Spring for now, Travel 2025
Winter seems to want to linger on here in the South. The mountains are being topped up with fresh snow and we have had a considerable amount of rain which, is always beneficial here, although some of the daffodils are gorgeous and still flowering and the tulips are just emerging.
It’s seed planting time. Before long, the greenhouse will be full of seedlings and I am super excited with my new Zinnia seed from Floret Flowers.
Philip has recovered very well from his knee replacement surgery. He has surprised us all with his recovery and is outside now planting his early Jersey Benny potatoes to be ready for Christmas.
We had a wonderful few days in Christchurch last week. The occasion was dinner with 3 of my old flatmates. It is always fun with a lot of reminiscing about our time in Christchurch when summer was about sunbathing and being tanned and travelling around in Rhonda’s Humber 80.
Christchurch was beautiful and it certainly does Spring well. The blossom, magnolias, bulbs and the beautiful lime green leaf shoots were a mass everywhere.
We visited two wonderfully clever gardens :
· Stoneycrop in Westmelton - https://selwyn.nz/listings/listing/stoneycrop-garden
· Broadfield in Rolleston - https://selwyn.nz/listings/listing/broadfield-garden
Had two wonderful dinners :
· The Athens Yacht Club - https://www.athensyachtclub.co.nz
· King Of Snake - https://www.kingofsnake.co.nz
Explored Ravenscar House Museum https://www.ravenscarhouse.com
Dunedin was lovely for a couple of days. I am so fond of our little garden their and it’s bursting at the seams with new growth.
Given our inclement weather, I have had time to update my website and I can’t thank the patience of Jamie enough, who manages to get me out of my IT tangles and deal with my forgetfulness.
I am thrilled with the tours for 2025. The accommodation is now all booked and itineraries are completed.
I have been inundated with enquiries:
Victoria – 6th – 19th April – 5 spaces left
Italy - 2nd - 19th June - Full
France - 24th June – 9th July - 4 spaces left
Turkey - 3rd – 20th September - 6 spaces left
The Italian and French tours are based around a week in a stunning Villa. It’s such a relaxing time, we are spoilt with our own chef and can enjoy the surroundings in our own time. I don’t stint on accommodation and we have a selection of Palazzos, Villas, Unique Medieval Villages, castles and even an Adriatic Coastal experience. With the help of guides and locals, the itineraries will help us enjoy these regions in depth.
We are including the Victorian tour in Australia for the second time. Within a couple of hours from Melbourne, we will travel in an arc, exploring the wealth of gardens, wineries, and restaurants and meeting the people who make communities work and be successful. It is Autumn and the countryside is glorious bathed in oranges and reds. The history of the cutest little towns is captivating and we have several famous restaurants and outstanding dinners on this trip.
Later in the year, we will finally get back to Turkey. Along with Alison and Hasan who live in Turkey we travel from Istanbul to Gallipoli, down the coastline where we mix history, coastal fun, food and Turkish culture until we turn inland through Antalya to Cappadocia. There is nothing like travelling with a local and we are spoilt on this tour.
Please get in touch with me if you would like to join a tour in 2025. There is no time like the present. I have never before had so many people wanting to go on tours but have come down with an unexpected illness, and their lives have changed dramatically.
Tour Itineraries are on my website.
If you would like a costing and booking form
E Mail : judith@judith-cullen.com