Looking for the best place for an unforgettable picnic? A day out that you will remember for the rest of your life? Search no more! We found it! It's called Wenderholm, and it's one of the most beautiful and actually the very first Auckland regional parks that was opened to the public in 1965! And only half an hour's drive North of Auckland. A real hidden treasure, definitely not overcrowded by tourists.
Breathtaking pohutukawas, a wide variety of beautiful trees, lush coastal forests, the smell of the sea, the sound of the waves, a colourful variety of chirping birds, tranquility and happy giggles, a fascinating estuary, a lot of green space to relax and unwind, barbecues, walking tracks, a campground and even a historic house awaits. So so worth, an absolute must see and a "must feel" if you have some time to discover the region. :) Here are my favourite moments, and who knows, they might inspire you to pay a visit one day...
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An inspiring guide through Auckland's best part. Discovering the waterfront. Watching the city awaken, the sun shine shyly through the clouds, the colours come to life.
Exploring those little moments we tend to enjoy. Many of us. Anywhere. Any day. :) Local lines. Global vibes. Bringing you some beautiful inspiration. Got a moment to explore? :) The greenest greens, the bluest blues.
Rivers meet the sea. Farmland till your eyes can see. Waves hit the rocks, surfers hit the waves. Tides come, tides go. Boats set sail. Shells line up. Stars shine bright. And the sun paints the sky with the colours of the rainbow. Whangarei. Your fresh air makes our skin glow. :) This is basically it when I want to sum up the last few days spent in Whangarei. Found the perfect spot to relax and soak up with energy and the breathtaking surroundings. Just the regular stuff. Watch some surfers, pick shells, go fishing and eat fresh fish, enjoy the smells of the farm and the belly warming feeling of the electric fence while checking out some cows... ;) Red poppies. Delicate flowers, nevertheless very resilient.
I started noticing their appearance already on that particular Friday just before Anzac Day. Poppy Day, as they call it here. As I learned later, for women, on their right, for men, on their left. Pinned to the clothes. Poppies... Symbols of remembrance. And hope. They were the first flowers to grow and bloom on the muddy battlefields. April 25 marks a special date in the Kiwi calendars - it is the commemoration of Anzac Day. Probably one of the most important national occasions, too. Remembering the soldiers of New Zealand and Australia who landed at Gallipoli in 1915 during WWI. Honouring those lost and those returned. From every battle, ever since. In 2016, this occasion even more special. 100 years have passed since the organisation of the very first Anzac Day service in 1916. A centenary for NZ to participate in the war. A travel back in time… and perhaps a way to look into the present and the future. Despite all controversies. This was Anzac Day through my lens... Festivals. I haven’t really been a festival person per say. Not that I don’t like to have fun, music, and dance. :) It’s just that the festivals I have known so far - mostly musical - never really attracted me truly, deeply. I enjoyed them, but I never really felt the “HELL YEAH” feeling. Neither during, nor after. They never enriched me with an experience of a lifetime, or unforgettable memories. Except for some dance festivals.
I guess now all this is changing. During the past few months living in New Zealand, my world has grown wide open. (And I thought it was already pretty wide…) In many many walks of life. Including the festival scene. Here are some of my reflections after amazing Earthbeat. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved spending time on the beach. Walking barefoot in the sand, toes splashing in the water. Sun caressing my face. Wind playing with my hair. The salty smell of the ocean in my nose. The chirping of the seagulls. Listening to the little stones, sea shells dancing in the water. Riding with the waves. And then washed ashore. Taking a sunbath...
Today is a special day. Santa in town! Excitement in the air. Boots polished and carefully placed in the windows, waiting to be filled up with chocolate Santa figures, candies, oranges and apples, small presents wrapped up in red Santa bags. Fingers crossed not to get golden twigs instead, that only goes for the naughty ones. Then it's bedtime. While everyone is sleeping their sweetest dreams, a nice, old man dressed up in red, with long white beard, with a big red bag full of presents, traveling from house to house, in the dark, in secret, distributes his little gifts that will make the day of many kids the following morning. Twinkles in the little eyes...
We spent the last weekend in Awhi Farm - a centre for sustainable practice. The name in Maori means "to take care of", "to nurture". It is a little paradise in the middle of nature. Isolated from the "modern, hight tech world". No electricity, maybe just some solar panels. No heating, just your sleeping bag. No light at night, just the moon and the shining stars above you, and in the morning, waking you up, the first ray of light. Compost toilet or the bush. Shower only at the Squash Club nearby, or at the natural hot pools. No charger for your phones, but real birds chirping around. No supermarket on the corner, yet a fascinating food forest and hens that nourish you. Just pure nature.
You loose connectivity, yet reconnect. With the people around you. With yourself. Simplicity, at its best.
This time I invite you, dear reader, to come along for a little virtual tour to the Northern part of the South Island, the breathtaking Tasman Bay area. We will visit the surroundings of Motueka and Kaiteriteri. Excited? Me so much! :)
Where green mountains and turquoise green-blue sea meet in such a sweet embrace. Where colours of the nature are so vivid and energising, yet everything so peaceful and calming. Where the golden sandy beaches reflect the warm glimmering sunshine. Where playful waves wash the shores and happy seashells, long and round alike, travel along the tide. Where puffy white clouds paint the sky pink with the setting sun. Where your body and soul refreshen with the warmth and positive energies of our Earth. Oh, I sometimes wish I was a poet. There are simply no words to describe the beauty one can experience in this part of the world… Let the pictures speak to you. Nature at its best! :) |
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AboutSharing my passion for photography, New Zealand, nature, and a journey within.
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