Op shop sunday

 

 I know its really spring, and nearly summer when it's French-fest.

Akaroa was where the French landed, just a few short week of the Brits who claimed NZ way back.

Overfamiliarity (we go there all the time) doesn't make it any less lovely in my eyes.

(As are the French sailors, in uniform, who sail over every year from French Polynesia for the celebrations, and drive the local teenage population wild. Mmmmm).

I wore these, one of a HUGE box of gifts I will slowly unveil, from Leonie courtesy of Cat's Tilda Christmas swap THANK YOU LEONIE!

We beachcombed and picnic-ed

And I saw somemore cool letter boxes whilst we were out there

Dolly house!

Tea and taps at The Giants House, a big mosaic garden thing, like a tacky Gaudi take-off. 

                                            This, I believe is where the Akaroa plumber resides!

                           And there was the lure of the annual bowling club fundraising book sale

This kids book is so beautiful, every page made me sigh and think it was written about Claudine.

Umm and the dirt wiped off ;)

There is both a play and a book about what might have happened to New Zealand had the French arrived first.

Nuclear power aside (and don't mention the Rainbow Warrior) it's quite an alluring what-if...

Things I love about New Zealand #3 Fleurs Place

The minute we stepped out of the car the magic began. Claud spotted the basking seal and pointed.

Way bigger than a seal, I panicked at the sea lion just a metre away from my baby.

But it was ok, it was just a very large, well fed seal.

An empty beach, spring sunshine and no rush.

An almost empty resturant, piping hot tea, husband and child off making noise out of ear shot, and a view.

Peace, perfect peace.

                                                           And that was before the food.

The fisherman was still in, yacking to the waitress. His head was the shape of a pickled onion. The fish was so quick to the table I burnt my tongue. Claud who normally turns her nose up at fish ate blue cod like a hungry dog. As did we.

Then as we finished and made off to explore Moeraki customers started to arrive. A skinny, scruffy scarfie with an immaculate and stunning girlfriend. He looked stunned at his luck. An asian couple with no English who nonetheless spoke 'child' with Claud. Then a photographer.

 Fleurs, famous, but unchanged by it.

Magic.

Go there if you can, if you haven't already especially. But go early.

Things I love about NZ #1

                              Post boxes at the end of the drive instead of a letter box in the door.

            Conducive to neighbourly interaction; brief, enforced communions with nature; and to creativity.

All spotted last week between Dunedin and Geraldine whilst having a few days away.

Cool aye!