Life Lately #15
A lot has happened over the past few weeks—and apparently, so much that I completely forgot I had a blog.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’d love to say I was “taking a mindful break” or “living in the present,” but honestly… I was just too busy living life to stop and think about it. It might just be a case of poor time management, but either way—here I am again!
The good news? I took a ridiculous number of photos. Enough, I think, to tell the story of these past few weeks better than words alone ever could.
As you know, it’s officially autumn in New Zealand—starting March 1st and stretching through to the end of May. And yet, somehow, Lake Taupo still hasn’t turned that biting, ice-cold temperature you’d expect this time of year.
Instead, we’ve been gifted with soft sunshine, golden afternoons, and more than enough warmth to linger outside a little longer than we probably should.
We don’t understand it, but we took advantage of it! We made the most of the sunshine—before winter settles in.
And so, lately, life has looked like this:
1. Lots of Paddleboarding
14th March – We invited our friends, Mia and Mark, to join us for a paddleboarding day at Wharewaka Reserve.
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| John and Mia helping Mark stand up on the board |
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| Hilarious photo of John trying to snorkel while I paddle for him - he is heavy!!! |
15th & 28th March – We drove to Whaikapo Bay to paddleboard near the freedom camping spot. It’s easily our favourite beach—just a few minutes’ drive from the CBD, but so much quieter. Less crowded, and calmer water.
2. Hosted a Dinner Party
27th March – A new girl from work, Nuha, moved just two blocks away from us, so naturally, we invited her over the same day for dinner. Jackie and Sandra came along too, and Friday night turned into a proper gathering. John and I cooked spaghetti alle vongole (clam pasta), grilled tandoori chicken with corn, and a butterflied garlic and herb roasted chicken. Everything was halal, which was a first for us! Shame—we forgot to take photos of the food. But to be fair, the food smelled so good, we dug in right away!
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| From left to right: Me, Jackie, Nuha and Sandra |
3. Gardening (surprisingly therapeutic… who am I??)
John took me to Mitre 10 and Bunnings to shop for more plants! We started gardening more when he bought me marigolds for Valentine’s Day, and that’s when we decided to also plant some herbs—chillies, basil, coriander, and parsley. We also added more flowers that can survive Taupo’s winter—red and purple pansies.
This March, John bought us an indoor monstera plant, two lemon trees, more marigolds and pansies (because they were on sale), two more coriander plants, and another parsley. We’ve been harvesting and using the coriander for our sandwiches and the parsley for our pastas.
I’m a bit emotional typing this, as I’ve realised it’s been a long way from where we started—from not even having enough living space, to now having a small patch of land where we can grow beautiful, living things.
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| My coriander - started as a teeny tiny plant |
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| Flowering basil |
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| My parsley, my hand as scale |
4. Reading, Sunbathing, and Swimming at the Lake
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| Best snack at the beach? Definitely chilled watermelon |
About 75% of March was just beautiful weather. Multiple times a week, John and I would head to the lake. I’d bring the foldable chairs I got from Torpedo7’s closing-down sale, set up with some snacks, and read my book—I finished Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine, and I’m now reading The Thursday Murder Club.
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| Smiling because I'm eating a kebab |
John, as usual, would go for a run and leave me in my peaceful little reading bubble. Then when he gets back, I’ll go for a swim—or sometimes he joins me.
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| Pretend training for the Olympics! |
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| Completely unrelated photo - here's John eating breaky after our Saturday walk |
5. Watched Project Hail Mary
I’d probably kick myself if I hadn’t seen this absolute gem in the cinema. So glad I did! It’s such a feel-good movie that I’d recommend to anyone! You don’t even need to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy it.
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| Forgot to take a photo at the cinema so here's a photo of our lunch before going to the cinemas |
And that’s been life lately—a series of good days strung together by sunshine, slightly impulsive plant purchases, and way too much time hanging out by the lake.
Winter is creeping in, which probably means fewer lake days, more layers, and me whining about the cold at every opportunity. So I’ll soak up this weather while it lasts.
And who knows… maybe I’ll actually manage to write a bit more regularly this time! ⚘
No Rhyme, Just Reason is a TaupÅ, New Zealand–based blog by Ariane about books, good food, long walks, and unapologetic naps.
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