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Published: January 3rd 2007
Well we've worked out why we need the rat race ... so we can afford life's luxuries like Magic Cottage. This was a "romantic hideaway" we booked while we were still earning spondoolies back in the UK. It's basically a little hut right on the river Takou leading out to beautiful Takou Bay and was to be our home for Christmas.
The cottage is very near Kerikeri just north of the Bay of Islands so we popped in there first to stock up on all the usual christmas goodies. It is a pretty town and the bakehouse sells great pies!
On checking in at Magic Cottage we were suitably wowed and settled in right away. We were very impressed to find that Paul's parents had arranged a wine delivery from a local winery - Cottle Hill. It was delicious.
Our 5 days there were filled with chilling activities. We went walking. Paul attempted to catch snapper from the river but failed miserably despite them jumping out half the time. One day we borrowed a kayak and headed down the river to an empty beach for rose wine and strawberries! We did plenty of cooking as it was so
nice to have our own kitchen. And finally we did lots of al fresco bathing. Yep you heard right - we had a huge bath on our veranda meaning moonlit soaks under the stars and champers in the bubbles on chirstmas day morning. We well and truly made up for the last four near bathless months.
Christmas was a bit strange without our family and friends but we made it as traditional and cosy as possible. We had cards and pressies from home which were great fun to open. We opted for a traditional kiwi roast of lamb with pumkins and kumaras (sweet potato) and ate al fresco as it was a lovely sunny day ... weird!
Magic Cottage was a fantastic retreat from backpacking (we were backpacker escapees for the week). The 5 star luxury was just what we need to get us through the christmas homesick blues. We were very sad to leave and not surprsingly not so excited about living in what Vicki now ominously refers to as 'the bus' for the next 5 weeks!
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john
non-member comment
al fresco bathing
Nice bath shot, if a bit mean on the nipples - cant even see Paul's (not that I want too) :)