Gannet Colony at Muriwai Regional Park

Well, it hit 20 degrees yesterday (yes, that's Centigrade so it was around 67 degrees Fahrenheit) and in celebration of the warmest day since our arrival we spent our Saturday at Muriwai Regional Park (only 45 minutes from Auckland) to see the Gannet Colony. The birds are also called Takapu and there are only three maintained colonies of them in New Zealand. The gannet mate and lay a single egg and the chicks arrive 45 days later. Check out the pictures below and you will be there with us. :)

 

The black sand of Muriwai Beach




The Gannet Colony
The gannets are perched on several rock ledges like this and there are three overlooks
 for sightseers like us to stand and watch.You can see the birds flying.
I had a video I wanted to post but it wouldn't load.

   



The Regional Parks are well maintained and have nice signage to help visitors enjoy the experience.



The view as we walked back from watching the Gannets. Beautiful!



Within an hour of Auckland there are 25 regional parks, most of which are on the coastline. New Zealand is made up of stunning coastline and beautiful beaches and in this area the coast is never very far away. You'll notice that the sand at Muriwai Beach is dark. On the west side of New Zealand the Tasman Sea is rougher and the sand is dark. In contrast, on the Pacific Ocean side (the east side) the sand is made of white shells and the water and currents more calm. Either way there are plenty of people who swim on either coast. We passed a surfing class in progress as we walked towards the beach yesterday. We saw quite a few surfers in the water.



On the way home as we drive the narrow roads in New Zealand.
 No, Elder Jacobsen is not driving on the "wrong side" of the road. :)
I haven't summoned up the courage yet to drive but I will...watch out NZ!

Love and Prayers 'til our next post. :)



A Day in Auckland



We spent a fun day in Auckland.You can see the Skye Tower in the background.
Like Seattle, it has a restaurant at the top.




A view of the city from the wharf.




There are so many sailboats moored around the harbor. This is a drawbridge so the sailboats can get out to the ocean.





In the background are some of the sailboats moored in the harbor. Only a few sailboats ventured out today. It was a little too cool  (around 60 degrees Fahrenheit).



Skye City



The harbor in Auckland where the ferry for Devonport  leaves every 15 minutes.
You can see the Hilton Hotel on the left..



  

The Auckland Fish Market
The first place any true fisherman goes when visiting a new city. :)

 



King Salmon which only grows to 22 lb. in this part of the world.



 

 

    

Anybody for a Lamb Burger?





This is a beautiful place to live!



The New Zealand Temple

We had a fun Saturday excursion with five other Senior Missionary Couples to the Temple in Hamilton, New Zealand. It is a two hour drive from Auckland to the temple through some beautiful countryside. We arrived to attend the 12:30 session in the temple and then took these pictures afterwards. The day started off sunny and ended up raining (which seems to happen frequently in the spring here). We stopped for dinner in Hamilton and headed for home. A fun day spent with new friends and in sacred places.



The New Zealand Temple

 

Here is Elder Jacobsen in the Visitors Center by the New Zealand Temple in Hamilton. I thought this was a great picture representing the work of a missionary....a Special Witness of Jesus Christ. In the background behind the glass are pictures of the 12 Apostles and the First Presidency, including President Thomas Monson, the man we recognize as a Prophet and the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.





Mission Update from New Zealand

 In the Missionary Training Center in Provo

 In front of the Provo Temple

 BYU Hawaii

 Elder and Sister Jacobsen, President Wheelwright, and Dean John Bailey

Brigham Young University Hawaii

 At the Polynesian Cultural Center

 With some "Kiwi" BYU Hawaii students

who perform in Aotearoa (Maori for New Zealand)

 The view of Auckland from where we live in Takapuna

Beautiful!

It has been almost two weeks since we arrived in Auckland, New Zealand. The first week was spent in training with the missionary couple who we would soon be replacing. Elder and Sister Ronnenkamp were gracious hosts and updated us on the two years of the work they had done as Coordinators of the International Teacher Education Program (ITEP). Our office is located in the Pacific Area Office for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The office is a four story building filled with employees who are managing and overseeing the multitude of programs the church sponsors in the Pacific. There are many departments and each department has responsibility for the entire Pacific area including Australia. The fifteen church schools fall under the umbrella of Seminaries and Institutes. Being here has made us realize the magnitude of the positive impact the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has world-wide. It is incredible in it's scope and Elder Jacobsen and I (as missionaries we are referred to as Elder and Sister) are so thrilled to be a part of it. More later!