The last couple days were more relaxed and filled with small day-ventures in Auckland. We went for a beautiful walk through Cornwall Park, strolling through stone walled walkways and pathways over fences and lush green spaces.
Unlike most of the parks we have been through, these pastures within the metropolis of Auckland were grazed by cows and sheep who wandered freely through the designated paddocks. Dad lead on through the heat and animal droppings, taking pictures with the city in the background as the cattle grazed without fear.
Cornwall park is truly a slice of paradise and calmness among the otherwise overly busy, fast paced life of the big city. Rock walls set up as fountains, grove of trees creating archways along the paths and roads. These groves offered a much needed shade on an extremely hot day. The park is also home to many an ancient tree, standing huge and tall as monuments to nature and shading vast areas where visitors can sit beneath them and enjoy the beautiful weather of summer.
At the exit to the park, and the entrance to One Tree Hill, we enjoyed beautiful walled gardens with meadow flowers in bloom under the flowering Pohutukawa tree. We treated ourselves to an ice cream before heading back to the car to traverse One Tree Hill.
From the monument at the top of this volcanic cone, we could see in all directions; the vastness of the city, the volcanic cones that sit as sentinels around the city, and the great green park which we had enjoyed that afternoon.
The next day we headed to Mission Bay, one of the nicer beaches in Auckland and a great place for eating. We strolled briskly along the beach, retreating to the shade at our earliest convenience. Although Mom and Dad may not have had their fill, Mary-Ellen and I were definitely at full saturation.
Lunch was had above the little village at a Belgian Pub. Mary-Ellen and I had some fish and dad sampled some local mussels, a bit fresher than the Green-lipped mussels he can get at home! After a delicious meal we settled in under some trees to digest and relax. Mom and Dad couldn't help but get one more dip in the warm waters.
Our last full day, we took Mom and Dad down to Piha, to show them the black sands, the big surf, and the ridiculous driveways that would spell certain death for any Canadian in winter. It was quite clear this would be the last adventure we would have and the next day, they would get on a plane and fly away for who knows how long. We laughed as we thought back on the antics of our journey, and Mary-Ellen and I thought how despite the time away, some things never change. Dad still finds himself behind his camera lens, doing what he loves, capturing memories to share with friends and family, and to bring us all back to the great times we had. Mom playing in the waves, enjoying the peace and serenity of the nature around us while at the same time participating in the ageless ritual of running back and forth in the waves with a huge smile on her face.
That evening we enjoyed a good movie filled with laughs. It was a difficult evening knowing that the next morning they would fly out. We had a great time, one that is hard to express in words, having been reunited with one's family after nearly two years apart and soon to be split again for an undetermined amount of time. Skype can only go so far, and as Mom says, it is a bit difficult to hug through it. We said our goodbyes the next morning at the airport as they headed through the gate and we headed back to the house. Mary-Ellen and I both sighed in relief to have survived our vacation, but also sat sad to have to part with our family. We were not sure how long it would be before we would be reunited again, but without a doubt, this would not be their last trip the New Zealand!
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