With many of the family overseas and Covid in full force, I thought Julie, Suzi and I needed a bit of a treat. 

So, for my birthday, I booked an overnight stay at a cottage at Parehua Martinborough Resort, just a short drive over the hill into the Wairarapa. It was a glorious day as we set out, and we made a diversion into rural Masterton to visit our very good friends, Dermot and Megan Payton who have moved off the farm and up the road since the days when the girls were at school. Their new home is a lovely, tranquil place, and we sat and had lunch under a wooden pergola with vines twined above our heads as we looked out over the peaceful paddocks. Megan in new home 2021 general.

We arrived at Peppers in the early afternoon and were immediately charmed, not only by our little cottage but also by the surrounding environment. Farmland extended as far as the eye could see and the only sounds were of nature. 1

Our cottage was the epitome of luxury. It sported a double bedroom for Mum and a twin bedded room for the girls.

The main room exuded comfort with a very well-equipped kitchen (even though we didn’t use it because we were treating ourselves to dinner and breakfast). Or we could sit outside in total privacy in the beautiful orchard area surrounding our cottage. It was as if we were in our own home.

Dinner that night was fabulous (you have to book for dinner) and everything we ordered was delicious. 

And as for the desserts! We all chose something different and each was a wonderful treat. 8

The following morning, Suzi and I decided that we’d try out the lovely swimming pool so we went for an early morning dip before breakfast. There was no-one else above so we had the place to ourselves which made it extra special.

And then we all ventured out to eat breakfast in the more public areas, a huge lawn with the waiting staff hovering around us and making sure we had all we needed. Beside the lawn is the tennis court where a couple of guests were enjoying a knock together, causing much amusement.

On our way home, we swung by Stonehenge Aotearoa where I had booked a private tour with Astronomer Richard Hall. I had visited before and I hoped the girls would find it as fascinating as I had. And it didn’t disappoint.

We began our tour in the large auditorium where Richard set up a video for us to watch.

Then it was out into the henge itself where he explained its origins and purposes and the secrets of lost civilisations. We were all particularly fascinated by Richard’s explanation of the zodiac and he explained each of our own origins as depicted by the stars.

Stonehenge Aotearoa is a practical, open-sky observatory inspired by and built on a similar scale to the famous Stonehenge in England. This modern henge was designed to demonstrate how ancient peoples used such constructions to understand astronomy and also to explain basic astronomical ideas. It explains the concept of the star compass like the one used by the Polynesian navigators. If you stand at the centre of the henge, the pillars and lintels appear to form doorways that frame the rising points of the Sun, the Moon, and bright stars that are either important seasonal markers or navigational beacons.

And so it was home again, sated with our lovely and somewhat extravagant treat, but equally delighted to return to my little house where the pohutakawa tree beside the balcony was in full bloom and reminded us how lucky we all are to live in this beautiful country.