We really fell in love with Raglan, New Zealand. A lovely little town with a hippy vibe that hasn't yet been over gentrified, it gave us a sense of home. So, when we knew we were on the last few months of our extended stay in New Zealand, we returned to our favorite place. And we were able to use Raglan as a jumping off point to return to some of our other NZ favorites, like Rotorua. We miss Raglan a lot!

Raglan's waters at low tide . . .

. . . and at high -- perfect place for a beach walk and contemplation.

This Maori prince and princess guard the city of Rotorua . . .

. . . home to a magnificent grove of redwood trees. These redwoods hide a secret . . .

. . .. a network of paths from tree to tree . . .

. . . these paths come alive at night . . .

. . . weaving brilliant colors and lights through the canopy . . .

. . . and illuminating the night with eerie lanters seemingly floating in space. Heavenly!

Near Raglan is Sanctuary Mountain, a safe place for New Zealand's endangered birds. The sanctuary is completely enclosed by fences meant to keep out unwanted predators.

We spent a great day hiking the trails of the sanctuary . . .

. . . and chanced upon a mating pair of kakas -- the native New Zealand parrot.

Our final day in New Zealand, after getting our last vaccination and being tested negative for Covid. The Auckland Airport was eerily quiet. From here we began our 35-hour flight back to the US.