17/04/2024
A photographical insight into where I’ve been for the last two weeks! It’s been a busy but happy time catering for 45 Auckland University students on 2 separate frieldtrips. The first 4 days were spent only a few kilometres up the road, at the Kauaeranga Education camp, located in the beautiful Kauaeraga Forest Park and just a stones throw from the start of the Pinnacles walk. Students on this field trip were studying plants and spent most of the day in the bush collecting data and learning about our native forest. We started each day bright and early at 0630 with a Jennifer Darling led yoga session on the deck, followed by a hearty breakfast with homemade bread, porridge, stewed fruit, Jennifers homemade muesli and preserves, and even bacon on the last day. Then the students headed out for the day with a packed lunch on board, leaving me to potter around in the ‘off the grid’ kitchen, using the gas hobs and the huge grill plate to prepare a tasty dinner. Always a great experience I love this clean and rustic camp with its huge fireplace and picturesque outlook.
Just one day to turn everything around I then made the journey up to Whatipu, one of my favourite spots in Auckland. The lodge is very well run, cute and cozy and I have electricity this time! A new group of students, this time birds are on the menu, (to study that is) including the Grey-Faced Petrel which has a colony in the enormous caves along the coast. Another glorious four days catering for these happy students, more yoga, this time in the afternoon on the grass under the trees, and time to wander down to the remote and wild black sand beach (the only cell reception to be had which I must admit is quite lovely). On the second evening we all trooped down to the caves, once famous for ballroom dance parties, one of them apparently has a built in dance floor now obscured under the black sand. After our cave visit we sat silently in the dark in the long grass, quiet as church mice waiting for the arrival of the Petrels, mutton birds to some. Alas they didn’t arrive but it was still a fun evening.
Back to Thames I have just 1/2 a day this time to turn things around, which includes a small corporate catering at the Thames on Kirkwood event centre, then I’m off to the shorebird centre in Miranda. Here I catered for a small group of 8, spending the weekend in Pukorokoro to learn Nature Journalling with Whanganui author and botanical artist Sandra Morris. A short 2.5 day stint, the weather is beautiful the mood relaxed and happy. Life is good, and despite the go go go nature of my business, I do believe I’m living the dream!
