Catching the Magic

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

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Author: BritMumInNZ

Update on bug

May 30, 2008 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Sarah

Guess where Dan and the girls went on Sunday – and guess where the outbreak of the bug is thought to have been? – Junglerama! As reported in the Dominion Post.

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Happy Wedding Anniversary to Us!

May 29, 2008May 29, 2012 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Blasts from the past, Dan, Sarah, Special Days

The memories of nine year’s ago are still as strong as ever. It was a magic day, greeted by sunshine. A little rainfall came just as we were about to retreat inside for dinner at the idyllic New Mill. It was one of those humid, summer days when the feeling of a storm was heavy […]

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Vomiting bug strikes!

May 27, 2008November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

Monday was a regular day. I took the girls swimming, to the library, even hung out at the airport for an hour so SJ could watch the airplanes. They both fell asleep by 7.30pm and with my monthly ‘visitor’ due I was exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep. 8.00pm Dan goes out to […]

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Getting in the Exercise!

May 21, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Our pets, Sophie

The sun has been blissful this week and today the girls and I made the most of every opportunity to stretch our legs. Sophie and I spent the morning at Oriental Parade where we handled starfish and walked along the waterfront. I pushed her back to the car in the buggy – along the beach […]

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What’s on your bedside table?

May 21, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ Sarah

In my first year of motherhood my bedside table was stacked high with a wide selection of parenting books. The subjects of most interest at that time were sleep, health, breastfeeding and developmental milestones. My reading of parenting and child psychology books became a little obsessive. There was a time when the only other items […]

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Lyall Bay in Black and White

May 16, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Charlotte, Sophie

Saturday morning, prior to Dan’s weekly soccer game, was spent whiling away a couple of hours in the sunshine on Lyall Bay beach. Dan took these beautiful photographs. Simple pleasures. Playing in sand dunes, drawing in the sand, making sand sculptures, looking for mermaids and chasing seagulls. Dan won his game of soccer – must […]

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Amazing Mothers

May 15, 2008November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Sarah

Mother’s Day, like mothering itself, is varied and diverse in its history and when it is celebrated. I myself, have to work hard to remember Mothering Sunday in the UK is earlier in the year than in New Zealand (last Sunday was Mother’s Day in New Zealand) – so I have one day of celebrating […]

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Kingfisher in the garden

May 15, 2008May 15, 2008 BritMumInNZ Sarah

Sitting upon a flax in our garden today I spotted this beautiful Kingfisher.

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Autumn colours

May 14, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Charlotte, Sophie

Autumn has descended and there is no place like the Wellington Botanical Gardens to soak up the colours of the changing season. Most of Wellington’s native trees are evergreen and so the change of colours associated with a British autumn is not found across the city. In the South Island there are plenty of beautiful […]

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Pony Riding at Mackay’s Crossing

May 14, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ Charlotte, Sarah

A couple of weekend’s ago we drove up to MacKay’s Crossing on the Kapiti Coast and the girls enjoying pony riding at Stables on the Park. Sophie, in particular, is currently a horse fanatic. She wants to watch ‘Saddle Club’ all the time, has a pile of books out from the library and is always […]

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Art Take Over!

May 4, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

It’s Sunday and I really needed to have a break and be in my own head-space. Dan has been out all day with the girls and it’s been so peaceful. But I’m never alone. There are always delightful surprises carefully placed around the home to remind me of how lucky I am to have such […]

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Circus Comes to Town

April 30, 2008November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Sophie

What a blast we had this afternoon! The girls watched the two hour performance with eyes wide and mouths open in absolute wonder and disbelief. They have never seen anything like what they experienced today. We weren’t sure how they’d take it and we’d set our expectations at probably not seeing the whole performance; but […]

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Meeting fellow expats to be…

April 26, 2008November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

Recently we were delighted to meet up with Craig of the wonderful blog ‘One Way New Zealand‘. His lovely wife, Rachel, had contacted us (as well as mutual friend Marrisa of ‘Dawes in New Zealand‘ blog) with her exciting plans of emigration from the UK to New Zealand. Craig and Rachel have a gorgeous son, […]

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Pony Trekking in Nelson

April 26, 2008 BritMumInNZ Holidays, Life in action - Videos

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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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