New Zealand at first glance

We arrived in New Zealand yesterday, which is actually today for all of you reading this!  Our flight went without a glitch.  The flight part.  The part before the flight was horrendous and included Justin's record-breaking passport acquisition time (3 hours!), 7 borderline overweight boxes to be checked, being caught with overweight carry-ons, passing through the pain of security twice, and the typical long walks through airport terminals carrying way too much and feeling the pressure of making it on time.  That said, we did make it on time to all our flights (Justin missed the first leg, but caught up with us in L.A.--also just in time!) and finally settled in to our overnight accommodations: Air New Zealand flight 5 with reclining seats and complimentary pillows and blankets.  We actually slept okay!

 Sun rising over the pacific ocean.

Soon after we and our fellow travelers began stirring, breakfast was served, and before we knew it, this came into view:

 Almost there!

 Doesn't it just look magnificent?

We deplaned and headed toward customs.  It felt like afternoon, but it was only 8 am in New Zealand.  They're really playing up the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit stuff.  The safety video before the flight included characters and jokes from the stories and even Peter Jackson was featured as one of the passengers.  Auckland airport was decorated to look like you were passing into Middle Earth.

 May the road rise up to meet you...

After getting through customs, visas, car rental, and cell phone stuff, we left the airport and headed south.  Next stop: supplies.  Where did we end up? 

 New Zealand's version of Home Depot.

Not exactly the first place I would have visited if I'd had the choice.  But, I met some great Kiwis and we got everything we needed (hopefully!) without too much hassle.  

 Checking things off the list.

 Two carts full should do it!

We had quite a drive down to Te Awamutu where we met up with the farmer Precision has worked with for several years.  As I type this, in fact, Jonathan and Justin are installing the harvest system on one of his combines before it continues on in the canola harvest.

 We'll be back in a few months for this!

New Zealand is absolutely breath-takingly beautiful!  After meeting up with the grower and his team, we drove another few hours south to where his combine is actually harvesting.  The drive revealed some of the most spectacular scenery!  

It started off looking a lot like central California, rolling hills with taller mountains in the background, but just gentle grassy slopes much of the time covered with fields of grazing cattle and sheep or grain.  Scattered throughout the landscape were these beautiful rock formations or boulders looking like they'd just been tossed there!

We didn't stop to make many pictures, and the ones I did attempt don't do it justice.  I've never seen so much diversity.  One minute you're in farmland, then the next it's a forest of tall pine trees, then it's rocky cliffs covered will such an incredible variety of foliage--pines, palms, ferns--around a deep blue lake, then it's more grazing land with little rolling hills and at any moment you expect Frodo and Sam to come running over to greet you.

Suddenly, you round a corner and mountains loom ahead, volcanoes actually, and one is smoking.  As we drove through these gorgeous vistas, the sun sunk in the west.  It felt like one in the morning, but was only dusk.  

At some point we stopped in a small town for some cultural dining.  In very British-like fashion, this takeaway fish and chips hole in the wall caught our eye.

It was delicious, and incredibly greasy!  But it was an experience!  Everything in New Zealand has been an experience!  From walking out of the airport into the humid 80 degree weather of sudden summer, to the adorable kiwi accents of the friends we've made along the way.  

We're thanking God for the safe trip here, His faithfulness along the way, perfect timing and provision, and the beauty of His creation in all it's breathtaking splendor!  Thank you for praying us safely here!  More to come!