Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!
Carlucciland never loses its appeal. We drive past it every day on the way to school and my six year old, in particular, always asks when we can fit in a game. Well, today, with hubby keeping our ten year old and her friend amused (with a lovely trip over the hill to Martinborough for…
I’ve not blogged for more than a fortnight and one of the delightful reasons is having a couple of new pets in the home! The less than delightful reason; all our container load of belongings finally arrived from our year and a bit living in the USA. So, in between unpacking well over one hundred…
The colour of summer is blooming in the coastal sand dunes around New Zealand. This hardy, introduced Ice Plant, the Hottentot Fig, blooms along the coastline in startling beauty. Its colour stands defiantly bright, on even the wildest spring days in Wellington; scattered along walkways and through coastal dunes, as the wind bustles on through….
How do you choose one photograph to summarise a year? World Photo Day is celebrated every year on the 19th August, (but to understand more head over to the website and escape into a thousand images from around the globe). Between August 19-26 the website opens for submissions and, for me personally, it’s a wonderful moment in the year to…
There’s nothing like a run in a new place to put an extra zest in the legs. Having a couple of weeks in Copenhagen, accompanying my husband on a business trip – but with three children in tow – has meant day time activities focused on keeping the young ones happy and entertained. Ever since…
We are currently in Copenhagen, Denmark. In this city of bike loving, apartment dwelling, contented people are numerous gardens and playgrounds. We are still recovering from jetlag and all the children are on different body clocks – but we have managed to get out and explore one little playground in the central city, called ‘Skydebanehaven’,…
1. She stops her splashing, to stare at the life she’s saved from the water. There on her fingers, the lady bird clings, resting for a while, before taking flight. Then she exhales, aware of her breathing, and the miracle of life. 2. ‘Look! There’s a rabbit!’ she wants to shout, but muffles her voice with her hand –…
It’s scorching in southern California and this British Mamma & her Kiwi born daughters are seeking out ways to cool down (especially with the air conditioning broken and the temperature inside the house reading over 88°F 31.1°C!). Outside, around the swimming pool (thank the heavens hubbie rented a house with a pool!) it’s in the…
Less than fifteen minutes walk from our home in Wellington, New Zealand, lies the stunning South Coast, encompassing Lyall Bay, Princess Bay, Houghton Bay, Island Bay and Owhiro Bay. The bays are met by the shoreline, which gradually rises up into the hills of Wellington. The hills are dotted with houses, balanced out with lush…
It’s a special week of celebration on Sticky Fingers blog’s ‘The Photo Gallery’ this week. Parenting bloggers in the UK put their heads together to create an event for Sport Relief this year which had the whole of the community buzzing – the Team Honk Relay. Bloggers up and down the land joined together to travel…
Yellow, in the garden, drawing butterflies in – Yellow, in the setting sun, drawing my eyes to the horizon – Yellow, reflecting off the water, as I finish my evening run – And yellow, of my youngest daughter’s pirate hat, blowing bubbles on a boat with her friend – Linking up with –
It’s been so many years since we’ve celebrated the festive season in the northern hemisphere. It took me well over a decade to adjust to celebrating in the southern hemisphere – and just when I thought I’d finally done it… I went and jinxed it! Spending Christmas in Santa Barbara is a wonderful ‘best of…
When I read the challenge for this week’s ‘Photo Gallery’ at ‘Sticky Fingers’ blog I was stumped – one photograph for the month of November! How could I possibly sum up a month in one photograph? Then I had my light-bulb moment. This year we are in the USA for November and our contribution to…
I don’t enjoy seeing elephants in small enclosures. I’m thankful that the majority of zoos across the world are no longer breeding elephants. The ones that remain in zoos, are hopefully the last. They belong in the wild, or in large landscapes of protected land. They belong with their kin. When I do come across…