Wellington has not had a good summer. Apparently the weather has been generally cold, unsettled, blowy and not what you expect from a kiwi summer.
This week that’s all changed and today was a cracker. To prove it, I captured a shot of a young lady enjoying the afternoon sun – her identity remains a mystery.
It wasn’t quite a Tuscan sun but it wasn’t too shabby either.
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The drive from Blenheim to Kaikoura which starts through rolling fields and vineyards soon gives way to the rugged Pacific Coast. The area around Kaikoura is famous for its wildlife. The abundance of wild life becomes apparent as you journey … Continue reading
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On the drive between Blenheim and Kaikoura you pass the Ohau Stream. During autumn and the winter months it becomes the playground for young Fur Seal pups. The stream runs through New Zealand native bush to the sea and the … Continue reading
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Over the last few days I have had the chance to travel down the east coast of the South Island from Picton to Christchurch. Along the way I called into Blenheim in the heart of the Marlborough wine region and … Continue reading
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My nephew’s girlfriend and her sister are planning a trip to Tuscany in September. We have been asked for some advice on where to stay and what to do in and around Tuscany. It sounds as if the girls are … Continue reading
One thing we are struggling with at present is our distance from Tuscany. The whole reason for this blog was to let friends and family know about our time in Italy which is now over – for this year at least. As our stories are no longer about Italy should we change the name of the blog? Should we broaden the name to cover, well, our travels in general? Should we continue the blog at all?
Everytime we have thought about this it has made our collective heads hurt.
But, after much thinking we have arrived at a decision. Although we are back home in New Zealand, our hearts remain in Italy, in the sun, enjoying “la dolce far niente”.
We are still, and will always be, kiwis in Toscana.
After the initial shock of moving back to New Zealand there are some things to look forward to that relate to being home. One of these was the chance to ‘unbox’ my cars.
For those of you who don’t know, I like old Porsches and have accumulated a few over the years. On Wednesday I went to the rented garage where two have spent the last year to check on them. Good news! They were both there (a relief) and seemed in good condition (a bonus). In the next week I’ll get a friendly mechanic around and we’ll start them up.
For a petrolhead like me this is bliss.
A few days ago the girls completed their quarantine in Levin and were released with a clean bill of health. We are currently staying with friends and the girls have settled in quickly.
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Life in Levin has been pretty good. I wasn’t looking forward to our enforced stay in the town but the longer we stayed the more we discovered and the more we liked this little town. There is a huge amount … Continue reading
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I’ve never been to Waitarere Beach. I’ve driven past the road leading to the beach many times and have always meant to visit but never found the time. Our week in Levin meant we had time. The beach is a … Continue reading
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It’s amazing how long ten days is. The law change of January 1 meant that the quarantine for dogs coming to New Zealand went from nothing to ten days. Ten days, that’s nothing we thought. But now we are here … Continue reading
toscanakiwi 