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Outdoor loves from Martinborough

Posted on March 6, 2015April 27, 2015 by BritMumInNZ

Last weekend was spent with friends, in the beautiful countryside of the Wairarapa, at our Martinborough home.

In the backyard in Martinborough

The weekend was full of special moments in the sun, made all the better for having good friends to share it with. Our three daughters each had a friend, their age, to buddy up with – which made for incredibly easy parenting! Hubby had his friend to accompany him to the ‘BrewDay 2015’, whilst I had my dear friend, since 1997 and my early years in New Zealand, to hang out with.

Here’s some of the highlights –

  • Seeing the joy on my husband’s face, after an afternoon at ‘Brewday Martinborough 2015‘. Also delighted that my oldest daughter, and her friend, cycled along to meet up with my hubby – so they could enjoy the music and fine food at the Brewday!

Happy hubby after Brew Day 2015 in Martinborough

  • Enjoying the bountiful goodies for sample and purchase at the Te Kairanga Farmers Market.

Te Kairanga

My personal highlight was watching my youngest daughter and her friend tuck into an old fashioned ‘toffee apple’ (took me back to my youth!)… I ended up eating most of it though!

Toffee apples!
Alice, age 5, and her friend tuck into a toffee apple each at the Te Kairanga Farmers Market.

Also adored the cheese, the olives, the fruit… yum, yum, yum! I was especially impressed with this steam engine ‘cooker’!

IMG_0175

Whilst at the market we were joined by my eldest daughter and her friend (again!). They both had bicycles for the weekend and absolutely loved the freedom of exploring Martinborough independently.

Charlotte & her friend sampling the food delights at BrewDay!
Charlotte & her friend sampling the food delights at BrewDay!

They also spent a lot of time discovering a few geocache locations, as well as inspiring my middle daughter (and her friend) to do the same!

Sophie & her friend cooling down at Martinborough public pool.
Sophie & her friend head out geocaching in Martinborough.
Friendship is… chilling together in a hammock on a sunny afternoon.
  • Sharing an evening of tears, laughter and reflection, whilst watching ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel‘ with a wonderful friend, of many years, accompanied by my oldest daughter and her friend. The ‘Circus’ cinema and restaurant in Martinborough is an absolute gem. The older girls delighted in having the most divine desserts served to them on a proper plate, (with a metal fork, no less!), in the cinema theatre itself (whilst my friend and I enjoyed a lovely glass of wine each!).
Dessert at Circus Cinema
Charlotte & her friend photobombing !
Happy to be enjoying late night chips after the movie!
  • Taking our dog for a walk with my youngest daughter and laughing at the inevitable slowness of it – as she stopped to climb every single olive tree along the path (and there were a number of them!).

There's another olive tree! I must climb it!

  • Watching the children play in the hammock and the paddling pool (as well as Monsieur Cocoa, our dog!).
Sisters hanging out in a hammock in the Martinborough sun.
Sisters hanging out in a hammock in the Martinborough sun.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and when the time came to leave, I didn’t really want to. The thought of returning to the reality of school drop offs and pick-ups, settling my youngest into school, helping my eldest with the stress of homework, and so on, wasn’t the least bit appetising!

Thankfully, this scene greeted me on my return to Wellington, of the sun setting over Wellington’s south coast (just after I’d stocked up on groceries for school lunches). Pretty good, hey?!

Sunset over Houghton Bay, Wellington

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Category: Martinborough Things I'm Loving

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