Diary

Friday 5th March 2010

Tuesday 2nd March 2010

I have been so remiss not keeping this part of our site updated.
The house is still quiet as we await the arrival of guests for breakfast so this is an ideal time to gather my thoughts.
Our Summer has been stunning here in Rotorua, but not so for some other areas of our land. As we swelter here it's hard to imagine the snow and cold on the other side of the world.
We have had such fun this season with the return of guests from around the globe. Many for their 2nd visit, but the prize goes to Eleanor and Bill who returned for their 4th 3 night stay all the way from Scotland.

Wednesday 8th July 2009

So Winter has arrived and The Springs is closed again for two months.
The painters have been and this year it's the turn of Paradise Guest Room to have a complete facelift.
The new curtains are up, the bedhead has arrived and the bedcover is here. Now, it's just the bed cushions and the chair to do and all will be complete.
It's a great feeling to have everything looking great for the new season which starts in September.

Tuesday 28 April 2009

I have been researching our family trees and I have had great success with Murray's which I have been able to trace his Tabley family back to 1694.

With my Donovan family, it seems that, in some small way, history is repeating itself.

Here is an article I found about my grandparents' hotel in Temuka, South Canterbury.
Mr. W. J. Donovan, formerly Proprietor of the Royal Hotel, is a son of Mr. C. Donovan, an early settler in New Zealand. He was born in Kaiapoi in 1865, and was at sea for about ten years, during which he was engaged chiefly in the Australasian trade. In 1884 he took a trip to England, and on returning went to the West Australian goldfields. He, however, came back to New Zealand, and took over the Royal Hotel in 1898. He is a member of the Alexandrovna Lodge of Oddfellows, and a member of the Tuscan Lodge of Freemasons, Sydney, New South Wales. In 1898, he married Miss Dempsey, of Christchurch.

Friday 24 April 2009

How quickly that month has gone. Easter has been and gone and tomorrow, April 25th, New Zealand and Australia commemorate the soldiers of all the wars we have been involved in.
It is known as ANZAC Day - an acronym for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.
The first ANZAC Day was marked in 1916 and every year the day is marked by Dawn Parades in towns and cities around our lands.
It is a day of reflection and celebration. It's the bitter/sweet that is war.
The Battle of Gallipoli was the defining point when New Zealand found her identity as a nation.
We wear the red poppy or Flanders poppy. It is an international symbol of remembrance for those killed on the battlefield.

Tuesday 24th March 2009
Life is good..... the Autumnal weather is here with clear blue skies and little humidity. For me it's the perfect time of the year.

The honeymoon season has started again and we have just said goodbye to Jake and Emily from New York and we have two sets of honeymooners from Spain over the next few days.

Last month we had the pleasure of helping Mary and Ron Payne of the UK welcome the arrival of their first grandchild, little Charlie. Now they are home we have photos of the proud Granny.

Friday 13 March 2009

Well,the draw for the 2011 Rugby World Cup was released yesterday.
Rotorua is hosting 3 matches at the International Stadium which is in our street just a 20 minute walk away.

• 10 September: Fiji v Africa 1, Rotorua International Stadium
• 14 September: Oceania 1 v Africa 1, Rotorua International Stadium
• 25 September:Ireland v Europe 2, Rotorua International Stadium

Sunday 15 February 2009

This Summer is going by so fast and here at The Springs we have been very busy.
Rotorua has been blest with some fantastic weather, although there have been some days where it has been a bit too warm! However, we don't hear people from the UK and Europe complaining as their parts of the world are covered in snow.
It's a garden afternoon today with Murray trimming hedges and I will give the roses their second Summer prune.

Friday 02 January 2009

Welcome to the New Year and we hope 2009 will be a happy, safe and healthy year.
We are in the middle of one of the world's worst financial cycles so we wish you something that money cannot buy - the very best of health. That is priceless!

Saturday 20 December 2008

It is here....Christmas time and in New Zealand it's the holiday season for a huge number of New Zealanders.
Schools are out until February and many businesses are closed for the next 2 weeks. Legal firms re-open in mid January, but every firm has an emergency contact.
I was talking to a couple of lawyers while I had coffee this morning and they remarked their clients work right through the holiday break!
Wherever you are, no matter the weather, we wish you a safe and happy Christmas and every best wish for 2009.

Friday 12 December 2008

You are given lemons so let's make lemonade...
Out of the doom and gloom there is always some good news. For those of you deciding to go on holiday, the silver lining is, that whatever your currency, it looks great next to the New Zealand Dollar.
I have just been online to find the latest currency conversions and here, at today's date, is a list of the most commonly used currencies at The Springs.

• 1USD buys NZD$1.80
• 1GBP buys NZ$2.72
• 1AUD buys NZ$1.28
• 1EUR buys NZ$2.41

Has there ever been a better time to visit Godzone Country here in the glorious South Pacific? If you are planning a trip this way the costs have just been discounted simply by the movement of the currencies.

Tuesday 11 November 2008

What a glorious day. 22 degrees, clear blue sky and no wind.
Murray and I went to Third Place for lunch and it was magical looking out over St Faith's Church to Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. We watched the Lakeland Queen paddle boat berth after their luncheon cruise.

Third Place is a wonderful restaurant run by wonderful people. It is a Charitable Trust that spreads their profits to worthy causes and most of the staff volunteer and work free and gratis.
The name comes about as follows: First Place is your home and those that one lives with. The Second Place is your workplace, school or place you study. Third place is the place you go to relax, enjoy and unwind.

Sunday 09 November 2008

Today we awoke to a new government following the general election yesterday. We now have a centre to centre right party and as we all know what a huge job they have to do in the wake of the world financial crisis.
We all followed the American Election very closely and we wish Mr Obama and his new government well as they too tackle major turmoils.

Saturday 01 November 2008

Today I picked the first roses of Summer and they were just perfect. Pure white with the greenest leaves. I popped them in a vase with Lily of the Valley from my Mother's garden.

The weather is slowly warming up and the long range Summer forecast is for warmer and drier weather than usual. Let's hope they are right!

The baby Pukekos, a native bird, have arrived. With skinny black legs, huge red feet and black fluffy feathers they are so comical as they wander with their Mommas around the wetland opposite the Polynesian Spa.

Wednesday 17 September 2008

It seems I am filled with enthusiasm with the arrival of every Spring.

And what a Spring it is. Yesterday Murray and I drove out to Lake Tarawera, just 15 minutes from The Springs past the Blue and Green Lakes. As we sat in the sunshine on the Lake's edge, it was hard to imagine the catastrophe that was the erruption of Mt Tarawera in 1886 which wiped out the then world famous Pink and White Terraces.

The water gently laped while a lone fisherman and his little dog sat quietly waiting for a bite. This lake holds the best trophy trout in the region, but they swim deep and are hard to catch.

The pair of black swans and paradise ducks joined a couple of gulls looking for some free lunch.

Our beautiful town is blooming lovely at this time. Tulips and polys share colourful beds ovelooked by soaring trees of rhododendrums. Roses are in leaf and full of promise.

If you are coming to stay with us at The Springs this summer, we look forward to seeing you and if you are not, do enjoy the wonders and beauty of Rotorua and indeed, New Zealand.

Sunday 09 September 2007

Where did those last 2 months go in such a hurry? We had such a relaxing and happy break in Port Douglas, Queensland, in warm climes.
Our doors have been flung open again and already we have enjoyed our first guests of the season.
Two couples from California, a wonderful Doctor and his wife from Israel and just now an English Professor living in Wales.
Our guest rooms have now been refurbished and are looking great. The final photo shoot was done today so new images soon.

Saturday 30 June 2007

Our Winter has arrived and today is the last day of our season here at The Springs. We are now closed until 01 September 2007, but will be here to assist with any bookings and enquiries for next season.

During the next couple of months we will be completing the refurbishment of our rooms Rachel and Fairy. It's a fun time for a girl who loves to shop! Rainbow and Paradise Rooms are already done and we are very happy with the new looks.

New beds have arrived and the painters will be here next week to do their annual maintenance.

So it's time for us to recharge our batteries and we look forward to everyone who will be visiting us soon and say hello and thank you to all those whose company we shared over the last 10 months.

See you in Season 10....... Colleen and Murray