Heck.
Our happy 'visitors from the UK Party' is nearly over already.
Parents due to depart Sunday and it feels like only yesterday we were excited by their arrival. Time can be cruel, yet extremely rewarding. We have had some beautiful times over the last few weeks and we have done heaps, been places we never imagined and bonded like never before.
So as you can imagine we have been spending some quality time with my parents but felt it was time to update whats been going on, the last mammoth post on the South Island feels like forever ago already!
So where have we been? Where haven't we been would probably be a quicker post!
Oriental Parade has been one of ours favourite places to visit. Its a gorgeous part of the city that has an amazing sandy beach. We had a really nice walk, paddle, play and relax!
We have been to Days Bay a few times, my parents really taking a liking to the stunning suburb. One day we went for lunch at The Chocolate Frog and a walk on the beach which impressed my parents immensely.
The next time we went we took a walk along the track on the Pencarrow Coast Road which runs alongside the beach all the way to Pencarrow Lighthouse. We were blasted by the horrendous winds that battered Wellington, which made for an interesting walk! 
Along the way we found some Green Lipped Mussels, now come on New Zealand....who eats things that are this big????
Wednesday night we were invited to dinner at Jo and Lewis's house. Jo and Lewis cooked some typical kiwi tucker; a roast lamb dinner. Their hospitality and generosity was greatly appreciated, we had the most amazing time. Jo of course finished the meal with her signature desert, and this time it was a Pavlova - it was utterly gorgeous! It is so wonderful to not only have amazing friends but to be able to share them with my parents was such a beautiful experience. 
On the way back from Jo's house it was nearing sunset, we sat and watched the sunset over the Red Rocks - how we miss that view. 
We have been to the Zoo too! We spent a fantastic morning wandering round seeing all the animals. Bethy and I go all the time and so it was special to be able to show my parents one of our most loved places. They got to see animals they didn't last time, view the new Savannah exhibition and even (the first time for us too) we heard the lions roar throughout the whole Zoo - scary stuff! 
The Lady Norwood Rose Gardens was also a location I knew my parents would like, we visited last year and it stuck in their mind as a beautiful place, and rightly so. Again this time the roses were out in full bloom, we toured the Bergonia House and took a stroll through the tranquil Botanical Gardens. 
So that's it, the weeks have flown over like never before, right now I hate to put a downer on the magical time we have had but I am struggling to imagine them not here again. It's been a long long year without them and its been a difficult one emotionally. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' they say. My heart doesn't need the absence to be honest...
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