Visa Wellington on a Plate

Has it been eight years? Apparently it has.

Eight years ago the three-day-a-week PR gig I was doing included launching Welli's annual calorific extravaganza. Tomorrow night I am invited to the launch of the eighth year's programme.

Launch night is always a fun night with, unsurprisingly, delicious food and wine, so I'm certainly looking forward to it.

#Wherethehelldid8yearsgo?

A stunning view

Spent of some of Sunday afternoon at this cute wee studio in Brooklyn for an interior magazine, marvelling at the views and what can be done with a bit of cash and oodles of imagination. Seriously cute.

(Pic credit: R Thurston)

Bristol

I lived there for 14 months, named my dog after it and today my story on the South-Western UK city is published in the Flight Centre blog (click here to read).

  

On top of the world

My opinion piece about NZ being the best country in the world (by a country mile) is published in this month's NEXT Magazine (click here to read).

 

My Space

My story on the lovely Grant Lyon, guardian of the MT Vic Innermost Gardens and his six-tonne living seat, is published in this month's North & South Magazine (click here to read).

  

Lake Louise

Rewind two weeks to our Adventure World media trip to the STUNNING hamlet of Lake Louise, in Banff National Park.

Famous for its turquoise glacier-fed lake that's hemmed in by snow-dusted peaks, we were dumbfounded by the greedy beauty that filled every window of the gorgeous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, the kind of hotel I want to live in forever (I defy you not to start checking out flights when you click on this link).

Apologies for ODing on the scenery photos but can you blame me? Seriously, that view never, ever gets tired...

  

India story

My travel piece on last year's Adventure World media famil to India is published in this month's NEXT Magazine (click here to read).

 

Home - and Seoul

We left NYC at noon on Sunday and arrived in Welli at 10am Tuesday. Somewhere along the way we crossed the international date line and lost Monday.

Even though we're both shattered, the Animator drove up to the bach to collect the furry one who has been on his own wee adventures.

It is back to work for me tomorrow - and of course I'm now battling a cold (gotta love long-haul flights - someone coughs in one part of the plane and everyone gets a cold).

In the meantime, here's a story of mine from last week's NZ Woman's Weekly on Seoul (click here to read).

Today's visual is, what else, but the gorgeous one.

   

A New York State of Mind

We have had a fabulous few days, criss-crossing Manhattan and Brooklyn and eating, drinking and shopping more than should be allowed by state law.

Yesterday started with the madness that is Times Square - that place gets crazier each time I visit. Later, while waking through Central Park, the heavens opened so we popped into the ever excellent Met (the last time we visited this behemoth of a museum, the Animator was asked not to take photos of the Maori carvings).

We further topped up our culture register with a visit to MOMA. Or at least tried to. It appears we are the only ones in the Tri-state area unaware that Friday nights are free at this flagship museum which features more than 200,000 pieces of modern and contemporary art. Trying to see works by Degas, Picasso and Mondrian is no easy feat when hundreds are trying to do the same.

We had better luck today at the Brooklyn/Fort Greene Flea Market - I found a vintage map and an old school bottle opener the Animator has been after for ages (don't ask). I love Brooklyn and next time I visit NYC will be staying there.

Tomorrow at noon we fly from Newark to LA - and after a few hours' wait will hop on the big silver bird for the 12 hour schlep to Auckland. And then the one hour hop to Wellington.

See you on the other side.

The Brooklyn/Fort Greene Flea Market:

          

A good day for a birthday

Thanks for the birthday emails and texts - I had the most wonderful day in the most wonderful city.

After a much-needed sleep-in, we caught the subway to Brooklyn for brunch and wandered around the waterfront, taking a zillion photos. And then we walked back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge, taking in the sunshine and the glorious views of the Statue of Liberty and the famous skyline.

Later we visited the 9/11 Memorial, the new World Trade Centre buildings and the astonishing Oculus transportation hub. Last time I was here, the site of the former Twin Towers was but a hole in the ground. Now it sports several skyscrapers and two watery memorials which bear the names of all those who died in the terrorist attacks. A sobering point in an otherwise fun-filled day.

One more subway ride and we were at Grand Central Station, one of my favourite places in Gotham (the architecture always makes me lose my mind).And then dinner and a glass of bubbles near our hotel in Mid-town.

A brilliant way to take the sting out of being a year older...

        

NEW YORK

I've had what the kids call an 'epic fail'. Thanks to an unfortunate mash-up of limited time and rubbish hotel internet, I have yet to document our final day on the Rocky Mountaineer, or the gorgeousness of Jasper, Lake Louise or Banff. Or the four nights we spent in fabulous Toronto.

I promise to play catch-up next week when we are home. In the meantime, we flew into the Big Apple this morning. It's been a few years since I was last in my favourite city in the whole world.
Someone thoughtfully turned on the sun before we arrived and we had the best afternoon wandering around the beautiful High Line and meandering around the streets near our Midtown hotel.

It's good to be back.

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Snow - and a grizzly bear!

An early start from Jasper for the drive to the mind-blowing Columbia Icefield, in the heart of The Rocky Mountains World Heritage Site. Where it was SNOWING!!! Three days ago we were soaking up 28 degree temperatures in Vancouver like wasps and today we are flinging snowballs at each other..

Later, we hopped aboard an Ice Explorer (shades of Ice Road Truckers) which took us up to the Athabasca Glacier. Did I also mention it was snowing? It was wild.

Late afternooon, as we drove to Lake Louise, someone spotted this baby grizzly bear just casually doing whatever it is grizzlies do. Apologies for the poor photo but I was asleep and those bears move fast.

And this is the view from our window at the stunning Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Sometimes, just sometimes, I love my life.