The colours of Rarotonga

My love of flowers and bursts of colour meant that my senses were thoroughly indulged in Rarotonga. The plant life looks and smells so beautiful, especially the tropical flowers growing in abundance all around the island. My favourite is still the classic white and yellow frangipani but I was also treated to displays of wild hibiscus, hanging heliconia, red ginger and tropical water lilies. Even the foliage is dynamic and colourful.

Here is a selection of photos I took during my holiday. I can't identify all of the flowers but loved finding floral surprises whenever I went walking.

Tulip Sunday - Laura Ranger

Today is National Poetry Day and a range of poetry related activities have been planned all around the country. I thought about which poem I'd like to share ... then remembered the poem that came to mind was already my pick for National Poetry Day in 2009. It's still my favourite, but got me thinking about the appeal of particular poems and led to my selection for this year.

Tulip Sunday was written by a local poet, Laura Ranger, when she was just 6 years old. Her poetry collection, Laura's Poems, was published when I first started teaching and I loved using her writing as models for teaching poetic language - beautiful examples that children could relate to, especially as they were written by another child the same age and Tulip Sunday is a local event marking the start of spring each year. The final two lines of Tulip Sunday have stayed in my mind and remain a wonderful use of child-like personification.

Tulip Sunday by Laura Ranger, age 6

In the Botanical Gardens
bright tulips
spread out
like a yellow tablecloth
on a table with thousands of legs.

Some tulips
have red lips
and dark black eyes.
They bow and curtsy
in the wind.

Apple blossom

Spring is here and we are enjoying an incredibly beautiful day. The sky is clear and the sun is shining. Daffodils and freesias are popping up around the place; such simple pleasures to enjoy. Today, while out walking, I spotted this little tree in full bloom and happily pulled out my camera. Goal #84 for me is take a photo of apple/cherry blossom in spring and simply savour the moment.

For me, apple blossom characterises the start of spring; winter is officially over, and summer will be along shortly. Apparently we're in for a warm, windy spring this year which makes days like today even more special to cherish.

According to the song, "it's cherry pink and apple blossom white", but I think there are many variations of apple blossom with hints of pink in them, too. I suspect this is one of them.

Birthday flowers

Aren't I lucky?
Thank you, sweetie!

Breakfast at sunrise

Yesterday was the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, and the summer solstice. Today, summer well and truly arrived. It is the perfect summer's day today: warm, sunny, clear sky, with the gentlest breeze. I love the time around dawn, when the promise of a new day breaks and all is quiet and calm while the world is bathed in glorious colours. Unfortunately, I'm not a morning person, and thankfully neither is my sweetie, so I don't often get to experience these moments.

This morning, my sweetie and I woke up at 5am, packed up a picnic breakfast, and drove across town to watch the sunrise. Wellington is special in that you can see the sun both rise and set over water, and only a ten minute drive away from each other. We knew we had to be there by around 5.45am to catch the sun coming up over the south coast. Today's goal had a bit more significance, though, and I had someone special to complete it with: #35 - Watch the sun rise.

We were celebrating watching the sunrise (kind of) exactly one year ago, except last year we didn't get up early for it. Instead, we hadn't made it home from a Christmas party the night before. Let's just say that Santa was good to me in 2007 and I got the best present for Christmas: my sweetie!

I was very spoilt (again) this morning; these were hiding in my sweetie's car overnight:

I have now finished work for the year. I have a project to complete once someone sends me the content, and will potter away at it gradually, but I am looking forward to the next 2 1/2 weeks like you wouldn't believe. I went to the library this afternoon and am now armed and ready for the holidays. We are going out for dinner tonight. Life is good.

Happy anniversary, sweetie. xxx ooo

Spring flowers

In Christchurch on Thursday and Friday, I noticed that thousands of daffodils had been planted around the perimeter of Hagley Park in the city, and they were on their way towards blooming. Christchurch is known as the Garden City of New Zealand and there are scores of beautiful gardens in and around the city. It was lovely to see the spring flowers starting to bloom through all the cold and rain.

I went looking for daffodils to buy last Monday on the first day of spring, but couldn't quite find any ready for blooming. Today, back in Wellington, it is a gorgeous spring day and I've just been for a walk in the sun. Along the way, I saw buckets of daffodils for sale, and that meets goal #93 - Buy daffodils/freesias just because it's spring. I'll go hunting for freesias another time.


I also bought a discounted copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows today, in preparation for goal #67, which I am really looking forward to starting.

Flowers make me smile

I've been very spoilt. :-)

Thank you, sweetie. You've made my day special. :-)

Flowers from my sweetie

Aren't they pwetty?

Lucky me!