Catching the Magic

Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!

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Author: BritMumInNZ

Family fun at Staglands

January 25, 2009 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

The other week we stopped in at Staglands for a wonderful afternoon of family fun. Sophie delighted in riding the donkey. Charli was really taken with the rabbits. The black swan didn’t make a bee-line for Dan’s ankles on this occasion. I managed to avoid getting my bag nibbled by a goat. We had a […]

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A surprisingly chilled week of dog sitting

January 24, 2009November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Our pets

A week ago my friend Kathy phoned me from holiday, in Perth visiting family, to ask a BIG favour. Due to sad circumstances her house and dog sitter had to return home and she was left without anyone to take care of her dog, Nina. There were two reasons for me feeling nervous at the […]

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Walk down memory lane… our first home

January 22, 2009January 22, 2009 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Blasts from the past

Okay, it’s Thursday already, but here is my walk down memory lane for the week. Our First Home It was an overcast day when Dan and I visited the house, but no cloud could dampen my first impressions. The house sat proudly in the hills of Brooklyn, overlooking Wellington harbour and Mt. Victoria. The wooden, […]

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Twinkle, twinkle in the night

January 19, 2009September 8, 2010 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Random Musings, Sophie, Writing

Lights glittered through the trees and music throbbed in the warm, night air. Small hands fumbled with car-seat buckles. They couldn’t wait to escape the confines of the car and be amongst the music and lights. As soon as their feet touched the ground their bodies started moving to the music. Running down the fern […]

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Eyes as fresh as a new dawn

January 16, 2009September 8, 2010 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Random Musings, Writing

Her smile rises before her eyelids have even opened. She feels the warmth of the new day filtering through the blinds and hears the melodic birds in the garden. Stretching out her arms, and letting out an involuntary sigh of peaceful happiness, she reaches over to her mother’s warm body. She’s there. Eyes bright and […]

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Forget Me Not

January 14, 2009November 16, 2017 BritMumInNZ 15 Comments Blasts from the past, Sarah

Join me today as I share a very precious memory of my beloved Grandfather… The old man looked out to sea with a faraway look. The eyes, which once sparkled, were empty, but he retained something of his handsome youthful looks: His white hair swept gracefully over his head and his neatly clipped, white moustache […]

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Medieval Knights and Jousting

January 12, 2009 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

On Sunday we stepped back in time at Harcourt Park, in Upper Hutt for the 2009 World Invitational Jousting Tournament. Watching the sword fighting we felt transported into the medieval world (apart from the sea of cameras and modern day attire of the onlookers). The swords were sharp and the fighting real enough to cause […]

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New Year’s Day at Wellington Zoo

January 11, 2009January 11, 2009 BritMumInNZ 4 Comments Holidays

New Year’s Day was blazing and we spent a gorgeous time at our lovely, little, Zoo. Wellington Zoo has been working so hard to landscape and enhance the enclosures for the animals (and their updated website is pretty fabulous too!). There are many projects in progress too and it’s only going to get better. We […]

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Driving into the sunset

January 9, 2009November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Life in action - Videos, Special Days

New Year’s Eve itself was a quiet one for us, but we did enjoy a little countdown and fireworks with the girls. Our dear neighbour was home alone, so we joined her (or at least I did for a few chick flicks – Sound of Music and Runaway Bride!). Dan joined us at midnight and […]

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Daddy looks after his girls in the sizzling, summer sun…

January 8, 2009January 8, 2009 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sophie

He takes them to blueberry heaven (and thinks that this might be his next business venture, as all his hard-earned dollars are being spent on blueberries – oh, but think of the antioxidants!): He digs holes in the sand for them to splash in and soaks up the sizzling sun at beautiful Days Bay in […]

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Peapods and strawberries to lazy dayzs on the beach

January 4, 2009January 8, 2009 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Charlotte, Sarah, Sophie

Shortly after breakfast, with Sophie in her PJ’s, the girls teamed up and started moving their painting equipment out onto the driveway. When I asked what they were doing, they simply said, ‘Painting pea-pods!’. Here they are in action… I just love the way they are so creative and work so well together to come […]

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Wet and windy walk on the wild side at Breaker Bay

January 3, 2009 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

On Friday we drove over to Seatoun to do one of our favourite short walks in Wellington; the Seatoun-Breaker Bay beach walk. There was a stiff northerly blowing in as we embarked on the walk and the girls were marvellous considering the conditions. They were rugged up warm, unlike Dan and I in our shorts […]

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New Year rolling in on a BBQ!

December 31, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

Phewie, the BBQ has been steaming over the past few day’s. Dan’s got the whole week off work and we are so blessed to feel like we’re having a holiday at home in our beautiful garden, with the sea just a short walk away. Kathy and Mark came round on Sunday, with their gorgeous boys. […]

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Happy Birthday Sophie!

December 30, 2008December 14, 2009 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Life in action - Videos, Special Days

Our dear Sophie turned 3 on Boxing Day and her first words on waking were, ‘I’m three, I’m three, I’m really three!’. It seems only yesterday when she made her joyous arrival and she’s been our happy ray of sunshine ever since. Ever the charmer, the peace maker and the joker. She only stops talking […]

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