It has been a while since we have made any posts. We spent a few days off the grid glamping (tents set up with beds and a shower). It was nice. The kids played games and we enjoyed being together with few distractions. (We’ve posted some photos below.)

Our “campsite” was nestled in Lavericks Bay, which is a little bay on Banks Peninsula, southeast of Christchurch. We felt like we had our own private bay. There were only three houses nearby and some of the owners were on holiday. It was very peaceful.

We took a few minutes when we got there to explore the beach. Parker naturally headed off to climb on the rocks. He was in for a little surprise. As he was climbing over the rocks he stepped down on one that was squishy. The real surprise came when the rock lifted its head in protest at being stepped on. Parker had found our first seal. We found five more on the beach the next day.

That night, once the light finally left the sky around 11:00 pm, the stars came out. Wow! There were so many stars you almost couldn’t see the dark sky.

Saturday we spent the morning on the beach. We explored, watched a dog and some seals decide who the beach belonged to, swam, and enjoyed the view. It was a relaxing day. There is nothing like a sunburn in January.

After a peaceful weekend, we made our way back to Christchurch to attend Church. Here Naavah and Ella always come out with new friends. Our journey then continued across the island to the West coast.