Birthday Week

This last week was my birthday, and, as luck would have it I came down with a nasty virus! As people who know me well I don't "do" unwell - so my day wasn't the best.


However now I am over it and did a spot of shopping today with my birthday present from my lovely mother-in-law. Ladies who visit Haven Homestay will be thrilled to learn that shopping in the Birkenhead area is fab!. We have the loveliest gift shops with out of the ordinary items to buy. My current fav is Crave. Jude the owner has the most divine taste! Todays purchase (with my birthday money) is the pictured Eelskin coin purse. I have been coveting this for some time and every visit to the shop I hold it and wish it were mine-now it is.

Enough now I must go and stir the Tikka Masala as my lovely husband has just come home...

Gone Home!

Well our lovely guests have now left for home!
Hopefully, in fact, I am sure that they have left with many memories of the great time they had visiting New Zealand.
The week before their departure we managed a trip to Rotorua. We stayed on the shores of the lake and managed to cram in many sights and even a tattoo from the Living Maori Village. I am sure it will be displayed with great pride. The little girls had a great time and saw lots of our wildlife and enjoyed a trip on the famous luge, which was a highlight for them.
The day before leaving we took them on a journey up the East Coast beaches as it was a lovely bright sunny day. They were stunned to put it mildly that we have so many empty clean beaches literally minutes away. We ended up at Long Bay for a last swim and sunbathe before their departure.
We had a lovely time being B&B hosts for the first time and hope that our business will take off in a very short time.
Now its time to change the linen in preparation for the next guests...............

A Lovely days outing

Saturday February 26 was another lovely day. We woke early and were out of the house by 9am- quite a feat for us!
We headed northwards, travelling for about 45 minutes to Matakana. A small settlement renown for its Saturday Farmers Market and Morris and James Pottery. We were there quite early so it wasn't too crowded and we managed a good look around the market, sampling yummy things as we went. After collecting a few things for a picnic we carried on up the road to Leigh.. Ten minutes later we are down at Goat Island, a marine reserve just teeming with fish.
The little girls were very excited about going out on the glass bottomed boat, and it turned out to be a lovely trip. A few days earlier there had been some unsettled weather which had churned the bottom up so our view of the fish wasn't as awesome as it might have been, but we still saw plenty of marine life. After our picnic we set off again to our favourite beach at Tawharanui. We all had a marvelous time in the surf and returned home happy and hungry.
We are so fortunate to have these beautiful places on our doorstep, we musn't forget to go more regularly,
Anyhow better get on and get the guests fed.................