Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!
New Zealand moves to Level 2 tomorrow, after seven weeks in ‘lockdown’ due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Level 4 started with me away from my husband and three children, as a result of having recently returned from overseas and therefore needing to self-isolate for 14 days. I self-isolated in our holiday home, in rural Martinborough. My…
It was such a mild Autumn that I wasn’t prepared for winter and its dark nights. I always struggle when there’s less hours of light in the day to play with. If I don’t get out for a day or two I feel like curling up in bed and not emerging till spring. It’s a…
Loving the time my daughters are sharing together. I haven’t seen my oldest two so close for years and our youngest is loving the constant interaction of having her older sisters around. Loving the natural flow of our days, where ‘fitness’ is a swim in the pool, a bike ride to the village or a…
Merry-go-rounds and sisters Sunshine and convertibles Pretzels and chilled drinks Shopping areas with architectural flair Sea creatures and an inquisitive child Water fountains and wishes New cafes, tastes and children who are willing to try (at least two out of our three are!) ____________________________________________ Joining in this week with the wonderful Meghan of ‘The Adventures…
In less than three weeks we fly away from our home of some fifteen years, New Zealand, to start an adventure living in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. Our new adventure may be for just a year, three years, or possibly more. In this past week we flew up to Auckland, from our home in Wellington,…
The countdown till we leave New Zealand is sadly on. We will fly out on 7 August, but as that time draws closer we are enjoying a close coming together with the people that have meant so much to us in our lives here. This past week, being the last week of term 2 here…
I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something you can be thankful for..no matter how simple it is. Loving sunny days after a storm… and a huge tree swing (that survived the storm – which I could’t let pass without a poem!). Loving this pair of cute…
Loving joining in with FMS ‘Photo A Day’ challenge this month. There’s a different theme for every day of the month and it’s fun to be a little more observant of the every day (and the not so every day!). Here’s the first six days of June… 1 June – B is for… had fun…
Loving this week… ⤠Sunshine after a cold snap, with a sprinkling of snow on distant hills. ⤠Books to escape into, that I can carry around in my back pocket for opportune moments via my iPhone. I’m hooked on Jayde Scott’s ‘Ancient Legends’ and onto book six in as many days! ⤠A kind…
Always a pleasure to end a week by reflecting on the ‘loves’ from the week (especially whilst sipping a delightful Pinot Noir from dear hubbie!). The little things are often what make a good week, such as finishing a good book. This week I’ve been consumed with, ‘The Sisterhood‘, by Helen Bryan. It holds a…
A highlight of our holiday was ‘Puzzling World‘ in Wanaka. Dan and I had visited it over ten years ago, when the original maze was there, but since then an amazing array of attractions have been added. The maze is challenging, with 1.5km of passages. I’m sure I saw a sign saying ‘On average a…
The scenery here in the South Island of New Zealand is breathtakingly beautiful. We’ve been staying in Queenstown, overlooking Lake Wakatipu, where the scenery is fluid with the weather, the season, the time of day. Waking to see beautiful sunrises and watching in awe as the colours on the mountains change as the sunsets. It’s…
It’s dark at 6pm, but still warm to play, and cheer on the man of the house in a game of footie. And make sure he’s well looked after, when the match is done… The garden hints at autumn with the leaves on the silver birch starting to turn and fall. The scarves and boots…
Facebook – love it or hate it – has changed the way we communicate more than any of my childhood friends and I could have ever anticipated. I was always a letter writer, so managed to keep in touch with many friends after leaving school and university – despite moving to live on the other…