Summer Holidays In Godzone

Sorry I’ve been missing in action for so long. If you follow me on Facebook you’ll know it’s been summer holidays down here in New Zealand. And with two kids home from school . . . well, family comes first during December and January.

We holidayed in the west and top of the South Island this year, and hopefully these snaps will give you an idea of why New Zealand is often referred to as Godzone. I fell in love with my beautiful homeland all over again :) #feelingblessed


This is the magnificent Hokitika Gorge, on the rugged West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Isn’t the scenery stunning? It really is a slice of paradise. It was well worth the five minute bush walk from the carpark. #nofilter (As for the sandflies . . . well, they’re stunning in a whole different way :/ )


Pancake Rocks Further north, but still on the West Coast, we also stopped to experience the awe-inspiring and spiritual Pancake Rocks (Punakaiki). Although we weren’t there on a day when the blowholes were blowing (stormy conditions are better), it was a gorgeous day and the views were stunning. Click on the pic to see the rocks in more detail.


Koru smallI can’t show you pictures of the West Coast without including a close-up of a koru. The koru (unfurling fern) is a shape frequently seen in Maori carvings and jewellery, and symbolises new life.

I took this photo of a koru on a Silver Fern (a large, magnificent fern that is native to New Zealand and abundant on the West Coast). The underside of the Silver Fern’s foliage is a distinctive silvery shade. (This is the fern that the New Zealand netball team, the Silver Ferns, is named after.)


Pohara area We also spent time at the top of the South Island in the beautiful Abel Tasman. Around every coastal corner, it seems, there was another stunning vista awaiting us. I don’t know this beach’s name, but it’s close to Pohara. There are plenty of places here to get away from it all and either relax or get active, experiencing this beautiful part of the world first-hand.


So now I’m back home and packing the kids off to school, and all this seems a distant memory! I hope your Christmas and/or holiday season went well and you’ve leapt into 2016 full of enthusiasm and determination that this will be your year.