Thursday, October 28, 2010

Moeraki boulders and Fleur's

Saturday we drove to the Otago coast to Koekohe beach to see the Moeraki boulders. They are spherical and huge. I don't completely understand their formation, only that they are embedded in the earth and after tidal erosion they gradually surface. The beach was gorgeous and the girls were not happy that we stopped only long enough to play for 15 minutes before we had to get to our lunch reservations at Fleur'sMy cousin Isaac, who lives in Wellington, flew to Dunedin for the weekend to spend time with his parents and us. We were really grateful to see him. The girls, especially Bella, decided Isaac was cool because he got down and played string-the-beads with her.Fleur's Place is a food destination in New Zealand. People from around the world visit Moeraki just to eat at this little fishing village's main attraction. The fish was fresh and cooked and sauced to perfection. Arabella wanted nothing to do with sitting down for another meal with the "grown ups" while such a gorgeous garden lay just outside. Addie didn't either but she's old enough to reason with. Bella on the other hand is beyond reason. I sat with her outside while she plucked the tiny white daisies from the grass and stacked the pebbles on the bricks. I was irritated until my husband brought me my glass of New Zealand pinot gris. After a glass of wine on an empty stomach I was laughing with my youngest daughter and stacking the pebbles right along with her. It was hard to keep a frown on my face is such a beautiful location; especially knowing how lucky I was to be letting my world renowned meal in Moeraki, NZ get cold on account of having a busy toddler. Seriously, this place is enchanting. It felt like the end of the earth. Enchanting enough that I might have bought a little fishing boat and moved my family to Moeraki right then and there. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the sunshine, maybe it was the delicious food and folk music pouring out from the unpretentious restaurant. Fleur's Place is a million light years away from Manila, Philippines, it was exactly where I wanted to be at that moment. After our lunch we drove back to a pretty little beach so the girls could get the wiggles out and play in the sand. New Zealand just kept getting better and better. Glacial lakes-they got it. Green rolling hills-they got it. Beaches-they got it. All within a few hours drive. The Kiwi's should be keeping their gorgeous country a secret so the rest of humanity doesn't come and wreck it all. Bella with a game of cricket in the background

2 comments:

Bfiles said...

seriously, I'm in love w this place. How adorable was that restaurant! Thank you so much for posting all of this- I now MUST go to NZ, and soon.

Kathleen said...

Sara, that last photo of you and Bella is gorgeous! I swear you look like a model! I have no idea how you do it after 2 girls!