Catching the Magic

Two Brits in Aotearoa bringing up three NZ born daughters. Our children: Our future. Haere Mai!

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Wellington Zoo

Celebrating a Birthday with a Meerkat Encounter!

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment Alice, Header, Special Days

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 […]

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Meeting the locals at Wellington Zoo!

November 24, 2015 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Alice, Country Kids

The new ‘Meet The Locals‘ area at Wellington Zoo is a lovely space for children and families. The natural landscape has been planted with lots of native tree saplings and vegetation, with the first ‘locals’ to meet being the little blue penguins that populate Wellington’s rocky shores. There is a slide to speed through, a […]

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An after-school zip around Wellington Zoo | Country Kids

June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Alice, Country Kids, Life in action - Videos

When my youngest daughter, Alice, heard that Wellington Zoo had five new otters come to live there, she was so excited to go and visit them. As the zoo is only a short, five minute, drive from our home – and we have an annual pass – we had good reason to pop by the zoo […]

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We visited Asia at Wellington Zoo!

September 30, 2012September 30, 2012 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Alice, Charlotte, Sarah

There was a festival atmosphere at the best little Zoo in the world yesterday. Visitors came to greet the sun bears in their new enclosure and see the tigers, who’ve been away from public viewing since earlier in the year. The staff at Wellington Zoo have kept the new ‘Project Asia Precinct‘ area of the […]

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The Gallery: Picture Postcard

May 23, 2012May 23, 2012 BritMumInNZ 9 Comments photography

The theme over on the Sticky Finger’s blog, for ‘The Gallery‘ this week, is ‘Picture Postcard’. It was so hard to pick one from my recent photographs. In the end I decided upon this ostrich! I just love the big eyes and lashes, the long neck and inquisitive beak. It could have been taken anywhere. […]

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My three little lounge lizards – an update

February 27, 2012 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Alice, Charlotte, Sarah, Sophie

I’ve had the delight of my three little lounge lizards all being home on Wednesday and Friday last week (as Charlotte – Dear Daughter 8 – is a bit tired with the start of the school year – lots of testing and goal setting). It’s been so great to have Charlotte home with us, as […]

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So grateful for our ‘Little Zoo’ with a big heart

September 21, 2011 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Alice, Sarah, Sophie

Wellington Zoo is a little zoo, so don’t expect grand scale exhibits, enclosures and a train to whizz you from one stop to the next. Come expecting to be welcomed to a zoo where the keepers, staff and volunteers are enthusiastic, friendly, caring and conservationists through and through. Come wearing comfortable walking shoes – this […]

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Lyrical Sunday & Haere Ra to Happy Feet

August 28, 2011August 28, 2011 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Alice, Charlotte, Lyrical Sunday, Sarah, Sophie

We didn’t set a theme for Lyrical Sunday this week, but Charlotte and I did write a little poetry – in honour of our webbed footed friend who travels home to the sub-Antarctic tomorrow. The Dominion Post and Wellington Zoo ran a poetry competition this week (read the winning entries here), dedicated to the Emperor […]

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Happy Feet sniffs the good stuff!

August 15, 2011August 15, 2011 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Alice, Charlotte, Dan, Life in action - Videos, Sarah, Sophie, Special Days

There’s been a special fella hiding out at Wellington Zoo. He was rescued from a beach on the Kapiti Coast. Poor chap had swam all the way from Antarctica and found himself in a temperate climate with no ice to eat, just a beach full of sand. In a desperate attempt to cool himself down […]

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Things I’m Loving…

July 15, 2011October 25, 2011 BritMumInNZ 11 Comments Alice, Charlotte, Loving & Not Loving, Sarah, Sophie, Walks

Finding natural treasures on the beach after wild winter storms. Moments in the sun, despite cold winter chills. Hearing the day-dreams of my daughter, which bring a smile to my face and warm my heart, ‘I’m going to have a boat one day and you can sail with me Mummy’. Messages of adventure from family […]

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Mustachioed for The Gallery

May 18, 2011May 18, 2011 BritMumInNZ 14 Comments Dan, Sarah

We took Daddy to Wellington Zoo on Sunday afternoon and look what we saw… Mummy wishing she could be an Emperor tamarin! Because… Did you know?  When Mummy Emperor tamarin’s have had enough, they stick out their tongue – and Daddy takes the load! ________________________________________________ Go check out some more mustaches on ‘The Gallery’ at […]

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Loving our little Zoo, Zoo, Zoo!

May 13, 2011May 14, 2011 BritMumInNZ 11 Comments Alice, Life in action - Videos, Loving & Not Loving, Sophie

This morning Sophie, Alice and I had a very special visit to our wonderful little Zoo in Wellington. Frances, who is happily living at our place, didn’t have any work on this morning and chose to join us – which was wonderful. She took heaps of photographs (normally I get to hide behind the camera […]

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Snapshots from a perfect Tuesday

April 12, 2011April 12, 2011 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Alice, Charlotte, Sophie

Autumn left its coat off and let summer take a spin on the weather chart today. After dropping Charlotte & Sophie at school, Alice and I played on the beach. I was quick to ditch my boots and tights for bare legs, so I could dip my toes in with Alice (plus she wanted to […]

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Brum, brum! Beep, beep! Alice at 13 months.

April 5, 2011April 11, 2011 BritMumInNZ 16 Comments Alice

Our little girl is a real toddler now. All running, climbing and creating mayhem, mess and mischief. With older sisters about there are so many goodies to get her hands on… pen marks aplenty are being found on walls and furniture – eek! Thought it was about time I shared a few pages out of […]

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Recent Posts

  • Celebrating a Birthday with a Meerkat Encounter! March 30, 2023
  • Summer holiday in Rotorua & Taupo March 29, 2023
  • Christmas and a Birthday in Wellington January 12, 2023
  • Summer highlights from the Wairarapa January 8, 2023
  • A long weekend with friends near Goat Island Marine Reserve January 6, 2023
  • It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – southern hemisphere style! December 23, 2022
  • Wellington Lantern Festival – in the spring rain December 18, 2022
  • Toast Martinborough – Wine and Food Festival December 16, 2022
  • Spring running highlights on Wellington’s trails December 14, 2022
  • Trail goodness in the southern Remutaka Ranges October 25, 2022
  • Family, hills & roller-coasters! October 22, 2022
  • Summer visit to London in July; seeing friends, West End Shows, National Art Gallery, Women’s Euro 2022 & corgis! October 14, 2022

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