Saturday, August 18, 2012

My Happy Place 2012

Yes it was that time of the year, when it is freezing cold, wet and plain miserable here in Wellington so the urge is huge to escape to somewhere hot.  We save so hard each year so that we can have a family holiday in Fiji.  This was our 4th visit and it truly is My Happy Place.  I think it was about 10 degrees when we flew out of Wellington and 29 degrees when we arrived in Nadi.  Aaaaahh - delicious warmth.  No more socks, no more woolly jumpers, no rain coats - just sun screen, swimming togs, sunhats and jandals.  Oh and a stack of books!  Bliss.
I know these photos probably look exactly the same as the ones I posted last year, but for me they hold a whole new batch of memories.  These images are stored in my mind and remembered on grotty cold days which seem to last forever.
So I'm sure by the end of this post you will be sick of seeing coconut palms, pretty swimming pools and the odd cocktail!  As for me, I can't get enough of it!!!  I should say now that many of you will have images in your mind of Fiji being white sandy beaches and clear seas.  Well that is indeed a lot of Fiji but as I am not a huge fan of the ocean (maybe Jaws put me off?), we stay in a part of Fiji that has beaches more like NZ but the resort facilities are amazing.  And while our small folk are small, this is the place for us.  Families are catered for so wonderfully.  Any place that can remember your children year after year is a hit with me.  The children get huge hugs from the staff every time they go into the restaurant - it melts my heart.  And the fact that unlike here in NZ, and many other places in the world I am sure, the Fijian people seek eye contact so they can say Bula, well it's hard not to have a smile on your face constantly with that level of friendliness.  In the week following our return to Wellington I definitely find the odd Bula pops out of my mouth when I walk past a stranger!!
By absolute fluke this year it turned out that we were on holiday at the same time as some friends of ours.  We had a 3 or 4 day crossover which meant our small folk had some familiar faces to play with and they happily went to the wonderful kids club for a morning session together - crab hunting, coconut boat building and generally having a total wow of a time.  So for a few morning hours, the grown ups were treated to some well deserved adult-only pool time.  Aaaahh the serenity!!!  A bit of chat, a bit of reading, a bit of swimming to cool off - just perfect.
The day before our friends left, the children asked to stay for a longer kids club session so it seemed only right that as it wasn't the morning anymore we could treat ourselves to a poolside cocktail.  That's Juanita on the left looking brown as a berry and me on the right with the so-white-they-are-almost-lavendar legs!  I had started the whole fake tan regime but after discovering a line down the back of one leg I gave up and decided to embrace my natural colour this time.  I can honestly say though - I would rather be brown!!!  Oh well, next time maybe.
Cooling off in the pool.

  Oh look - another pretty pool shot - are you bored yet?  Well the story changes here slightly ....
I think I jinxed it because I told my husband before we went away that we'd had a great run over the years of perfect weather and good health.  Other friends have holidayed here and ended up room-bound with sick children or cyclones.  So I said we should be prepared for things to go pear-shaped ...... and they did ........ big time.  It started with a bit of rain.  The expected rainfall for the whole month of July is meant to be one day maximum.  But not this year, we had rain for 4 days.  Not constant, but enough to make lying by the pool a no go.  It was still hot so the swimming pool was still played in and adventures were still had.
But then one morning we were out walking and this lovely innocent wooden walk way (this pic was taken on a dry day), mixed with my not so grippy jandals meant I ended up here ......
Yep, I fell.  Really badly.  I still don't know how I did it but both legs went out from under me and I landed straight down on my bottom.  I knew I'd done something bad when I couldn't get up easily.  So a doctor had to be called and the whole family was loaded into a taxi for an afternoon at a Nadi medical centre.   After lots of x-rays it was great to find out that there were no fractures to my tail bone but boy-oh-boy was it painful.  I couldn't sit or lie down - and wouldn't you know it that on this particular holiday - sitting down or lying down are the two things I do best!!!  This is where I should add lots of swear words but I won't!  So that was the end of enjoying a relaxing poolside atmosphere.   Hopefully we can visit again next year as I feel totally and utterly ripped off this year.  Who wants to hurt themselves on the 4th day of there holiday - grrrrrrrrr.  Anyway.... 
I was still able to walk so at least I wasn't room bound.  And I could still swim with the children - it was just the sitting bit that was not a go-er.    Poor kids, having to put up with such a grumpy mum because she hadn't slept and was beyond tired. 
 
The plane journey home was a bit uncomfy.  Thankfully this year we had booked to fly direct to Wellington which added another hour to the flight but at least there was no sitting around at Auckland airport waiting for connections.  As much as I hate a holiday ending, it's always lovely to get home, especially to see Bella.  We all miss our furry girl so much.
Back to Wellington - and a chilly 11 degrees.  No more jandals, no more shorts - where are those woolly jumpers? 
So until next time - farewell Fiji.  I can't wait to visit again.  In the meantime this photo is now in my memory and I hope to replicate this scene in 360 odd days time.  Fingers crossed anyway.

I should end by saying that I am definitely on the mend and can sit a lot easier now!  Which means I'll be able to get my crochet hook out again - boy have I missed it.  I have a million plans in my head of things I want to make so I'd better get cracking and decide what to do.

Ange - I'm sending you all my love.  You know why.

See you again soon,
Leah
xxxx

32 comments:

  1. Hello Leah
    what rotten bad luck!!!
    so sorry to hear you've been in the wars as my Gran would have called it and mucked up such a fantastic holiday. The wooden path must have been wet....was it????
    Hope you are feeling much better now ???

    Amanda :-)

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  2. What a beautiful tropical paradise! Fiji is to you as Oahu is to me.
    My gosh, I can't believe you had to make a trip to the ER. Thank goodness nothing was broken. Hope your bum's better now.

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  3. Oh boy that place looks amazing! I would love to go there, especially in the winter like you did. Must have been nice to get away and see the sun. Sorry you got hurt though, what a bummer (ha! I guess that's what you landed on) That happened to a friend of mine when we went to Mexico, on some wooden stairs. Boy was she miserable. She just doubled up on the cocktails : )

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  4. Hi Leah,Aww I was so enjoying all the piccies and am so sorry that you had a nasty fall.I'm so glad to hear you are on the mend and hope you get to go back next year and make up for it .I'm looking forward to seeing the crochet ;)Take care love juliexo

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  5. Hello Leah, I am so glad I found your blog! My father has travelled the world and he always tells me that New Zealand was his favourite place! So sorry about your mishap on holiday. Your photos are just lovely. Yvonne xx

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  6. I've just discovered your blog and I am so pleased.
    Fabulous holiday photos, thanks for sharing.
    irene
    xxxx

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  7. Oh no you poor girl, I'd be so bummed(sorry not really the right word is it)!!!! fed up, but at least you got the sun & a sweet hol with your family.
    I love the photos & love the shot with you in it, we never get to see you in your pics.
    Hope you're feeling better & have a great weekend
    Lots of love Karen x

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  8. Oh Leah that post is so cool the place your at looks so nice Did you have a fab holiday ???
    Have a fab weekend
    Ella

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  9. It looks like you have found a beautiful spot to have your family holidays! I am sure you are counting down until your next visit...hopefully with more days of sitting and lying bu the pool!

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  10. Oh hon you poor thing! Now I feel super guilty for not having bloomin phoned you yet :-( I hope you are feeling heaps better now? What rotten luck! While you were away I fell too (do you think its our age, lol?) - down our front (concrete) steps - I was in the middle of throwing out leftover banana cake to the birds and was holding the cake plate and a giant carving knife - luckily as I fell I managed to throw the knife across the lawn (narrowly missing the hubby!), then kind of tumble like a giant ompah loompah down the steps and across the lawn, where I managed to end up in the one pile of dog doo hubby hadnt cleaned up! Hubby just about burst a gasket laughing at me (told me I was worthy of an Olympic gold for tumbling). I was bloody sore for a week though! Anyhoo - I am sending you a HUGE big hug here my friend. Talk to you soon sweets. Becks xxx

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    1. Oh hon, we are a right pair! Is this the slippery slope into old age and broken hips??? Will call soon! L x

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  11. OMG that pool looks truuuuuly idyllic- no wonder its your happy place - I think I want it to be my happy place too!! .... only I think we'd have to save our pennies for more than a year to get there from the UK :o( I hope you're feeling better after your fall, em xx

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  12. Oh no, I can't believe you got a busted backside in Fiji! What a place (gooooorrrgeous place) to have to spend the day in the ER...ugh. I'm glad you're feeling better, and very glad you didn't actually fracture anything--I did that, thirty-odd years ago, and it haunts me still. :( Well, welcome home, and spring is on your doorstep, right? xoxo

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  13. Oh Leah! I´m so sorry for you! I managed to hurt my back too a few years ago, it was so painful! I hope you are much better now!
    I love your holiday pictures! I can´t get enough of palm trees and swimming pools!
    Have a great rest of the week! xxxBarbina

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  14. Hi Luvvy. oh doesnt that just hurt when you do that...i fell down my stairs a few years ago, i missed the entire flight and landed right on my arse on the bottom step,,i couldnt sit down properly for ten weeks...so poor poor you....at least you did it in a exotic country ;).
    Hugs and bandages Pixie xxx

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  15. Hi Leah - what bad luck to hurt yourself. Its disappointing when you have waited so long for a break and then its snatched away. My Dad was offered a teaching position in Fiji in the early 1960s but my parents (for reasons I don't understand) decided it was a choice between Fiji or parenthood and lucky for me chose the latter. I have often wondered what my life would be like if they had moved there and had me!
    Its interesting what you say about eye contact. Where I live people go out of their way not to make contact with you. Its like they are afraid to give anything of themselves away. I truly hate it and am so looking forwarded to moving next year to Westward Ho where people are really really friendly and always have time to stop and chat etc.

    Glad you are on the mend. I was thinking of you today when I found a pretty tea cosy pattern!! Lily. xxx

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  16. Sorry to hear your holiday went belly-up, but hopefully you are feeling better now and can look back on your holiday photos and feel a bit of heat and hear the sound of the friendly Bula, Bula!!

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  17. Well I for one could never have enough of gazing at those gorgeous photos - having never been anywhere as exotic as Fiji, it looks like pure heaven to me - and hardly anyone there! Why is that? Did you take the photos at 6am, or was it really that quiet and peaceful? If so, book me on the next plane out!
    So sorry to hear about your fall though, that must have been agony. But glad to hear you are on the mend now, and hopefully it didnt spoil your wonderful holiday too much.
    Thanks for sharing a bit of paradise!
    Gill xx

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  18. So sorry to hear you fell on your fourth day of vacation. That really stinks. What a beautiful place! Bet you are all ready wishing to be back in Fiji :-)

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  19. Leah please put up a new post
    Ella xxx

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  20. Fabulous Fiji, I need to dig out some of our own sunshine holiday pics to get us through our onset of Autumn and Winter. Glad you are feeling much better, but sorry to hear that a fall saw to the end of your full and well deserved relaxation. T xxx

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  21. Oh no! I hope your backside is all better by now. Reminds me of our trip to Sri Lanka in November when my 13 year old accidentally pushed me down the stairs and I sprained my ankle on the 2nd day of our trip. It was bad and took 5 months to heal completely. Fiji looks beautiful. I started back to work 2 weeks ago and the boys started school yesterday so I've had no time for fun stuff like crocheting and blogging. :/ Hope all is well in your corner of the world. Best wishes, Tammy

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  22. Oh Leah,

    I'm sorry to hear that you were hurt on vacation. Thanks for sharing your photos...it's such a beautiful place.

    So glad to hear that you are on the mend:D

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