Sweet as End to 2023 ♥
As Auckland emptied itself for Christmas break/summer holidays, Mahiran and I joined the exiting trend and headed up North to our favourite coast. To our relief, the number of cars reduced after hitting a couple of towns, and it didn’t take us long to have deserted scenic roads all to ourselves.
It was very wet and so we spent our first night somewhere new but very special. An empty back paper lodge, run by a beautiful human being, and adjoining a small hidden rocky bay glorified by the flowering putekawa – NZ’s Christmas tree. Its waters began the healing process of our citied bodies and mind.
The days that followed were spent sleeping in our tent, going for countless walks and runs on mostly empty beaches, finding new hidden gems, taking regular ocean dips, enjoying cold showers, and appreciating only the sound of birds waking us up in the morning.
A few days in, we went on an evening run on the beach and we were greeted by huge stingrays parading the shallow water. That night, a sky of shooting stars and a full moon wished us good night. And the following morning the sun finally came out and we celebrated with a joyful day surfing one of our favourite playful waves.
It was paradise. We were so happy.
When it felt like the right time, we left. Crossing coasts, we were surprised by a firing ocean. Mahiran jumped in for a surf and I filmed in awe of the connections and dance that humans and the ocean can conceive.
And then we were off again. Us, our car, and New Zealand’s endlessly unraveling landscapes.
Once in Auckland, to our surprise we also felt happy to be back home. The familiarity of our house and the emptiness of the city was calming.
We then popped out for a night to Te Aroha – The Mountain of Love – to visit Mahiran’s grandmother. We went on a beautiful walk and enjoyed the abundant energy constantly erupting from the mountain.
Back home, it was the 31st and without prior planning, we deep cleaned the house which felt so good. When it was dinner time we roasted our garden vegies, made gravy and yorkshire puddings and indulged in a classic Baldwin roast dinner. We also opened the most expensive bottle of champagne either of us had ever had – gifted to us by one of Mahiran’s clients. It was some damn good bubbly.
Reflecting, we both felt grateful for this abundant year. So much love, so many adventures, so much growth. Gratitude, joy, and lots of excitement as we celebrate another spin around the sun together 🔆
