Magic Trick

Gosh, it's been a long time since I last posted, but we have been busy bees.  One success story is here... we have a pair of happy rabbits!

Gwen

...And now we are four.  Little Gwenyth joined our family on Tuesdsay, after narrowly escaping being put to sleep!  I can't imagine how anyone could not love this living powderpuff forever, but I am very happy she has come to live with us.  We are introducing her to Marshall slowly, so hopefully they will bond.  Bunny relationships are complex, hence they are trying some bunny dating.

Happy Place

Do you have a place where it's just not possible for you to be unhappy?  For me, one of my happy places is Akaroa. It's the perfect day trip from Christchurch, an easy drive with lots of interesting arty, scenic and tasty stops.  We were treated to the sight of this peach orchard in full bloom in Little River.

If you ever stop in Little River, don't miss out on the Greek orange cake at the Little River Cafe.  While you're waiting for your coffee, browse the Little River Gallery next door, guaranteed to inspire.

The view from the Hilltop Tavern is always uplifting.

We had fun posing in the car park.

Boatsheds.

Duvauchelle, the old pub has been replaced by a modern building due to the earthquake damage.  You can see the kink in the roof of the building opposite.

Pretty Akaroa, on a stunning day.

We ate a gourmet picnic packed by Mum.  White bait fritters, smoked mussels, surimi, ginger kisses, basil and pesto bread, salad, and Barry's Bay Cheese.

Arthur's Pass

I've been coming to Arthur's Pass since I was small, it was where I went for my first school camping trip at age 7.  It's home to some cheeky Keas, who like to pinch the rubber from people's cars and cause general mischief.

 Very cute, but watch out - they're clever!

'Don't chew Mum's car!'

The viaduct lookout, also known as Death's Corner.

Dave took a 3 hour return hike to take some stunning photos.

On the way home, we watched a farmer feeding his stock.

Castle Rock in Early Spring

I think this must be one of Dave's favourite places in the world to photograph.  Castle Rock is stunning in every season.  A journey towards the mountains brings a welcome feeling of homecoming.

Meanwhile, back in the UK...

Dave sent me a photo of our pumpkin harvest this morning.  The courgette to the left is enormous!  I had a lovely time walking around the neighbourhood enjoying the sunshine.  There were lots of orange road cones on the footpaths as workmen repaired damaged roads.  Living in a different country to the one where you were raised is both a blessing and a curse; today I have both a sense of homesickness for my boy, my home, friends and family in the UK ...while also rejoicing in being home with my family and spending time with friends here.

I'm still not used to how friendly NZers are and how easily a conversation is struck up with strangers.  On the plane, I was a bit affronted at first before remembering 'Oh, this is normal'.  I'm envious of the promising Kiwi summer ahead as I'll go back to Autumn in the UK and another 6 months of Winter.

We're lucky we'll have a warm house with a woodburner this year.

Fiji Baby

 For a few weeks before we were due to fly to New Zealand, we were singing the first line from Goodshirt's 'Fiji Baby'.  It was our first trip to a Pacific Island, a huge thanks to my Mum and Dad for all the organisation and hard work getting us there for a mini reunion.  We met up with my sister and her boyfriend, Matt in Auckland before all boarding the connecting flight to Nadi.  Our hotel was the Anchorage Beach Resort near Lautoka, which boasted an infinity pool and the rarer features of a Vonu turtle sanctuary and a sugar cane railway running straight through the resort.

This track supports the transport of huge quantities of sugar cane cut from the field towards Lautoka's sugare refinery.

Our lovely bure, with a balcony jacuzzi.

Vonu turtles, which are released on Beachcomber Island once they're 20cm across the shell and able to survive in the ocean.

Weddings are held here.

Our timing wasn't good for the classic Pacific Island weather, unfortunately it was cold and rainy some of the time.  The morning we boarded the boat for Beachcomber Island was quite bleak.  It brightened up later in the day and we enjoyed a day of snorkelling, fish feeding, barbeque and beachcombing.

I loved feeding the zebra fish and got to dangle my legs from the side of the boat.  The fish are curious, and tickley as they nibble your toes.

Driving past the villages was an eye opener.  In one of the villages, there were a pair children holding up a large leg of goat each, which was likely freshly butchered.  Our rented white Toyota Hi-ace caused quite a stir as it looked like a local taxi bus, people would wave as we went by.

The Sigatoka Sand Dunes were a highlight, we walked through some interesting landscapes to reach the sand dunes themselves.

Strange plants.

A wild beach that reminded me of NZ's West Coast.

Exotic seeds as glossy as chestnuts, washed up on the shore.

Matt was determined to open a coconut.  He succeeded but the contents were rancid!

An eco-awareness project, Tree Huggers.  We didn't know what they were when we walked past and found them a little bit creepy!

Dave's panorama shot of the Dunes.