My expectation of the Bay of Islands as that is was a “bay of islands”. You know, the seaport kind of small town peninsulas with white bungalows and surfboards. The north island is known for being warmer so I was imaging just a bit cooler Kauai experience. And though it is true that the ocean is close from either side of the island (an hour drive side to side), Keri Keri looks and feels more like small Mayberry with one main street that connects everyone. If you want to dine out the restaurants are open (at least in the winter) from 12-2 and 5:30-9:00 and only on 5 days out of the week. We have shown up several times to a restaurant closed on Wednesday. The greatest part of this city and the whole of New Zealand are the people. They are polite and friendly and make you feel right at home. There is a strong Mauri influence in the smaller cities on the north end but KeriKeri is, as it turns out, is the Scottsdale of the islands and so you see mostly white people with an altered dialect of the english accent.

We spent our first few days getting to know the city we would call home for 6 weeks. Our first adventure was a Saturday to the local outdoor market. The breads and pastries were amazing.

I’m so grateful for the influence and courage of other people to live lives worth emulating. I watched this Ted Talk that I have printed and marked up. I want to take up more space in this world then “just the place where my toes are”. It’s worth watching: