The sunset was spectacular, with kite surfers silhouetted against it.

This was late February – a Saturday evening and we were enjoying the last of the summer . A group of all ages clambered onboard the Wahine Moe at 6.30p.m. heading  off for a fun filled sunset cruise  around the Raglan harbor.

 Once a briefing had been given the bar was opened and the fish and chips in newspaper were handed out (Yes. Just like the old days.) These are ordered before you get on the boat and were nibbled on , as the beauties of the top part of the harbor  appeared. Narrow little inlets making the imagination take over as to where they led to. No time explore this time but maybe another. Amazing rock formations which have been shaped by the battering of the sea over many years.

The skipper, who was born and raised in Raglan talked about families who had lived there, or were still living there, happenings which had occurred  and what may happen in the future.

If you have a spare Saturday or Sunday over the summer I would definitely recommend this trip. Fun. Beautiful.

A very long line snaked down the main street of Bluff as we left the café where we had just had coffee. It was only 10 a.m. but 6,000 visitors were expected at the Oyster Festival and this collection of very happy tourists were just a small percentage of those.

There was a family of three generations in front of us in the line. There was grandma and grand dad, who had always had the Oyster Festival on their bucket list. Daughter and partner who had hired the large van so everyone enjoyed all the travel together. Lastly there were late teenage children with accompanying girlfriend/boyfriend. It was really lovely to see how they enjoyed each others company and also looked after the “oldies

Another beautiful summer Sunday morning. Far too precious to waste so headed off to Sanctuary Mountain at Maungatautari. “This is an ancient vibrant, pest free forest, alive with native wildlife such as birds, skinks, geckos, frogs, bats and insects” I read on the brochure.

A 47 km pest proof fence encircles this acreage, protecting the many rare and endangered flora and fauna. It is divided into two sections. One is the Te Tui a Tane southern enclosure and the second is Tautari wetland and tuatarum. The visitor centre onsite provides tickets, information etc.

Nervousness in case I missed the shuttle to the start of the Tongariro Crossing had me checking the clock every hour on the hour. I gratefully leapt out of my little bunk bed at 5.45 a.m, hurrying into my hiking gear, knowing my adventure was starting. This was the day the 19 km Tongariro Crossing was to be conquered again.

Just because “the driver” had been a student at Pakuranga College about fifty five years ago, didn’t mean that the land layout, which led to Half Moon Bay, where the Waiheke ferry sailed from, had remained the same.. After quite a few “it’s just over this hill” followed by “oh no. It has all changed. That road wasn’t there” we screamed into the marina about 7 minutes before the ferry sailed. The navigator wasn’t any better trying to use the GPS) Not a wonderful start to, what turned out to be a very enjoyable three days on Waiheke Island. (“The Driver” is a great travel companion. Very keen on checking out all nooks, crannies and possible roads available – or not available.)

It is dark. It is 4.30 a.m. The alarm has just gone off. Tom (my 12 yr old grandson) and I are being picked up in Hamilton, by the Road Cat shuttle at 5.20 a.m. to catch the plane to Queenstown from Auckland. The start of our very exciting four day freedom hiking trip of the Routeburn Track.

Checking in was seamless but for some bizarre reason I believed our packs had to be bubble wrapped so for many precious minutes the night before Tom and I had wrapped and sellotaped our big packs, only to be looked at by a very bemused check in person, asking why we had done that!!!!

Six days spent in this engaging city, approximately four hours drive from Hamilton, was definitely worthwhile. We had decided to spend the time between Christmas and New Year exploring all the nooks and crannies.Some we had visited before and were enjoyable because of the memories that were stirred but others completely new.

The Napier Museum, on Tennyson St, holds the tragic story of the Napier earthquake, where over 150 of the population lost their lives. Survivors shared their stories of helping the injured and pulling the dead from the rubble. The shock and despair which permeated the whole city was there for all to see. It took over two years to rebuild the city.

One of the walks I love doing after work, is the almost 4 km walk around Lake Rotoroa, a lake in the centre of the city. It is a completely flat walk but the everchanging scenery makes it a pleasure to enjoy after a busy working day. Easily accessed, it is about a three to four minute drive from the CBD.

A well constructed concrete and metalled path, which meanders around the shore line, makes up most of the walk, which can also take scooters, and wheelchairs. Yachting, canoeing and kayaking are common sports seen on the lake. Innes Common to the East and West of the lake is a multisport ground, which includes lacrosse and hockey.