Apologies to my dad and Molly for this post being so late! Ray and Molly visited after Christmas and we had a great time. The kids were on holiday from school so they had lots of time with Boppa and Grandma Molly, who were so generous with their time and energy with the kids and gave Brad and I a huge break! Some of the visit was spent relaxing in Wanganui.
Strolling around Virginia Lake
Swimming with Grandma Molly
In the garden with Boppa
My dad is a wonderful (published and award-winning!) fiction writer and he has been writing short stories for Lazlo and Liska for some time now. During his visit he got to read his stories to the kids, which was special for all of them.
Boppa reading one of his stories to Lazlo and Liska
One can only stay in Wanganui for so long before going stir-crazy, so we decided to head to The South Island. The ferry ride, alone, from the North to the South Island is stunning, so Brad and I weren’t too concerned about my dad and Molly enjoying themselves. Picton, a wee little town (that’s what people say here), is the main port on the South Island and is so very pretty.
Picton
We drove down to Nelson Lakes National Park, one of the loveliest spots I’ve ever been. It has two glacial lakes, surrounded by mountains and hiking trails.
Nelson Lakes National Park
Nelson Lakes National Park
Next we drove over to Nelson, a quaint and artsy town, where we visited the local playgrounds and attempted to entertain the kids in the rain. When the sun re-appeared we took a water taxi out to Abel Tasman National Park . Abel Tasman is a favorite kiwi park and has miles of secluded, pristine beaches, azure colored waters, lots of hiking trails and some of the country’s best kayaking. Hiking would have been fun, but with the beach pretty much to ourselves for most of the day, none of us were motivated to do anything but make sandcastles and play in the water.
Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park
We were very sad to see my dad and Molly go, but feel so lucky they were able to visit us here. We know it’s not an easy trip to make, so we truly appreciated their willingness to come. So do Lazlo and Liska, who are still talking about their visit with Grandma Molly and silly Boppa!
The Toroks 