The Journey from Wellington to Nelson

New Zealand never fails to amaze me. I think of the Dover- Calais ferry crossing, especially the white cliffs of Dover, and remember really enjoying the whole experience when I first went with my family as a child. You then get to New Zealand and "ferry crossing" moves into a whole new dimension!! We got on the "InterIslander" at 10:30am from Wellington and proceeded to be amazed as we entered the Marlborough Sounds for the final hour towards Picton. Stunning was the only word to describe it. I took some video and pictures but it does not really do it justice. At the end of the day you'll just have to come over and experience it for yourselves!
The amazing journey didn't end at Picton though. We took the "Queen Charlotte scenic drive" from Picton to Nelson. It was a little bit windy in parts but the coast line views were spectacular. This is one journey I will never forget and for all the right reasons!

Wet and Windy Wellington!

We arrived in Wellington in the rain... obviously the the old welly boots gag was banded around a bit! We have enjoyed the capital of NZ although the weather certainly has not been at its best! The museum, botanical gardens and cable car have been the highlights for us. We have also been enjoying some great meals out (the "1 red dog" was especially good).
Not sure when I will be blogging again but thought a quickie on Wellington was better than nothing!!

Harry's 3rd Birthday

I don't think I have mentioned in the blog the fact that we are leaving NZ in March. It is with great sadness but with eager anticipation that we return to the UK for the next chapter of our lives! It was no mean feat, therefore, to celebrate Harry's birthday properly in the midst of packing up our lives, staying at friends (thank you Mike and Jennifer!) and then house sitting at Paul and Laura's house! We managed it...just!
The main requests from Harry for his birthday were: 1. Opening presents in Mummy and Daddy's bed, 2. Having "Froissants" (croissants) and 3. Mummy's Chocolate cake!
We succeeded on all 3 counts which equated to very happy Harry on his birthday. We also had a little party for him organised mainly by a friend called Nadine (it was a joint birthday party with her daughter Molly). A great time was had by all including a sporting game of "Duck, duck, goose" (unique to NZ I think) which involved running fast round a circle. Harry didn't quite get the rules but it didn't seem to matter! Harry's favourite presents were items of clothing (I wonder where he gets that trait from?!?!) including a pirate's costume and some brilliant tops from various family members. Thank you all who gave gifts.

Farewell Auntie Buggy and Auntie Pee!

It's been another busy month so yet again I have fallen a behind in my blogging! Sorry to all the regular subscribers (all 2 of you!) but I will endeavour to catch up with this sitting!
We have genuinely loved having Rosie's sisters to stay. It's been a fun time for all. The final week included Birthday celebrations for Amy, aswell as a Sky Tower trip for Harry and Matilda without the parents! It was a mildly tearful event when it came to the actual departure and parting of the siblings (although quite reserved by Kingsley-Smith standards!!)
Thanks Amy and Julia for coming and "mucking in"..great fun.

Tutukaka

The day after Boxing day we went up to a place called Tutukaka and a holiday resort called "Pacific Rendezvous". You may well think we spend all our time on holiday (which is partially true!) but I actually wasn't allowed to work in between Christmas and New Year because all the other staff from the surgery went on holiday. New Zealand practically shuts down from Christmas until February...Auckland is a ghost City and most Kiwis seem to be at the family bach for the Summer. (A lesson to be learnt?)
We tracked "Up North" with Paul, Laura, Gracie, Amy and Julia and spent a fantastic 5 days at this holiday resort with amazing views. Highlights of the holiday were body boarding at Sandy Bay, fun evenings playing Settlers and enjoying the facilities at the resort (including tennis court, great children's park, table tennis and private beach).
We also spent one day taking a boat trip to the Bay of Islands. The magical experience for us all was seeing dolphins on the trip (see video). Quite spectacular.

Christmas Day

We decided to go for the stereotype NZ Christmas...Picnic on the beach after church, presents and then BBQ! It was a great day although the weather wasn't exactly brilliant sunshine... in fact it rained! We woke up to Matilda and Harry excitedly opening their stocking presents. Harry did wake at 5am but fortunately didn't notice the presents at the end of his cot and it was only when Matilda woke and said "Father Christmas had visited" that Harry realised it was a special day.
We spent the day as a family unit with Paul, Laura, Gracie, Amy and Julia. The extended family in the form of Rich, Kath and Amelie arrived for the evening and the big Christmas day BBQ. Harry and Matilda loved all the presents and the day went really well (apart from the poor weather!).

Rotorua and Lake Taupo

Amy and Julia in NZ has been a perfect excuse to do some more touring of the country (as if we needed an excuse!). We managed to stay at yet another friend's bach in a place called Artiamuri. This was a perfect location to visit the tourist centre of NZ otherwise known as Rotorua. This place is truly incredible. It is noted for its geothermal activity and is also known as the Sulphur City because of the egg smell this produces. We had an amazing day visiting Waiotapu geothermal park in the morning, having lunch at the "fat dog" and bombing down the luge in the afternoon. Amazing!
The next day was also fun packed with a visit to Lake Taupo and it's Hot Springs (a swimming pool complex heated courtesy of the earth). Matilda and Harry really loved the big water slide but we were not quite brave enough to let them go down it by themselves! In the afternoon we went to the impressive Huka falls and then back to the bach for some pizza and a movie. Life doesn't get a lot better!

Bethels Beach

It was a gloriously sunny day on Saturday which meant a trip to Bethels beach (as previously mentioned). It is about 40 minutes drive from us and great for surfing. Paul and I had a little go at body boarding but it was flipping hard work to get out to the big waves and so came in after a while..still amazing fun though. Best of all was watching Harry being pulled along by Paul along one of the rivers going into the sea. See above!

Amy's arrival and Auckland Harbour

Well we have made it to December and the much awaited arrival of the lovely Amy/ Auntie Pee (Rosie's sister). It has been great to show her the sights of Auckland and have her stay at chez Amess in New Zealand. The down side has been that the weather has not exactly been the kindest for Amy's arrival! Rain has been the order of the day although it is still quite warm.
There have been 2 main highlights (linked closely to good weather!). One is a private boat trip around Auckland Harbour and the other a visit to Bethels beach (out West) with Paul, Laura and Gracie.

Up North!

It feels quite a while back now but we decided to go on holiday for a week in the middle of November after a great weekend with Kurt and Sacha. We went "Up North" and contrary to popular belief it's not as grim as you might think! It may appear that we are constantly on holiday but in reality we actually haven't been away as a family for more than a long weekend since we arrived in NZ. It was brilliant to have fun as a family. We stayed at a "Top 10" holiday park in a little fully contained apartment. It was perfect. There were many highlights but perhaps the best part of the adventure was a coach trip to Cape Reinga (almost the northern most point in NZ and where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea meet). We had this great Maori guide who gave us a great insight into the local history. The other great bits were driving along the "ninety mile beach" and I had a go at sand dune body boarding...wicked man!
Best beach of the holiday was Matai Bay. Best fish and chips of the holiday came from the world famous Mangonui fish and chip shop. Best moment of the holiday was seeing Matilda fly the kite that I made with her during a lunchtime and it actually staying in the air!!

Martins Bay

We dared to travel north of Auckland the other day! We found yet more spectacular beaches and stunning scenery. We travelled about an hour to a small town called Warkworth and then drove on to Martins Bay on the advice given by tourist information ("Snell's beach is good but not as pretty as Martins Bay").
The beach was beautiful and weather particularly good for early Spring. I was almost tempted to get into the sea but fortunately had not packed any swim gear! Martins Bay had the added excitement of trees invading the beach area which doubled up as great climbing frames for Matilda and Harry (and me!)
After a brilliant morning we went back to Warkworth for some fish and chips and a play in the park...what a great way to spend a day!

Whangamata

"Uncle" Paul's birthday came at a perfect time this year. One week after a hectic moving weekend we celebrated Paul's 27th birthday (is he really that old?!?!) at a bach in Whangamata (in the Coromandel). The weather was brilliant and the company not too bad either! The New Zealand coastline constantly impresses me. It is always a joy to go to amazing beaches but even better is the fact that there is nobody to share/spoil it! Call me anti-social but who wants to holiday with other people (apart from the group you are with). It's also great not to have to walk a mile or 2 to get away from the crowds especially if you've got loads of kit for the children! If only I could transport this part of NZ back with me!
Anyway, the weekend was really great. We played far too much Settlers (a strategy board game and great fun but not so good for your marriage if you're competitive!) and enjoyed some good coffee and fantastic pizza. The other highlight was flying a kite on the beach. I don't know about you but I haven't ever been able to fly a kite for more than 10 seconds. I remember spending many a frustrating time with my Dad and then with my children unable to get the stupid kite in the air. I think I have now cracked it...thanks to a little tuition from my brother-in-law I would now consider myself almost competent!