To visit New  Zealand is a wonderful thing and I defy anyone to dislike this beautiful country.  I feel very lucky to be here and lucky that I have visited twice before too.

What I have particularly enjoyed this time is staying with friends.  It has enabled us to live with New Zealand families and experience New Zealand as the locals do.  Today was very much a day in the life of a Kiwi family.

I knew a lot of food would be consumed today so I had a very light breakfast of a mashed banana and a chopped up fresh orange. We all went to watch Ruby play netball in the morning (they won – woo hoo) and then we went to the Masterton Farmer’s Market.  This is the band! It was really cold here and we all sympathised with the stall holders so we bought what we could; cheese, bread and pate.
This was a delicious blue cheese made with Ewe’s milk and we also bought a cow’s milk Brie.We spent lunch time at Bex’s parents, Ann and Bob’s.  They have created an extraordinary garden.  They are blessed to have a natural spring running through their garden which they have made water features from but also, they use it as a source of all their drinking water.
There are numerous waterfalls in their garden which helps cool the air (not so important in winter but it must be wonderful in the summer), adds to the beauty and they sound enchanting. Everywhere you look are lovely plants, some in pots.

Others growing in the earth.

Bob has many different types of native New Zealand fern growing. I love the patterns and colour of the ferns.

Tucked away or in prominent positions are all manner of lovely statues and sculptures. Here are Bob and Ann, reading my blog 🙂We had a fantastic arrangement of Sushi for lunch.

Bex bought the Sushi after netball from a takeaway place where the Sushi is all displayed and you can choose what you want and you pay for what you choose.  Served with bread, crackers, pate and cheese.  What a feast – it was really good. Bex and Ruby with Rosie and Ted. After lunch we took Harvey and Ruby horse riding. Harvey has never had a riding lesson before and he really enjoyed it.  I thought he would because he loves being with animals so much.Horses terrify me but they don’t seem to bother the little fella.

Ruby is very proficient in the saddle.

As he was a beginner, Harvey needed a grown up with him and luckily for me, Guy stepped in to the riding school. Melissa demonstrated ‘hoof ball’.Harvey liked all the ponies, even the naughty one called Ruby.
Harvey really enjoyed the games, such as Simon Says, Round The World and Egg and Spoon race. He did really well for a complete beginner. Thank you Guy for all that running around with Harvey, he really enjoyed it. Ruby and Ruby !

In the evening Guy cooked blue cod, roast yams, fried potatoes and green beans for us.  It was excellent and I really enjoyed it.

There was (and will be) some naughty snacking of chocolates, nuts and ice-cream.  Well, it is our last night here.

I will really miss sitting at this kitchen counter with these 2 lovely people.  Since I have been here we have never actually sat in the living room.  We have sat here, talking, laughing, drinking, eating, blogging and as in this picture, spreading latex on to plastic!

In this charming house, in the land of the long white cloud, we have had a blast.  Thank you so much.Aotearoa.