With Summer just around the corner I have recently been looking over some of the wonderful Artwork we currently have in the stores and have found myself thinking how some of these works have the ability to invoke memories in me.
I guess I am not the only person that this happens too… isn’t it amazing how we can get a connection with a piece of art and how it can remind us of a place or time in our lives, maybe subconsciously this is why we are drawn to a certain piece.
Here are a couple of pieces that I have been thinking of lately and I would like to share some of my memories with you of what our summers are all about for me, Melanie-Jane, Frankie and Milana…. that is our Beaches, the Water, the Sun and the roadtrips… the staple of most of our lives right?
Strangely this reminds me of all of the times I have visited a super special little beach when we are at my parents home in Coopers Beach. The tree itself could be in a million locations around NZ, standing as a lone sentry over a little patch of paradise.
Sadly, it is almost a year since my father passed and we will no longer be able to visit this spot with him but then I do think myself lucky that Mum, myself, Melanie-Jane and the kids can still enjoy this little piece of paradise in the far north! Oh and it’s a perfect spot for Ziggy to come for his daily walk that can also include swim as well, he loves being able to run through the grass and down into the water, he chases any stick we throw out for him, although being a terrier his retrieval skills is sorely missing, however he does love to return back to us all just to shake his wet fur all over us.
Sorry but you will need to find this little patch of paradise yourself…
Since I was 12 years old I have regular travelled to Piha to pursue my love of surfing…. Lion Rock is the anchor point for me, once at the bottom of the hill do I go left to south Piha or right to north?….
For me the whole experience is what surfing is about, the journey out, the expectation of what the waves will be like, sitting in the water give you an inner peace that can I can share with friends and on the odd occasion with Frankie and her crew…..The last few years I have converted to being a longboard enthusiast… the easy to paddle out, the slow take offs, the mellow riding, I have to admit I recently picked up a new shortboard and cant wait to really get it cranking!!!!
I have always loved when the waves are about shoulder to head high wave, one of my favourite spots at Piha is straight out from the helicopter pad. During summer the banks peel both to the left and to the right… paradise when there is only 10 of you out. It seems I usually only hit South Piha on a weekday, usually around dawn before the crowds arrive. The Bar is known for its grinding left hander but recently on smaller days there has been a little right hander into the bay, but don’t tell anyone its a secret!
Another passion of mine is to escape on one of my paddle-boards, yes I have a couple, whether it is flat water or a knee high surf at Orewa it is a great time out from a busy day. I have to admit not enough time has been spent paddling this year. When you are on the water it is so peaceful and although I usually paddle with other people can bring a sense of solitude and is so super relaxing.
This piece reminds me of a day a friend and I set off from Takapuna beach, headed out past Oneils Reef and Minnehaha beach, past Milford, we stopped for a swim just off Kennedy Park, Caster Bay. We then turned around and paddled all the way down to Narrow Neck beach. The water was warm and clear, the occasional stingray passed underneath, fish darted left and right… it was absolute bliss…. you might start to figure that being on the water is one of my happy places.
Summer for us is is all about the Road trips, getting out and discovering our incredible country. It could be about us travelling around NZ to then plonk our selves at a beach or maybe visiting family and friends…. our road trips always have 2 components, first it is about the journey and what we can find along the way but also its about the destination. Peter’s piece evokes in me the memories a few years ago when we had the privilege to be connected with Melanie-Jane and the kids Marae - Hiruharama, located just south of Ruatoria. This piece reminds both of the road trip and the destination.
We had a fantastic roadie that took a couple days to get there, stopping for a night at Awakeri Motor Camp to break the journey for fish and chips and a soak in the hot pools….( it was a few years ago so the Kids are very young, Melanie doesn't age… ever!) We then headed around the East Cape on the Pacific Coast Highway… highly recommended. Passing by beautiful places like Te Kaha, Hicks Bay, stopping in Te Araroa to gather our final thoughts about the week ahead… then arriving with 20 minutes to spare before the Powhiri to welcome us to the Marae….. the next 5 days was spent soaking up the amazing love of the people, their passion and enthusiasm to help us connect and Whakapapa back to the Marae.
Get out and see the country everyone!!!! We live in Paradise with incredible scenery, natural beauty and fantastic people!!!!
So, where do you think your summer will take you this year???
