My cousin, Pene Quin, and her husband took us for a drive yesterday (Wednesday in Auckland) up to Whangarei (sounds like fuhng·uh·ray), about two hours north of Auckland.

It was a chance to see some spectacular views of the New Zealand landscape, and Meda even got to visit several “Op Shops,” which we would call thrift shops, along the way. And she couldn’t resist buying some earrings in The Bach, the Basin Art and Craft House, an artists’ cooperative in Whangarei.

Here are a view photos taken during the day.