The Taranaki

Last week Jo went to New Plymouth for the first time, not the most exciting town but famous for the amazing backdrop of Mount Taranaki - used in the filming of 'The Last Samurai'. Lucky to see it, it is usually shrowded in cloud.

Spring weekend at a 'Bach' in Tairua

We spent this weekend with a few friends at a typical Kiwi bach in the town of Tairua in the Coromandel. Saturday morning we went fishing.

Our mate Steve passed on some Maori fisherman's knowledge and Mike and Michelle both managed to catch their first ever fishes.


By the end of the session, we had caught a kahawhai each.

Next up was chilling on the deck of the bach in the afternoon sun



Claire relaxed with a well deserved cold drink.

The hunter-gathering continued... At low tide, Steve Mike and Aaron went diving for Green Lippped Mussels in the estuary.

We returned with a full catch bag, stopping off at the rockpools, where we witnessed this octopus devouring a crab.

On the edge of Mount Pacu, we discovered a somewhat phallic rock.

Aaron got stuck into some mussels that evening.

Mike enjoying the catch of the day fresh off the barbie.

Overnight in Wellington

We both had a junket down in our capitol city this week curtesy of our respective employers...so we made the most of a night away together and went for cocktails then curry at Great India which is the greatest indian restaurant in New Zealand, that is because all the chefs are from Leicester!!

All Hallows

As its Sunday I thought I would add a photo of our local very typlical kiwi church, just 2 doors down from our house at the end of the street

Pumpkin Patch

My new job is with Pumpkin Patch I am the National Visual Manager for NZ

So all you expectant parents, parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents get yourself down to PP and buy stuff to keep me in a job...as you can see its all lovely, they do boys, maternity and teen girls too.

South Island

Working for Pumpkin Patch does have its advantages - This week I spent 4 days in the South Island visiting the stores in Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill & Queenstown
The flight into Christchurch over the Southern Alps gives you a great sense of the vast uninhabited south



Cathedral Square - Christchurch

Some New Zealand farmland, mountains, lakes and lambs on the journey between Invercargill in the far south up to Queenstown the adventure and skiing capitol of the south island

View from the shop window of Lake Wakatipu with The Remarkables in the background - Queenstown

Not a bad place to spend the day at work!

Sunday on the West Coast

Here's Jo amidst the swirling sands of Te Henga/ Bethells Beach.

Michael investigates the neighbouring O'Neils Beach.

A silvereye snacks on flame tree.