Brisbane

 

Scribbly Gum Tree

A couple of months ago, my husband surprised me with tickets to Brisbane to visit my sister,

It felt strange to board a plane and fly off to another country, after the past two years of not really being able too.

Needless to say, I quickly got used to the idea.  It was so lovely to see my sister waiting for me at Brisbane airport, and to feel warm temperatures. I especially enjoyed being able to wear a lot of my me made summer dresses and clothes.

Now that my sister's children are older and independent, and we aren't restricted to doing things in school hours, so we really enjoyed full days.

We talked and laughed, dined and drank cocktails, celebrated my birthday, walked for miles, visited beautiful gardens,  walked on a rather blustery Gold Coast beach, shopped, and I also enjoyed a morning trying out paddle boarding with a friend.

I'm back home now, back to the reality of work , family and and being a domestic goddess.

Weekending - Hiking in the Kaimai Ranges

 

Supplejack vines

Clematis Panuculata

Hurunui Hut

One of the shallower muddy sections

An elusive trail marker 

Mangamuka Hut

Over the weekend just gone, The Scout and I had a three day hiking adventure in the Kaimai Ranges.  It was my first multi day (if you can call a two night/three day hike that), starting at the Henderson Tramline North track through to Hurunui hut.

Day two: the North South track through to the Mangamuka hut. 

Day three : today the promised rain well and truly arrived as we hiked out via the TeTuhi track.

All up about 21 km, of some pretty gnarly tracks, up hill, downhill, plenty of stream crossings, sometimes swampy, and sometimes muddy, finishing off with farmland.

I will admit this challenged me, and I certainly appreciated my bed and a hot shower and flushing toilets once I got home.