Category: Travel & Holidays
Kaitoke Regional Park
We’ve visited Kaitoke Regional Park a couple of times since being in New Zealand. It’s a 15 minute drive from my parents house and is located in a stunning valley with the Hutt and Pakuratahi Rivers running through the meandering hills.
The park contains nearly 2500 hectares of mature native forest. Imogen loves exploring the New Zealand bush and dipping her toes in the cool river where we saw several eels bathing. We have picnic lunches in the clearings surrounded by native bush and hills.
I’ve really enjoyed hearing the New Zealand native birds again. One of my favourites is the Tui who has a beautiful melody and feeds mainly on nectar from flowers of native plants. Here you can listen to the incredible song of the Tui.
Due to it’s picturesque beauty this was one of the locations for the filming of the Lords of The Rings Trilogy. The Kaitoke Regional Park was home to Rivendell and the Fords of Isen.
If you’re in New Zealand the Kaitoke Regional Park is somewhere that’s really worth exploring.
New Zealand Summer Garden
We have a small balcony in London and it’s always crammed full with plants and flowers. Here in New Zealand we’re incredibly lucky to have a large garden to spend time in and eat alfresco.
Imogen has been playing for hours in the garden and enjoys collecting rose petals, filling buckets with soil, splashing in the paddling pool, watering the plants, jumping in puddles and digging with spades.
I adore nature, it revives my soul. Come rain or shine, wind or calm, I always feel so connected to Mother Earth when I’m surrounded by her beauty and grace.
My parent’s garden is a sanctuary of peace, vibrant colour and rustic charm. They love attracting wildlife and it abounds here. Fruit trees and vegetables grow together with a garden full of flowers, trees and New Zealand natives like the Pohutukawa.
A New Zealand summer garden is somewhere I could easily spend all day with my friends and family, catching up on life and admiring nature at it’s very best.
What do you enjoy most about a summer garden?
Meeting Baby Amber
To ensure the household was no longer contagious we had to wait an excruciating eight days before we could safely see my sister Alicia and meet her beautiful baby Amber.
It’s been five years since Alicia and I were last together and in that time we’ve both been pregnant and had our beautiful daughters. There’s eight months between Imogen and Amber and it’s great having them so close in age. Plus we get to share parenting dilemmas and tips!
We couldn’t believe how well Imogen and Amber got on. From the very beginning they took a shine to one another and it wasn’t long before they were giggling and sharing toys.
Imogen and Amber meet for the first time
Imogen imitates Amber ‘walking’ on her knees
Baby cousins happily playing together
