Sunday Photos from Carlucciland

Carlucciland never loses its appeal. We drive past it every day on the way to school and my six year old, in particular, always asks when we can fit in a game.

Well, today, with hubby keeping our ten year old and her friend amused (with a lovely trip over the hill to Martinborough for the last Te Kairanga Farmer’s Market of the spring/summer season – sob) and our twelve year old busy in rehearsals for a school production, the opportunity was ripe.

So, we grabbed the moment and set off for a game of mini-golf and an explore around the sculptures of metal and stone (and numerous other materials!).

Alice played a fair game (with only a couple of moments when I turned a ‘blind eye’ so she could sneak in another try – particularly on the uphill holes and when the wind wasn’t playing fair!).

In all honesty she played great and has now got her putting stance down to a fine art!

She genuinely potted a couple in two holes (where I stumbled and took four or five goes!).

I always love this mini-golf for the creative holes, that hug the hilly landscape, and make use of gravity and recycled metal to send the balls on surprising trajectories.

The metal mini-folk, and animals, climbing around the course are always fun to spot too.

Though some of the creations are a lot larger, especially around the perimeter of the mini-golf course, which climbs further up the hill and runs alongside the road.

Visiting with young Alice was really fun, as her sense of wonder is – of course – child-like (but Carlucciland is the kind of place to bring out a child-like wonder in mature audiences too!).

Alice surprised me too, pointing out with great excitement, ‘It’s an anvil!’. I asked her how she knew it was an anvil… I should have anticipated the answer, ‘Minecraft, Mum!’ – of course.

I also loved that there were lots of beautifully planted flowers and succulents, as well as a water-fall feature, which attracted butterflies and dragonflies.