Pauanui and Whangamata

Yesterday, I got woken for a day adventure! It's not usually I wake up with a smile plastered to my face- but I had one on yesterday due to the fact that my mother had ticked my face with my alpaca wool bunny rabbit. Okay, so that fact that I don't usually wake up with a smile on my face is a wee lie, I usually do, but underneath I'm usually grumpy...)
Anyway, the trip was to Pauanui Beach! We stopped half-way in Thames for a cup of tea at a cute garden cafe. It was so cute and adorable.

Puananui Beach

After arriving in Pauanui, we had another lovely picnic, a walk down the beach, a walk back up the beach and then a lie down in the sun.

Getting sunburned on my shoulders. Yay.
We saw a few really good blossoms of the famous pohutekawa tree which was gorgeous. Especially since it is still November, I haven't actually seen pohutekawa blooming in such big clumps!

So it was about 3 in the afternoon when we left Pauanui to visit Whangamata, another little beach town. In Whangamata, we walked along the beach and splashed (well, I did anyway) in the water. Afterwards, as the sun was setting and it was getting rather hot, we stopped at a little fish and chip-ery and got some fish and chips and ate at a picnic table on the seaside. Unfortunately from the picnic table, we couldn't actually see the seaside, but that didn't matter as it was only a few paces away!

Whangamata Beach

We didn't end up getting home until about 8 pm where we rinsed off all our sandy feet and then watched Miss Fisher! A perfect end to a perfect day!

Strawberry Fields

So since Raglan let's see...we've made 2 excursions!

The first one was back to Paeroa to visit the antique shops and for a coffee which was really nice, we found a really cute coffee shop with a courtyard and vines over the walls and everything!! After stopping there, we continued on to Waihi Beach for another picnic at the seaside! Where I found tons of shells- as the tide was out this time- and decided to give myself a manicure!

Yesterday we went out again to what originally was supposed to be a trip to the post office but we managed to drive from here to Papakura to Ardmore to Clevedon to Maraetai and back to Hunua! So we did lots of driving! We went to Ardmore to visit a place called Strawberry Corner, where they have a property in a kind of corner and they have a massive field of strawberries.

So we went and we bought some strawberries and some strawberry ice cream which they made by putting a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a machine followed by a scoop of strawberries and then it mixes it together and it creates this jumble of yumminess! We then drove into Clevedon and went to a wool shop which was quite expensive but it was the first touristy kind of shop I've found relatively close to Hunua which was quite nice! Next because we were full of ice cream we decided to go for a walk to walk a little of our food off, and so we went to Maraetai and had a nice long walk on the beach!

And we finished watching Call the Midwife season 1 which I like very much! And then went to bed!

Uncle Jamie is leaving back to the UK today :( I wish him a good flight home and I hope to see you again!

A lovely sunset in Hunua!

Me and my mother!

Raglan Expedition

This morning I got woken up by---nope, it wasn't the rooster--it was a cow!!!!!! We had some bobbies put in the paddock right outside the lounge living room and they were moooooing and moooing and for goodness sake they're still at it! But so today we decided to go on a day trip to Raglan. It was a sunny day here, and then as we neared Raglan the weather deteriorated and started to rain and then it just remained cloudy for the majority of the day. So, we wandered around first off and I bought some sunglasses- yay! And then, we went out for fish'n'chips and did a little walkies on the beach. Went out to continue wander the shops and went for a little ice cream. I tried the hokey pokey flavour which is famous to New Zealand and honestly, I didn't know what hokey pokey was until I looked it up on the computer just now and as it turns out- honeycomb toffee in vanilla ice cream. Yum. Then we went to the Raglan Beach to have a very nice long walk where we saw two horses and their riders, it was lovely and I want to do that! Ride on the beach, it'd be lovely!
Now we're back home and awaiting to watch Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries!

Tea Stop on the way to Raglan

Raglan Beach

What I wish to do on the beach!

Eating Ice Cream!

Waihi Beach

Well, yesterday I woke up with my mother cuddling me! It was too hot!! But never the less I had to get up early anyway because we were planning a picnic in Waihi Beach. So we made our sandwiches and everything and we drove for an hour or so before we stopped at a railway station for coffee and cake before moving on to Waihi and Waihi Beach. It was so lovely, we had a little walkies on the beach one way and then walked back and then it was decided that we were going to go for a little swim/paddle in the sea.

So what did we do? We got into our swimmers and gallivanted straight into the sea screaming all the way because it was so cold!! But we managed to get wet, all the way up until our necks! So then, completely refreshed, we had our picnic on the beach, by the sea, with the sun shining on us..(only later did we realize how strong the sun had been..!!)

We went for a little stroll on the seaside afterwards and then drove up to the lookout point on a hill where we had a little wander and coffee before heading on our way back home. On the way home we stopped at a little town which was full of little antique shops with really cute window displays. (and unfortunately because it was Saturday afternoon, all the shops were shut.) They had little old dolls in the windows with prams in one shop, and in another was full of quilted goodies- it was just an adorable little place where I could easily have spent quite a bit of money! But while we stopped here, we did buy something- dinner of fish'n'chips! (Or as the kiwi's say; Fush 'un chups!) Which were very yummy. And I'll give you a little tip from the aussie part of me: if the fish and chips are wrapped in yesterday's newspaper they are going to be delicious!!

A photo of me eating fish and chips in the park- definittely a wee bit sun-kissed..!!

Howick

This morning my mum arrived in New Zealand! I don't believe it's already that time!! (And that means I only have 3 weeks left of my trip!) O.O I don't know where the time has gone, but it's definitely gone!
Today we went to Howick, a little town maybe 45 minutes from Papakura. But still, that's long enough especially when the roads are so windy! Howick is a little cute village town, so after buying sunglasses for everyone except me (because I couldn't find any) we went to a quirky little cafe and had a little snack and then went to the piddly-little beach! It was really pretty- the water was a lovely turquoise colour and there were kiddies out in little opties sailing in the little bay! It was really cute and really quite nice, so we all had a very nice afternoon with the sun shining and seagulls squawking!

Maraetai

After a few weeks of doing nothing after finishing touring, which was very very nice if I might say so, today we went out!
So I have an uncle ( I know, surprise surprise!) whom I haven't met since I was aged 2. Knee-high to a bloomin' grasshopper..anyways, he flew into New Zealand (Crash, ba-boom bang) and so he's here now and I got to finally meet him! I have been told (with photos to prove it) that I really liked my Uncle Jamie, and now that I've met him now I'm older- I'm not sure I do approve...just kidding. No, in all seriousness, he is a very nice uncle. eheh, so that was very very exciting!!

Okay, so today we went out to Maraetai- a meeting place by the sea and it was absolutely gorgeous! The sea was a fantastic turquoisey light blue and it was marvelous! We walked up and down the beach, the tide was up which made it a little difficult, but we managed to do it. We had coffee and shared carrot cake in a little cafe on the seaside..ahhh!! We then walked down a little farther and shared a few chips and were harassed by sparrows and seagulls, but I had a little fun scaring them away, running at them at full speed gleefully!! It was a very nice morning!Oh, and while were driving- we saw a drummer and his drum kit sitting on the side of the road on the beach!!! Now you don't see that everyday do you!

Uncle Jamie has also brought some movies with him- we've been watching the BBC Series Death in Paradise which is a very good who-done-it, and we watched The Tourist last night which was also enjoyable especially with Johnny Depp, and it's been very good and lively here in New Zealand.

My mummy comes in two days too which will be good!!