Reflecting on a season has always felt like a great way to look back – how many shimmering summer nights can you recall? This summer was an awesome one. New Zealand is still mostly a safe haven from Covid, meaning we had festivals, holidays, and many many afternoons at the beach. Let’s dive in!
The big sporting event for the summer was the America’s Cup, including the Challengers’ series. Handily, one of the main sailing courses was just down the road from my house!
Joe and I hosted a combined Christmas lunch for our families and were very pleased with our efforts, and the awesome day we all had!
We headed north for New Year’s Eve, to the Northern Bass music festival. One of the best parts is that you can leave during the day and head to the beach at nearby Mangawhai Heads!
After the festival we headed further north for a few days RnR on the gorgeous Tutukaka Coast. I was blown away by the magic beaches – we tried a different one every day!
My beautiful friend Anthea’s hens’ party was a glam affair on Waiheke Island, with a fabulous lunch at Cable Bay vineyard before cocktails and hijinks!
We spent many many afternoons at our local beach, Thorne Bay. It’s a pocket-sized beach you can only access by foot or water, and I loved relaxing on its golden sands all summer!
By far my biggest project of the summer was learning to sew! Candice, Pip and I were determined to make our costumes this year for Splore festival (my favourite festival!) So we started early and spent many many hours crafting our costumes. And then, thanks to Covid, it was postponed! Fortunately we still got to wear the wing part to a party the weekend that Splore would have been, and we were so proud of all our hard work.
I’m far from the only one to feel a shift in the world’s momentum. I’m sure that part of it is spring starting to show in the Northern Hemisphere. I remember well the joy of starting to see a bit of blossom on the grey London streets, or that first really sunny warm weekend of the year. But with vaccinations gaining pace globally, we can all start to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. I’m hoping to book my first international trip in what will have been nearly two years, to see Joe’s gorgeous niece and family in Syndey. Let’s hope we can all start to resume life as normal by the time of my next update!
How is life for you? Sending big hugs to all of those affected by lockdowns and tight restrictions still!
I didn’t post much over the summer, but you might like to check out My Favourite Adventures of 2020. And to check out my latest adventures, head to my Instagram!