Fire Chief Molly And Uno Queen India

Some videos of our Fire dog and India and Josh playing Uno while camping.

Hobbiton

It was a 2 hour road trip each way from Ohope to Hobbiton, but well worth the Big day out!  We had a short detour via Matamata to see the i-site and get directions out to Shires Rest.  It was an overcast day, but still incredibly warm as we wandered around the village looking at the hobbit homes, gardens, washing and sampling the ale while being told tales from the films.

I-site at Matamata

View up the Hill to Bag end

Green Dragon above the bar at the pub.

Mum and dad

View from the loos back towards bar in the Green Dragon pub

One of the 44 hobbit homes, we have photos of every one!

Hobbit homes - prime real estate by the lake!

In case you got lost the pub is that away!

3 generations of hobbits! and no josh isn't stood on a step!

The Green Dragon Pub - Good Ale!

Lesser spotted Saffron Hobbit

A good one of Josh who is way too tall for any hobbit home!

Less spotted Saffron Hobbit at Bagend

Bagend, home of Bilbo and Frodo

Greater freckled India Hobbit

Outside Samewise's house

Nana and Grandad hobbit by the Mill

beer tasting inside the Green dragon

India and mum

India and Nana

Last one of the Junipers at Hobbiton

Ohope Beach

After Waikanae mum and dad hired a campervan and met us at Ohope Beach Top Ten.  We had a very sunny 8 nights there, with just about 20 drops of rain during that whole time!  White Island was a little more active during our stay, but no eruption...unfortunately! We spent most of the time in the pool, even the beach was ignored for the slides at the pool, ice creams from the dairy and chips from the snack bar!  The girls were in the pool about 3 times a day, having discovered bikinis this year at the opshop! (second hand clothing stores).
Josh had some good fishing, bring back 5 fish in total (not very big though!) and a couple of days in the pool made sure his shoulders were well and truly brown!  lots of feet up, reading and playing UNO!  India was the Uno Queen all week!  We had one big day out - to Hobbiton (separate blog post).  We also discovered an amazing pizza place in Ohope township, run by a french gentleman and his lovely wife, well worth a visit if you are in the area!

Tent city

Andy

White Island smoke signals

View up the coast towards Raukumara

India in pink and Saffron in Hoola girl Bikini!

Bach at the Beach

My parents visited us in January and hired a rustic bach at Waikanae beach on the Kapiti coast.  It was a short walk through the dunes to the beach.  Here are a few pictures of some of the fun we had.  I can post more when I get the pictures off Nana's camera.

Lavender Blue...

Nana, Saffron and mum popped up to the Lavender Creek farm at Te Horo Saturday afternoon, they were harvesting this weekend.  Some lovely Lavender lemonade and shortbread was in order and some very nice lavender cream.

More horsing around!

some video of the last day display of what India has been up to this week, along with cuddles from nanna and grandad!