Catching the Magic

Two Brits in Aotearoa bringing up three little 'Kiwis'. Our children: Our future. Haere Mai!

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Month: August 2012

Loving natural learning in the sun

August 31, 2012August 31, 2012 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Learning & growing, Loving & Not Loving

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for… no matter how simple it is. There’s a park called Avalon through the mists of Lower Hutt, Where fairy like folk play when the sun is in the sky. There’s no lady in […]

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The Gallery | Movies

August 28, 2012August 28, 2012 BritMumInNZ 13 Comments Charlotte, Dan, photography, Sarah

I can’t wait for the world premier of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ in Wellington, on 28 November 2012. I vividly remember the buzz in 2003 when the red carpet was rolled out along Courtenay Place in Wellington to welcome the stars of ‘Return of the King’. At the time we were good friends with […]

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Things I’m Loving

August 27, 2012August 27, 2012 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Sarah

The days are getting longer and warmer. The time for playing outdoors is returning. Down-time after school and work is easier in the evening sunshine (except I have to remember  a larger, random collection of items in the boot of the car for various impromptu play opportunities on the beach, in the sea or at […]

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Lyrical Sunday | Play

August 26, 2012August 26, 2012 BritMumInNZ 4 Comments Alice, Lyrical Sunday

Inside the mind of my two year old… ‘Play with me! Play with me! – And with my magic wand, I’ll turn you into… a tree!’ ‘Help me save the baby lion cub – you can be in my animal rescue club!’ ‘Let’s dance, play tag, catch the ball – climb up there – careful […]

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The Gallery | Sky

August 22, 2012August 22, 2012 BritMumInNZ 23 Comments photography, Sarah

Wellington is the home of ‘Big Weather’. The sky scape changes rapidly. It is often four seasons in one day. The clouds can race so fast that they make you feel dizzy (especially if you happen to stand under a city high-rise and look up!). From high vantage points over the hilly harbour city… and […]

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My Monday in photographs & World Photography Day

August 21, 2012August 24, 2012 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Alice, Charlotte, Dan, photography, Sarah, Sophie

Sunday was ‘World Photography Day‘ (but I didn’t know that then – I found out on Monday). I am no ace photographer, but I love photography and seeing the world through different people’s eyes. I only used to take holiday snaps but, with the digital age and having children on the opposite side of the […]

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Beervana survivor is a real family man!

August 18, 2012August 18, 2012 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Dan

I didn’t see him in action at Beervana – just the aftermath. He started sampling around midday – and got home around midnight. To my texts he did not reply. My oldest daughter and her friend saw him stumble in (they were having a raucous sleep over). I hadn’t heard him get home – but […]

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Things I’m Loving… News with a silver lining

August 16, 2012August 16, 2012 BritMumInNZ 9 Comments Alice, Charlotte, Dan, Loving & Not Loving, Sarah, Sophie

There’s a hint of spring in the air this week in Wellington and it’s something to love. This time last year it snowed in Wellington, a once in fifty year event. At Wellington Zoo, vets took care of an Emperor Penguin discovered on Peka Peka beach, a very long way from home. It seems the […]

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Gateway to the Outdoors – [a poem for Lyrical Sunday]

August 15, 2012 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Lyrical Sunday, photography, Walks, Writing

Our gateway to the outdoors is guarded these days, By children who test us in various ways. We start with encouragement and gentle persuasion – Trying to resist bribery and coercion. We are often surprised by who resists – And struggle to find the solution to enlist. Eventually, after tears and raised voices, We all […]

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Snapshots from a sunny Saturday ‘avo at Lyall Bay Beach

August 12, 2012August 12, 2012 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Alice, Dan, photography, Sarah, Sophie

Sunshine on the beach on a winter Saturday afternoon. A fine time for families to revive, refresh and reconnect. Lyall Bay, Wellington, you have our hearts x Ice-cream for the little ones, coffee for the bigger people. Friends from Napier, sharing our little patch of beloved New Zealand. Toys made by nature for big and […]

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Silent Sunday

August 12, 2012 BritMumInNZ 8 Comments Sarah, Silent Sunday

The rules: Use just one photo in your post.You must have taken the picture.Use a photo taken in the week leading up to your post.You don’t have to do it every week.No words in the post OR the title. ________________________________________________

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Looking at Wellington from its high points

August 11, 2012August 11, 2012 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Sarah, Walks

Everyone should be a tourist in their own town from time to time. We don’t live on one of the high hilly ridges that make Wellington’s topography so famous – though we used to. When we first arrived in Wellington we rented a place in Haitaitai, on Mt Victoria, overlooking Evan’s Bay. We’d watch the […]

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Things I’m Loving – Visitors to Welly from Napier!

August 10, 2012August 10, 2012 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Loving & Not Loving, Sarah

It’s been a lovely week of new friendships. We’ve had Jen, and her son Billy, staying with us all week from sunny Napier (though she tells me they’d seen nothing but rain for the past couple of weeks). Wellington has only thrown them one seriously typical weather day – the rest has been calm with […]

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Wet Wednesday in Welly

August 8, 2012August 16, 2012 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Alice, Art, Charlotte, Sarah, Sophie, Writing

Scorching Bay in the rain – Some may say it’s not the same – But for those of us young at heart – Dancing in the rain is just the start. In Welly a rainy day, without wind, is special – It’s a Dr Seuss day of Up for Umbrellas! But hands free is better […]

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Welcome to the ramblings & photographs of a British expat Mum living mostly in Wellington (aka *coffee capital of the world*), New Zealand, since 1997.

This blog is a way to preserve sanity whilst raising children, capture the magic in the chaos, and share tales with family, friends, fellow parents and expats.

Along with my British born husband we have been bringing up our three Kiwi born daughters in the land of sheep, kiwi fruit and fine wine, since 2003 (with a brief 16 months living in Santa Barbara, California - where we home educated our daughters). We both first landed on New Zealand soil in 1996 (hubby) and 1997 (myself) - as fresh graduates from the UK wanting to live and work overseas... our 'OE' turned into something a lot longer and more life changing than we could ever have first anticipated!

Thank you for stopping by (if you would like to know more visit the 'About' page!).
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Recent Posts

  • Walking the Paekākāriki Escarpment Track February 1, 2021
  • Patuna Chasm | A river walk like no other! January 24, 2021
  • One week into 2021 January 10, 2021
  • Festive greetings from Aotearoa! December 23, 2020
  • Term 4 and winding down to the last days of school for 2020 December 1, 2020
  • ‘HELLO’ November 24, 2020
  • A spring holiday in Wanaka and Queenstown’s outdoor playgrounds! November 1, 2020
  • End of Term 3! October 2, 2020
  • Before the pandemic! ‘Six’ the musical in Sydney September 26, 2020
  • I miss her, Mum, even though she’s not gone. July 23, 2020
  • Our ‘bubble’ of 5 million has done it! June 9, 2020
  • Reflections on coming out of seven weeks of lockdown in New Zealand May 13, 2020

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