Blossoms, Baths & Barefoot Bliss

Some places have a way of turning the volume of life right down. Tucked beside a flowing creek in the heart of New Zealand’s lush green surrounds, this humble little cabin was exactly the kind of escape Hollie and I didn’t know how much we needed. Open plan, warm wooden floors, a cosy bed and a kitchenette stocked with everything we needed. Simple, comfortable and wonderfully unpretentious. Outside, the creek tumbled gently over the rocks, its soothing soundtrack flowing past our doorstep! And the real showstopper? An outdoor bath overlooking the water, tucked beneath a blossoming tree just waking up for spring. What a sight to soak up.

Hollie wasted absolutely no time claiming the tub for her first soak sesh while I got the outdoor fire crackling. I made her a cuppa and left my legendary friend to soak her cares away as evening settled in. Fairy lights began twinkling through the trees, with more little lights illuminating the cabin, turning our creekside hideaway into something straight out of a woodland daydream. I was waiting for the hobbit to pop out of the forest but there were no sightings of hobbitness.

The next morning, I discovered the sauna and welcomed the day with a little yoga. Nothing fancy, just me, my breath and the quiet magic of being somewhere that didn’t ask anything of me. Soon enough, Hollie and I were perched on the front porch with coffees in hand, watching the sunshine dance between the ferns and trees as the world slowly stretched awake around us. No rushing. No endless scrolling. No little red notification bubbles demanding our attention. Just two friends, a peaceful patch of nature and the rare luxury of having absolutely nowhere else to be.

Come evening, it was finally my turn beneath that blossoming tree. I sank into the steaming outdoor bath as the creek trickled and tumbled over the rocks beside me. Birds sang their evening songs from the treetops, the air smelled fresh and earthy, and the warm steam curled around me like a living hug from Mother Nature herself. With blossom overhead, fairy lights twinkling in the dusk and the water whispering away beside me, I could feel my entire body sinking a little deeper into relaxation. Every last bit of tension seemed to melt away. Girl was fresher than the daisies after that!

Our final morning brought one last sauna sesh together before it was time to pack up the van and bid farewell to our little slice of creekside heaven. But not before making a little drive to the nearby town for the sweet and savoury brunch we’d been eyeing off since arriving in New Zealand.

Waffles, bacon AND maple syrup. Naturally, we had to investigate every possible combination, including bacon and banana for scientific research, of course! We decided sweet belonged with sweet and savoury with savoury, but the beauty was in having options. And let’s be honest, a girl who loves her options is always going to appreciate a menu that delivers.

As we wandered on, bellies full and spirits feeling a little lighter, I found myself thinking about how easily we can get caught up in the busyness of life. Chasing the next thing, filling every spare moment, measuring our days by how much we’ve managed to squeeze into them.

But maybe the good stuff isn’t always found in doing more.

Maybe it’s in the quiet moments we usually rush past. The warmth of a bath, the sound of moving water, a morning stretch, a shared coffee or a belly laugh with your friend. Maybe rest isn’t something we need to earn after we’ve done it all. Maybe it’s something we need to make room for along the way.

Sometimes, all it takes is a little cabin, a flowing creek and a few days of simply being to remember that we’re already right where we need to be.

And that, my friends, is a little bit of magic worth making room for.