At the end of July, my youngest (Alice) and I headed to London, after having enjoyed a wonderful week’s holiday in Cornwall (see posts here and here). We planned to catch some shows and I’d organised a catch up with some University friends (whom I’d first met 30 years ago!). I am fortunate to have […]
The suitcases are packed, filled for six weeks of travel in the northern hemisphere. We are forgoing a chunk of our southern hemisphere summer to journey north for a festive winter and time will be spent with family and friends. It’s the first time our three daughters will have experienced Christmas in England, like the […]
My youngest daughter and I flew down to Queenstown, in September 2018, to visit a friend and support her with an art exhibition. It was a wonderfully long weekend of fun in the snow, sight-seeing, great food, wine, company and art! A few days before our visit my hubby had flown down with our oldest […]
The drive from Wanaka to the Blue Pools Track, in Mount Aspiring National Park, is stunning. There are so many perfect photo stop opportunities. We just had a day to explore and that teaser made me want to revisit for a lot longer, to enjoy the many walking opportunities. To get to Blue Pools, we took State Highway […]
Our summer holiday with my parents continued on from Lake Tekapo to Wanaka (the journey starts here), driving via the Lindis Pass. It was a murky day, not the best for stopping and taking photographs, but nevertheless the Lindis Pass had a hauntingly desolate beauty about it. The Lindis Pass links the Mackenzie Basin with […]
New Zealand is experiencing the hottest summer in 150 years! It’s been the most incredible summer in Wellington too (which can be hit and miss). We’ve had temperatures in the high twenties and into the thirties, the beaches are crowded, the sea is being swum in (normally only for the brave or crazy) and sales […]
The day after arriving in the Peak District, at my sister’s house, we set out on a crisp spring morning (a chilly 7°C) with my parents and sister’s partner. We took the train, from Chinley to Edale, so we could hike back across the hills, covering nearly 400(m) of elevation gain in 12km (nearly 8 […]
Mid April I took off from Wellington, New Zealand, flying over the great Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, to visit my folks in England. I was keen to see my Mum, who’d turned seventy on the 2nd April, and to spend some precious time with her, my Dad, sister and partner. I flew solo, for […]
One of the many highlights of my recent trip to the UK was being there to celebrate my Dad’s 70th Birthday and my sister’s 40th Birthday. It was wonderful to not only share an incredible three week trip with my folks and their youngest granddaughter, my daughter Alice, aged 6, but to also celebrate two ‘milestone’ Birthdays! We […]
What a road trip (in a good way)! I was dreading it many ways (5 hours driving with three children), but also quietly confident (as they’d been incredibly awesome for me all week – whilst their Daddy was working away overseas). We left our home in Wellington at 9.30am on a Saturday morning, trying to […]
Three weeks back in New Zealand and I am already lusting after the heat of our Singapore holiday. It seems so much longer since I was stood by the side of the Singapore river, holding an umbrella for shade from the sun, feeling the thirst for water as my body responded to the constant heat […]
Singapore, halfway between the UK and NZ, or thereabouts. A guaranteed warm destination to break up our NZ winter. A couple of weeks by the pool with plenty of entertainment to please everyone in our group – from the children (aged 5, 9 and 12) to the parents (myself and hubby) and the grandparents (who […]
In an exquisite natural location of breathtaking beauty sits the artfully designed village of Portmeirion in North Wales. During our week’s stay in North Wales this was one of the highlights. Travelling in a large family group, a blend of aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins, can make finding a day-trip to suit everyone a challenge […]
‘Pack the wet weather gear!’ everyone warned – and, as we drove from Lancashire to Pwhelli, on the coast of Northern Wales, the brooding clouds suggested we’d need them. Hills and castles appeared and disappeared as we drove the winding roads to our destination, Hafan Y Mor Caravan Holiday Park. But we need not have […]