Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!
In the planning of our visit to the UK we’d set aside ‘Thursday 15th September’ for taking a walk on Snowdon – without setting any expectations about how far we’d walk (since our group of four included my 6 year old daughter, Alice, and we had no idea what the weather Gods would have in…
This time last week we arrived in the Lake District and settled into the YHA in Ambleside for three nights. We enjoyed a wonderful few days in the Lake District, as well as enjoying the most beautiful scenery from our accommodation, located right on the shore of Lake Windermere. This was the view from our…
Having arrived at my Aunty’s lovely, residential holiday caravan, in Rhyl, North Wales, the night before, we woke to a beautiful day and were amped up for a day of exploring. My Dad had a great day planned for us and before driving up to Great Orme we made an obligatory stop at Rhyl beach…
On our drive up to Ludlow, Shropshire, from Hampshire, we stopped in at Berrington Hall, a National Trust Property. My folks are members, of the National Trust UK, and if I lived in the UK I would definitely be joining up too (it would be a dream to work for them!). Growing up in England…
Driving up to Ludlow, from Hampshire, we made a stop at the spectacular Gloucester Cathedral. It is steeped in history, having been a place of worship, in some form or another, for close on 1,000 years! Gloucester’s great Cloister, over 650 years old, is famous for its breath-taking fan vaulting, the earliest of its kind…
Windsor is a short drive from my folks home, in North Hampshire, and a few days after landing in the UK they took us to see Windsor Castle. We didn’t have time to look around the inside of the castle, but young Alice, aged 6, was more than content. She was delighted to have a…
We landed in London on Thursday, after three flights from Wellington, New Zealand, taking some serious flying hours! It’s just Alice and I on this trip, whilst my older two daughters are at home with their Daddy. Alice is such a happy and positive travel companion. We managed to get a good stint of sleep…
It’s officially spring here in New Zealand (meaning lots of gorgeous flowers and lambs, trees in bud and time to get busy in the garden!). Our last few weeks of winter weather in Wellington were actually really kind to us. We have had mostly mild weather, not much rain and the wind hasn’t been so…
This beautiful reserve is such a special place and we feel very fortunate to live close by. As we climb up to the incredible viewpoint, over the Cook Strait, Wellington’s harbour entrance, Lyall Bay, and beyond to the South Island of New Zealand, we always feel like we are miles away from civilisation (when in…
I adore the Kapiti Coast, but don’t often go there enough – even though it’s less than an hour’s drive from where we live in Wellington, New Zealand. When our fabulous dog groomer stopped working at a business in Wellington, to set up her own business – Raumati Stylez Dog Grooming Salon – from her…
Pokemon Go hit New Zealand just prior to the winter school holiday break of 2016. The weather was surprisingly good and all of a sudden parents found that children were actually KEEN to GO OUTDOORS! Hubby and I were away in Australia with our three daughters, and found our phones suddenly turn into Pokemon Go…
There are certain events in history, such as the Olympics, that come as natural markers of time when raising a family. Every four years our television screen beams into our living room inspiring stories of courage, dedication and commitments. Each time our children are four years older and the host city is somewhere new. The…
Upon a hill in Mullumbimby, sitting serenely, overlooking the most incredible scenery, is a crystal castle. At its heart is a story of devotion, hard work, commitment and vision, that started in the 1980s. The land that it sits upon, once stripped bare, is now planted richly, with winding pathways that peacefully lead the visitor…
We’ve been home in Wellington four days, after an amazing fortnight on the East Coast of Australia, staying a week in Byron Bay and a week on the Gold Coast. A highlight of our week in Byron Bay has to include the stunning beaches, such as Tallow Beach (that are great for sand art, cartwheeling and headstands!), and…