The ‘Tron, or more formally, Hamilton, Waikato. For us, it means home. And now we’ve found a second home in another Hamilton, this one in Ontario.

By some twist of the global village, we had three unrelated friends from either NZ or western Canada that were all now in greater Hamilton, Ontario. As a result, we’re a bit short on exotic photos, despite being there for 10 days. Instead, we mostly spent the time luxuriating in fairly normal life – playing out on the street, chalk drawings on the sidewalk, wrestling on the trampoline, and sipping drinks in the evening sun while catching up on where the years have gone.

As part of being normal, we managed to catch two days at a local beach on Lake Ontario. The great lakes are crazy – fresh water swimming but you can’t see the other side, and the other side is a different country to boot. Not quite the same as swimming in Lake Taupo.

With the help of a friend, we also managed to get a day out on a laser yacht, trying to teach the kids to sail. We made some great memories and got a bit of a taste for the graceful silence of motorless transport, although the lack of wind meant it was sometimes more about chatting than going anywhere.

We also managed to squeeze in a trip to Niagara Falls, which was conveniently just down the road. Waterfalls and fires both leave me mesmerised, and Niagara was definitely impressive. Although blue skies and sunshine definitely help. We took a walk behind the waterfall but I had been expecting an arcing, open sided trail when, instead, we got a tunnel with two small doorways to look through. What we could see was all roaring and thundery and rushing past, but it somehow just didn’t communicate the enormity of what we were standing behind. Also, I really wanted to put my hand in the water, but that may have been a bad idea.

So that was ten days of not being travellers. And then we were on the road again. We overnighted next to another great lake (Lake Huron) before being surprised by the most welcoming, hospitable US border control we have ever met in our lives. Long live customer service. And now we’re into the start of the US mid-west, a whole nother world again!

[Yes, I’ve noticed that Kyla is pretty much the only kid in these photos. I do love the others too, but she just happens to have been the sparkiest this time.]

A small taste of normal life for the boys while we stayed with friends. I even managed to learn to ‘Ripstick’ before we left – Hamilton, Ontario.

Our hangout spot for a couple of days. It was safe and warm and fun, but we’re just not used to power pylons along a beach – Burlington Beach, Ontario.

Kyla the sandcastle destroyer – Burlington Beach, Ontairo.

Kyla’s got it licke. This was supposed to be an interesting day trip but it didn’t pan out, and Kyla found the most interesting spot in the village – St James, Ontario.

Trying to teach Kyla to sail on Lake Ontario, although the wind was a different sort of challenging – Hamilton, Ontairo.

I couldn’t watch the water going over the lip of the falls without thinking of words like ‘inexorable’ – Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The old couple hanging out in front of the waterfall. Photo by Joella, arm waving at all the other kids in the rest of the photos she took, me – Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Looking out from behind the falls, it was like watching English weather, only with more colour :-) – Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Looking out from behind the Niagara Falls. It was just a wall of water going past, mostly obscured by mist, and it was pretty hard to appreciate the scale of what we were standing next to. I’ve tweaked the photo a little to add some contr – Niagara Falls, Ontario.

I wouldn’t want to go over, and I sure wouldn’t want to stand under it. But apparently a seven year old boy went over once in a life jacket, after a boat accident, and survived relatively unharmed – Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Kyla “staying dry, honest” on the edge of Lake Huron, Ontario.

Some locals who were swimming said the beach used to be out way further and there didn’t used to be any drift wood, but a big storm 10 years ago totally changed the lake front – Lake Huron, Ontario.