Blogs from North Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 14

Yes!!! Looking back on a year that will certainly be remembered and written into the journals of history, 2020 was certainly different. So different that at certain times I just so wanted it to go away. And thats from someone living in NZ and well away from the nightmares that so many people around the world had to live with. But!!! Yes, But. I look back on so much from this past year with so many fond memories of things I did, things that I saw, things that other people achieved. Some of these things would not have happened if it had been the norm type year. So that is why I can forgive 2020.. I know there were so many sad, bad, mad happenings during these trying times. I am sure that people all over ... read more

www.foxtonwindmill.co.nz 2020 has not been a great year for travel (!!!). Last weekend I finally managed to get out of my boring city to do some long overdue shopping. On the way home I came through Foxton which, I admit, is a town I tend to drive right through without stopping. But I was on the hunt for Munzees and Foxton has quite a good number of them. Looking at the windmill, I realised I had never bothered to go into it. I now know how stupid I have been as this visit was the highlight of my year. There is a great shop in the windmill, selling an interesting range of flour plus treats and souvenirs. And chocolate cherry pralines!!!!!! (They don't seem to be available anywhere at all in Wanganui and I should have ... read more

What an absolute pearler of a morning and although our room at the Te Kaha Resort essentially faced west it was still quite magical to see the pink appear in the clear sky out our bedroom window. One of little luxuries with this 3 night,4 day road trip is that neither of has to prepare breakfast for the other. So it was two poached eggs with bacon on toast and a hot strong,long black to go with it.And we were set up for the day. Our room at the Te Kaha Resort has been very comfortable with all we could want although when we return we will go up one floor for an even more expansive view of the Pacific Ocean. We hit the road heading further eastwards before 10am with Anaura Bay in our sights ... read more

It has been over 3 months since the BBA had to postpone the next adventure that had been planned for nearly a year before our departure date of early May 2020. Gone are the fanciful thoughts of new landscapes to set our eyes upon in the Mediterranean islands of Greece,Malta,Sardinia and Corsica followed by some time in France and then nearly a week with family in a Tuscany villa before we moved onto England,Scotland and finally Ireland before heading home at the end of August and be back in New Zealand before grandson number 3 had his 5th birthday. Instead we have planned some local trips in our home country over the next few months.Well we have little other choice as COVID-19 has resulted in our borders to the outside world closed for travellers like us.It's ... read more

Yippee!!! Level 4 Done. Level 3 Done. Level 2 Done. Working through Level 1. Oh my. Normal is becoming a bit more of the norm. Here is a brief rundown of my exciting time in these levels. After 7 weeks I went to the Super Market for the first time. So exciting!!! Buying groceries for the first time in so long. We used on line services for 7 weeks, plus magic top ups by Tony and Sarah next door. Level 4 restricted us to staying at home apart from our daily walks around the surrounding streets. Level 3 bought to us new found freedom to walk further afield and to actually use the car to drive to close by walks and beaches. Then into level 2 we could venture forth into the great wide open. Still ... read more