Hello from the South Island!

We arrived in Christchurch today and have a great hotel with high-speed internet access! YAY! We feel as if we've been out of touch for SO long... our phone card hasn't worked internationally, and we've had trouble getting online, too. Sorry!

Anyway...it's been a long time since we've given you an update...it's been 3 weeks since the last detailed update in Melbourne, I think, and since then a LOT has happened... The biggest change in our mood was due to the flea infestation that occurred in our home. Somehow we got fleas (yes, just like a dog) and they took over the house. It took me a long time to figure out it was fleas, because I had never seen them, let alone had them. I was getting bites all over my body, and thankfully, no one else was bitten for several days. By the time Eric returned from Melbourne a week later, I had figured out they were fleas (because I saw them jumping off my body and the floors, and I had well over 100 bites.) They had also found Kiana and Mom K by then (sorry, Mom, I'm sure you didn't come around the world to get fleas!) We had an exterminator come in, but by then, we had spent a couple of sleepless nights finding and killing fleas in bed, on our legs, and picking them off the girls bodies, etc. YUCK, YUCK, YUCK! I was a little stressed out...we decided to leave on Monday, Jan. 24th (a few days earlier than planned) to take Mom K around the island.

By this time, other changes had also occurred...the novelty of traveling with young children had worn off, Mari's excitement about home-schooling was over, and our NZ home just had a LOT more nature than we had hoped (in addition to the ant invasion the first day, there was an ever-present population of moths that hung around the rooms and flew out of drawers and closets...)
We are all a little travel-weary, and last night's conversation with Mom K may illustrate it best: Setting: 5th hotel room in 8 days; suitcases all over the floor, Mari and Kiana going back and forth between playing and arguing on the bed, Mom packing to fly home to Hawaii, Tami organizing and packing for the South Island, and Eric resting in the bedroom:

Tami: "Mom, there's a part of me that is envious that you are going home."
Mom: "I know."
Tami: "Why don't I go to Hawaii tomorrow and you stay for 2 more weeks?"
Mom: "I might do it for $1,000."
Tami: "I may consider that."
Just then, Mari or Kiana screamed and they started arguing about something...
Mom: "It just went up to $2,000..."

Anyway, it's a new day, and somehow getting on a plane and having a change of scenery has made all the difference! Here's a recap since the last update in Melbourne:

Eric did great in both poker tournaments. He made the final 36 in the speed poker tourney which will be televised (will provide details when we have them). He placed 57th in the Aussie Million but only the final 54 moved on the to the finals. He felt good about his play, made no major mistakes, but he was not blessed with good cards this time. Oh well! He was very disappointed, but we're still really proud of him and can't wait to see him on TV...

While Eric was in Melbourne, we welcomed Mom K and explored Auckland and the greater Auckland area. She found most of New Zealand familiar -- natural beauty a lot like Hawaii and Oregon, Maori names, places, and words very similar to Hawaiian. She was most impressed by the purity of NZ's water, the perfect temperature of tea at restaurants, and most of all, the quality of the ice cream bars you buy in the convenience stores! (I can attest to the fact that they are the BEST ice cream bars EVER!)

After Eric's return, we traveled to Waitomo (explored glowworm caves), Lake Taupo (NZ's largest lake -- pristine and beautiful!), Rotorua (hiked around thermal geysers and hot bubbling mud), and Cormandel Peninsula (hot water beach and small beach communities). Highlights also included a Maori village and hangi (traditional Maori feast), Eric went sledging and whitewater rafted a class 5 run with a 7 metre fall (stud!) and the girls had fun playing at different playgrounds around the North Island, swimming at the hotel pools and the beach, and having picnics.

Tomorrow we will hang around the Christchurch area within walking distance of the hotel and on Thursday we pick up our camper van to begin our RV adventure around the South Island. We miss you all and wish it was easier to communicate! We hope you are all doing well and can't wait to talk to you upon our return!