Heaven Is A Place On Earth

Last week Sophie and I had one of those ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’ moments (thanks Belinda Carlisle). It was Wednesday afternoon. We were driving back from the city, having spent the morning cycling on Oriental Parade and meeting up with Dan for Yum Cha at Majestic Cuisine (highly recommended – we go once a week and Sophie now greets all the staff with ‘Ni Hao’ and ‘Table for three please’). On the way home, we took the scenic route around the bays and as we rounded the corner from Lyall Bay to Princess Bay a stunning scene greeted us. Blue sky, wild seas and a crystal clear view, over the Cook Strait, to the Kaikoura Ranges laden with snow.

Closer to home, the Orongorongo range, over the other side of the harbour entrance was also dusted with snow:

With no Kindi on a Wednesday we were free to do as we pleased. Quickly parking up the car we ran down to the beach. I was in raptures at the view of the waves crashing on the rocks, the majestic scene of the Seaward Kaikoura Range towering skyward on the horizon, and the sea spray whipping high onto the cliff face, magnified in the rays of the sun.

Meanwhile, Sophie had her heart on a more physical plain and as I removed my eye from the camera I gasped to see her scaling a rather large rock! No fear that girl! I couldn’t see what was on the other side and told her to stay put till I got to the top (I envisioned her falling into crashing waves and rocks below). I wasn’t quite as smooth as her with my climbing – she must share a few genes with a mountain goat.

Anyway, her chilled smile and relaxed body language told me that there was nothing to worry about (but that’s my job). Thankfully, on the other side there was plenty of safe ground and I carefully followed her down. From our vantage point we admired the power of the waves and imagined Unicorns racing each other into the shore. Our imagination fueled by the recent reading of the most delightful book, ‘Unicorns! Unicorns!’ It is written by one of my favourite children’s authors, Geraldine McCaughrean. I was fortunate to see her at one of the NZ Post Readers and Writers Festivals a few year’s ago (next one March 2010 as part of the NZ International Arts Festival!).

A brief summary of the story: ‘The unicorns disappeared long ago. There is a rumour, a legend that they all died out through their own foolishness, because they would not come when they were called. But perhaps the unicorns had their reasons. Perhaps we were more to blame than they. And maybe, just maybe, the unicorns live on, if you simply know where to look…’