Today we were married by the lovely Kate, a local marriage Celebrant who just happens to be a Mental Health nurse! So we had a team up on Te Mata Peak, one of the most stunning locations I have been to and perfect for our special day. My best friend Treza was fantastic- she organised everything- 1st Class. Sean took the photos and Alfie wore the bow tie! The flowers were beautiful- Iris & Freesia in season here. To the east we could see wonderful views of the...

A busy day exploring the local area, collecting our marriage licence from Napier, and shopping for rings in Hastings. We were looking for something special so got Paua rings for the ceremony. "The gift of the God of the Sea", the ancient Maori people see the Paua Shell as a transcendent treasure. Each piece of jewellery made with the Paua is different and unique in colour and tone comprising of blue, green and purple shimmering shades.  The iridescent quality ...

An amazing day spent in this Volcanic valley wandering around the steaming lakes and natural bubbling waters- quite a unique experience. We also took the boat trip in the flooded crater known as Lake Rotomahana, the deepest lake of the North Island. This whole area was created solely as a direct result of a volcanic eruption - the Tarawera Eruption of 10 June 1886. The history is fascinating and the whole tour (walk, bus & boat) I would recommend as a must do...

An early morning start catching the Intercity bus from Auckland to Rotorua, stopping briefly in Hamilton. A pleasant journey with the exciting prospect of meeting up with our good old friends, Treza & Sean, at Rotorua. They say you can smell Rotorua (sulphur) before you arrive, however we didn't experience this so maybe the wind was blowing in a different direction? Plenty of geothermal activity though to see in the area with steam pouring from rocks and vall...

Arrived in Auckland after a 3 hr 10 min flight with Virgin Australia. Good flight with hot meal & drinks included. Sat next to a Kiwi who was travelling home to the Bay of Plenty, an hours connecting flight from Auckland. We chatted about the rugby world cup and he tried hard to convince me that England would get through the group stages- he was adamant that we would beat the Aussies! Time will tell! Talking of "time"- not on my side at the moment- 'time' has...