Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!
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…
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…
It was such a mild Autumn that I wasn’t prepared for winter and its dark nights. I always struggle when there’s less hours of light in the day to play with. If I don’t get out for a day or two I feel like curling up in bed and not emerging till spring. It’s a…
I’m so glad I made the decision to start my forties with a half marathon, as I haven’t looked back in the past two years – only forward to the next challenge. Thankfully New Zealand has an ever-growing array of organised races to participate in, with various distances and terrain. It’s fast becoming an addiction…
What a blessing the weather has been for us this year. We’ve had glorious days of sunshine and warmer than average temperatures, hanging on well into Autumn, here in New Zealand. The only signs of the coming winter are the shortened days and the turning of the leaves to golden hues. It was, with little…
I’m a great believer in gentle exercise helping to heal the body and a few weeks back, when my ten year old daughter was fighting off a long lingering chesty cough, with a dose of antibiotics, I took her out to explore a Wellington trail we’d not explored before. The walk, located in the hills…
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…
School finished on the Thursday before Easter with a very touching Easter Service in the Wellington Cathedral, especially as our oldest daughter sang in the ‘Choral’ and our youngest with the ‘Princess Singers’ choir. I popped into my youngest daughter’s classroom afterwards and saw this beautiful nature arrangement. Good Friday morning was a relaxed start…
We spent a glorious sunshine Saturday on Wellington’s waterfront under the incredible ‘Fly Me up to Where You Are New Zealand‘ prayer flag installation as part of the New Zealand Festival. The waterfront of Wellington has been abuzz with events this summer. The glorious weather has helped to make it all the more special and…
The Greater Wellington BreWDay, held in Martinborough, was a wonderful combination good food, music and a jovial crowd of all ages, enjoying some fine craft brews in a rural setting. Close to the heart of Martinborough – more known for its wines and olive groves – locals and visitors (mostly from the Hutt and Wellington)…
It’s the day after I bid farewell to my dearest parents. As I write they are winging their way back to the UK, on the long-haul flights from New Zealand to the UK, via Singapore. A big part of me feels empty and numb, trying to stay focused and busy with my three daughters (in…
We visited Lake Ferry, on the south coast of the Wairarapa, over the New Year. It’s a place of incredible wild, rugged beauty and only a half hour drive from Martinborough. The small beach village, on the shores of Lake Onoke, is known for its fishing, particularly ‘white bait’, where Lake Onoke meets the sea….