Since we got back from New Zealand a few people have been asking me when’s the best time to head over for skiing. To which I helpfully answer I dunno. Although the South Island has pretty good snow throughout the season, generally it gets the best dumps of snow either at the start of the season (July) or towards the end (September)….
Tag: New Zealand
Wana Walk? (Diamond Lake, NZ.)
Wanaka, Day 2. Not sore from snowboarding for the first time EVER!! … Miracles do happen! Could be thanks to that (SO GOOD) soak in the spa yesterday. Those things should be compulsory in all holiday houses, like toilets. Spent a lazy Sunday morning sitting on the balcony soaking up the spring sunshine with a cuppa tea and boysenberry jam…
The Journey From Sandgroper to Snowfaceplanter. (Cardrona, New Zealand)
nb for the non-Strayans out there a ‘sandgroper’ is another name for a West Australian. It’s quite an agreeable nickname really, considering we call Queenslanders “banana benders”, South Australians “crow eaters” and New South Welshpersons “cockroaches”. I’ll never forget seeing snow for the first time. It was 1994, I was 19, and on my first trip overseas, visiting Mosey who…
There’s Something About Mapua. (Mapua, New Zealand)
(That’s MAH-pua, not Muh-POO-a; less emphasis on the ‘poo’.) Disclaimer: Not sponsored. Did it for love. If you’re wondering where to go for your next summer holiday, want gorgeous beaches and sunny days, with great food and wilderness experiences and a laid back vibe without huge crowds, I suggest you get your arse to Tasman, in the…
Tykes on Bikes 2: Tasman Great Taste Trail, New Zealand.
After the near disaster resounding success! of our last time cycling in Enzed we couldn’t wait to do it again. The boys were pumped, though Finn was quick to check we aren’t riding 25km again are we Mummy? Of course not darling!!!! …Well, maybe not. I don’t think so. I don’t know. We were going to Rabbit…
ACDC on the ATCT: Abel Tasman Coastal Track, New Zealand.
Disclaimer: This post wasn’t in the slightest bit sponsored, unfortunately. (I did get a hot lunch on our flight to Enzed but I think everyone got one.) We enjoyed our New Year’s 2016 in one of my favourite places on the planet; Abel Tasman National Park, on NZ’s South Island. Unlike our previous South Island beach holiday destinations it’s right at…
Abel Tasman National Park, N.Z. Takes 1 & 2.
The journal continues… with a flashback to Saturday 21 December 2002, during my first ever trip to New Zealand. What the hell for, you ask? Read on. Out with Kaiteriteri Kayaks, and my second trip into the Abel Tasman NP. I luv it – the only place I’ve visited twice in Enzed! Well, besides Wellington, but that…
Kodak Moments Part 2: Mummy Cuddles.
Part 2 of my belated Mum’s Day post. Part 1 was more about the funner, happier, more positive side of parenting – the stuff that’s usually the focus on Mother’s Day; the stories of cute kids, and happy families, and warm fuzzies. … And farts. As long as they’re funny and without fallout. This one, though, is about…
Paua Play. (Kaka Point, New Zealand)
The South Island of Enzed in summer is SOMETHING ELSE. If you happen to be visiting there in January you might be lying on a beach saying to yourself “This is amazeballs! So sunny and clear, and the scenery’s stunning! It’s really something else!”or you might be in all-weather gear and thermal underwear muttering “What the Hell IS…
Tykes on Bikes: Arrowtown, New Zealand.
Finn got a bike for his birthday last October and was sooo stoked. He was on it constantly, up and down the driveway (only occasionally in the bushes beside the driveway) and up the hills around the block multiple times without stacking it once. We even ventured to a BMX track where he hared around like Evel Knievel, scaring the poo out…
Shafts of Light: Arrowtown, New Zealand.
Arrowtown Day 1. We used to stay with beloved family whilst in the Queenstown area, but in summer the 3 hour time difference including daylight saving means our body clocks make us a bit antisocial – 7am is a completely reasonable time for Kiwis to get up but the only Aussies that want to be awake at…
Goldilocks & the Ginger Bears.
The Enzed odyssey continues at long last… The 4 hour drive from Dunedin to Arrowtown was fairly uneventful. (Well the first 3.5 hours were very uneventful and the last 0.5 very eventful, so that’s on average.) It felt so nice to be in the country again. We stopped for munchies in Milton and saw farmers politely removing muddy gumboots before…
Still Not A Journal. 