On Census night in New Zealand we were away from home, up in Auckland (along with thousands of other people from all over the country) to enjoy an epic night of entertainment at Mt Smart Stadium. We flew up first thing on Tuesday morning, giving us plenty of time to enjoy some sight seeing before […]
On occasions, like right now, I feel the need to dump down where we’re at on this old blog, which I started in 2003 (long before social media platforms came into play!). I often wonder why I keep this blog, but then my husband and I will start talking about some memory or other and […]
Maroon 5 played repeatedly in the car of our VW Convertible, as we whizzed along the highways of southern California, soaking up the rays and enjoying the sunshine beaches. The year was 2013 and whilst our New Zealand friends, in Wellington, were battling the wild winds of winter, we were basking in an endless summer. […]
On our trip to Auckland and the winter-less north, we found one place where it snows all year round – ‘Snowplanet‘. We’d been before, over three years ago (when Alice was just a few months old, bundled in a front pack and a snow suit). This time round Alice was old enough to have a […]
Less than an hour’s drive north of New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, is a stunning sculpture trail at the Brick Bay Vineyard. Nature and art combine to make a beautiful and fascinating walk. The sculptures entranced even the youngest of our tribe, Miss 3 – Alice, so that she happily walked most of the two […]
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, […]
This museum is a wonderful tribute to outstanding sailing skill throughout the ages and how people first arrived in New Zealand. From the arrival of the Maori and Polynesian, through the discovery of New Zealand by Europeans and migration, to New Zealand’s winning of the America’s Cup and a tribute to Sir Peter Blake. The […]
Standing at 328 metres the Sky Tower in Auckland is only for those with a head for heights. The experience starts in the lift, where a portion of the floor is 38cm thick glass, revealing the lift shaft below. As the lift rockets to the top of the tower a window reveals an ever increasing […]
You can come too, too, too… And you’ll see some amazing animals that will bring a tear to your eye at Auckland Zoo. Others will make you laugh, though the life of their mates in the wild is often far from a comedy. And some animals are definitely better off safely enclosed, especially cheeky ones […]
So, this is where we’re hiding out for a week. We spent Sunday morning exploring our locality and finding out that it’s home to a high populace of British and South African folk. Browns Bay is one of Auckland’s East Coast Bays suburbs. First observations… Everyone here seems to own a dog and Sunday morning […]
‘Penguins!’ we squealed as we ran over to the viewing window at Kelly Tarltons. ‘Daddy, Daddy, put your hand in here,’ Charlotte and Sophie dared with mischievous glee. The sign read, ‘See if you can last 30 seconds,’ and the water was freezing. We watched in awe as Daddy did it! We only lasted a […]
Our arrival at Auckland Airport on Saturday was met by a hopeful rainbow in the sky. We’d left behind a week of wintery rain and wind and were hoping for slightly warmer temperatures in Auckland. We knew that rain was still likely, but rain is a lot more bearable when it’s not being blown horizontally […]
Bahhhhhhh! 5 day’s of rain in a row. 3 day’s of not leaving the house. There’s only so much scrabble, baking, painting and children’s T.V. a person can stomach. I’m done with the washing, the hoovering, the ironing and the scrubbing of fly poo from the window sills. I’m packing our suitcases and we’re leaving […]