Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve this year started out very differently than most. Instead of scrambling around in snowy or at least cold weather, finalizing the last of the Christmas activities, were were on the road, travelling over green hills in the bright and intense sunlight.Today we were off to a place called Raglan, known for it's surfing. After a few wrong turns, we ended up at Ngarunui Beach.

The lookout was refreshing, especially for me having spent so much time inland, it was nice to finally be seeing the ocean again. At the lookout point, we could see clear from one end of the bay to the other, the waters dotted with black surfers hoping for a good wave on a relatively calm day. They looked very much like seals from this vantage point so we jokingly kept our eyes open for sharks.

At the top of the lookout were also several stone carvings representing mythological beings in Maori culture. Although weathered, the statues were still very intricate and fascinating, being set up in a compass direction and representing many of the elements of life around us.

On the beach, we enjoyed a relaxing walk with no schedule to adhere too. We strolled along the black sand, surely kicking ourselves for not having brought the magnet which would demonstrate the volcanic origin of the sand by picking up the dark metallic sand. Despite the beauty of the beach, the water was not as inviting as many of the places we had been. With large surf and likely undertows, wading in was not the best idea. Lifeguard areas were set up where trained professionals could react to swimming issues, but we decided to stick to walking and enjoying the sand beneath our feet.

After a good hour of wandering, we returned to the car and headed to our next and last site seeing spot on this leg of the journey, Bridal Veil Falls. Again, there were some turn around but we eventually made it. This forested area housed a majestic waterfall, plummeting over the basalt cliffs created by volcanic activity many years ago.

And yet again, the colour green was prominent in every shade, easily giving Ireland a run for its money with its 40 shades. This stunning feature comes crashing into a green pool leaving a trail of white mist as it falls and clouds of it billowing across the receiving pool.

To get a better look, we decided it would be worth the many steps to the bottom, 261 steps didn't sound so bad. There was even a sign of encouragement half way.

Despite our tired legs, we did make it to the bottom where the amazing basalt cliffs were even easier to see. The basalt is formed into columnar joints, texturing the cliff side with the long hexagonal pillars, similar to the giant's causeway in Ireland. 

The scale of the waterfall was only seen from below, as you peer up 55 metres to the clifftop. We stayed at the green slice of tropical eden for a short while before taking the knee-straining trip back up the 261 stairs.

We traveled back to Hamilton for lunch at Burger Fuel to fill up in the later afternoon. Normally on Christmas Eve, we would be having a light lunch in preparation for festivities at Aunt Eileen and Uncle Greg's house. Instead we were packing down burgers in the sunshine before we headed back to Auckland. Once there, we settled in, grabbed a simple but delicious home cooked meal, and opened a few Christmas cards. Tired and excited for our Kiwi Christmas, we retired early, turning off the Christmas tree and admiring all the cards posted on the wall with well wishes from family far away but close in our hearts.