Loving New Zealand!

Originally published: March 14 2014.

Loving my trip to New Zealand and feeling very blessed to have this precious time with my hubby and most of all myself. It’s been wonderful to feel the hot summer sun on my skin once more and a treat to wear shorts late into the evening. I have loved my daily walks along Orewa beach and around the estuary and bus trips off to discover and explore new places. This sleepy Auckland suburb is incredibly friendly with heaps of cafés and good eateries bordering the beach front.

Before leaving the UK I had already consciously decided that I wanted to integrate into the Kiwi lifestyle and meet people, especially given the 3 month duration of Barnie’s contract. So after a quick search on the internet and supermarket notice board it didn’t take me long to discover a yoga class which is great and only a short stroll from our apartment. I absolutely love yoga and I have been attending a class 2 to 3 times a week so I’m feeling very bendy, flexible and chilled out.

A friend from Australia introduced me to Nia so I decided to look up a class and I’m so glad I did as not only is it great exercise but I’ve meet some wonderful people and experienced something new.

A lovely bit of synchronicity I discovered two great massage therapists right next door to the Nautilus, who have both trained with the same Lomi Lomi teacher so I’ve been able to share massage. How lucky am I? I’ve well and truly bedded in here and probably won’t want to leave in April.

My lovely hubby treated me to a South Island trip which was awesome where I revisited some of my favourite spots like Milford Sound. It was sad seeing the earth quake damage in Christchurch as it had such a pretty city center, but living on the shaky isles as New Zealand is known, comes with it’s dangers. My tour took me across steep mountain passes to the west coast, where I cruised the Milford Sound, flew back in a plane over snow caped mountains to Queenstown and to top it off I got to spend a few lovely days catching up with my younger brother and his partner. The South Island’s dramatic landscape wowed me as much if not more than it had 26 years ago, breath taking scenery that just got better and better. Good times!

The weeks seem to be flying by and with the end of my husbands contract now in sight we are beginning to plan our road trip north. This will take us to the most northerly point at Cape Reinga before returning to Auckland for our flight home on the 15th April.

I shall be sad to leave this beautiful country but equally happy to return to my home in Cornwall.