whanganui river

Picnic Lunch New Year's Day

New Year's Day 2018, image by Val MIlls

By Val

@valmnz (17099)

New Zealand

December 31, 2017 8:14pm CST

What better way is there to start the new year than with a picnic lunch in a secluded spot in summertime New Zealand. We went for a drive to Whanganui, a small city on the North Island's west coast and decided to drive out of town and up the river, looking for somewhere nice to have our picnic lunch. We came across this spot across the road from a small country pub that was closed for the day and decided this was a perfect place to spot. Even though we were beside the main road it was very quiet and peaceful beside the river. On arriving home I looked up the place, Upokongaro, and discovered it was a small thriving settlement in the 1860s and where we had lunch was once the site of a river ferry crossing. So, Happy New Year from New Zealand everyone. I hope your year has got off to as good a start as mine has.

20 people like this

21 responses

@Tampa_girl7 (48865)

• United States

1 Jan 18

Happy New Years to you too

3 people like this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

1 Jan 18

Thanks Marie. Have you done anything special for New Year?

1 person likes this

@Kandae11 (53678)

•

1 Jan 18

A picnic spot with a beautiful view. All the best for the new year.

2 people like this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

1 Jan 18

Same to you Kandase. The day here has turned into a very hot one.

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

1 Jan 18

@Kandae11 that is not quite 27C and that's about where we're at at the moment. It was cooler over in Whanganui earlier.

@Kandae11 (53678)

•

1 Jan 18

@valmnz On my island in the Caribbean it is now 80 degrees F.

1 person likes this

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@silvermist (19702)

• India

1 Jan 18

That really is an ideal picnic spot.Good photo.We have not planned anything special.But in the evening the residents here are getting together for a New Year Party.Thanks for the wishes .I wish you a Happy New Year too.

2 people like this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

1 Jan 18

Thanks silvermist, I haven't seen you for while :-)

1 person likes this

@silvermist (19702)

• India

1 Jan 18

@valmnz I was not online for many days.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (79556)

• United States

2 Jan 18

Happy New Year and hope you have a wonderful 2018. What a beautiful place to have a picnic.

2 people like this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

Yes, it certainly was

Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (57695)

• Centralia, Washington

1 Jan 18

Happy New Year! I love that photo. Peaceful. That purple picnic table is so cheery.

2 people like this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

1 Jan 18

Yes, it was very peaceful. I laughed when I saw the photo and realised our thermos flask and chilly bin blended in well with the scenery.

@sunrisefan (28524)

• Philippines

1 Jan 18

Happy new year, Ms. Val!

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

Nic o see you here again - I haven't been around much lately.

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

@sunrisefan thought so :-)

1 person likes this

@sunrisefan (28524)

• Philippines

2 Jan 18

@valmnz That makes two of us :)

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@allen0187 (58438)

• Philippines

2 Jan 18

What a lovely picnic spot!

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

It surely was

1 person likes this

@toniganzon (72285)

• Philippines

1 Jan 18

I slept past 3am this morning and woke up at 8:30. Not enough sleep but I couldn't get more sleep anymore. My family and I went to the mall and my son went shopping again. It was a good day though it rained no the first day of the year.

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@toniganzon (72285)

• Philippines

2 Jan 18

@valmnz Nope it hasn't because we have a typhoon. Not heavy though. It's just going to be another gloomy day.

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

Hope the rain has stopped for you now. It has just started here.

1 person likes this

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changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16521)

• China

1 Jan 18

Happy New Year to you ! What a charming pastoral scene !It is a great place to have your picnic lunch,

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

We rather enjoyed it, thanks.

1 person likes this

@Angela150 (928)

• London, England

2 Jan 18

Happy New Year

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

Thanks, same to you.

@LadyDuck (457315)

• Switzerland

1 Jan 18

Happy New Year to you and to your husband Val. We started the year at home, it is raining this first day of the year. Which better place to have lunch than at home in front of the fireplace?

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

That sounds like the perfect place in winter!

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (457315)

• Switzerland

2 Jan 18

@valmnz We do not go out a lot in winter, we like to stay at home.

1 person likes this

@KristenH (33351)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

1 Jan 18

Happy new year! That sounds like a good lunch to me!

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

1 Jan 18

It was absolutely peaceful, warm, quiet and such a wonderful spot to spend some time. Happy New Year.

1 person likes this

@KristenH (33351)

• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

1 Jan 18

@valmnz Happy new year! It sounds like heaven!

1 person likes this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (305350)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

1 Jan 18

I stayed up and rung in the New Year, and then went to bed. Now, I'm up, the sun is shining, we have severe wind chills, with a wind chill advisory in effect for the next couple hours still, from late last night, but it's going to be a wonderful year, and I will not define it by the weather, but by what I do. Your picnic spot looks lovely. I wish you a very Happy New Year!

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

Exactly, the year will be a good one no matter what the weather is. In contrast to yesterday it is raining here today.

1 person likes this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (305350)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

2 Jan 18

@valmnz That rain will help your garden grow.

@JudyEv (325265)

• Rockingham, Australia

1 Jan 18

That does look the perfect place for a picnic. We're eating leftovers today but they do include cheesecakes and tiramisu.

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

Hmmm..... cheesecakes and tiramisu sound nice but not on our menu either.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (325265)

• Rockingham, Australia

2 Jan 18

@valmnz Eating leftovers is like extending the feast, isn't it?

1 person likes this

@allknowing (130067)

• India

1 Jan 18

I always assumed that you had an ambiance with hardly any people where you lived. I was wrong then.

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

Afraid so. I live in a small, flat, inland university city, population about 83,000. But not too far from the coast and other places we like to visit often.

1 person likes this

@jstory07 (134233)

• Roseburg, Oregon

2 Jan 18

That looks like a nice place to have a picnic lunch.

1 person likes this

@sueznewz2 (10409)

• Alicante, Spain

2 Jan 18

happy new year to you too val... that sounds like very pleasant way to start the new year...

@DianneN (246334)

• United States

8 Jan 18

What a beautiful setting! Happy New Year, Val!

s sivasubrahmanyam

@shivamani10 (11038)

• Hyderabad, India

1 Jan 18

A very Happy Picnic Lunch. I am also planning for a lunch. ..but not in the picnic but only in a restaurant. There are no picnic spots in and around this big city.

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

1 Jan 18

That's why we chose to drive out of the city. Happy New Year

@JohnRoberts (109857)

• Los Angeles, California

1 Jan 18

Happy New Year to you also.

1 person likes this

@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

2 Jan 18

Thanks John.

1 person likes this