Maddy is famous

Recently, a friendly photographer we know, who specialises in pet photography, granted us a wish and came down to do a photo shoot with Maddy.

If you don't know, Maddy has suffered from a heart murmur for a few years. This has now got to the stage that she needs drugs to help her heart work properly. She rattles with the amount of pills she takes.

We're on borrowed time. So we were desperate for Tara to do the shoot. And our wish was granted.

The resulting photos are gorgeous, and we can't pick a fave. But I sent a selection to our local paper for their "Pet of the Day" spot. And today she's the star.

It is all the more timely because we thought we might have to make *that* decision on Tuesday. Thankfully the vet has changed up the drug concoction (again) and she seems to be responding well.

We've bought a little more time... But it's only a matter of time...

A new line of work for Annalie

Annalie has a new trade. In line with her new fitness status, she's trained to be a Group Power instructor. For those who don't know it, it's a gym class focused on using a weighted bar bell, working through different muscle groups to hone and tone.



She's been doing these classes for around 15 years - either Group Power or Body Pump (they're much of a muchness). So when she saw a poster at her gym asking for new instructors, she leaped at the chance. An "audition" was passed and she was accepted on to the gym's in house training programme. 



Three months later, she was let loose on her own. And now she's got three classes a week she calls her own.



For a taster of what she teaches, take a look at this...

Sky on fire

We've been treated to some amazing sunsets since we've been back in Welly. They are quite a common occurrence and really look like the sky is on fire. It is a truly special place to see the sun go down. Here's a couple of views from our house this week.

Dogs on tour

We think Maddy enjoys coming with us but it's hard to tell for sure. Now she's a bit poorly, we can't take her for huge long walks with us so she doesn't get out and about as much as we'd like her to.

But she gets to hang out with us still, and as she doesn't get car sick, she copes will with the travelling.

Here's a couple of shots of her from the trip, although admittedly not that many!

Nature's own beach spa

The following day was a visit to nature's own beach spa. Hot Water Beach is so named because it sits above some hot springs that we're left over from some volcanic activity many years ago.

The guide books tell you to simply head for the beach with a spade in hand and dig yourself your own little hot pool. It's not quite that easy, as the water from the springs doesn't cover the whole beach.

But armed with some guidance from some more experienced visitors, we soon had a fab little pool developed that had a great balance of both hot and cold water coming through. Unlike some of the neighbouring pools where only hot water was contained. Do hot it burnt your feet if you stood in it!

A couple of hours of soaking, and getting sand where you shouldn't ever get sand, the sun started to heat up meaning that the spa was even uncomfortable from a temperature perspective.

But what a unique phenomenon! It is a must visit. But get there early. It's an absolute zoo as low tide approaches.

A scenic cove

The first stop in Hahei was to aim for Cathedral Cove. This required us to find a parking spot and walk about 40 minutes.

Because the area is a reserve, dogs aren't allowed, so we were concerned not leave Maddy for too long. Especially as the weather was improving.

The downside was the car park for the cove is small and many people park up to spend the day at the beach there.

We tried when we first got to Hahei, but to no avail. There were just no cars moving. Stop we went for a walk on Hahei beach and went for some lunch.

We wanted to give it one more try and lucked out. We managed to nab a spot as someone left.

The walk to the cove didn't afford much on the way of views, but was still a nice stretch. And upon descending into the cove, the spectacle of nature isn't obvious. But then you find it. And you realise why it's probably one of the most photographed beaches in the country.

A trip to a NZ icon

After some rough weather and torrential rain that flooded some campgrounds the day before, we headed to the East coast of the Coromandel peninsula to visit some iconic destinations that usually adorn travel guides for this country.

We bad ourselves at a campsite just outside Hahei, keeping us within shorty driving distance of the main sites yet still allowing us to stay, considering we had Maddy with us. Many campsites forbid dogs in the height of summer so we have to do our best to find dog friendly sites.

We managed to get based at a campground belonging to a bird and animal park, which seemed a strange place to be dog friendly. But we were relieved to get somewhere.

It did mean that Maddy had some interesting neighbours to "observe"