Sunday we drove to Mt. Richmond Nature Reserve. It actually borders the farm we're staying on, but we had to drive a while to get to a road in. It was very pretty, and we had a nice walk.

Monday, we did math and reading, then headed to Omaka for the Aviation Heritage Center. It was a history and science lesson with exhibits of planes from World Wars I and II. Not my favorite topic, but all three guys loved it.

S was really interested in the Fokker. He knows all about the Red Baron from Peanuts.

Tuesday was drizzly and a good day for school and packing.

Wednesday morning we loaded the car and drove to Picton where we boarded the ferry to Wellington on the north island. We've been on ferries in Greece, Kenya, and Indonesia, and the contrast really underscores the privilege of traveling in first-world countries. I had packed a lunch because I prefer our restaurant meals to be intentional treats rather than matters of necessity, but there are two restaurants, a bar, and several lounge areas. We were quite comfortable enjoying our packed lunch gliding through the fjords of Queen Charlotte Sound. I did let them get treats for dessert.

There's even a cinema and a playground.

We arrived in Wellington around 6:00 pm, drove a while, stopped at a Thai place for supper, then continued on to our Airbnb arriving around 11:00 pm. We pretty much just unloaded the car and crashed.

Thursday was our settling-in day. This time we're in a converted dairy barn on a lavender farm. It's spacious and comfortable, with a stream and beautiful gardens.

The host is friendly. We have to go outside for WiFi and there's no mobile, but that's ok. I did laundry, the kids organized their room, I went to town for the grocery, and used the mobile signal to plan some activities.

Friday after school work we went to Mt. Taranaki, a dormant volcano that this area is named for. We looked at the displays at the visitor's center and took a short walk to a couple of waterfalls. It started off rainy but was soon beautiful.

Saturday, we went to the coast to see the Cape Egmont Lighthouse museum. We learned a bit about local history, saw how the light worked, and walked a bit on the rocky beach looking at shells and stones.