Redundant Mum on the road again Day 2 Taupo to Huka Falls

Day two in Taupo we decided to walk to Huka Falls. It would have taken a couple of minutes to drive there, but the two hour walk seemed like a good idea at the time. The walk starts from Taupo Bungee, which just happens to be quite near to an op shop I like to visit. Handy that. Needless to say neither of us wanted to try out the bungee jump.

Not sure where the owner of these boots has gone.

This sign rather confused me. Confidence course to the toilets, does that mean you should pay a visit before going on the walk, so you can be confident you won't be caught short. I don't know, do you? Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions.
We did find the thermal stream steaming its way down to the Waikato. Looks peaceful from this side, but behind me it was full of scantily clad people enjoying the warm water.

I am sure these lupins are nasty weeds, but this whole meadow of them looked stunning.

The views over the river were beautiful, accenting the amazing colour of the water, so many shades of turquoise and green. I am going to run out of enthusiastic descriptive words soon.

I had to take a picture of this pretty thistle.

The views on our side of the river were not to shabby either.

Although the path did meander up and down quite a few wee hills, it was well looked after and easy to walk. Why did I imagine that a walk along side a river would be all flat. My legs ached for the next couple of days, I am not used to walking up and down hills.

Another must take a picture of flower.

Eventually we reached the falls, we could hear them from quite a distance. The photos don't do justice to the amount of water that rushes through the narrow gorge, the power of which was incredible.

Again the range of colours in the water was really inspiring.

Unfortunately once you get there you remember you then have to walk back. Luckily there is a little kiosk selling reviving ice creams. And the walk back was not to bad, mainly because we talked so much, we did have four years worth of talking to catch up on.

More details of day 3, 4 and 5 coming soon.

Redundant Mum on the road again Day 1 Taupo

My oldest friend from back home has just been over for a visit and while she was here we went off for a trip to see a little bit of New Zealand. First stop Taupo for a couple of days.

I borrowed a friends house over looking the lake, with amazing views.

Surrounded by flowering rhodies.

With some interesting neighbors.

Unfortunately there was a lot of low cloud hiding the distant volcanoes.

But making for some amazing sunset shots.

Where to start, where to start, I know - with a Daisy

And what a Daisy to start with, I was really pleased with this photograph. It just captures the way the daisy was turned to soak up as much sun as possible.
And this one I just love the raggy edges, so cute. Anyway back to the story. My forever best friend, who I have not seen for about four years, has been over to visit me. For the two weeks that she was here we have walked, and talked, and shopped, and taken pictures, and driven miles and miles, and drunk a few bottles of bubbles, and eaten in a lot of cafes and best of all had a really, really great time.
I have a lot of pictures to show you of the trip and I thought it would be good to start with some of the flower pictures I took along the way.
This bunch of flowers were found in and around Taupo on our first stop.

More travels of a redundant mum

What do you think of this beautifully cute little cottage. Wouldn't you like to stay there for a weekend.
Lucky me, this weekend I did. Keriann from Sweet Mary and me with my Coulter and Coulter hat on were doing a fair at Cross Hills Gardens near Kimbolton in the Manawatu. Its a long drive and an early start so we decided to stay over and make a girls weekend of it. Leaving Peter at home with the youngest and six Star Wars videos, lucky him.
Our journey down was one of many stops at every op shop, junk shop and antique shop on the way. While driving around trying to find the last op shops before they closed we came across this amazing den of bargains. I could have spent all day there. Unfortunately, we arrived at almost closing time. No I don't think I will share its location, because I want all those bargains for myself. It was a veritable Alladin's cave. If only there had been more room in the car. We drove off with Keriann sitting with a pile of amazing goodies on her lap.
On the way back we stopped for morning tea at The Herb Farm. Before having a walk around we stopped in the cafe for morning tea of Cheese and Herb scones, yum yum yum. The garden walk was wonderful, thank you to Keriann for persuading me that the $3.50 fee was well worth it. Apparently the elves and gnomes come out and frolic in the evenings we did not see any of them moving.
My favorite part of the garden was the herbologists cottage. It was so cute, I want one in my garden.
I really loved the glass in this window, in the herbologists cottage, thistles and roses. Something else I want.

The whole garden was a little on the wild side and full of beautiful plants.

The only problem I have with this wonderful garden is that it was full of amazing plants that I would like, but they did not have any for sale. Not even a tiny little pot. When we asked the bemused staff said, yes lots of people ask that. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Today's Daisies #78 - Christchurch

My eldest started University in Christchurch last week. I went down with him for a couple of days, thinking we could spend some time together, exploring the city. On arriving at the Halls of Residence he decided that he wanted to spend time with his mates exploring his new environment. Great I thought for two reasons, firstly that he was keen to get stuck into university life and secondly I got the day to myself visiting things I wanted to see. I am so happy that he is at Uni and full of the enthusiasm of a first year student. I feel like some where along the line I must have done something right. So no tears for me when we parted, I am just so proud of him. I do miss him tons now I am back at home, especially in the evenings when I am cooking supper and he is not around to come and talk to me.

Anyway, back to daisies. On my wanderings around the sights of Christchurch I came across quite a few daisies. Some quite surprising.

You can't tell me this window in the Cathedral does not look like daisies, even though it is called a rose window.

The walls of the Cathedral are covered in the most beautiful mosaics, which feature lots of daisies ......
........ and interesting motifs. I was very shocked to see swastikas in the Cathedral, until I read the notice below.

Isn't it sad that something that represented good luck could be so misused and come to symbolise something so awful.

I found this wonderful piece of lead lighting in the Arts Centre, which used to be the old University of Canterbury before it moved to its current campus.

This wonderful piece of work I found in the Canterbury Museum. Most unusual, can you guess what it is made off?

Did you guess! Hair! What can you say, I had no idea that people would make things like this out of hair.

Plaster daisy on the outside of the Museum.

Last of all a beautiful sunny yellow daisy from the Botanical Gardens. If you want to see more pictures of Christchurch, I will be posting them to a new blog I have an idea for. I will let you know when I get it set up.

Travelling

Above travelling in the UK. The roads from Manchester were really busy, but the closer we got to Horncliffe the quieter and narrower the roads got.
My trip back from work in New Zealand in comparison to travelling in the UK above. Sorry this one is not in order, but you get the idea. No traffic hardly at all. Peter was driving this time, so I could take pics from any angle.
These pictures I took a couple of days ago while going to work with Peter in the morning.
They are to good to include in a mosiac type photo.

The mist was just lying beautifully in the fields.

I love the shape of the poplars in the winter.