Travel

Beetroot Quinoa with Haloumi (Cable Bay inspired)

Beetroot Quinoa with Haloumi… Hang on, let me sit the scene.

We had a girls’ weekend away in Auckland recently and we did a day trip to Waiheke Island.  Astonishingly, three out of the five of us either live, or have lived, in Auckland…Yet only one person had been there! Crazy!  

Waiheke Island totally exceeded my expectations – it’s utterly gorgeous, really quaint with an abundance of things to do.  If it wasn’t for the Kiwi accent, money number plates and Auckland glistening in the distance, I’d have sworn I was in a different country.

Our day consisted of shopping and eating (did you expect anything less?) and one of the highlights was our trip to Cable Bay vineyard. Here, upon arrival, after a long hot walk uphill to get there, we collapsed into chairs on the verandah and swiftly ordered a couple of bottles of vino and a bunch of food to share.  Oh my God – my tastebuds were in heaven.  All of it was top notch.  

There was one dish in particular that had all of us in heaven – beetroot quinoa with haloumi.  My friend Diane and I (possibly more of a foodie than me), launched into a “pick that flavour” frenzy, with the goal of me having a crack at re-creating it.   Clearly, as you are reading this blog post, I succeeded and I’m rapt with the result!  So here we go, Cable Bay inspired beetroot qunioa with halloumi.  This is on my Christmas Day menu for 2015 (I’ve got nothing else in mind so far apart from my Damn Yummy Christmas Ham!). (more…)

Rarotonga – Embracing Island Time

My favourite photo.
My favourite photo.

Raro. The capital of the Cook Islands, a Pacific island holiday destination that’s 32km in circumference and more-or-less a hop skip-and-a-jump from NZ. It’s also the name of a powdered flavored juice Mum used to make up for us when we kids (that I wouldn’t touch now on account of the sugar content).

Late September saw three of us, my Mum, my son and I, winging over to Raro (or Rarotonga as it’s officially known) for a five night holiday to rest, relax, replenish, but not shop, coz’, frankly, there’s nothing to buy. Hubby stayed home on account of work and to keep an eye on the cat.

We’ve been to Rarotonga before, five years ago, for Christmas. The whole family went that last time, including my brother and his best mate (my brother’s girlfriend was supposed to come but they broke up before the trip, the flight was non –refundable, but transferable, so Ben came instead). Oh, and Trevor from next-door came too. We’ve always had the kind of family where hangers-on are encouraged and welcomed: They spice things up and make life more interesting. That trip was most memorable for me as we left NZ on 21 of December, which happens to be my birthday. Then, bonus, on account of crossing the International Date Line, we arrived on 20 December. I milked that. (more…)

My Holiday Makeup Bag – a Sneaky Peak

My holiday makeup bagI love reading ‘What’s in my makeup bag?’ articles from other bloggers so I thought “why not do one of my own?”

If you follow me on Facebook you’ll know that I just can’t pack light  in the makeup department. I try: But I really struggle….Well, I’ll have you know: I dug really deep packing for my holiday to Rarotonga and challenged myself to be sensible! Here’s what I packed.   Note:  I’m mindful that whilst I may have packed light for me, the makeup I’m taking on holiday is probably still the contents of a lot of people’s entire makeup collection! Oh well, a girl has to have a passion in life.

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Weekend away in Windy Wellington

SAMSUNG CSCHubby, not prone to romantic gestures, took the bull by the horns recently and declared that we were heading to Wellington for the weekend – no kid allowed. He even jacked up a babysitter (amen for grandparents). I didn’t need to be asked twice. I was there: With bells on. Wellington, despite the bad rap it frequently gets for its often undesirable weather, is hands down my favorite city in NZ and I reckon it’s well-deserving of the nickname ‘the coolest little capital in the world”. I know that the weather is what people traditionally go on holiday for and I can completely understand why! I have dropped a few hints about going somewhere hot, maybe in a private jet to add to the style points, we rarely get to treat ourselves, so to even do this is brilliant. I love Wellington’s energy, the hum of activity and I feel that no matter who you are, you’ll find your special place in Wellington. It’s been so long since we’ve got away without the kids. Although, we have got a stay booked for just the two of us at one of the villas in barbados. I can’t wait! (more…)

Eating like a king – In Palmerston North (NZ)

Barista – This was a Monday night!

A few weeks ago a colleague and I went on a work trip to Palmerston North. I have to fess up: Apart from the opportunity to catch-up with lovely colleagues and partake in some mall-based shopping, a visit to Palmy doesn’t usually make my heart soar with excitement. John Cleese was much less diplomatic when he visited in 2005. He said ‘If you ever do want to kill yourself, but lack the courage, I think a visit to Palmerston North will do the trick.’ Ouch. Incidentally, Palmy North town got their own revenge by naming a rubbish dump after him.

Well, after our visit my foodie colleague and I reckon John got it wrong. He can’t have gone out for dinner. Nope, he must have eaten in his hotel room and ordered tough steak and soggy chips from room service. By contrast, we were blown away by the eateries we experienced in Palmerston North. Actually we are trying to engineer another few days in the good ‘old Manawatu to sample more splendid tucker. (more…)

Koh Samui: Shopping, Cooking Schools, Tailor Made Clothes & More! (Part 2)

Typical pricelist at a beachfront massage (when we went NZ$1 = 24 Thai Baht
Typical pricelist at a beachfront massage (when we went NZ$1 = 24 Thai Baht

Here is part 2 of ‘Kicking Back in Koh Samui’: Cooking schools, massage, partying, shopping, technology and how to pay for stuff! I have just realised my DREAM JOB in writing this: Taking small groups of lovely ladies to Koh Samui and being their tour guide! I can just imagine them getting off of one the bus services like Phantip Travel that run from Phuket to Koh Samui and showing them around this fantastic place. The only way this could have been even more perfect if I were on the beaches of Koh Tao which isn’t far from Koh Samui, but just cause I’m not enjoying that beautiful view doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the scenery from Bangkok to Koh Tao. I knew my degree in Tourism Management would come in handy some day! (more…)

Kicking back in Koh Samui (part 1)

Our view from our breakfast table
Our view from our breakfast table

Looking for a one stop overseas destination that’ll offer everything? Adrenaline opportunities? Foodie paradise? Somewhere you can seriously relax and get away from it all? What about amazing tropical weather so you can return home with a kick butt tan? Well, I personally don’t think you can beat Thailand’s Koh Samui. Our family holiday there was so amazing I’ve (uncharacteristically) struggled with the words to do this paradise justice. Also I’ve got so much to say I’m going to have to divide my narration into two parts! Here’s part one. (more…)

Bangkok – Shop till you drop…

MBK - Eight floors of bargain happiness
MBK – Eight floors of bargain happiness

Bangkok, up until our holiday in July, was never a destination I’ve felt a burning desire to visit. Now the capital city of the ‘Land of Smiles’, named after it’s grinning (and often toothless) residents, sits firmly at the top of my ‘Really Want To Go Back There’ list. Hot, sticky, loud, crazy and stinky in parts, Bangkok was everything Hubby and I expected – and more. Three days simply wasn’t long enough and I was really sad to leave. (more…)