Eggshell Green

A Golden Week in Photos

A week in the Gold Coast, with 20-something degree weather and lots of sunshine. Sure beats Wellington’s 15 degree autumn with 90kmph winds, that’s for sure.

Getting up at 4:15am is seriously not fun – especially for a pregnant woman who needs her sleep!

The first day was pretty much spent catching up on the missed sleep. We had the boys be hunter-gatherers and bring home the food for dinner. I was way too hungry to wait for them so ended up having a Vegemite sandwich for dinner. Fancy eh.

The next day we went to Dreamworld. Not a place for pregnant folk. There was only one ride I went on, and I ended up being photographer/bag-holder for the rest of the 6 hours or so :(

I think Ms Constantine had the most fun at Dreamworld. Her Boy wouldn’t go on the Giant Drop, but the hubby was keen.

The hubby is not one for twirly chunder-inducing rides, but Ms Constantine’s Boy was all up for those.

At least I got to have candy floss while watching the boys give each other whiplash on the dodgems. There was the cutest little boy racing with the big kids. He was later to be crashed into by the hubby – what a big meanie!

The animals at Dreamworld were pretty interesting too. The tiger show was impressive, and the turtle with the crazy long neck was just weird – especially when it surfaced just enough to stare at the hubby for a few seconds while he took a photo.

We spent a day in Brisbane shopping at Queen Street mall, and another couple shopping trips back at the Gold Coast at the usual Pacific Fair and Harbour Town.

Time at the beach was lovely, even though I was too much of a wuss to tackle the surf. The coast was relaxing but also blinding in the morning!

I found some tiny foot prints in the sand, which made me all clucky. Can’t wait for my own little feet to come pitter pattering!

On our last day we headed to Tamborine Mountain and visited Curtis Falls. The forest at Curtis Falls was magical and I expected to see little fairies fluttering in the sunlight between the trees. I was disappointed, especially as I didn’t even see a snake.

The view of the Gold Coast from the Hinterlands was amazing.

It was a good break. I already miss the awesome views every morning and every evening.  At least we have our puppy Fez back now – yay!

Tags: holiday

New Year’s at Taupo

What a fantastic New Year’s I’ve had!

This year we opted to stay at a very retro bach on the edge of Lake Taupo. When I say retro, I mean it doesn’t look like anything’s changed since the early 70s when the bach first took visitors…

30 December 2008

We arrive at the Ivy Bank bach after driving from Auckland and stopping in Ngaruawahia to join Ms Constantine and her Boy (where they spent Christmas with her family).

Taupo is about 3 hours south of Auckland which is a nice short drive compared to the 6 hours we did from Palmerston North to Auckland after our Christmas.

The first thing we notice about the bach is the decor.

There’s wooden panelling, crocheted cushions, and the liberal use of beige, orange, mossy green and brown. The place is furnished with old-school furniture like swivel chairs and those wooden laminate-topped tables with the spindly little legs. And the kitchen is laden with groovy kitchen gear! So bad it was awesome.

This day is spent chilling out on the patio having cocktail slushies and nibbles.

We also manage to hook up the iPod to the boom box using a cassette adapter and some packing tape to hold it all together.

Fish and chips is for dinner, and drinks continue into the night. The sunset tonight is very purty.

31 December 2008

New Year’s Eve. After having bacon and eggs for brekkie, we head to town to check out the haps. The fair is set up but not yet open for business then.

A spot of window shopping, sushi for lunch, then we go to buy the night’s dinner – Chicago porterhouse steaks for the boys, and crayfish for the girls, oh yeah!

Back at the bach, the boys trick me into going for a swim in the “warm lake”.  Not even!

Lots more tomfoolery tonight.

We befriend a neighbourhood pooch, and I nickname him Harold. He’s a timid fellow. He might not even be a fellow as we notice he doesn’t have bits there. We continue to use Harold anyway.

The last dinner of the year is had alfresco on the lakeside with rosé – absolutely fabulous!

1 January 2009

I get a longer sleep in this morning.

Thirty minutes is spent playing frisbee in the sun before we are too hot.

Smoked fish and mussels for lunch, with virgin pineapple slushies for me (the driver into town today). I am thankful we brought our blender along.

The girls drive in to nosy at the New Year’s Day sales in town, while the boys take the 4km walk.

Hubby wins a few prizes at the fair including a “suprise gift”. The instructions are in Engrish which is always a good start.

Turns out it is a self inflating balloon that pops out of its packet with a large bang and shower of confetti! I let out a scream – yes, it was a surprise!

The balloon says “I love you this much” on it, however the love meter is only coloured up to 95% – hahaha!

More (real) cocktails at the bach tonight, now I don’t have to drive anywhere.

2 January 2009

We say goodbye to our temporary retro pad and head back to Wellington today.

Lunch is in Bulls and failing to find a shady riverside spot we eat our Micky Dees on a picnic table along the highway. Not as fancy as the crayfish dinner but enjoyable all the same.

After the horrible traffic preceding Otaki (as expected during the holidays) we eventually get home.

Back to normality but with many new fond memories.

Tags: bach, holiday, new years