shops.

Today, we’re laundering the remaining few loads of cruise clothing, especially when it’s a sunny breezy day when they’ll dry quickly. The house cleaners will arrive soon. We’ve decided to have them clean one more time, next Thursday, leaving us to focus on packing instead of cleaning the house before we go. At a weekly price of NZ $60, US $41, it’s worth it. 

These bottles in the Chemist shop may have contained a variety of ingredients for making potions.

Today, it dawned on us that we won’t be cooking for ourselves until moving into the house in Phuket, Thailand on July 22, 2016, over three months away. I enjoy preparing our meals but in Bali with a household cook on staff, I’ll only assist in the menu and choosing appropriate ingredients.

Authentic grocer.

The owners of the Bali house explained we could have the cook do all the prep and cleanup while we season the meal putting it all together at the end for cooking. As for the shopping, at this point, we’re assuming we’ll do the shopping to ensure we’ll have the correct ingredients. We’ll know more once we arrive after the cruise.

An old telephone switchboard.

We have no doubt that the local grocery stores will be small with limited availability of products, not unlike in Kenya and Fiji, both of which had sparse options at the local markets.

The bedpan department in the old hospital on the grounds of the Taranaki Pioneer Village.

For our way of eating, if we can purchase free-range chicken and eggs, grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish (caught away from the shore), dairy, and vegetables, we’ll have everything we need. 

The operating theatre.  Scary.

There are no villages in which we’ve lived to date that don’t sell meat/protein sources, veggies, and full-fat dairy which are universal food choices in most parts of the world. 

The maternity theatre. 

However limited the food supply we can always figure it out. In reality, our way of eating is easier than trying to find specific packaged and processed food items many people use in their daily lives. 

The blacksmith shop.
The interior of the blacksmith shop.

In my old life before 2011 when I adopted this diet, I’d have been frustrated if unable to purchase “whole grain” bagels, low sugar jelly, and unsweetened low-fat yogurt. Now, with those foods on my prohibited list, shopping is much easier. Plus, eating only one meal a day makes meal options relatively simple.

The check-out desk at the library.

Today, we’re wrapping up the photos from our recent tour of the Taranaki Pioneer Village and hopefully, tomorrow, we’ll be back with exciting news we’re looking forward to posting.

Printing equipment from a long-ago era.

May your day bring good news, good health, and contentment.
                    
                                                Photo from one year ago today, April 7, 2015:

This was the local health food store where we often shopped for specialty items while in Kauai. Most likely, such a store won’t be available in Bali. We’ll manage without it. For more details, please click here.

Photo of our wonderful hosts, Trish and Neil, and final alpaca faces…

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Neil and Trish, our amazing hosts have made this one of our favorite world travel experiences. For the link to this exquisite location, please click here.

Last evening, at 6:45 we drove the short distance in the dark to Trish and Neil’s home to say goodbye and spend a little time together over a glass of wine and some thoughtfully appropriate munchies befitting my diet.

Our favorite of the day!  Note the set of ears from an alpaca in the background.

Upon entering their beautiful house, we hunkered down in the cozy den on comfortable furniture with the intent of only staying a short time, knowing they had to work today and may not have had dinner after returning home from work.

This “macho” (male) was leash wearing a for a mating ritual. The males live separately from the females and crias.

We made a point of eating at 3 pm.  As I continue with intermittent fasting, eating only once every 20 to 24 hours I knew if we stayed at their home for a while I’d be chomping at the bit to get home to eat. We didn’t want the need to eat to interfere with our anticipated great evening. Nor, did we want to have a meal after returning home.

Confident youngster.

And, it was a great evening. We didn’t leave their door until after 9:30 pm. We had a blast. After spending time with them shortly before they leave on a three-week holiday to South Africa, we wished we’d somehow had more time to spend with them.

The face of an adoring cria as he looks up at his mom.

We joked over the fact that the only major conversations in which we’ve engaged over these past three months (besides to one another) and a few others) has been cooing and fussing over their over 100 alpacas. No doubt, we “hogged” the conversation with excited banter. 

This is the face of Delilah who proved not to be pregnant after all and was mated in the past few days.

With the sadness over the recent loss of Mont Blanc, we felt especially thrilled when they told us they’ll be moving the alpacas to our backyard in the next 24 hours where they’ll stay until we depart in nine days.

Last night, Neil explained that the new set of lower teeth grow in prior to the old set falling out as shown in this photo.  This is nature’s way of ensuring the alpacas always have a set of teeth to use for grazing. Isn’t nature amazing?

Yesterday, I packed my clothes except for a few hanging items I’m trying to keep wrinkle-free and, a load of blue jeans yet to wash. I tossed out no less than 10 pounds of old clothing and stuff, none of which was worthy of donation. 

Having been sheared early in the spring, their fluffy fleece has begun to grow back. 

I must admit I’ve been wearing some overly worn clothing, some with holes, whenever we stay home all day.  Tom has done the same, wearing the same tee shirts over and over until they can finally be tossed. This may have been obvious in our photos.

A mouth full of teeth and dried grass with one ear tucked back as I took this close up.

Luckily, we both have some newer items we’ve saved to wear after tossing the worn clothing. Soon, we’ll be digging those out. As I packed yesterday, I was pleased to see I’d have plenty of newer items to wear as we continue on, all of which fit into a single suitcase. That fact alone continues to amaze me.

Funny face!

Today, we received some exciting news for future bookings we look forward to sharing in the next few posts.  We prefer to wait to post information about future bookings until we have the “paperwork in hand” (figuratively speaking, since it’s always online).

A peaceful expression with almost a smile.

Soon, we’re heading to town to grocery shop, visit the pharmacy for a final stop, and purchase a new SIM card for our NZ device. Once back home we’ll begin entering the newest bookings on the spreadsheet.

A bad hair day and missing tooth while a cria looks on wondering what we’re doing.
May you receive exciting news today whether it’s a friend stopping by for a cup of coffee or tea or an event you’ve longed to experience.


Photo from one year ago today, April 6, 2015:

A year ago today in Kauai, we posted this orchid photo. Many flowers continue to bloom throughout the year in Hawaii’s tropical climate. For more photos, please click here.

Mont Blanc…A sad story of a little life lost…

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It was hard not to fall in love with this face.

I don’t know how I became so attached to the little guy, alpaca Mont Blanc, born January 10th, nine days before we arrived in New Plymouth. 

Perhaps, it began during the harrowing few hours we spent trying to figure out how to get him back into the paddock when his tiny body easily maneuvered under the wire fence of the paddock next to our house leaving him separated from his mom, Giselle.

They both cried the sorrowful alpaca hum over and over again, afraid and frustrated by their separation, while we stood by helpless to figure out what to do.  We wrote about this event in this post using this photo below.

Mont Blanc’s mom Giselle, standing at the fence (left) was very worried that he’d escaped the fence to the paddocks. The other alpacas looked on, worried as well.

Finally, we called Trish to report the incident. In a short period, she and Neil arrived to gently pick him up and place him back over the fence to reunite with his worried mom and the other equally worried alpacas who cried along with them. 

We’d have lifted him over the fence, but at the time, so new to the farm, we were uncertain as to how to do so safely to avoid hurting him or us with his razor-like hooves. Watching him and his mom reunite was heartwarming. For days, if not weeks, he remained close at her side as shown in this photo below.

We took this photo within a few hours of Mont Blanc and his mom Giselle being reunited. He seldom left her side, although at times he attempted to play with the other crias.

At this point, I was hooked, and with his greenish collar and name tag, I began watching him each day; his gentle demeanor and more than anything… the way he looked into my eyes with his pale blue eyes. His little pink mouth and nose combined with his blue eyes made him easy to spot.

On rare occasions, he’d play with the other cria for short periods. They often ran with vigor through the paddock in the early evenings as the heat of the sun waned but he was unable to keep up.

Mont Blanc would wander off by himself when he wasn’t napping or hugging close to his mom.

When the cria joined together in a pile to rest in the sun, often in the dirt patch outside our sliding door, he’d easily participate in “nap time.” It was during these periods and many others that I could spend hours watching him. 

He was different from the others, not only with his lash-hidden blue eyes, an anomaly in alpacas, but in the way he hung close to his mom and seldom munched on the grass as the other cria had begun after their first month of life.

Mont Blanc in the left front was smaller than the other cria many born weeks after him. The cria would gather in this dirt spot for their naps, one of few interactions he had with the others.

In his own little way, without ever holding him in my arms, a special affinity grew over these past almost three months. (Alpacas don’t like to be touched by humans but will engage in eye to eye communication with their gentle moans and hums easily expressing interest and love).

And when I began to notice how little he actually nursed while seldom munching on the grass, his tiny stature became more and more evident as the more newly born cria passed him in size when they were but a few weeks old.

Reporting our observations to Trish and Neil they weighed him to discover he was considerably underweight.  Then, when we took this below photo of him trying to nurse while another unrelated fast-growing cria nursed from his mom, we knew something was terribly wrong. We reported this to Trish and Neil immediately showing them the photo.

It was this photo that further prompted us to notify Trish and Neil when we suspected something was terribly wrong when tiny Mont Blanc (on the left) was attempting to nurse from his mom while another born-this-season cria nursed from her as well, an uncommon scene. Even Giselle looks surprised by this event.  Click here for the post on that date.

At that point, Trish and Neil separated Mont Blanc and Giselle from the others in another paddock closer to their house, a distance from ours. Each day, we walked to that paddock to see how he was doing. Once they moved them, he gained a little weight, later losing it all. At times we spotted him with a few blades of grass in his mouth in an attempt to eat as shown in this photo below. 

Last week the vet came to the farm to check on him. The report wasn’t good. Mont Blanc wasn’t thriving. When Trish and Neil had left for the Easter holiday last week, we continued to walk to the distant paddock to check on him.

Recently, we wandered through the other paddocks looking for him. When we didn’t see him, I wrote to Trish asking where we’d find Mont Blanc and she wrote:

“Mount Blanc…. I had the vet look at him and he was very worried.  We discussed ideas and possibilities. I had already realized something was definitely wrong and the vet agreed. I took him to the vet clinic on Thursday where he was euthanized.  Horrible outcome but as it turned out the vet and we knew it was something untreatable – He did a post-mortem and found the outlet from the second to third stomach was restricted to only a pinhole so no food was getting through and no nutrition. We were never going to win with him.  Being blue-eyed may have had something to do with it because they may often have malformations. Sad but he is no longer suffering.”

At this point, we all thought he was doing better.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read her message, my heart heavy for his little life, so sweet, so precious, now taken away. As I write this now, the tears flow once again. 

It’s ironic how when we lose an animal, however short a period we loved them, we are reminded of all of God’s creatures that we’ve lost in times past. It was only a few weeks ago that Tom and I reread the blog I wrote when we lost our last dog, Willie in 2011. 

The five-year anniversary of the day we lost Willie is in a few days and reading it still makes us cry. Here’s the link to the first day I wrote Willie’s blog (the balance follows in the archives) after he was diagnosed with cancer and given only weeks to live. 

For a period of time, he seemed to be doing better. But that soon faded and again he lost weight.  We were so hopeful.

I wrote the blog in the first person as if in his own words, picking it up “in my words” after he was gone. Writing Willie’s blog, my first foray into blogging was a healing process and inspiration in writing here now, all these years later.

In a funny way, writing here today, after discovering that Mont Blanc will no longer be found in any of the paddocks hanging out with his mom, is also a healing process. 

And yet, a sense of sorrow remains; for Mont Blanc, for Willie, for all the other dogs we’ve lost along the way, for all the people we’ve lost along the way, and for all the sorrows we’ve all experienced in our lives.

As happy as we are in our lives of traveling the world, we’re never exempt from the feelings of love or for the caring of those we’ve lost both human and animal, and for those we’ve left behind. Love travels well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 5, 2015:

The rushing waters below at high tide in Princeville, Kauai.  For more photos, please click here.

Part 2…Taranaki Pioneer Village…New video…Farm life coming to a close…

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 Check out our video from the Taranaki Pioneer Village!

It’s funny how when we love where we’re living, the final weeks seem to pass quickly. Isn’t that how life is anyway? As they say, “time flies when you’re having fun!”

The 10-acre grounds in the Taranaki Pioneer Village has much to offer.

It’s been a great three months here in New Plymouth in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand, as our regular readers have read over and over again. We couldn’t rave about this farm and location enough. 

For typical travelers on a one or two-week holiday/vacation, this lifestyle may be a little too slow and laid back.  Although, this area, this island, this country has plenty to do for the most enthusiastic traveler if they have a rental car, time, and interest in getting on the road. 

Footbridge over the lake with many ducks below.

Many have commented how we’re missing out on not living on the South Island but for us, the cost for a long-term rental was prohibitive. Plus, we found this area so beautiful and rewarding, we could hardly have expected or wanted more. 

As we began the walk on the paths chickens and roosters started following us, certainly used to being fed by tourists.

It isn’t always about the “very best” location.  Affordability and our interests prevail in most of our decisions. On occasion, we may falter in these priorities and when we do, we accept the inevitable…that perhaps we didn’t make the best decision at the time we booked the vacation home, cruise, or location in general.

Instead of berating ourselves for making occasional decisions for less than ideal situations, we prefer to adapt to the environment as well as we can and strive to embrace the aspects we may find appealing and engaging.  Attitude is everything in this lifestyle and in any lifestyle for that matter. 

Tom also got a kick out of how many chickens and roosters began to follow us.

We always remind ourselves that if we have our health and our loved ones are healthy and doing well, there’s little room for complaint. Yes, in some locations there may have been bugs in the bed (not here), flies buzzing around our heads, “mozzies” dining on our blood, unbearable heat without AC, and limited amenities and food options.

The chickens and roosters joined us when we stopped to visit the sheep who were also baahing and begging for food. I’d seen pellets for sale in the visitors center but didn’t think of buying any. At that point, we were too far away to go back to buy a bag.

From early on in our travels, we discovered that complaining wasn’t productive. Solving problems to the best of our abilities is productive and even then, when we get a “no, it can’t be done” we press and then press again, always attempting to keep kindness and diplomacy in mind.

The two sheep didn’t take their eyes off of us as they made lots of noise.

What may seem difficult for us may be a “normal” way of life for others. It’s through living with some of those same challenges that we learn and grow. Ultimately, isn’t that what we wanted to accomplish in our travels…experience life in a manner we never knew in our old lives?

We felt like the Pied Piper as they continued with us on the tour.

In this beautiful region, in this ideal home, living on these breathtaking 35 acres with nature surrounding us, we’ve experienced no hardships; not the flies that entered the house when we had no choice but to leave the screen-less doors open on warm days; not the sand fleas that required my constant use of toxic repellent (when “natural” didn’t work); not the bugs in the bedroom at night when the metal roof made the upper-level bedroom so hot we had to open the windows. 

We stopped to see these horses but they had no interest in us.

None of this mattered to us. We adapted. We purchased a fly swatter and used it to kill dozens of flies before sitting down to a meal, closing all the doors and windows so we could dine in peace without flies landing on our food. 

A chicken with fluffy feet.

As I scurried about the well-equipped kitchen each day with the final touches for the upcoming meal, Tom killed flies. He quickly learned to “swipe” as opposed to “splat” to ensure no-fly guts remained on the windows, walls, furniture, and cabinets. 

We stopped to sit on a park bench to enjoy the scenery while the chickens waited for us to continue on.

The rest?  It’s been so easy, so pleasant and so rewarding. And now, with packing on the horizon we’ve accepted one more reality…we are leaving in 11 days, heading to Auckland (a five-hour drive) for a three-plus-hour flight to Sydney where we’ll spend one night, boarding a cruise the next day.

This rooster followed us during our entire walk through the grounds, up until we entered the visitors center at the end of our tour.

It’s all good. We’re grateful for the experience and we’ll be ready to move along when the time comes.

May you find experiences that find you grateful, whether it’s in living a simple daily life, not unlike ours, or a day filled with excitement and adventure. Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 4, 2015:

In Kauai, one year ago, we speculated based on appearance, that there’s some sort of permanent pouch beneath the shedding skin of this Green Anole. For more Kauai photos, please click here.

Part 1…Taranaki Pioneer Village..History at it best in this region…Here comes the judge!…And, the witness…

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Tom stood on the witness stand in the old courthouse at the Taranaki Pioneer Village, a style that may be seen in more modern-day courthouses throughout the world. See the story and more photos below.
It’s been days since we walked in the neighborhood to visit our favorite cows, bulls, and sheep nor walked the muddy distance to the paddocks where the other alpacas are grazing or where Mont Blanc and his mom are located in hopes of improving his precarious health.

 

What a wonderful view of Mount Taranaki as we made our way out of town.

Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t bored or annoyed with the much-needed rain. Seeing the mountains, hills and grass grow greener each day only means more nutrition for the grazing animals and growth of fall seasonal vegetables on local farms.

This sign grabbed our attention while we traveled along Highway 3.

Speaking of the fall season, the clocks changed here overnight, “fall back” not  “spring forward” as recently occurred in the US and other parts of the world that observe Daylight Savings Time. 

The entrance to the Taranaki Pioneer Village.

Here in the South Pacific, it’s been awfully dark upon arising each morning. Now, we’ll be able to adapt to brighter mornings and earlier evening darkness. 

It’s still a bit odd to us, these time and entire day differences. In a mere 13 months, we’ll be on our way back to the US and everything will change. Luckily, sailing across the seas makes the transition less noticeable at a one hour change each night. 

It was interesting to read about the historical buildings.

To date, we’ve yet to experience any major “jet lag” after crossing many time zones on cruises and flights. In almost every case, we adjusted within 24 to 48 hours with only our waking times feeling a bit disrupted.

Continuing on with stories and photos of recent sightseeing, today we begin sharing photos from a visit to the Taranaki Pioneer Village. We stumbled upon this unplanned popular tourist location when we spotted a sign as we drove on the highway. 

Many of the antiques ranged over a 100 year period such as this doctor scale, table, and clock in the visitors center.

It was worth checking out the village, as Tom quickly whipped into the parking lot. With few cars in the lot we wondered if it was open, let alone curious as to what a pioneer village has to offer.

World War I nurse’s uniform located in the visitors center with a old scale to the left.

With the intent of preserving the history of New Zealand, the Taranaki Pioneer Village is an ideal sightseeing location for both adults and children. Following is a description from their website:

“Welcome to Taranaki Pioneer Village!

Open every day from 10 am to 4 pm at Stratford South in Central Taranaki. Open at other times by arrangement.

Phone 06 765 5399

Taranaki Pioneer Village on State Highway 3, just south of Stratford in Central Taranaki, offers 10 acres of Taranaki Heritage. Take a nostalgic stroll through yesteryear and experience an outdoor museum presenting the life of Taranaki pioneers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries – recall childhood memories and introduce ‘the good old days’ to the younger generation”

A major central Taranaki visitor attraction that appeals to all ages with modern amenities which contrast with a ‘stepping back in time’ experience as visitors enter village main street.”

Most buildings on the site were moved from other locations in the Taranaki Region to preserve them in one central location such as this building from the Opunake Railway Station, more railroad “stuff” to appeal to Tom.  This miniature train is used to transport visitors through the grounds. We preferred to walk on a beautiful day.

Upon entering the visitors center, we were warmly greeted by two staff members who seemed delighted to see us, a woman at the reception desk where we happily paid the senior entrance fee of NZ $10 per person, US $6.90 per person, and a man who was equally a wealth of information about the venue.

We entered this old courthouse. With no one in sight, we took advantage of a few photo ops as shown below.

We could have spent hours talking to them about New Zealand history but after a half-hour or so, we decided to move along to see what the Taranaki Pioneer Village had to offer and take photos while it was still bright and sunny.

During our entire several hour mid-week tour of the village, we never saw any other tourists. It was pleasant having the entire 10-acre site to ourselves. We imagine it would be busy over the weekends and holidays.

Tom teased me when I sat in the judge’s chair behind the big desk.

Over the next few days, we’ll be posting both exterior and interior photos of the interesting historical buildings we visited including businesses, a hospital, and a variety of homes. Also, we had a funny animal encounter for which we took a video we’ll soon post which may appeal to our “animal lovers” readers.

May your day bring you unexpected humor and laughter.

Photo from one year ago today, April 3, 2015:

This was the view as we began our daily walk in the neighborhood in Kauai over a four-month period. For more Kauai photos, please click here.

Part 3…Road trip…Many new photos on a perfect day!…A Kiwi railway and visit to yesteryear…

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Kiwi Rail locomotive.

As we began to wrap up our visit to Eltham, NZ, we made a few last stops, one to check out the Kiwi Railway and another to enter the historic former bank which is now an interesting shop filled with items from another era.

The cars behind the locomotive are flat cars with containers ready to load.

Tom, having spent 42 years working for the railroad, is often curious about railways in our travels. No, he’s not obsessed with railroad memorabilia by any means, although he certainly enjoys a railroad TV show, Hell on Wheels, which he’s been watching weekly here in NZ. 

A sign on the railroad property.

However, his ears perk up when we pass a moving train, a railroad depot, or train yard. How could he not show interest after spending 42 years of his life in this line of work? On each such occasion, I’m happy to investigate with him, taking photos and stopping to read signs.

As we entered the antique shop in the old Eltham Bank building, we found a “living room” set up with each item for sale.

Visiting both of these venues proves appealing to both of us when we easily revel in each other’s interests. As we entered the former bank’s antique shop, he was particularly interested in their myriad items when so many brought back memories of his childhood. 

This fox (or another animal) neck wrap brought back memories for both of us.

For me, growing up in California, I was only able to connect with a few items when my exposure growing up in California was more about modern conveniences with few antiques. As a kid, we had a washer, dryer, dishwasher, swimming pool, and color TV as soon as they become available. Plus, living in a warm climate made life a lot easier.

Prices aren’t as high as in other such shops we’ve visited in our travels. 

Tom, growing up in frigid Minnesota from a large family, experienced an entirely different upbringing. As a result, his memory of many of the items in the antique shop held more significance to him.

Second-hand furs and dressy dresses are offered for sale. You can see me taking the photo in the mirror above the chest of drawers. I hadn’t noticed that until now as I prepared the caption.

Certain items did trigger some memories for each of us, such as the taxidermy fur neck wrap worn by our long since passed away elderly family members, the type with the head of the fox or other animal at one end, the tail at the other. 

Every table and surface is covered with items for sale.

We cringed at the concept of fur neck wraps, but our hearts were warmed by the memories of those family members; the smell of their perfume, the warmth of their demeanor, of a time, long since past.

Beads are hanging from this taxidermy deer.

We wonder what it will be like in the next 50 years or so when our grandchildren peruse items we wore and used in our lives, perhaps laughing over the peculiar styles and technology. 

A spiral staircase leads to a second level. The owner of the shop was on her phone the entire time we were in the store. We took photos and left without talking to her.

Many people thrive on memorabilia and antiques. Tom has always expressed a certain interest while I’ve always been more fascinated with technology. For us, it’s a good mix and we easily embrace opportunities to visit venues with detailed information and access to one another’s particular interests. 

Most likely, this is the original bank vault.

Overall, in our travels, we’ve observed a greater emphasis on the “old” than on the “new” with endless historic sites prevalent in most cultures. We’ve yet to encounter anything that remotely compares to the International Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas each year or any such technology show of any type.

Back on the street, we found this antique tractor.

In any case, I’ve found myself with a degree of interest in many antiques, historical sites, and venues, especially when I have the opportunity to take photos which in itself greatly enhances the experience in many ways.

Today with bad weather, we’ll most likely stay “home.” It’s raining, windy and dreary. At the moment, the fog is so dense we can’t see the alpacas in a nearby paddock. 

We hope you have a pleasant day with a ray of sunshine on your face.

Photo from one year ago today, April 2, 2015:

This sunset photo we took one year ago in Kauai made us squeal with delight! How magical! Click here for more such photos.

Part 2…Road trip…Many new photos on a perfect day!…Historical buildings…

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The name of this quaint building in Eltham, NZ wasn’t posted.  It may be a private residence.

After our visit to the Fonterra Cheese Factory in Eltham, New Zealand, we drove through the side streets finding one historical building after another. 

We assumed this structure located across the street from the Fonterra Cheese retail store was the cheese manufacturing plant.

At several points, we parked the car to walk along the streets to peer into windows of the old buildings and further investigate their origins as we took photos, many of which required I cross to the other side of the street to get a better shot.

The 1897 Eltham Argus building.

We were in awe of the quaint personality of the small town with a population (as of the last census in 2006) of under 2000 residents as stated below in this quote from Wikipedia:

“Eltham is a small inland town in South Taranaki, New Zealand, located 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of the city of New Plymouth and southeast of the volcanic cone of Mount Taranaki/Egmont. Stratford is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north, Kaponga 13 km west, and Hawera is 19 km (12 mi) south. State Highway 3 runs through the town. 

There’s our little rental car parked in front of the former Eltham Bank (with Tom on the left), now converted to a unique antique shop. Photos will follow tomorrow with some interesting antique items we spotted in this location.

Eltham is South Taranaki’s second largest town. Population was 1980 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 120 from 2001.

The former Post and Telegraph Office is for sale.

Eltham is known as the cradle of the Taranaki dairy industry (the co-operative system in particular), and for being the one place in New Zealand that manufactured rennet which is important in cheese making. It was also the first place to export butter to England.

An old phone booth with a sign stating it was one cent to make a call. The windows were too old and cloudy to take a photo of the interior.

Settlement began in Eltham in the 1870s with blocks of densely forested land being taken up mainly to the north of Mountain Road. A profusion of sawmilling companies cleared the district which when grassed was found to be ideal for dairy farming.

The 1914 Wilkinson’s Buildings includes a variety of shops, restaurants, and offices.

In 1884, the year Eltham was declared a town district, settlers, mainly from England, arrived there and the town had a population of 25. Eltham was declared a borough in 1901, and became part of South Taranaki District with the local body amalgamations of 1989.”

We’d have gone inside to see the interior of the Eltham District Historical Society but they were closed for lunch.

Unquestionably, discovering that Eltham is the second largest town in South Taranaki left us smiling. We love small towns and felt at ease as we wandered the streets, people warmly greeting us, although it was obvious we were outsiders. That’s the nature of the people of New Zealand.

Tom couldn’t help but notice this street rod (circa, the 1930s) traveling on the quiet street.

Interspersed among many of the old buildings are a few newer esthetically appealing buildings where businesses and manufacturing are comingled in an entirely natural manner. Whether it was an antique shop, a beauty salon, a post office, or a train yard, it all blends well into a fine mix of old and new.

A dairy store, supermarket and chemist, and others are available for the needs of the local residents with little influence geared toward tourists, although we spotted a few quaint hotels as shown in this photo below.

The still-operational Coronation Hotel was built in 1902.  For more information on historic properties in Eltham, please click here.

It always amazes us how much we enjoy these types of excursions, exploring places we’ve never been as we attempt to imagine the lives of the people who live in such a small town such as Eltham.

This is 1911, ESI Energy Services International Building, most likely the electric company.

And today, on April Fool’s Day, with the local news on the TV in the background, Tom can’t stop laughing over the good humor on the broadcast, much of which wouldn’t be considered as “politically correct” in some countries including the US. 

This is the newer post office built to fit well with the older buildings.

Although Kiwis are respectful under all circumstances in regards to racial and physical differences, they certainly have the ability to find humor in many other topics that freely elicit laughter. 

Painting on side of the building in Eltham, NZ.

With little crime in New Zealand, ranked as the fourth safest country in the world, everywhere we visit we feel comfortable and at ease. Add the element of its kind and generous people, Eltham was certainly no exception.  It was truly a great experience.

Wherever you live or visit, may today bring you pleasant experiences with the people in your town.


Photo from one year ago today, April 1, 2015:

A downed tree on Anina Beach in Kauai. Children were playing off to the right as we lounged in our Costco beach chairs. For more details, please click here.