Makarori Beach - Gisborne NZ

The weather has been so hot this summer that water has been featuring highly on the agenda. For you ones freezing and wadding your butts through the UK winter, this is a busy day at a NZ beach. This one is 2 miles north of Sharon's home town of Gisborne. The Murus spent the day with their cousins swimming and playing
Paraone and cousin Kierin with adam in the background
Sharon and Adam
You're never to old to hop on your Dad's shoulders
"whats that lassie...Kierin and P are stuck in quick sand?"
Ngahuia and Bethy doing gymnastics on the sand

GOOD TO SEE YOU

On the Murus return to Ohope they arranged to meet a few of their nearest and dearest friends at the local wharf. They all enjoyed catching up on the year's events, jumping off the wharf and a good feed of fish and chips (NZ style)

Paraone's good buddy Leo Casey.
Ngahuias best friend Brooke Bridges. They were both counting sleeps on the return to NZ
Paraone's "Superman" impression off the wharf

HUNTINGTON BEACH

The world famous Huntington Beach Pier and anchor downtown Main Street region with shops, restaurants, clubs and bars tie the region together to provide an integrated vacation experience. Those who visit Huntington Beach most often seek parking close to the Huntington Beach Pier and Main Street so they can enjoy the beach, but also shop and eat without ever driving. Huntington City Beach is the heart of this experience. In the summer, Huntington City Beach enjoys several major sporting events that include US Open of Surfing and Beach Games, X-Games, Core Tour Extreme Sports Competition, numerous surfing competitions and in 2004, there was even a fireworks show on July 4 at the beach. Huntington City Beach includes Pier Plaza, the location of a weekly Farmer's Market and Art Fair that has been voted the most scenic local market in Southern California. Summers bring top performers to Pier Plaza for the Summer Concert Series, sponsored by the City of Huntington Beach. From jazz to rock, soul and mamba to swing and hip hop, the location overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Huntington Beach not only features special concerts during this time but includes on most weekends, people bringing congas and drums to join in a tribal beat session at Pier Plaza.




The Murus found the best place to have breakfast in HB "Sugar Shack Cafe and voted their hot chocolates the best in the world yes the world.....If you in HB just ask for it everyone will know.
Ngahuia cherishing the best Hot Chocolate she'd ever tasted.
P poses with the "Duke" no not John Wayne but Duke Kahanahana who helped introduce and promote surfing in the area in the 70s

DISNEY TAKE 2

Yes the Murus could not resist a return visit to the "Happiest Place on Earth". It has been such a special year and to finish it off the way it all began has been a blessing. Unfortunately the weather didn't play its part as there was a lot of rain. Fortunately they were well prepared.

HOLLYWOOD DREAMS

"This is Hollywood...what's your dream?" or so the opening line of Pretty Woman goes. Another one of Grants dreams was to walk down Rodeo Drive and he got to do that today. The Murus hired a car from "Select" and drove from Anaheim to the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Blv were they jumped on the HOP ON HOP OFF bus tour of Hollywood. The bus was a joke. It was so old and loud that we couldn't hear the commentary and leaked like a sieve. Were the photos worth it. "Hell yes!" says Grant. But before you ask No we didn't see any stars on Rodeo Dr.

If touring Hollywood DONT use these buses in the words of Ngahuia "they are rubbish.." Our tour started from what use to be called the "Chinese theatre" now the Kodak theatre. The theatre was designed specifically with the Oscars in mind. It has a seating capacity for up to 3,400 people and the stage is one of the largest in the United States, measuring 113 feet wide by 60 feet deep. The theatre was sponsored by the Kodak company, which paid $75 million to have its name associated with the building. "In all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she had to walk in to mine...He's looking at you kid"Is that Jed, Elly-May and Jethro on Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drives most exclusive shop Bijans. You can only enter by appointment and suits start from $15,000 US