Happy New Years!

Hope you all enjoyed a very happy new year! We just returned from a wonderful trip with Mat's family; we hit many highlights this country has to offer and had a great time.

We picnicked in the park:

We traveled by plane, boat and Bongo:

(yes, we all fit with our luggage!)

We discovered new places:Drank lots of wine, ate lots of cheese and napped (only sometimes in that order):
Saw breathtaking scenery:

And had lots of fun:

A big thank you to our second visitors for making the long trip, we were so happy to spend time with you!

Happy Holidays

The Holidays are upon us! Its hard to believe that we will be celebrating our second Christmas in New Zealand and how quickly it has come. We are a little behind on our Christmas cards so we hope this reaches many of you in time to say Happy Holidays! As the Kiwi's fire up the barbe, we hope you are at home cuddling by the fire and enjoying the gifts of the season. We will miss many Christmas traditions from home, but if you want to see some more about we will be enjoying as we celebrate a Kiwi Christmas, click here!

New Zealand Purses

Recently, my friend Holly (above with her Mom) introduced me to a line of wallets/purses called Hunter and Pike that I had to share! I'm always on the lookout for unique and beautiful New Zealand handmade goods and these definitely are some of my favorite.

They are customizable so that you can choose the size, color and add or subtract the strap.

They can be worn as a purse, wallet or even a clutch.

And, they are so on trend... I'm thinking of going hands free a la Rachel Bilson etc.

For more, check them out at here!

Goat Island Marine Reserve

We went to Goat Island Marine reserve this weekend to enjoy some of the best weather of the season. Armed with wetsuits we were able to snorkle and see some great fish!

On the way to Goat Island we saw this funny sign at a local bar:

My Mo Bro

Movember has come to an end... but Mat already can't wait till next year to grow one of these again:

North Head

Today we explored North Head in Devonport which is, in our opinoin, one of the best places in Auckland. North Head is an old volcano, strategically positioned above the shipping channel. Historically this area was a defence position and the old gun emplacements and underground connecting tunnels are open for exploration. The views are fantastic and there are beaches nearby which makes it a great way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon!