We had the privilege of spending three weeks together as a family in New Zealand.  This is a trip that took about 9 months to plan and included both the North and the South Islands.  This particular blog posting is on our first full day when we were visiting Hot Water Beach near our hotel in Hahei on the North Island.

I have many stunning photos of the beach and the surf.  I also have some great shots showing multitudes who were digging in the sand in order to feel the hot water caused by the geothermal action in the area.  As I was walking up and down the beach, however, the one image that really stuck with me is a father-daughter that were exploring the water's edge.  They may have been searching for the hot pockets or they may have just been slightly dipping their toes in the surf.

PAD Feb 16 Father and Daughter What I absolutely love about this photo is the reflections.  What first attracted me was the father and daughter, plus their reflections in the wet sand.  Having them hold hands just adds to the image.  Then I realized that the puffy clouds themselves had a wonderful set of reflections, which in my mind, really adds to the scene.  I was really pretty excited when I captured this shot because I just knew it would be a memorable "keeper".

To me this shot really epitomized what I was seeing and feeling as I walked Hot Water Beach.  It was a hot day and the winds really were necessary to cool you as you explored the beach.  Plus you had the wonder of searching for those hot spots caused by the geothermal activity.  This father and daughter says it all as they are exploring and their hand-holding emphasizes their family bond.