New Zealand Continued

Hello my crafty friends,

Tonight I just have a few more photos of our recent trip to New Zealand.

It is such a beautiful country, and the people there are so friendly.

On our trip to NZ 18 months ago, we did not have time to explore the Coromandel

Peninsula, on the east coast of the North Island, so this time we spent 4 days there.

We were rewarded with glorious weather, stunning views, and beautiful beaches.

We stayed at Thames and this photo was taken just north of that little town. For

much of the drive on the west coast the road hugs the coastline.

On the west coast of the Peninsular is Coromandel Town. It is a darling little

village with beautiful environs. These 2 buildings are the butcher and

general store.

Still in Coromandel Town...isn't this the cutest laundromat you have ever seen.

The town relies heavily on tourism, and it was easy to see how much pride the 

residents take, and how they have embraced tourism without 

becoming 'tacky', as so many places unfortunately do.

On the north-eastern side of the Peninsular is the famous Hot Water Beach.

One can dig a hole and lie in a pool of water that seeps up through the 

sand. The water temperatures range from slightly warm to scalding, 

depending on where the hole is dug (sometimes less than a metre apart).

A beach at Hahei, not far from Hot Water Beach. 

We had a beautiful lunch at Hahei.

Simpson's Beach on the outskirt of Whitianga, 

on the east coast of the Peninsular.

The Botanic Gardens at Hamilton are a 'must-see'. John and I had intended

to just have a quick look, but spent 4 hours there instead. Outside the

Information Centre were massive tubs of mixed flowers (above)...

and as a rose lover, their Rose Gardens 'blew me away'.

Just south of Hamilton is a town called Otorohanga, and there are large

statues of kiwis in several places. This one, made from corrugated iron

is at the northern entrance to the town. It is huge, and just after I took

this photo, some adults stood under it (comfortably),

 while a friend took their photo.

If you ever get the chance to visit New Zealand, I am sure you would enjoy 

it. John and I think the North Island is beautiful, but so many people have 

said that the South Island is even more so. I guess we will have to visit 

there next time to see if they are correct.

I hope you are all well, so until next time..."happy crafting",

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Return to New Zealand

As promised, I have begun to sort out my photos from our recent trip to 

New Zealand, and have a few to show you. I spent hours last night trying 

to choose just a few, but have finished up with too many

 for one sitting, so will show you half tonight, and 

the other half tomorrow night.

I love full moons, and on our first night in NZ, it was almost full moon.

I was thrilled to find that we could lie in bed and look at the incredible

sight of Auckland's Sky Tower under that moon. This photo 

was taken about 11pm, from our motel room.

When we were in Auckland 18 months ago, I did the Skywalk, and 

was so excited to have the chance to do it again. The walkway is

192 metres, or 630 feet high, without a handrail. The views are 

breathtaking, and this time I was not even slightly 

nervous - just exhilerated!! 

The Skywalk goes right around the Skytower, and although the wind was

strong on the east and north side, it was VERY strong on the west and 

south side. At times it was difficult to stay upright, and I had to hold on

to my rope. The guides can take up to 6 people on a Walk, 

but this time I was the only person.

The massive crater of Mt Eden, an extinct volcano, overlooking Auckland's

CBD. There is a path around the rim, and John and I did the entire walk.

If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will see tiny black 'spots' on 

the path. They are people, so that will give you a better idea of just how

big the crater is. The views were 360o, and spectacular.

Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a guide at an historic Fort

(Fort Scratchley), in Newcastle, Australia. Before this trip to NZ, I arranged

to visit the Forts guarding Auckland Harbour. I had a wonderful afternoon

with a lovely gentleman from the Society that looks after the Conservation

of those Forts. He is a retired Army Officer, and very generously gave 

me an almost 4 hour private tour, taking me to many places 

that the public never see.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing just a few of my many, many photos...I will return tomorrow night with some more, so until then, take care,

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Coastal Getaway

Hello Fellow Crafters,

I do appear to be on a seaside 'kick', don't I, what with my last post and this one. I am hoping that John does not see this before Father's Day, which is on the first Sunday in September, here in Australia. This image reminds me of the wonderful late spring, and summer I spent in the UK in 1989, much of it in the seaside villages and towns of Cornwall, Devon and many other counties. Many UK residents may remember that it was the warmest summer in several decades

This is the first time this stamp has seen ink. I bought it during our recent trip to New Zealand in a lovely shop, The Papercraft Room, in beautiful Wanganui. It was fun to colour, but kept me busy for ages. I have added 3D Lacquer to the windows of the beach huts, and the glass of the lighthouse. The jury is still out on my choice of designer paper. I am still trying to use up my HUGE collection of peel-off stickers - with a fair stretch of one's imagination, this border peel-off looks like waves.

Several years ago I wanted to add some twine to a card with an old sailing ship image, so surfed the net and came up with here. For the knot on this card, I modified the Carrick Bend knot by using 2 thicknesses of twine, and at times I have even used 3 for a larger knot. I am fond of this knot and have used it on quite a few other cards with a nautical theme. I'm sorry for the 'yucky' colours of the above photo, but I forgot to take a close-up of the knot today when I took the other photos - this one was taken under a lamp placed on the dining table. The cardstock is actually dark blue, on white, and the twine is off-white.

The inside of the card is very basic.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges - 

Daring Cardmakers - 'Get Knotted'

Crafty Catz - 'Anything Goes'

Paper Crafting Journey - 'Anything Goes'

The Squirrel and the Fox - 'The Sea'

Here Come the Boys - 'Boy's Toys' (Boats)

Kenny K's Krafty Krew - 'Sun/Sea/Sand'
Creative Belli - 'Vacation/Travel'

Stamp - Docraft 'Coastal Getaway' by Michael Powell
Paper - DCWV 'Generation Tech'
Colouring - Promarkers
Dies - Spellbinder
Corner Punch - Carl
Twine, Peel-off stickers, 3D Lacquer, from my stash.

Until next time, thank you for looking,
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Catching Up

Hello fellow crafters,

After a 7 week break, I am finally able to get back into my blogging. I didn't realise how much I would miss everything; contact with new friends, entering challenges, and a sense of 'belonging' to a wonderfully talented worldwide 'family'.

So much has happened since my last post, I hardly know where to begin. I guess it should be with the main reason for the break, my health. 2 ultrasounds showed that I had a large kidney stone, that would most likely require surgery. However, the CT scan (being 3D) diagnosed a large, unusual, but benign growth attached to the outer rear wall of my kidney. It will not at this stage require treatment, but will have to be monitored regularly.

The 2nd problem has been with me since childhood, and rears its ugly head now and then. I have a poorly functioning liver, requiring previous surgery, and at one stage, about 10 years ago, my Drs were mentioning the word "transplant" if my blood tests (4 per day, for 10 days) deteriorated much further. I have to have at least annual blood tests, and about 3 months ago my levels started rising again, so tests have become fortnightly. I had another test the morning after we returned home from New Zealand, last Friday, but don't know the results yet.

The 3rd  problem is in the "ladies only department", and despite the fact that my Dr. marked the referral to a consultant "Semi-Urgent", I have had to wait 3 months for an appointment, on 2nd August.

Our 40th wedding anniversary party was a wonderful night to remember, and worth all the stressful preparation. I will show some photos soon, as I did not get many on my camera, but friends have taken some good ones.

New Zealand is a beautiful country, and the people were incredibly friendly and helpful. We hope to go back again next year. We only saw the North Island, but didn't have enough time to stop and relax. In 8 days of driving, we covered 2,860 kms! We may take up rally driving with that record. At least we have a better idea of what is on offer, and will be able to plan accordingly.

This is one of the most exciting experiences of my life. Just hours after arriving in NZ, I went on the Auckland Tower Skywalk. The walkway is 1 metre wide, open mesh, and about 4-5 metres from the wall of the Tower, attached by steel girders. It is 192 metres, or 629.92 feet above the ground, with NO handrails! The views are truly awesome. That white object beside the base of the multi-storey bank building is a bus.

Although John enjoys flying, he preferred to remain on ground level. I had booked my walk several months ago, and it appeared that I would be the only walker, but as I was preparing to be suited/harnessed, a lady from the UK, and an Australian family turned up & asked if they could do the walk that afternoon. The wind was bitterly cold, but it was pure magic watching the sun set on one side of the Tower, and watching the FULL moon rise on the other. I can't wait until I can repeat the experience. It was worth every cent!



We visited the famous geysers and boiling mud pools in Rotorua, and enjoyed an evening of Maori cultural entertainment with a traditional hangi feast. This is the largest geyser, in its early stage of its cycle of building up pressure. It was a spectacular sight and sound when it erupted for us about 1 hour later!

On the morning of our 40th anniversary, we enjoyed a dawn buffet breakfast cruise around beautiful Lake Rotorua, on the Lakeland Queen, an exact replica of a Mississippi paddle steamer. Watching the sunrise over the lake was glorious, even if it was bitterly cold while waiting to board. The breakfast was yummy too, and with so much to choose, I think the steamer was a little lower in the water when we finished.

Still on the subject of food, I almost fainted when I was presented with this dessert, simply called 'Chocolate and Raspberry Cake' on the menu. It should have been called Delicious Death By .......... The main meal was incredible too! A huge melt-in-the-mouth sirloin steak, with enough various, and totally delicious salads, for 2 more meals by themselves. Needless to say, I couldn't finish both main or dessert. All of this was prepared, cooked AND served by a lovely young lady, Dawn. John and I both wanted to just lie on the floor and groan when we finished. You would expect this to be in a top city restaurant, but it was a pub lunch at the Mangatera Hotel in a small town, Dannevirke, between Wellington and Napier.

On our last day, we explored the beautiful Waitomo Glowworm Caves, south of Hamilton. What a magical experience!

Cape Reinga is a very spiritual place for the Maori people. It is the northern-most tip of New Zealand. This photo clearly shows the turbulence created when 2 seas meet. On the right is the Pacific Ocean, and on the left is the Tasman Sea. The shape of the turbulence virtually mirrors the shape of the tip of the peninsular. Breathtakingly amazing!




This has been a long post, hasn't it...sorry, but it was difficult to condense a fabulous holiday into a few photos.


I am trying to catch up on all your gorgeous creations while I have been absent.



Until next time,
Jennifer. x