Family cycling & geocaching in Martinborough

Since getting a weekender in Martinborough we’ve really enjoyed spending more time on bikes with our children. The rural roads are quiet. The terrain is flat. The climate is often milder than our home in Wellington. There’s also ample places to stop for refreshment – from the cafes in the village to the vineyards encompassing […]

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Autumn child’s play, in the park at Masterton, Wairarapa

The Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton is a delight in early autumn. The park has plenty of deciduous trees to set the tone for autumn, with a mix of yellows, reds, browns and oranges. There’s even a Horse Chestnut tree, near the children’s play area, offering up seeds for conker games. I felt a strong […]

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Adventuring in the countryside with Alice & Monsieur Cocoa!

Wellington to Martinborough, in the Wairarapa, is a one and a half hour drive, skirting the beautiful Wellington harbour, continuing along the highway, through Lower and Upper Hutt, before reaching the beautiful area of Kaitoke Regional Park and then ascending the Rimutaka Hill on State Highway 2. There are a couple of beautiful places to […]

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Five outdoor family loves in Wellington from the past fortnight…

We’ve been back in Wellington, New Zealand, a fortnight and are quickly reacquainting ourselves with favourite haunts. The weather has mostly been conducive to outdoor activities and our children are loving playing with their friends. Here’s five outdoor favourites from the last fortnight… 1. Rock pooling, climbing and beach play at Scorching Bay beach. This […]

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Butterflies, Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

It was an unusual overcast morning, with cooler temperatures than we have become accustomed to in southern California. We didn’t realise, until we arrived at our destination, that this would work in our favour. We’d planned to meet up with a friend and her sons at the butterfly exhibition at the Santa Barbara Museum of […]

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New country, species and discoveries

We’ve seen the groundhogs, (also known as woodchucks), playing peek-a-boo, we’ve stopped in our tracks as a little (or not so little) lizard dashes across our path (or up a wall of the house) and we’ve noticed the colourful, varied birdlife and numerous damsel-flys and dragon-flys. Living in a new country offers great opportunity for […]

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