Easter holidays: Part 1

I started writing this post quite a while ago but have only gotten around to fine tuning it now. That's why it starts with Recently...

... we decided to holiday in Sydney. I can count the number of times I have been to Sydney on one hand – it's sad, but true. In fact, the last time I was there I was pregnant with Ava and Eadie still has the scars on the top of her feet from where she slipped on the ramp going down to the beach at Bondi [sigh].

There really weren't many long faces, I just happened to capture one here.

Hanging out at the Manly beach with a few thousand of our closest friends ;)

St Mary's. My kids can count on one hand the number of times they have been inside a church. They were interested to hear me explain the stations of the cross. I guess you could say that was an Easter lesson – tick!

We just couldn't get enough of Circular Quay. It's so beautiful! Sydney was really pedestrian friendly too. Each night we were in bed by 8:30 – all of us! We were just so exhausted from pounding the pavement.

Can you see everyone in the photo (below). There are four people.

At one of the art galleries, the name of which escapes me.

I really liked the funky paint job on this building. We went to explore Oxford Street but were left feeling a bit disappointed. Apparently the rent increase has affected shop owners : (

On our last morning we had a couple of hours to kill so we went back to the Queen Victoria building on George Street. Very cool indeed. 

Goodbye Sydney. We love you!

Coming soon (I hope). Part 2: Canberra.

Return to Flaxmill Bay

We've just come back from a week at Flaxmill Bay on the Corormandel Peninsula. Actually, it was a day short of a week as the weather started to pack in we decided to come home and have a day getting organised before going back to school on Monday.

The trip started with a slight hitch when we discovered we had a flat tyre. At least we found out before we got on the motorway.

We stayed in this dinky little motel which is a hop, skip and a jump from the beach. We lasted six nights without killing each other, but we did come close at times.

The view is spectacular and the water was crystal clear. It would be just like the Mediterranean if it were a few degrees warmer! 

Lonely Bay was a short walk away...

And we finally made it to Cathedral Cove this visit. Swimming around from cave to cave. It's every bit as beautiful as it looks.

It's a good Friday

Today I have been pottering around the house. The kids have been watching a bit of TV. I was surprised to learn that no advertising is allowed in NZ on Good Friday, Easter Sunday or Christmas Day. I don't know why I hadn't noticed before but it surely makes watching a movie on tele far more enjoyable. I like the idea of things being closed – since when did we need everything open 42/7?

I finally got around to making something which I've been thinking about for some time – a driftwood wall hanging. I got the idea from a pic I saw in Country Style magazine a loooong time ago (see pic below). I've had this magazine folded open at this page forever!

Even though I've got quite a collection of driftwood, I thought I'd start by making a mini-hanging before embarking on a bigger feature. Below is a "how-to" in pictures. I got the black string from a Trade Aid store; it's quite rustic.

I'm quite pleased with the results. I hope it doesn't look too amateurish but I quite like its imperfections. I need to find the right spot for it too. I haven't decided whether to trim the tails What do you think?

Back to Raglan

It had been a while, so the other day we went back to Raglan for a day trip. Blue skies and warm weather made for a beautiful day out.

Summer days

Today was my first trip to the beach this summer. The black sands at Muriwai Beach were heating up but there's a way to go yet before it reaches scorching point. I didn't actually get in the water however I am told that it was "really a lot warmer than you'd think." – hmmm.

A day out

Last weekend the sun was shining and we got a real taste of summer. But this is New Zealand and we will probably be wearing your jumpers again in a few days. As the saying goes: Make hay while the sun shines. And that's exactly what we did with a short drive over to the seaside at Takapuna.