We hired a cabana by the pool for the day and lapped up the sunshine, swimming and friendly service. Since it’s off peak here we had the pool mostly to ourselves for the day and, as my nine year old daughter rightly said we were, ‘living the dream’! I felt like an Egyptian Queen (albeit […]
Holidays
Things I’m Loving… whilst keeping my head shifting time zones
I’m sat in the dark in a lovely villa in Santa Barbara and the clock tells me the time is 3.30pm on Friday 28 October. The computer I’m typing on is still set in UK time and tells me the time is 11.30pm on a Friday night. Over in New Zealand, where we are destined […]
Goodbye England – leg one of our return to NZ complete (thank goodness!)
Our taxi swept us away to London Heathrow at midday yesterday. The emotions of saying goodbye were quelled with the thought of ‘Chicken’ Grandma & Granddad visiting us in New Zealand, almost ten weeks to the day of our departure from England. As we made our way from the taxi, laden heavily with baggage, a […]
Autumnal fun in England this past week
Our time in England is drawing to a close. Tomorrow we chase the sun to the United States, where we’ll spend four nights in Santa Barbara, before journeying back home to New Zealand. In the week and a half we’ve been here the autumn leaves have really started to turn in earnest. The trees are […]
PRICKLES | Lyrical Sunday
I’ve temporarily shifted hemispheres and seasons – from spring to autumn – from New Zealand to England. I’m walking country lanes untrodden by my feet for many years. I’m finding treasures I used to know so well – seasonal markers of the year in England. On Saturday I came across a sweet chestnut and it […]
Things I’m Loving…. Special times with old friends & family
Nearly a week since we landed in England, all the way from our home in New Zealand, with a couple of nights stop over in San Francisco. There’s been no need for big ticket attractions, as simply shifting from spring to autumn in a matter of nights – and wooden houses to brick – is […]
Impressions of ‘home’ after five years away from the UK
I feel like a tourist. Every brick home, red telephone box, pub, thatched cottage, red robin, squirrel and deciduous tree, turning with the autumn tide, make me want to grab for my camera. Holly bushes, berry laded bushes for the birds through the winter, acorns littering the garden – I am seeing autumn in England […]
NZ to UK, via San Francisco stop-over, with three little Kiwis
It’s been five years since we’ve done the long-haul flights from our home in Wellington, New Zealand, to the UK (and having just done it, I now remember the reason why we left it so long before doing it again, it’s bloody hard work!). It had to be done though. With the talk of us […]
Out of here!
I’m going to be living every minute of life to the max over the next three weeks (and sleeping when I can). They’ll be little time for blogging so I’m hanging up my dressing gown (which is what I mostly blog in!) and taking off on a bird in the sky. Up to Auckland on […]
Happy travels to our nine year old – first independent flight!
Charlotte approached the international departure gate and was approached by someone waiting for her. She turned to smile and wave us a good-bye. I was aware of her Daddy saying, ‘Can I have a hug?’, whilst I grappled with young two-year old Alice in my arms – who was determined to make a run through […]
This Friday my Heart is in San Francisco
2007 I was last there. It was the last time I travelled long-haul from NZ to the UK, via San Francisco. I was a mother to two young children – now three. The memories are still very clear and we had a blast (even if we had poor helmet wearing style!). Hubbie is there now […]
Bouncing into the New Year at a beach house on the Kapiti Coast
I’m writing this on return from seven wonderful nights away on the Kapiti Coast. The sleepy beach side settlement of Te Horo welcomed us with rural tranquility and bird song. For seven nights we forgot about work, school and house-keeping and focused on making every moment about spending quality time together. Time was the biggest […]
At arrivals…. Grandma & Granddad touch down in New Zealand!
Such an exciting week! Tuesday morning we woke to sunshine and blue sky. Perfect weather to welcome my dear Mum and Dad to New Zealand. Their three little granddaughters were so excited and wanted to dress in their best clothes straight away (even though the flight wasn’t due in until 2pm!). I headed out with […]
Easter at the Beach for Lyrical Sunday (Week 16)
Easter at the beach, chocolate eggs hidden out of reach. Driftwood adventures, hide and seek, Waking to the sound of the sea to peek – At foil wrapped eggs nestled in the dunes. We dance and sing to Ukelele tunes, play ball and tag, till our breath starts to lag. We quench our thirst with […]