While we were living in Australia we became very caught up in “life.” Between soccer , Nippers and just being a somewhat social family we found ourselves rarely leaving town.  When our two years came to an end I had very few regrets, but I did wish that we had seen more of the country.

There are a few other factors that make travel in Australia a bit more complicated than I would have liked. The first is the extremely long distances from one place to another. The second factor is the cost. For example, one weekend  my friend Stephanie and I traveled a few hours up the cost and after looking around for a place to have dinner, it seemed our options were to pay $40 a meal each or eat at a greasy poor quality fish & chips shop. We opted for the cheap fish and chips. It was memorable, because I was with one of my best friends, but the meal was nothing to write home about. The last factor was lack of availability of accommodations. Since most of the country was on the same school schedule, you needed to book a holiday months in advance or you were left with the option of a $250 a night for a 3 star dingy motel. We tried that option once and let’s just say, it didn’t work out so well.

Upon arriving in New Zealand, I promised myself that I would do anything in my power to make sure we saw more of the country. This being the Queen’s Birthday weekend I planned a getaway for me and the family to Wellington. It did involve Nuno missing a soccer game, but I figure he’s 5. His team would cope. My darling husband did a fair amount of wingeing at the prospect of driving to Wellington for the weekend, but I told him I’d go with or without him. I am glad to report he joined us.

Before I post about our trip, let me share with you a sculpture Nuno created in honor of the Queen’s birthday.