Family holiday in South Island, New Zealand

What a lovely family you have Sheila. I can now understand even better your disappointment at not being able to see them again until 2016. The grandchildren are adorable....as all grandparents know.
Super photos too. They live in a beautiful country.
Roll on 2016 xx

Wow, Sheila... that's a wonderful trip ... and so many special photos as souvenirs.

You have a lovely family ... and thanks for sharing the superb scenery and pretty gardens. xxx

Sheila, I cannot put into words how beautiful it is out there
Breathtaking scenery.
I loved meeting you and your lovely family too.

What a fabulous place - well worth the long plane journey just for the scenery, but with a family like that it must be hard to keep away! What a pleasure this blog is - thank you.

Thank you Julia, Terra, Chris and Sue for your lovely comments. Yes, we felt lucky to share their holiday: it was a perfect arrangement, and great getting to know the little girls. A very happy time :))

Incredible! Would love to go. And what a bonus finding that gorgeous garden with Trout Stream!! Imagine! What is Mike and Gabby's connection to Wanaka Sheila? Did they honeymoon there perhaps? What a beautiful place to spend a few miserable autumn months away from the UK!

You've only got to look at those fab photos to see why people want to go to live there , the scenery is fantastic How wonderful to be spending time with your beautiful granddaughters Chiara & Francesca you will have some lovely memories of a fantastic holiday when you come home Sheila ,the garden is a delight and so nice of the couple to allow you to look round it .. Thanks for showing ,my cousin is moving house next week in the North Island ...

What a lovely blog beautiful family and a fabulous place to live it must have been hard to say goodbye to them .

Fabulous photos and a beautiful spot for you to meet your lovely family. Good to see you in the pictures as well. Thanks for sharing.

What lovely scenery and lovely grandchildren.
And 6 kinds of Scone?? Even better!!!

If I went on a trip 'downunder'its always New Zealand thats tempts me.......a cousin emigrated many years ago and settled easily there, its so beautiful.....as are your lovely family xxx

I' m glad you enjoyed your holiday in New Zealand . It is a wonderful country. Your grand daughter is gorgeous. My son and family lived in NZ before they went to live in Tasmania. Their youngest son Caleb was born near Auckland on a paradise island called Waiheke Island.
So your photos have bought back great memories of our visit and tour of NZ.
Marjorie

Karen, thanks - I knew you'd love it! Mike lived in Queenstown (an hour from Wanaka) for 3 years before he moved to Melbourne, so got to know the area really well.

Amy, thank you very much. Yes, one of our best holidays ever! Have you visited NZ yet?

Kidsgran - thanks. Yes, hard to say goodbye, but now we know that Chiara will know us so much better when we Skype.

Paul, thanks. Scones did feature quite highly - irresistible when they're freshly baked!

Pam - thanks so much. You must go . . there's nowhere quite like NZ.

Marjorie - thank you. Glad you have been there and seen the country; have you visited Tasmania too?

What lovely, lovely photos, Sheila - they brought tears to my eyes... You had such a lovely time, so precious. Our granddaughter is 7 months, and will be spending one day a week here when Natalie (d-i-l) returns to work in the Spring. I just know OH will be her willing slave! What a wonderful place it looks, as well, - so beautiful.

Awww thanks Susanne. Yes, the holiday was a real treat. Does your granddaughter live nearby? So much easier to take care of little ones if you're a familiar face :)

We've not been yet Sheila I have cousins in N.Z also Australia my father use to go often when he was alive and always said he would have live there if he had been younger !

Beautiful Place. I could easily transplant there, lol!

Thanks Paul . . . I guess many of us wouldn't mind living there. The 'kiwis' take a great pride in their space, and keep the streets tidy and make a feature of their front gardens. They are so friendly, which makes it a very relaxing place for a holiday. Give it a go!

Ooh Sheila, how beautiful it all looks! Incredibly stunning scenery with the snow capped mountains, I can almost feel that clean cool air, it does look a really healthy place to live and bring up those gorgeous granddaughters of yours! What a lovely pic of you and baby Frankie, I don't have to leave grandchildren when I visit Jim, it must break your heart! Chiara is so big now, hasn't time flown....lovely family you have and a fabulous place for you to keep on visiting. X

I just my do that. I've visited Auckland for a couple months and the people were wonderful. thank you.

They don't live far away, Sheila, and we see quite a lot of them. I know Natalie will be bringing Lenora here frequently after Christmas. Andrew works just a mile away from here, so he'll be dropping Lenora off on his way to work on "my" days.

Thank you so much Janey. Yes, the air is incredibly clean and healthy. The family actually live in Melbourne, but this is definitely their favourite place for a holiday (this was their third), and who can blame them! I'm glad your own grandchildren aren't too far away.

That sounds good Susanne :)

Fabulous pics Sheila, your family are lovely too:-) New Zealand looks a wonderful place to visit, so beautiful, it must affect the nature of its inhabitants. Did the couple who welcomed you into their garden do the gardening still or have help? What a fantastic garden:-)

Frankie looks so angelic - almost like a little cherub and obviously very content.

ooooh that view from your window.........breathtaking, wonderful blog Sheila & fab photos. :)

Ooops sorry Klahanie - missed you, but thank you for your comment!

Thanks Ba: although we had a brief chat with the elderly couple, we didn't ask that question, but I certainly hope they have help.

You're right Paul - Frankie is a very contented baby. :)

Hi Gill! Thank you . . . yes, we were so lucky, and it was such a happy holiday, with treasured memories.

What a lovely blog this is Sheila ... grandchildren are gorgeous ... so too is the scenery! Thanks for sharing your wonderful time in NZ on GoY ... :o))

Thank you Shirley. It really was a happy holiday - so lovely to spend time with the family in gorgeous surroundings :))