Kapiti Island Today 28/1/13

5.50pm ...

Taken from Raumati Beach! Apologies to the lovely family photo bombing my picture!

The Kapiti Region is going to be basking in glorious sunshine for the week! Perfect for the arrival of my parents!

I reckon they will be bored of the beach by the end of the week but we must make the most of it before the weather changes!

Lovely Hubby and I went for a swim while Granny and Grandad played with the babies and Hound on the shore!

Funnily enough they are finding it hotter here than they did in OZ over the weekend! But it was a bit breezy at the beach so they weren't tempting to swim themselves!

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Wordless Wednesday 23/1/13

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Kapiti Island Today 27th November 2012

Kapiti Island Today 3.30pm ...

It's been a week since my last post, sorry folks! Time has been an issue!

Today's picture of Kapiti Island (as pointed out by my glamorous assistant, while I panicked that she would fall down the cliff that is behind the fence down onto the beach) is taken from Queen Elizabeth Park. I decided against the normal beach after last weeks excitement!

However it wouldn't be a normal trip for The Hound, The Cherubs and I if there wasn't any action/drama!

Rocko had his usual run in with another hound. Nothing new there then!

Maisie had a meltdown! (Don't ask, long day, tired, hot, hungry!)

I had a meltdown! (Don't ask, long day, tired, hot, hungry!)

I nearly slipped and fell ... several times! (Very hilly path, with gravel, and two heavy babies in a buggy! I never said it was a good idea but unfortunately the fecking dog needs walked!)

On the plus side we all had some fresh air, the dog stretched his legs, as did I, we got to see beautiful blue sky's, the sea and the stunning Kapiti Island!

So I suppose one mustn't grumble :)

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Kapiti Island Today 20/11/12

Kapiti Island Today 3.15pm

It's been a sweaty, clammy day. When the sun did come out (on and off) it was hot, hot, hot!

The Cherubs and I took The Hound to the beach to stretch his legs. The tide was high so we just went a little way along, parked up and threw some sticks for The Hound. Archie sat in his pram and thought this was hilarious. Maisie dug in the sand and collected shells. Seeing as it was so warm I dipped my toe in the sea to see if it was warm too. It was! Result! It won't be long till we will be getting our swimming gear on for our trips to the beach!

Our little happy scene was interrupted when a scary big dog came along and chatted to Rocko. Rocko has small dog syndrome and is known to really annoy dogs bigger than him! Not normally a major concern as the scary big dogs trot off giving Rocko a look of disdain over there shoulder but when I clocked the owner (someone I know to be unsavoury) I started to worry a bit for Rocko and Maisie. Both annoying little creatures dotting around a big dog with a scary owner!

They carried on down the beach but turned back so I attempted to herd my mob back to the car before they reached us! I failed and the other dog caught up to us in the car park. Always a worry regardless of the dog and its owner when one is on the lead and the other is off! In my panic to get to the car I rammed the pram into someone's car. While I backed up Rocko yelped and I screamed! I think my scream scared the other dog off!

I felt really silly but I am cursed with an over active imagination! The other dog was probably harmless BUT knowing the owner I just did not know what the dog had been trained to do!

What a tit I felt! No one batted an eyelid at my scream though thankfully, nor did the people who's car I rammed!!!!!

Like what you see vote for me!

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Kapiti Island Today 18th November 2012

Kapiti island Today 5.15pm ...

Apologies to Kapiti today! Both cherubs were sleeping, the sun was out, I put sunblock on and sat outside, the clouds came over! Sorry folks! I have an uncanny way of controlling the weather with my actions, sunblock application and hanging out washing have the biggest impact!!!

By the time I mustered up enough energy to get out to walk the hound there was a stormy looking thing coming in from a south west direction, you can see it to the left of the island in the picture, there was still beautiful blue sky's on the right hand side!

The Hound and I had a typical surreal trip to the beach. Dispute the changeable weather and choppy sea there was a random man in for a swim, a kayaker and a rogue tide, we had plenty beach then all of a sudden I had to jump on a rock as the tide came whooshing up out of the blue!

Like what you see vote for me!

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Kapiti Island Today 16th November 2012

Kapiti Island Today 6.15pm ...

I was aiming for a 6.15am shot. Up and dressed by 6.01am but as I picked up the car keys the heavens opened! I AM NOT THAT HARDCORE (yet)!


Heavens emptied the sky's were blue after work. Lovely Hubby is feeling a bit poorly so I left him with the kids and The Hound and I headed to Queen Elizabeth park. It's been a while since we (The Hound and I) have been running here. Lots of options inland track, coastal track, along the beach. All apart from the beach are hilly so it is potentially pretty hardcore! The picture was taken from the coastal track, a wee gap in the flora and fauna! A poop halfway round from The Hound gave me a break. No one likes to run hard with a bag full of shit flapping about in there hands!


The Hound is so funny he goes crazy on the way out, way ahead, sniffing out who knows what BUT on the way back he was the most faithful (tired) beast trotting along next to me. SO cute :). Although he does negate the cuteness by bathing in a stage to puddle half way round!!!!!

Like what you see vote for me!

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A - Z of Aoteoroa; B

Is for BACH, BEACH and BARE FEET ...

BACH! A 'holiday home' here in N.Z. Pronounced batch! Back in the day almost everyone had a Bach they went to for weekends and holidays. Not necessarily flash but near the beach or near the lake. Reminds me of a 'but n Ben' in Scotland. In the current 'financial climate' not everyone can afford a Bach. In fact lots of the rentals in our area were once upon a time Bach's.

BEACH! Long skinny island!?! Bound to be a beach near by wherever you are! Beach life is part and parcel of Kiwi life. City life or rural!! When we discussed our around the world move it was initially Oz we were planning on! I had one pre requisite... I wanted to live in Home and Away not Neighbours. Well here we are not in Oz but in Home and Away New Zealand. Mayhap not as hot but beach life nonetheless! With the bonus of no snakes and less scary spiders!

BARE FEET! Not sure about the rest of the world but I know my U.K readers! If you were to see someone walking down the street with bear feet you would raise your eyebrows and think hippie or some such thing. Bring that attitude to N.Z and your gonna have tired eyebrows. These Kiwis are pretty laid back. Such a welcome change! Shoes are optional pretty much where ever you are.

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Kapiti Island Today 14th November 2012

Kapiti Island today 6.25pm ...

The forecast this week was pretty poor. We have been spoilt lately with the lovely weather. Sunday was to be the beginning of hideous rain BUT Sunday was as far as it went.

However despite the lovely weather today is our first day at the beach!

Tonight I decided to dust down our baby carrier! A bit fairer than Lovely Hubby pushing both Cherubs along in the double buggy (its the wrong height for me I tell you). I took the boy on my back and he took the girl in the pram. Although we swapped half way! Maaaaaaan our boy is heavy!

Archie Boy was casual as ever given it was a potentially exciting new mode of transport for him! If not a bit confused by the fact that he wasn't in the buggy! Ha! He was blathering away and flapping his wings before long though.

I thought Maisie Boo would be tired but she enjoyed getting out and pushing the pram herself (bit safer when the pram is empty). It turned into a game on the way back. Soooo funny I was the baby/Maisie and Maisie was the mummy. 'Mummy' wanted me to get in the buggy so of course I obliged but surprise surprise my big ass was never getting in that baby shaped space. Boy did 'Mummy' laugh! So cute. I as 'the baby' had to hold on to the lead of the pram and hold 'Mummy's' hand while crossing the road. Such a cute age. I reckon it's probably a good learning point, the role reversal, a chance for Maisie to realise why I nag her so much sometimes. Even when we got home she got her self dressed for bed, put her dirty washing in the washing basket and tidied her shoes away WITHOUT BEING ASKED ... Soooooooo Cute :)

Like what you see vote for me!

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Kapiti Island Today 9th November 2012

Kapiti Island Today 6.30pm ...

No words today, just sparkly sea!

Ok just a few words!

Surely we are going to be punished for this beautiful weather soon!

Three weeks of Spring left and we've had more Summer than I've ever had in Scotland!!!

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Kapiti Island Today 7th November 2012

Kapiti Island today ...

I had a crazy attack this morning and ended up at the beach at 6.15 am with The Hound with a view to running along the beach! (We did run, intermittently between picking up poo and chatting to other hounds.)

I nearly came up with enough excuses to talk myself out of it! The clear, blue sky's meant it was fecking freezing and the early morning wake up call from a sweet little boy (baby not hubby) was nearly reason enough to stay snuggled up in bed. BUT I knew I would be annoyed with myself if I didn't go.



I'm really glad I did. It was a beautiful, crisp, fresh morning. I took the pictures at the beginning, middle and end of the walk. I didn't realise how different they looked until I went to pick my picture for the post! What a difference 20 minutes makes! I couldn't resist posting them all. It never ceases to amaze me how awesome my iPhone camera is, however imagine the beauty I could catch with a fancy camera!



Island Fact of the Day - make that story of the day. I saw this new report and thought I would share it, click here.

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Kapiti Island Today 4th November 2012

Kapiti Island Today 3pm ...

Another beautiful day. Today's picture was taken from Whareroa Beach in Queen Elizabeth park. We took the hound for a walk along the inland track. Poor Lovely Hubby was pushing the double buggy with the Cherubs up and down the hilly track. Don't feel too sorry for him (although he did slip slide down one of the gravely hills gripling on to the pram for dear life). I was in charge of wrangling The Hound! I wasn't very good, he ended up in a big muddy puddle and had a roll around in a good few piles of poop.

We walked back along the beach, it's not often The Hound is encouraged to go in for a swim but today was one of those times!

The beach was glorious. The sky was blue, the sea was sparkling all shades of blue and green and the beach was full of shiny, shingly shells and sparkly, bubbly sea foam.

Island Fact For The Day - A vague one today but interesting nonetheless! One of Lovely Hubbies patients told him that there is evidence that back in the day a Tsunami washed right over the top of Kapiti Island! One big Tsunami alright!!!!!! (Exclamation overload justified with such a scary fact)

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Kapiti Island Today 1st November 2012

Kapiti Island today 6.05pm ...

We took a trip to a different part of the coast today. We are lucky enough to be 10 minutes away from the AWESOME Queen Elizabeth park. It's a pretty cool wee (big) national park with loads of different tracks (inland and coastal) for dog walking, biking, running and even horse riding.

It was another beautiful and even hot day today although this picture says otherwise! Would you believe behind the camera there was beautiful blue sky. I found it quite warm on the first half of the walk on the inland track but as we walked back along the actual beach it was a bit chilly alright!

Island fact for the day - Kapiti is currently a bird sanctuary and it has no pests.

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Kapiti Island Today 29th October 2012

Kapiti Island today 6.30pm ...

Our first trip to the beach after work this spring. We would probably have been earlier but The Hound has had poorly skin for the last month or so so we have been avoiding it seeing as he can't help but dive bomb into the sea as soon as he hits the beach, not the best tactic for healing a scabby skinned beast. BUT his skin is finally clearing and he finished his antibiotics after 3 weeks of antibiotic filled cheese balls twice a day we treated him to half an hour terrorising other hounds and hound walkers trying to enjoy a leisurely evening stroll. I had to set an alarm to remind me to give him his medication, sweet boy began to recognise the alarm and got so excited by his cheese balls he forgot to try and forage out the mess!

The idea of taking The Hound to the beach always seems like such a good idea, he gets to stretch his legs and run without his lead on and we all get fresh air and to stretch our own legs. I always forget how much of a stress it actually is (they don't call me Stress Head Simpson for nothing). I spend most of my time yelling after him terrified he is going to get eaten by a bigger dog or piss off a little dogs owner. He's got small dog syndrome and makes a beeline for the biggest dog he can find and torments it! To add to the stress I then get to yell at him to stay in his basket once we get home because he's soaking wet! No sooner has he raced along the beach for two minutes than he is tired out and lying down in the sea to cool down! MESSY GIT.

Regardless I still love him to bits, he's my first born. In fact the other day at the vet (bad parent alert) Lovely Hubby and I were discussing how cute he was when he was a baby and we both agreed that between him and The Cherubs he was definitely the cutest baby....

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Kapiti Island Today

I get to see this view most days!

It appears different each time I see it but one thing stays the same ... It always looks stunning/beautiful/awesome/amazing!!!!!!!

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#Silent Sunday 30th September 2012

Silent Sunday 9th September 2012

Sssssshhhhhhhhh ...

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