what I did in my holidays

Now that I'm back teaching I am enjoying all of the good things that it brings..... gorgeous children, weekends (after working Sundays for the last few years) and regular holidays. Thanks to some very lovely friends, I was able to return to Rotorua for a relaxing break. You can read about my last Rotorua holiday here and here.

Beth and Mikey came down for the weekend and we spent our time exploring, eating, op shopping, luging, laughing, eating, drinking, watching a movie, playing board games, drinking, laughing, eating, reading, biking (Mikey), napping (me), eating..... until it was time for them to leave. I waved goodbye and prepared to settle in for the rest of the week.

It was so nice to spend a sustained period of time when I didn't have to do anything, I could just do anything. I spent my time reading two and a half novels, more op shopping, sleeping, walking and crafting. It's been pretty full on starting a new job so I haven't really been crafting - just blobbing out in front of the tv too exhausted to think creatively, let alone make anything. I've known for a really long time that being creative feeds my spirit but when life gets busy it seems to be the first thing to go. As I cut, pinned, sewed, embroidered, knit and generally created I felt energised... and extremely productive!! Here are the fruits of my labour....

 Knitted red wool bracelet and vintage blanket heart decorations

Ipad cover made from a vintage NZ wool blanket, vintage buttons with an airforce badge on the front.... 

.... and an army badge on the back!

Nine vintage NZ wool blanket cushions

As you can tell, I love grey blankets. I particularly love the grey blanket with the red stripe up the middle. (I've only ever found one!)

Vintage blankets and doilies

And then it was time to pack up and head home. I enjoy a good road trip but the road can get monotonous so I like to take regular breaks. I stopped for afternoon tea at this lovely cafe that seems to be from another era....

Homemade apple cake presented beautifully on a Crown Lynn plate

Collections of vintage bottles

Star-glass room dividers

The cafe's chooks

Love it! As I headed back to Auckland I felt like I had experienced a real slice of NZ country hospitality!!

rotorua (part two)

When I think of Rotorua, these images spring to mind....

steam
(with a little bit of Holly added in!)

 boiling mud

 sulphur

...and that certain rotten, decaying, sulphuric smell. I'm not sorry that my blog can't capture that smell!!

But Rotorua is so much more than that. It is full of beauty - in the gardens, buildings, landscapes and on the water. It's the city of lakes. Here are some of the things that captivated me over the last week. You might have started to notice my passion for flags....

I like this one. It's slightly tatty.

The flower beds were plentiful and spectacular. A visual feast of colours....

 

 

Lovely vistas....

Friendly birds. This duck really wanted to be my best friend even though I had no food!

The beautiful natural Hamurana Springs. When I was a child we came here often. It had a restaurant, a booming kayak hire place and it was teeming with people - tourists everywhere. The restaurant is now an abandoned building and there is a air of neglect about the place. The spring, the walk and the river are still breathtakingly the same but I was the only one there.

My new favourite drink - the gingerbread steamer. I went back for it three times.... on three different days!!

I saved the best for last. My companion for the week - the lovely Lake Rotoiti. I have tried to capture her look at different times, with my first sojourn into night photography.....

and in the day....

It was such a lovely break away. I was able to completely relax and unwind. Over the week I felt like I reconnected with myself and God. As I headed back up to Auckland I didn't just feel like I'd had a holiday but that I'd had a complete rejig of my outlook on life. Thanks Rotorua!!

rotorua (part one)

Thanks to some very special friends (Murray and Gaye) I have just spent a lovely week hanging out on the shores of Lake Rotoiti. It is the most idyllic spot. Beth, Mikey and Holly came down for the weekend and then I spent the rest of the week on my own. It was so nice to have space - to think, pray, walk, craft, explore.... I let Auckland and all the stresses of life fall away and embraced the tranquility of my surroundings.

This is where we stayed. Our villa is straight above the trampoline.

 The view from the breakfast table.

Chess. We didn't get round to a game but lovely to look at!

Regular visitors!

Enjoying the facilities!

The local maze - advertised as the "largest, most complex about." Huh? About what?

The coolest people in the maze....

 An iced moccachino.....

 ....with Holly. Amazing!! (The drink and Holly)

Lake Rotorua. Beautiful!! (The view and Mikey)

Swan

Swans

 More swans

Californian Redwoods. They were planted in 1919 and are so massive. It's funny to be in the midst of something so American with New Zealand bush and pungas poking through!

It was a fun weekend with the family.... exploring all the cheap and free activities Rotorua has to offer (and there are a few), drinking "halvsies" (you can imagine what they are), enjoying the first swim of the season (it was so hot), Edward/Twilight/vampire style running through the redwoods (thanks Mikey), laughing our heads off (me anyway!). So I waved them off on Sunday afternoon and settled back for the rest of the week. Highlights follow in my next blog post....