#16 - my trip to elaine bay & french pass

*****DAY TWENTY-SIX CONT.(Sunday, December 28, 2008) - DRIVING OUT TO ELAINE BAY*****

So then I was off!!!  I was heading out to Elaine Bay in the Malborough Sounds to see Joy Oakly & her family.  Joy is Brett Lamb's (of Fleet Feet fame) aunt & he connected us.  The ride out to Elaine Bay was NUTS.  (and I now realize since I'm actually writing this blog after I've been driving for awhile that it was some of the hardest driving I would do!)  The roads were long and windy.... (and Ron is back in 90...just a little reference for Camp Che-Na-Wah girls)...but seriously, they were so crazy.  I was definitely nervous...but I obviously made it out there and it was DEFINITELY worth it.  It was SOOOOOOOOOOO spectaculary gorgeous!

When I got to the house I met the whole Oakly clan - Larry & Joy Oakly.

..then there was Larry's son, Michael... Michael's wife, Kelly...and their girls Aleisha and Tanika.  Everyone was so nice!  I pretty much immediately went down to the beach with the girls to play in the water & look for sand crabs.  They were so much fun!  After we came back from the beach, Joy and Larry made a DELICIOUS dinner of fresh fish (I think they had caught it the day before!) and we sat out on the deck overlooking the sound.  Wow - life is very good.

Then, after dinner - their neighbor, Nick, came over to visit.  Then, we had a crazy game of hide & seek with Aleisha & Tatiana.  I was laughing so hard when Tatiana and I were trying to hide underneath the bed inside.  I seriously hadn't laughed that hard in so long.

All around such a wonderful day!  I met such nice people & I was staying in such an unbelievably gorgeous place.  HUGE thanks to Brett for connecting me with Joy!  :)

*****DAY TWENTY-SEVEN (Monday, December 29, 2008) - LOVING THE OAKLYS & ELAINE BAY*****
I got up this morning and went for a run on the Archer Track.  It runs right along their property & wraps around the bay.  What a great way to start the day!

Then I had a yummy, very kiwi breakfast of yogurt, muesli, canned apricots & wheatbix!  I actually really like wheatbix (I might be spelling it wrong, but you know what I mean). 

Then, we all headed out to French Pass...it's one of the most northern places you can get to in the sounds.

  It was really a gorgeous drive & I have to admit, I was happy not to be driving!  Joy drove me out there while Larry biked out there....and then Larry drove me home while Joy biked back!  We went out with Michael, Kelly & the girls...had a nice little picnic...and then came back.  And then, guess where we went....to the beach...to find crabs!  Definitely one of the girls' favorite activities.   And I have to admit, I quite enjoyed myself as well!  :)  (that was phrased very kiwi)  We would sit there and continue to turn over rocks until a bunch of little crabs ran out.  We could've been down there for hours!  :) 

After dinner, we found a couple new games to play....called "listen to Rocky's iPod" and "take pictures with Rocky's camera".  It was very cute.  Aleisha & Tanika kept going back and forth with either wanting to listen to the ipod or to wanting to take pictures.   I had such a great time with all of the Oaklys!  I may get to see them again when I'm on my way down to the West Coast b/c Michael and Kelly live on the way down from Nelson towards Westport....so we'll see!  Hopefully I'll be able to "call in" on my way down!