Spring 2021 in Auckland meant… yes, another lockdown for the city. We had another five weeks in strict lockdown, which is apparently amongst the toughest in the world. Not much fun! Fortunately we were living in our new house and able to get out to exercise, and slowly things opened up so that we could… Continue Reading
If you’re looking to start off the Roaring (20)20’s in style, what better destination than Napier, New Zealand’s art-deco city?! The stunning architecture meant I wanted to break into a charleston on every street. It’s the perfect pit-stop when exploring the gorgeous region of Hawkes Bay – and don’t miss my handy map! Originally posted… Continue Reading
In our first holiday after a long lockdown, we wanted somewhere that felt like an escape but wasn’t actually too far away. Enter, the Āwhitu Peninsula. Tucked at the bottom left of the Auckland region, it has golden and black sand beaches, and plenty to do for a relaxed weekend away! Castaways Resort and Kariotahi… Continue Reading
Adventures were more in quality than quantity in Winter 2021. This was thanks first to saving our leave in the continuing hope that we would get to Sydney at some point to see family. Then Auckland got locked down again, and it ended up being the longest, toughest one in NZ. But there was still… Continue Reading
Starting the year in Mount Maunganui At first I wasn’t even sure whether I wanted to write this post. In past years I’ve reflected on adventures in Italy, Croatia, Greece, Mexico and Australia. How could 2020, a year where I didn’t leave New Zealand’s shores, compare? And I wrestled with whether it was right to… Continue Reading
June feels like a blur – back to work, back to “normal” life. I even caught a flight! With the return to New Zealand’s level 1 of our Covid alert frameworks, we are now basically allowed to do everything we normally would, except that our borders remain closed to everyone who’s not a New Zealand… Continue Reading
Hahei and Whitianga are exceptionally popular parts of the Coromandel in summer, with their gorgeous white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. The good news is those attractions are still there in winter – just without the crowds! We had a lovely girls’ weekend away there in August, and were blessed with lots of sun on the… Continue Reading
In May New Zealand started to resume life as normal. We started May in Covid alert level 3, where we were still working from home, living in our home’s “bubble”, and treating ourselves to a takeaway, to level 2. Level 2 meant back to the office, back to hugs with our family, and back to… Continue Reading
I feel so lucky to call this beautiful country home, and to have had 30 years-plus of adventures around her gorgeous waters and landscapes. After years overseas, racing around the UK and Europe to see as many amazing spots as I could, I’m now making it a point to bring the same spirit of adventure… Continue Reading
Bethells Beach, or Te Henga, is a gorgeous stretch of black sand on Auckland’s West Coast – perfect for blowing away the cobwebs. But make sure you don’t miss the beautiful lake and fantastic bush walk, tucked away behind the black sand dunes. Striding off along the dunes It was a sunny Monday on a… Continue Reading