2026 Tours One Month Away
The start of our European tours is only a month away. As we head into May, I can’t quite believe how quickly 2026 is unfolding. Autumn is beginning to fade, and we’re busy planting bulbs and putting the garden to bed for winter. This usually involves cover crops like mustard, a dose of lime, and, in some gardens, wool topped with straw to keep the dahlia tubers snug through the frosty weather.We are increasingly fond of ground cover plants—they’re perfect for suppressing weeds and maintaining moisture.
Two weeks ago, we returned from a fortnight-long road trip to Auckland, including a wonderful extended family gathering on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula over Easter. It wasn’t the best timing for a roadie, with fuel prices rising significantly. Philip and I do love travelling by car—though our conversation isn’t always scintillating! Thank goodness for podcasts. On top of the fuel costs, we also had to repair a cracked windscreen in Auckland and replace a battery in Wellington on the way home.
Choosing accommodation was part of the fun—from tiny cabins surrounded by cows and sheep, to a stylish apartment in Raglan, and special evenings with dear friends from Millers Flat and Dunedin in Blenheim and Nelson. We even caught up with an old schoolmate who once lived on our street in Mosgiel.
Although our new motorways are fast and impressive, We still prefer travelling through New Zealand’s towns—taking time to wander through Taupō, visit Cambridge, stop at The French Antique shop in Bulls, enjoy lunch at the beach in Paraparaumu, and call in at Leacroft Nursery just out of Wellington, among many others.
We were being chased by a cyclone and decided to catch the ferry a day early. As it turned out, we would have been fine—but, unfortunately, the ferry experience hasn’t improved and was as ghastly as ever.
Our two days in Nelson gave us the chance to visit a nursery I’d been following on Instagram for some time. ‘Crafted Earth’, created by the enthusiastic Joel, was a delight. Along with our friends Cally and Wendy, and our dear Christine Boswijk, we explored his nursery, where this passionate young plantsman grows an array of interesting and beautiful perennials. He’s usually at the Nelson markets on weekends, but we were lucky to browse his treasures in person. Miraculously, Philip managed to find space for our plant haul in an already overpacked car, along with a few bags of irresistibly cheap vegetables in Richmond.
The final two days down the West Coast were a true highlight. This dramatic natural environment, blanketed in native bush, is breathtaking—from towering canopy trees to the forest floor. It was extraordinary to be immersed in it all. From the drifts of nīkau palms and pōhutukawa in the north near Westport, to my favourite dripping branches of juvenile rimu that seemed to line the entire route, and finally over the Haast Pass surrounded by native beech forest—every moment was memorable. A night in a cabin beside the thunderous Tasman Sea was unforgettable, as was our meal at the Ross Pub.
After a week at home focused on tour planning and gardening, I’m now writing this on a plane following a week in Melbourne with family, celebrating our brother-in-law’s 60th birthday. When you’re the grandparents who live in another country, the simple things—school drop-offs and pick-ups with Mia, a day at the aquarium with Charlie, and trying to keep up with their Pokémon obsession—are especially precious.
I’m always a little envious of Melbourne’s wonderful Preston Market. I love the energy and bustle of the stalls—the incredible selection of cheese and charcuterie, the abundance of reasonably priced produce, meat, and fish, and the irresistible variety of street food. It’s a place where your eyes are definitely bigger than your stomach. The streets were lined with beautiful trees in full autumn colour, and we enjoyed a week of perfect weather.
So… after a quick trip to Invercargill tomorrow to speak to a herb group, we’ll be counting down to the start of our Italian tour. We begin with a night in Montecassino, followed by seven days at my favourite masseria Pistola in Puglia. From there, we’ll travel north through Italy, stopping in the unique Santo Stefano in Abruzzo, Montefalco in Umbria, and finishing in foodie heaven—Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna.
Five days later we meet in Lyon for the start of the French tour. Five days in Burgundy being spoilt by Martin Family at la Terre D’or, then our fix of French chateau in the Loire and finally our own Chateau in Normandy with our favouite Italian come French chef Alessandro.
Philip and I thenhead to the UK for 10 days of garden visits followed with a to explore southern Spain startting in Mallorca. Back at the end of August. Another 3 months away from the Winter and we feel very lucky and provildged to be able to travel.