Mom and Dad Part 2

I've been flying for over twenty years and in all that time, Mom had never flown with me. I finally convinced her to go with me one day during their visit. It was a lovely day in Taranaki and I showed her our town, the coast and the green fields. She seemed to enjoy it.

About to crank

Airborne at last

The Taranaki coast

Laura and I took another night on the town in Stratford for a play put on by a local theatre club. The playhouse was tiny with about 50 seats and the play was fun to watch. Mom and Dad got to sit at home and watch the boys watch youtube. Fun.

The play

Dad's favorite part of NZ is the small town feel. They say NZ is like the US in the 50s and Dad had the same impression. Big box chain stores have made some inroads, but most small towns still have an active downtown area. We went into town one Saturday for shopping and later we visited the local museum.

A good shot of Mom and Dad with the kids

Out shopping for souveniers

Feeding the ducks in the park

Tawhiti museum

To give Mom and Dad the full Taranaki experience, we took a quick drive up to the Stratford plateau on the southeast flank of Mt Taranaki for a view of the surrounding countryside. Nothing says New Zealand like tramping on a muddy trail. We completed our mountain to sea journey with a drive to Ohawe beach.

Tramping around with Dad

Looking east across the Taranaki plain. New Plymouth is to the left.

On the mountain

At the shore

Mom and the kids on the beach

All too soon, Mom and Dad's visit drew to an end. We had a great time and it was sad to see them go.

Saying goodbye