My husband wanted to take our children camping with a few other dads. ``Why don't you girls make the most of it and go away for the weekend?'' he suggested.
As I cycled down Maunganui Rd carefully weighing up the pros and cons of the various destinations discussed _ the mountains of Queenstown, markets in arty Nelson, walking in Raglan, shopping and theatre in Auckland _ I watched tourists pour from a cruise ship berthed at the docks.
Each year thousands of holidaymakers flock to the Bay of Plenty to benefit from the sunshine, beaches, outstanding beauty ... I could hug myself at the genius of it. We'll go on holiday where we live.
Friday 10am My family have disappeared rowdily out of our drive, excited about their adventure. I pick up my girlfriends and we set off on our own, rather different, adventure.
First stop is the Good Food Trading Company (35 Macdonald St, Mt Maunganui) for picnic provisions.
The cheese counter is a thing to behold and owner Jo Blennerhassett encourages us to try whatever we fancy. We leave laden with bleu d'Auvergne, a creamy blue cheese from the Massif Central volcanic region in France, some of the sweetest little anchovies I have ever eaten, free-range pork and fennel Harmony sausages and tubs of inventive, fresh salad.
Friday midday We are booked in at Warm Earth Cottage (www.warmearthcottage.co.nz) on the road to Katikati so, on the way, we stop at Fernland Spa (www.fernlandspa.co.nz) for serious pampering.
The driveway drops from Cambridge Rd into a hidden valley. The spa is nestled deep in native bush and ferns. We had each booked a half-hour massage, which comes with a complimentary soak in one of the eight private hot pools.
Each day these are drained, cleaned and refilled with the crystal clear, odourless water which is drawn from 250m underground and is packed with beneficial minerals. The soak, coupled with a deep tissue massage, soothes away every vestige of the stress of daily life and puts us all in holiday mood. Next to the main pool is a large picnic area, so we unpack our goodies, fire up the barbecue and set out what would be the first of many delicious, leisurely, al-fresco meals.
Friday 4pm Two kilometres past Morton Estate Winery we turn down Thompsons Track and arrive in the stunning grounds of Warm Earth Cottage.
At our cabins, Tranquillity and Serenity (each completely private), I feel like I'm gazing at the pages in a fairy tale. A broad lawn unfurls from wooden cabins strewn with ivy and flowers down to the property's own gently babbling stream.
Owner Jan is a modern-day Heidi complete with plaits and a shirt knotted at the waist. I find it hard to believe such a gentle, naturally gifted hostess takes care of the cabins and the ground maintenance and wood-cutting.
As we explore, little treats and surprises appear all over the place: a picnic table by the stream stands in dappled sunlight and shade, a circle of stones nearby is just waiting to be turned into an outdoor fire beside thoughtfully supplied piles of kindling and wood, a hammock strung between trees and, meandering on through the trees we find a deep pool by the river's edge that's a perfect swimming spot.
Even for four women used to running busy family households, the magic of ``playing house'' in a cabin with no electricity is irresistible. After polishing off a bottle of the excellent NV Morton Estate Sparkling Rose and the remains of the cheese from Good Food Trading Co beside the river, we set the table in the evening sun and get ready to attack the barbecue hamper delivered by Jan while she lit the fires underneath the outdoor baths.
My room-mate, Maree, claims she has never spent as long in a bath as she did that night. The bathwater is as toasty warm at 11pm as it had been an hour earlier. This would be an unbelievably romantic place to stay with your husband.
Saturday 9am After the deepest sleep we awake to another stunning Bay of Plenty sky while, apparently, the rest of the country sits under a grey helmet of cloud. We demolish the breakfast hamper and set off for more fun.
Carried away by all the reminiscing with girlfriends, we decide to go horseriding. Fiona at Oropi Bushlands (www.oropibushlands.co.nz) takes us on a glorious morning ride through ancient bush, farmland and a lake.
She tells us about the fascinating history of the land where her husband has lived all his life and tailors the ride to suit us perfectly. Jumping off my gentle steed I notice we are all rubbing our behinds and walking with bow legs.
Famished, despite the huge breakfast, we stop at Zaggers on Chapel St, Tauranga (www.zaggers.co.nz). A blackboard with changing daily specials and a huge range of delicious cabinet food is on offer in this popular haunt.
We plump for ceviche of terakihi, prawns in lemon, white wine, avocado and red onion, a fennel-fragranced salmon pasta and a mountain of delicious roasted vegetables with feta. We have arranged to meet more friends who bring their children along and I make a mental note to come back with mine.
Owner Wendy Treacey smiled as we all descended on the cafe and brought us plates of chips quick-smart to feed the younger diners.
Saturday 1pm The Bay of Plenty has received plenty of publicity about the fantastic young designers turning heads nationally and internationally. So what else is a girl to do on a Saturday afternoon but pound the streets, credit card at the ready?
We keep it local and visit Repertoire, Sisters and Augustine. Chaos & Harmony shoes are winners with our gang and I can't resist buying richly purple shorts from the Sisters inhouse label.
Saturday 7pm Feet aching, we return to Warm Earth Cottage, take a dip in the river and glam up for a night out.
Dinner at the Harbourside restaurant (www.harboursidetauranga.co.nz) in Tauranga is extremely special. We sit out on the deck across the mass of orange-flecked water, dotted with boats and seagulls. Warm, knowledgeable service steers us towards an excellent Mt Difficulty pinot gris and we clash forks trying to taste each others' starters.
Being a child of the 70s I go for the prawn cocktail. The old favourite had been tinkered with: avocado cream and cubes of watermelon are perfect foils to buttery prawns. The menu is cleverly split into the size of the dishes so I go ``a bit bigger'' and choose a delicately piled stack of yielding, gently spiced duck and wonton sheets, the sticky soy glaze lifting it to lofty gastronomic heights.
Unable to say ``no'' we share a raspberry creme brulee and warm chocolate fudge brownie.
Back at Warm Earth Cottage HQ we have a nightcap and listen to music by the fire in the extra cabin decked out as a living room (which has electricity) and chat long into the night.
Sunday 7am Woken early by a text from Stuart at Dolphin Seafaris (www.nzdolphin.com) confirming the day's excursion, we throw towels and sunnies into a bag and head to the marina. Greeted by Stuart's wife, Rosie, and crew member Rebecca, we pile excitedly on to the swish boat and head out on to the harbour.
Within minutes we make a quick change of direction and provoke some excited yells from those sitting up front. Grey, slick skin arches out of the water and I can't believe how many dolphins are chasing each other, showing off and flicking their tails round the bow of the boat. They appear to be having a lot of fun. We are divided into groups and are towed gently behind the boat in order to gauge the mood of the pod.
Satisfied there are no nursing mothers in the group and we are welcome, Rebecca helps us into the water to swim freely with the dolphins. I duck and swim, clicking and making noises I hope will encourage their interest.
Afterwards, chatting with Stuart on the way back into the harbour I am struck by his deep affection for and seemingly endless fascination with these joyful creatures as well as by the depth of his knowledge on the Tauranga coastline.
Sunday 2pm The travel time home after our fabulous weekend was a mere 10 minutes. I feel stimulated, refreshed and proud to live in the Bay of Plenty.
Next time you book a holiday, I urge you to consider doing so in the Bay of Plenty. We have everything _ the best weather in the country, some of the most stunning scenery in the world and warm, welcoming people who are passionate about our beautiful corner of the world.-->