Catching the Magic

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

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Lyrical Sunday

Lyrical Sunday: Memory

February 5, 2012 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Lyrical Sunday, Sarah, Writing

We can’t have the happy, without the sad, The interaction of yin and yang. The merge of hearts and the touch of hands, Together – now apart – leaving a pang. The memory – of a summer spent playing, Long, lingering nights and days to create. The love of family, brought close together, Often reliant […]

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Lyrical Words on a Tuesday

January 31, 2012February 2, 2012 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Lyrical Sunday, Sarah, Writing

‘Lyrical Sunday‘ theme is ‘Words’ over at Latte Junkie’s blog this week. As inspiration she included this powerful video, which really took my breath away for a moment (and left me wordless): How to follow that?! Ah well I’m a good sport damn it, and my brain needs a workout, so here goes… Words are […]

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The SHAPE of Death: Lyrical Sunday

October 15, 2011 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Lyrical Sunday, Writing

My daughter Charlotte challenged me to use ‘shapes’ as inspiration for Lyrical Sunday this week. I’m linking up here (where she’s written a fun Haiku). If you’d like to join in too then please do! My poem is also a Haiku and I’ve met the challenge of using ‘shapes’ to inspire me, but my poem is […]

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Underground

September 24, 2011February 20, 2025 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Blasts from the past, Dan, Lyrical Sunday, Sarah

My skin in rubber I entered the cave. I waded through water, thinking, ‘Be Brave’. The air without motion, no day or night. I would have felt terrified without a light. Our confident guide led us on with wit, His office had no chairs in which to sit. Instead, I positioned my derriere In a […]

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Diamante Wind to Calm

August 19, 2011August 21, 2011 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Lyrical Sunday

It’s been a blustering, wild week of weather in Wellington. After a relatively mild autumn and winter, with plenty of sunshine days, it was an extreme shock to the system to be faced with a week of a snow, sleet, hail, thunder, lightening, torrential rain and howling gales. At first it was exciting, but as […]

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‘B’ poems for Lyrical Sunday

August 14, 2011August 17, 2011 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Lyrical Sunday

A lovely poem from Grandma too… “The beautiful bond of love that binds us together Is like a band of gold that cannot be broken.” __________________________________________________ Welcome to Week 27 of Lyrical Sunday with the theme of ‘B’. If you’d like to join in then please link up below. The link-up will remain open all […]

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The Tongariro Crossing: A Poem

August 8, 2011 BritMumInNZ Lyrical Sunday, Walks

The theme for Lyrical Sunday (running all this week till 14 August) is ‘Adventure‘ and Grandma sent through a beautiful poem about the time she walked ‘The Tongariro Crossing‘ in New Zealand with Granddad… (Happy 41st Wedding Anniversary to them too!). x The Tongariro Crossing One day in the year 2008 An 8-hour walk. We […]

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We’re going on an ADVENTURE for Week 26 of Lyrical Sunday!

August 6, 2011August 6, 2011 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Lyrical Sunday, Sarah, Sophie, Walks

Adventure at sunset As the sun sets, we climb over the rocks, very carefully, making sure we don’t fall. We see some art on the rocks. What a surprise! We walk on, hoping the waves won’t splash us. Mummy doesn’t think we’ll make it to the next bay, but I do. We keep going and… […]

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Lyrical Sunday – Week 25: Musical Instruments

July 23, 2011July 24, 2011 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Lyrical Sunday

Welcome to Week 25 of Lyrical Sunday! Lyrical Sunday this week is themed on ‘Musical Instruments‘. If you’re new to Lyrical Sunday, please click here to read about how it began (I have an inspiring daughter who tries hard to keep her ‘ole Mum’s brain ticking!) and to read poems from earlier weeks. We have […]

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Lyrical Sunday is Dancing!

July 17, 2011July 19, 2011 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Lyrical Sunday

Welcome to Week 24 of Lyrical Sunday! This week we are dancing! Come and join us if you feel like it. Link up below with a poem or song. What makes you feel like dancing? Couldn’t resist this gem from the seventies (yes, I was a seventies born gal!). Moving to the beat I can’t […]

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Solstice – New life after the longest night: Lyrical Sunday

June 26, 2011June 26, 2011 BritMumInNZ 8 Comments Charlotte, Lyrical Sunday, Writing

The longest night, many moons ago, Was bitter cold, with snow on distant ranges. I wrapped my arms around my swollen middle, Overly expectant. I gazed up at the blanket sky, Dazzled with star light, Wondering when my new life would begin. Stirring deep within my womb, Full of life against the winter gloom. As […]

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Tongue Twisters for Lyrical Sunday (Week 22)

June 19, 2011June 20, 2011 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Lyrical Sunday

Charlotte set a tough theme for Lyrical Sunday this week – ‘Tongue Twisters’ (read her poem, which Sophie illustrated here). One of my favourite tongue twisters from my childhood and one that I say a lot living by the seashore with my little’uns is… She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are […]

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Art for Lyrical Sunday

June 11, 2011 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Art, Lyrical Sunday

Now it’s your turn! Looking forward to reading your posts 🙂 If you’re new to Lyrical Sunday and would like to join in, read more about how it started here…

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Lyrical Sunday, Week 20: A Haiku

May 29, 2011June 8, 2011 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Charlotte, Lyrical Sunday, Sarah

And a Haiku from Grandma… The love of dear ones Our hearts are always in touch Memories forever ___________________________________________________________ Now it’s your turn! Link up below with your ‘Haiku’ poems for week 20 of Lyrical Sunday (or send me an e-mail to sarah (at) catchingthemagic (dot) com and I’ll post up your poem). If you’re […]

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  • WAI2K 50km trail adventure, November 2024!February 20, 2025
    In November 2024 I took on the epic endurance event of the 50km WAI2K Ultra, from Woodside Train Station in Greytown, through the hills of the Wairarapa and Kaitoke Regional Park, to Tunnel Gully Upper Picnic Area in Upper Hutt. This mixed terrain course involves around 2,500m of elevation gain through dense scrub, beautiful native… Read more: WAI2K 50km trail adventure, November 2024!
  • Visits back to the UK aren’t always a holiday – when those you love aren’t well.February 6, 2025
    Life is never all sunshine and roses. When we have had the good fortunate of having people in our lives that we’ve loved deeply, and have felt their love in return, it is painful to see that person suffering. Life is all about beginnings and endings, hellos and goodbyes, first moments and celebrations, and also… Read more: Visits back to the UK aren’t always a holiday – when those you love aren’t well.
  • Celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a long weekend on the Gold Coast – June 2024January 6, 2025
    At the end of May 2024 my husband and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary and took the opportunity to grab a fix of winter sunshine, over the ‘King’s Birthday’ weekend public holiday (beginning of June), with a trip to the Gold Coast – on Australia’s East Coast. We were joined by our children, Sophie… Read more: Celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a long weekend on the Gold Coast – June 2024
  • ‘Last time’ moments on a spring visit to the UK, May 2024January 2, 2025
    After over twenty five years of living thousands of miles away from my birth country, and many flights back and forth, I am still in awe of the fact I can be on the other side of the world in 24 hours. I remind myself that jet passenger services didn’t start until the late 1950s… Read more: ‘Last time’ moments on a spring visit to the UK, May 2024
  • Race Tekapo 50kmSeptember 29, 2024
    Race registration on Friday night, by the shore of Lake Tekapo, was a ‘hold on tight to your bib’ or you won’t be going anywhere tomorrow affair. The bitingly cold air was a shock to the system, after my husband, daughter and I had driven from a sunny, spring like day in Christchurch. Our flight… Read more: Race Tekapo 50km
  • Running the stunning Motatapu Trail MarathonMay 30, 2024
    This was one of the most beautiful trail marathons I’ve ran and was a great way to celebrate a summer of running and see in the beginning of autumn (though the weather was still very much throwing the heat of summer on event day – which fell on the first Saturday in March). The 42km… Read more: Running the stunning Motatapu Trail Marathon
  • 50km for 50 years! How I saw in the first day of my fifties running the 50km Faultline Ultra!May 21, 2024
    I’ve been on a good running streak for over a year now (meaning no injuries, illness or troublesome hormones to slow me down – thanks to a mix of strength work, good luck and hormone replacement therapy!). When I saw that a new event was going to be held in the city where I live… Read more: 50km for 50 years! How I saw in the first day of my fifties running the 50km Faultline Ultra!
  • Six month catch up!March 9, 2024
    Time is literally flying away on me and blog writing is very neglected these days, but we are all well here and can’t believe our lovely Christmas and New Year festivities were three months ago! Spring and summer has raced by and now we are on the cusp of autumn here in New Zealand. Since… Read more: Six month catch up!
  • Ten blissful days in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.August 8, 2023
    With the days dark and short here in New Zealand we jetted off for some warmth and sunshine in the Cook Islands, just a three to four hour flight from Auckland. We have never visited any of the Pacific Islands and it was with great delight that we touched down on the runway in Rarotonga,… Read more: Ten blissful days in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
  • Marlborough Food & Wine Festival Birthday CelebrationAugust 7, 2023
    Turning 50 is definitely a milestone birthday, but hubby Dan didn’t want a party so in February we decided to head away for the weekend to celebrate at the Marlborough Food and Wine Festival. Dan’s Birthday fell on the same weekend as the festival, in the sunshine summer month of February here in New Zealand,… Read more: Marlborough Food & Wine Festival Birthday Celebration
  • A few running events to kick off the year & a sub-4 PB at the Rotorua Marathon!May 10, 2023
    Round the Bays Wellington, held in February every year, is always an iconic event, generally bestowed with sunshine and an amazing turn out of people of all ages. The atmosphere for this event is like a festival, with entertainment lining the route of the first 6km, between Waitangi Park and Kilbirnie Park (where all the… Read more: A few running events to kick off the year & a sub-4 PB at the Rotorua Marathon!
  • Auckland mid-week break away for Harry Styles!April 4, 2023
    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… Read more: Auckland mid-week break away for Harry Styles!
  • Celebrating a Birthday with a Meerkat Encounter!March 30, 2023
    Our youngest turned 13 in February, joining her older two siblings in ‘teen hood’ (though our oldest will turn 20 in June this year!). Having started high school a couple of weeks before her birthday there was, certainly for me, a moment of nostalgia as I reflected on how grown up my ‘baby’ has become… Read more: Celebrating a Birthday with a Meerkat Encounter!
  • Summer holiday in Rotorua & TaupoMarch 29, 2023
    The last week of January, before the start of a new school year, we drove up from Wellington to the central region of the North Island for a week’s holiday. We’ve holidayed in this area many times over the years and never tire of the endless outdoor activities on offer in the most beautiful natural… Read more: Summer holiday in Rotorua & Taupo
  • Christmas and a Birthday in WellingtonJanuary 12, 2023
    Sunshine was gifted to us on Christmas Day this year in Wellington and we had the most wonderfully relaxed day together (well, almost all together, as our oldest currently lives in Melbourne and so we video chatted and were delighted to see them having an awesome time with a friend and their friend’s family). We… Read more: Christmas and a Birthday in Wellington

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