annie: Longest Day

So glad I made it to the northern hemisphere for the longest day of the year - and a beautiful one too! I'm UP NORTH (imagine Winterfell area...same accents and everything) but in summer. Really amazed as it's usually a bit gross up here compared to down south (Lannister country) but it has been really wonderful and it's so nice to just be comfortable and not worry about coats and layers and boots. (sorry sorry sorry) Currently sitting in the back garden with the birds and a parasol and some iced wine and the flowers (sorry sorry) and there's not a cloud in the sky (SORRY I'LL STOP NOW!)

Winding back a bit, I had a really lovely last day in NZ spending the day in Auckland airport area between my domestic flight and my flight out to Manchester via Melbourne and Dubai. Caught up with a gorgeous friend who I've just got back into contact with her after years of not seeing or really talking. It was only a couple of hours but it was so precious (thank you Talor dearest!). After that I visited Butterfly Creek, finally, with another friend, which was really fun. It even had butterflies in it. It was a really wonderful day, which is great because the journey to England was one of the longest ones I've had to do (apart from that one awful 36 hour layover in Brunei aghh) and I was glad that my Dad had decided to join me at the last minute (he's doing some research stuff in England this month) because he managed to get us a hotel room for the big layover in Dubai so we could have naps and showers! It made such a difference being able to lie flat for a few hours in between being cooped up in tiny seats - especially when they make you walk through business class in the smaller planes (LOOK WHAT YOU COULD'VE HAD).

So for the next few days I'm in Chorley, Lancashire, until the 25th when I'm meeting the wonderful Anna Scadden in Killarney, Ireland, for 5 days.

Attached are some photos of Butt Creek and the flight, none of Lancashire yet but I'm sure I'll take some soonish.

Anna x