Few weeks ago our 9 year old did his first post on the blog documenting his journey through Thailand and New Zealand in pictures. He had just gotten a new camera from his Biko Chachu at the start of our travels in 2015 and I am happy to see that he is continuing with this new hobby and wants to do a photography post again in a few weeks time.
One of Shahaar’s picture of his sister running down Mount Eden, Auckland
Wanting to do everything her brother can do, our 7 year old, who is slightly (that’s an understatement) competitive, wanted to add her original output to the blog as well. She had started a travel diary back when we did a 3 week road trip through Europe last summer. Whilst it’s been endearing reading all that she had written and drawn then, her writing wasn’t very legible and I didn’t really care to transcribe all the entries so one can actually read what she had written! So we sat down together to try and come up with another way she can add a post to the blog and I suggested that she share her experience of her travels in New Zealand so far through her art. It would be impossible to choose from ALL her artwork, she has so many!
So without further ado, and not wanting to make this my post, here is a glimpse of how she has experienced life, nature and travels in New Zealand. She chose which pictures and added the funny captions herself.
Inspired by our day out sea kayaking at the Bay of Islands – and now we have our own kayaks to enjoy the rest of the year in New Zealand 🙂
sea kayaking into the sunset at Paihia, Bay of Islands
“This is no ordinary kayaking boat. This is when the Maori’s first came here, they came on this boat” – Shama
“This is an actual picture of me and Baba Kayaking on our local beach with our very own kayak” – Shama
Inspired by the beach, sea and sunsets we have had the joy of experiencing so many days of our one month in New Zealand!
“This is a swirly sky sunset and crazy waves. The patches of green are washed away seaweed in the sand” – Shama
“This is the actual picture of the sunset”-Shama
Sea fishing has been a big hit for father and son and when Shama joined them for their first time night fishing, she really liked it as well. She drew the views of the city from the rocks by our house where they fished. Shahaar caught a fish and we had that for dinner – from sea to our plates in one hour 🙂 The kids never want to buy fish from the market again, only catch their own!
“Me, Baba and Shahaar Bhaiya are fishing at night. This is all the city buildings”- Shama
“Shahaar Bhaiya caught this fish himself (it was an energetic one too!)”- Shama
We have all been enjoying and learning about the new flora and fauna in New Zealand, Shama’s art of all the cactii in front of our house
“Cacti plants in front of our house” – shama
Cactii Plant I drew
“This is a picture of the painting of the person who owns the house we are staying at”
I love the fact that the kids (and us) are learning so much about Maori culture, their ways, their traditions, their songs and folklore…they even learned to do the Hakka at school. I so wish they would let me video them doing it!
“Two Maori people trying to spot the Kiwi and they found it!” – Shama
“This is Maori Art of three people doing the Hakka with a giant good luck charm” – Shama
And the biggest influence in our way of life here in New Zealand has been the sea! It’s been all about the sea, the ocean, the big blue 🙂 swimming, kayaking, fishing, soon to be diving(me), marine life viewing and ‘surfing’..
This is me surfing! – Shama
” This is a famous surfer with lots of animals and two fans taking her picture.” – Shama
“This is me enjoying the bright blue sea” – Shama
Hope you have enjoyed her first post! Feel free to leave any comment and feedback. Shama would love to hear from you 🙂
Linking to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge- Clouds Nature’s Notes and #WeeklyPostcard
DO SHARE IF YOU LIKE THIS POST! WILL HELP US LOADS 🙂
Gorgeous pictures – well done Shama!! Look forward to more.
Thanks Sarah 🙂 hope to slowly get the kids to start writing as well here!
Simply amazing! I’m very impressed by Shama’s artistic expressions so thoughtfully captured on paper. Well done Shama, and I look forward to seeing more posts from you.
Thank so much sheena 🙂 will show shaman your lovely feedback, will make her really happy!
I see you guys are staying in St Heliers Bay. I used to live right around there and is a great spot over the summer. The paintings and drawings and captions provide a perfect description of life in NZ and hope the rest of your stay is extraordinary…it is an extraordinary place. All the best.
We are indeed living and loving it here at St heliers Tim 🙂 but loving it in autumn too! Don’t know if it’s climate change or what but we have had glorious sunshine 22 degrees most days the month we had here. Out of our 30 days so far it rained 3 days continuous, rest brilliant sunshine, tropical short showers and heat. If this is autumn, can’t even imagine what summers like 😀
Such a creative child you have! I loved reading what she had to say about each of her pictures. Keep it up!
Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂 I will read this out to Shama, she will be very happy!
Gorgeous photos! Love the kayak and sunset photos.
This makes me SO happy! I love the idea of the little ones contributing to the blog…my little babe has a long way to go, but I can’t wait to be able to appreciate his point of view even more. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for the positive feedback! And really happy to have discovered your blog 🙂 We have been travelling with our two since they were 8 weeks old, and now 9 years down the line, we are a travel loving family of four..look forward to reading more of your stories, I love finding minded nature loving, off the beaten track, earth conscious travellers 🙂
Through the eyes of a nine year old, love it. Such a great way to share her world and what she sees as you travel. Great to be able to “See” New Zealand through her drawings. Love it 🙂
Thanks do much for the positive feedback 🙂
what a great idea to connect the kids with family travel- at their level! you are inspiring me to try this at home (wish me luck sitting down 15 year old to write about his school trip to Paris:))
Haha 🙂 good luck! Still can’t get my 9 year old to write more than a few words! Pictures, art and videos help to get them involved!
Oh my goodness..I LOVE this post. Your daughter Shama did an amazing job. I loved that she is budding naturalist and what opportunities your children have and how they will pass their knowledge and love for the planet on down. Please tell her how impressed I am and look forward to seeing more… Michelle from Nature Notes.. 🙂
What absolutely lovely pictures. Shama, make sure you keep posting I will watch out for future pictures. The sea kayaking looks like great fun. It brings back lovely memories. One of the most treasured photos I have is of my two boys before and after they managed to turn over their canoe. The after photo shows them dripping wet, laughing and pointing to each other as if it was all the other boys fault.
Absolutely love this! My son loves to journal (through art) on our trips. When we get home he puts all his art together to make a book, with photos and miscellaneous items from the trip. Love it. Even though I sometimes look at the pictures and don’t have a clue what he drew, he still remembers! We went through our India one yesterday and he knew what every drawing was. Such a beautiful way to remember the trips.
That’s so wonderful that you have kept all your son’s art and now he has this amazing collection to look back to! I hope we can do the same over the years to come. It is indeed a beautiful way to remember these family travel moments and memories 🙂
Thanks Atef Chachu! I miss you too – Shama
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