On the last day of 2016, we are seeing a positive headline; one of not so many this year. China is banning Ivory Trade.

In March 2017 trading and processing Ivory will be banned, apart from auctions of "legitimately" sourced antiques (this exception seems a little vague and largely undefined which could cause problems, but overall this is excellent news). China currently buys an estimated 70% of all Ivory, and so this ban will lead to a huge decrease in trade, and pressures other countries to follow suit. 

This decision is being described as "historic" and a "game-changer." I personally hope this ban is properly enforced, and does lead to dramatic change. Without a major decrease in Ivory trade, the future of African elephants is pretty bleak. 

However, banning any form of trade obviously brings with it the risk of the black market. I worry that this announcement will cause a dramatic spike in poaching until March, and following it the illegal trade will boom. However, being illegal to sell and process in China will make a difference, and if this announcement continues to meet great support, and links well with educating people on the importance of not trading Ivory to keep elephants alive, I think it will be great for elephants. 

BEFORE I get rained on by a host of comments asking why I support this, and yet fight for a legal trade in rhino horn, let me say this: you can successfully remove a rhino horn with no risk of harming a rhino. This does not work with elephants. Removing their tusks, or even broken tusks, lead to fatal infections. Therefore a legal trade by opening up the market to elephant owners simply won't work. Poachers shoot the animals too, but even without this, the animals would still die. Elephants and rhinos are not the same; Ivory and Keratin are not the same. 

Sadly in the world we live in, there is never a perfect answer. Poaching will not be wiped out 100% by this ban from China. Elephants will still be poached for their Ivory. What this ban can do, is decrease the trade; decrease the number of elephants killed per year; help the population. 

I welcome this change and good news. According to the WWF, there are roughly 415,000 African elephants left. These giants of Africa have been hit hard by an increase in poaching. I hope this ban is enforced well, and makes all attempts to squash the black market before it can even begin. Elephants are majestic, intelligent and beautiful animals. I hope 2017 is a good year for African elephants; they need it. 

Hello people of the internet. 

As I mentioned in this post, I am fundraising for my trip to South Africa in 2017 to study black rhinos! Therefore, I would ask you all to please click the following link:

https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/so164-monitoring-the-populations-and-ranging-patterns-of-the-critically-endangered-black-rhino/

By clicking the link above, you will be re-directed to  my cause on easyfundraising's webpage, where you can support my cause by installing a button that looks like this: 

Once this is installed (takes less than one minute), when you are shopping online at one of the over 2,700 places associated with easyfundraising, this will appear:

Ps. These screenshots were on my laptop, and may appear differently on different makes of PC/laptop!

Sir David Attenborough (source)

It's hardly surprising that I watched and LOVED Planet Earth II. I adored Planet Earth the first time, and so I was very excited for this one. The advert alone brought tears to my eyes. 

I mentioned in my previous post that I think this documentary is a game changer. I think it's a cut above anything made before, and the extent of wildlife and ecosystems filmed is outstanding. The main reason I loved it so much, was it filmed so many animals that had never been caught on camera before. 

David Attenborough has been a hero of mine for as long as I can remember. His documentaries have educated people on the importance and beauty of the natural world, and his passion is so inspiring. I think the decision to film in the cities was a bold one, and an ingenious one. Showing people how our world and the natural world interacts is so important, including how detrimental it can be for wildlife. 

I honestly don't have a favourite scene; but here are some of my highlights:

Those are just a few of my favourite bits but I could honestly go one forever, and there was no part of it that I didn't love. 

People always react to "shocking" footage. Hunts, or any dying animal scenes always cause mixed reactions and controversy. I personally don't understand how you can watch a nature documentary and not expect to see hunting, or death. It's nature; it's the circle of life. I'm not saying it's not sometimes horrible to watch, and I know you're always torn between wanting the prey to live, and not wanting the predator to starve, but to be able to see some of the animals hunt in the way we did in Planet Earth II is so special. It gives a realistic insight into the natural world, and the struggles animals face to survive. 

I will inevitably be re-watching Planet Earth II forever more. Sir David Attenborough, you've done it again. 

Let me know if you were watching, and which bits were your favourite! And lastly, for all my fellow students out there.. the soundtrack is great to work to! 

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I'm sorry I haven't posted for so long.. it's bad. I know. I have been really busy though with uni and coursework and deadlines, but as I write this I have just submitted my final piece of work for this semester! The semester is over which means I am half way through my degree! (Officially, it's not over until after January exams but this is still a scary thought.) I can't believe it's been a year and a half already, but I also sometimes can't remember my life before uni. And to think I didn't know some of my now closest friends two years ago, is ridiculous.

I am now 20! I had my 20th birthday last week, and it was fabulous, and now that it's over I am fully embracing the Christmas spirit. 

I have been absolutely loving Planet Earth 2. This documentary is a cut above the rest, and the footage they've caught it outstanding. I cannot pick a favourite bit (I know David Attenborough's favourite is the snow leopard - I can see why). I absolutely love everything David Attenborough does, and this really has changed the face of wildlife documentaries, and is possibly the greatest series yet. 

I also met Albina Hume, wife of John Hume, for lunch in London recently. It was incredible to meet her, and she is a lovely, inspiring woman. She told me so many amazing stories of life on the largest rhino breeding farm in the world, and sadly some of the darker sides of the conservation world. It seems that she faces some strong opinions, and some not nice people like to make it clear what they think of her. Luckily she is an incredibly strong woman, just like so many other female conservationists I know, and she can't be deterred from fighting for what she believes in. 

A big thing I want to share with you is my summer plans for 2017. Surprise surprise, I'm heading back to Africa. I am joining an Opwall expedition for 6 weeks to work on a Black Rhino population and ranging patterns project, to collect data for my dissertation in my third year of uni! I am so excited and pleased that I can centre my dissertation around rhino conservation and monitoring, and I can't wait to be back in the bush. 

I am planning to stay in South Africa for longer than 6 weeks, and visit some other friends and reserves, but nothing more is finalised yet. 

I am going to blog my trip (obviously) and I'm going to blog the planning. I am officially in fundraising mode to pay for it - it's not cheap but I am hoping to raise the full amount. I'm here to ask for help. If anyone has any tips on fundraising, or has done a similar thing before please get in touch!! I welcome any help at all! Equally, if anyone knows of any grants I could apply for, or ways I could get donations to get me to Africa to help work on this project for the critically endangered Black Rhino, I would hugely appreciate it!

I am back and will be blogging regularly again; as always, send in requests and I will do my best to write about what you want to read about, as well as keeping you updated on my fundraising journey! If you're interested in hearing more about my lunch with Mrs Hume, or my thoughts on the challenges she faces let me know! I would love to write a post about some inspiring people I know in the conservation industry, if that's something you would want to see.

Here are some photos from the first semester of year 2, including my birthday!

Wild Camels: did you know there's only around 1,000 left? Take a minute to think about how few that is. That's around the same number of people who went to my secondary school. 

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Of course there are more than 1,000 camels in the world, but not WILD camels. They are a separate species that live in China and Mongolia. Their species is one of the most critically endangered mammals on the planet. 
Some facts about wild camels are that they are specially adapted to drink salt water. This enables them to survive in the Gashun Gobi part of the Gobi desert, China. The wild camel survived the effects of radiation from 43 atmospheric nuclear tests, and continued to breed naturally. The absence of fresh water meant they adapted to be able to drink salt water. No one conclusively knows how to this day. They migrate over huge distances in pursuit of salt water sources. They can also survive extreme temperature differences, from -40 to 55 degrees celsius. 
The main reasons Wild Camels are threatened that I'm going to talk about are hunting, competition for grazing, mining, and predation by wolves. 

Loss of habitat is a big threat to the wild camel. The have lost their habitat to mining and industrial development. This obvious threatens their survival as a species as they are forced to compete for food, and restrained to a smaller and smaller area. As well as each other, they have to compete with livestock and even domestic camels for food and water. This has led to farmers hunting them for threatening the survival of their livestock. When the camels migrate and leave protected areas, many of them are lost each year. Inbreeding among these domestic camel is also cause of worry, as this could lead to a the loss of the genetically distinct wild camel. Hunting is often considered the greatest threat to wild camels. In the Gobi desert, around 25-30 camels are poached each year for "domestic use"; but they are also hunting for sport and trophy. 
The only predators nowadays of these camels are gray wolves. Reports of predation by wolves on camels have increased in number due to increasingly dry conditions. 

The species are listed under Appendix I, and so in theory received relatively high levels of protection. The Chinese and Mongolian governments are cooperating to protect the species and it's habitat. The Gobi desert is a fragile ecosystem, and so this cooperation is critical, and they have adopted an ecosystem-based management programme to protect the Gobi desert and it's biodiversity. 
Two reserves were created in 2000: 'The Great Gobi Reserve A' in Mongolia, and the 'Arjin Shan Lop Nur Reserve' in China. They provide a safe habitat for the wild camels, and a vast range of other species living in the area. 
Captive breeding has also been explored as a way to prevent a genetic loss of the pure wild camel species. In 2003, a sanctuary in Mongolia was stared to lung a breeding programme, which has had several successful cases. 

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Check out wildcamels.com for more info on camels, and how we can help!

This post is dedicated to my mum, who loves wild camels, and wants to see them saved. 

The CITES conference failed to legalise the rhino horn trade. If you've read any of my previous posts on this issue (link here) then you'll know that I fully support legalising the trade, and really hoped CITES would vote in favour of Swaziland's proposal.

However, they didn't. Is this really surprising? Not really. This decision was placed into the hands of people who don't understand the issue; preservationists and NGOs who profit from the plight of rhinos. 

Countries/ Organisations such as the US and EU said a legal trade would reverse the work done to reduce the demand for rhino horn. This is ludicrous to me. It breaks my heart that these countries were listened to over Swaziland and South Africa, who are the ones actually protecting the rhino and the homes of the rhino. NGOs were listened to over the private owners. Most (not all, but most) rhino range countries supported Swaziland's proposal, yet the countries where rhinos are not living seemed to win. It seems ridiculous, doesn't it? Why do these countries think they know best? Why must they intervene on something they do not understand? Why would you ignore the experts?????

Manager of the WWF's South African rhino programme, Dr Jo Shaw, said "What we need now is firm action by CITES and all concerned to address poaching, trafficking and consumption of rhino horn." These are empty words until we see actions. This is exactly what should have been happening since the ban on trade began in 1977, so why are rhinos being killed at a rate of 3 a day? We need a change. How can they not see that!

The idea that legal trade goes against education is laughable. Leaving trade illegal gives the monopoly on trade to criminals. However, it also gives these same criminals the control of the supply, price and most importantly, the information. Legal trade means rhino horn products would be sold on the high street, manufactured and packaged legally. This means people will know exactly what they are buying. When you buy something on the black market, you are trusting people who are essentially just criminals that it is what they say it is, when they have every reason to lie to you. A legal trade goes hand in hand with increased awareness and education. Tell people when they buy paracetamol with rhino horn extract in it that there is absolutely no scientific evidence that rhino horn has medicinal value. Tell people that when they buy an expensive rhino horn ornament, they are essentially buying matted hair thats been sculpted, and is practically worthless. Decreasing the demand will be so much quicker and easier under a legal trade. 

I've said this so many times, and I'm going to keep saying it until people listen: There is no ONE solution to save the rhino. What we are trying to do with a legal trade is save the rhino from extinction. It is also going to have strong regulations and conditions. Legal trade is not the end; it's the beginning of a long road to save this species.

This vote is not the end either. We do not own this planet, and we never will. This vote is just motivation to keep fighting. 

This post is dedicated to a rhino I knew called Charlie. She spent her whole life fighting, even though the odds were always stacked against her. She just wanted to live.

Save the rhino, not it's horn. 

As I'm sure a lot of you know, the CITES CoP17 (Conference of the Parties) is currently taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa. This conference is very important for the conservation of many species, and so I'm going to try cover it as much as possible. 

Many people were fighting to move lions to Appendix I. CITES has appendices to classify the endangered state of different species of flora and fauna. The Appendix which a species falls under determines the level of protection given to it by law in terms of trade. If a species comes under Appendix I, then no international trade of that animal can take place, unless for non-commercial reasons (i.e. for scientific reasons, where both an import and export permit is needed). Animals under Appendix I are considered to be threatened with extinction. 

Lions are being threatened by trade for their bones. I wrote a post about the endangered status of lions: Endangered Species: Lions. Before I go on I'm sure you'll have noticed, I am against the trade in lion bones, but pro legalising trade in rhino horn. This is because I believe that each case must be treated differently, as they are different species. Each species must be dealt with in a way that is best suited for their conservation needs, and unfortunately there is no one solution that will help save all species. I wish there was, but there isn't and we must not assume that all trade is bad, or all trade is good. That's what conservationists are for; to determine the best possible route to help save each species. 

The movement of lions to Appendix I was intended to help bring an end to the lion bone trade. What has happened at CoP17, is that lions are remaining under Appendix II, with a "zero annual export quota for bones, bone pieces, products, claws, skeletons, skulls and teeth removed from the wild and traded for commercial purposes." What does this mean?

Well it all seems pretty vague is my first thought. Vagueness is a conservationists worst enemy, because it can be twisted and interpreted. Vagueness is one of the main reasons Canned Hunting exists; making a legally-undefined practice illegal is rather impossible. You may also notice that skins aren't included. 

The glimmer of light coming from this is that South Africa is allowed to set it's own export quota for the same body parts (but not skills) from their captive bred lions. Trouble is, there is no way of guaranteeing this will prevent trade in wild lions as it is difficult to tell whether you have a wild lion's bone, or captive bred lion's bone.

This is bad news for the lion population, of around only 20,000 in the wild. CITES was trusted with such an important decision to help lions, and they've failed. It worries me for what is to come from the rest of this conference. 

I am currently writing from my new room at university, with my first lecture of second year being tomorrow morning and so, with regret, I think it's time to accept that Summer 2016, is over. 


Summer 2016 has proven to be one of the greatest (I say this every summer) but it's true, since every summer I seem to be doing amazing things and having an amazing time. This summer has been a stand out for me though because I have tried so many things out for the first time, and been ticking away at my bucket list. 

This was my first summer blogging, and I've loved it! I've enjoyed writing, and hearing from people who have read it and having conversations with some incredible people because of it. I'm so glad I decided to start this blog, and look forward to what happens next. 

Obviously the most unbelievable thing I did this summer, which is something I did for the first time, was volunteer with big cats. Volunteering on a wild cat sanctuary was like a dream. I will never forget it, and hope to do it again. I learnt so much and had an amazing time. I got to do some life-chaning things (for the first time) such as getting up close and personal with lions, cheetahs,  and caracals, and learning individual animals characteristics and personalities. On a tour once I was asked how to tell the difference between some of the lions, and I produced a lengthy list of every single difference. The owner said to me it was clear where I was spending my free time.. I loved getting to know the animals individually, and being able to know them all by name. I miss them everyday and am constantly looking back at pictures. I met some incredible people as well and made friends from all over the world, which really excites me and I hope to go travelling around to see them all one day. May have been my first time working with big cats, but it won't be my last! 

Another first for me from South Africa was bungee jumping!! Much to my mothers horror, I loved it. Skydiving has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, and I still plan to do that one day (hopefully in Australia) but bungee jumping was never a "must-do" for me. However, as soon as I found out it was an option I had to do it. I am the type of person who doesn't like to say no to things, and I know I will always regret the things I don't do. I wasn't at all convinced I would even enjoy the jump, but I knew I had to try. I was terrified on the top of the platform, and had to take several deep breaths before jumping, but once I was off, I was loving it. So happy I did it, and would recommend it to anyone who's unsure. Sorry mum and dad... 

In fact, it was the first time I spent any real time in Johannesburg. Although it wasn't all smooth sailing, and my wallet was stolen, I did really enjoy the day I spent having a tour of the city. Obviously the bungee was a highlight, but I also really enjoyed Constitutional Hill. If you have time in Johannesburg ever, it's a well worth a visit. 


Back in the UK I did some things for the first time as well. I tried water skiing. Turns out, I'm not very good at water skiing, but I had fun. A group of 6 of us went out on a boat for a day and had a go. Obviously the boat's owner was very good at it, and we all optimistically thought it would be quite easy. Some of the others were surprisingly good at it, but I was not one of them. I love the sea though and was having a great time trying to stand up. I did get up for about a second so I'm happy. Would love to try it again, but maybe with some gloves. 


Although it was not my first time in Canada, it was my first time visiting Thornbury, my first Canada wedding, and my first time meeting the newest member to my family, who was born in July! I loved Thornbury and felt lucky to have been there. Since it's such a small town, I think it's somewhere I would never have even known about if I didn't have family there, and yet it's such a beautiful place! 



Of course, there were other amazing things I did this summer, that I had done before. I went to my friend's festival for the second year in a row. I had a great time as always, and is definitely going to be my bank holiday weekend fix for many years to come. I went on a one day safari in SA, and saw rhinos and water buffalo among other things. That was one of the best days of the summer for me (read more..). 



The best thing about this summer was meeting so many new people. I've made some friends for life, and had some unforgettable experiences. Thank you to everyone who's made this summer one of the best ones yet! 

The big day had arrived, and it was the most amazing wedding. Everyone who was there had an amazing time, the bride looked absolutely stunning and it was perfect. 

The wedding wasn't until 4.00pm and so we had the whole morning to get ready. Weather-wise, it wasn't really what you want on your wedding day. It was the first rain we'd had all week, and it came down by the bucketload. Even us Brits were impressed. The forecast had predicted it, but none of us believed it until then. But we stayed optimistic as there was lots of time for the rain to clear before the wedding would start. 

We got ready at our house and took some pictures (and may have had some champagne) before heading to the venue! The wedding was at a gorgeous pub on the lake. The ceremony was moved into a marquee which was beautifully decorated, and as soon as it started, the weather cleared! It couldn't have been more perfect timing; as if it was planned! 

After the lovely ceremony, there were pictures and drinks before dinner. Everyone looked lovely, and because the weather ended up being so nice, they had their pictures outside in front of the water which was so picturesque. 

Dinner was a build-you-own-burger - genius - with a selection of salads, and all the food was great. Then came the speeches, which were all very good. The cakes (plural) were brought out which were incredibly impressive. 
After a lot of food, the dancing began. Do I really need to say more..? What I will say is, there was always a very strong english presence on the dance floor!
Overall, lots was drank, lots was eaten and everyone had a wonderful evening. I wish the bride and groom a lifetime of happiness together, and thanks guys for an awesome wedding! 


The next day, everyone was feeling pretty fragile (did I mention we  hosted an after party beer pong tournament at the house?) We had all agreed for a family jump off the pier the morning after the wedding. When you've had a night out, this seems like a terrible idea the next day, but eventually we all headed to the beach. 
Jumping into a lake off a pier is the BEST hangover cure I have found yet. I recommend it strongly (to be honest, any outdoor activity is good). We swam to "the rock" and just hung around the beach for most of the day. We had dinner at our house as it was our last night. The week had gone so quickly. 

Our flight was overnight so we had Monday morning in Thornbury. Next to the pub where the wedding was, there is a dam, but since it is part of the salmon migration, they had built a path for the salmon to get up. If you've ever seen the salmon migration on national geographic of tv or in real life, you'll know how insane it is! They  are heading upstream, so against the water, and have to negotiate rapids. They jump quite high out of the water sometimes! 
It has started in Thornbury, so after breakfast at the bakery, we headed to the pub to see it. I tried my best to get some photos, but unfortunately I wasn't very successful. However, here is a photo of  the path and what they are fighting against..



Sadly, all good things must come to an end and it was time to go home. After an almost-run-in with the hire car company, we arrived at the airport and got on our plane home to England. I had an amazing holiday in Canada. It's made me want to travel more of Canada in the future, and obviously it was lovely to see my family. Saying goodbye to everyone was very sad, but hopefully we'll all see each other again soon.

Until next time, Canada!

We went to Sauble Beach, which was about an hour and a half drive from Thornbury for the day. It was recommended to us as a lovely beach and a good place to swim. 

It really was a great beach. We took a picnic, including some of my aunts homemade meat pies based on my grandmas recipe - they are amazing! The weather was great, and the water was unbelievable; possibly the nicest water I have ever swam in. It was crystal clear, and you could get so far out before you couldn't stand. It was lake water as well, so not salty, and it wasn't cold. It was fabulous. We also took a game called 'Smite' with us - great game. It's a bit like 10 pin bowling, but outdoors with a different points system. You have to knock down pieces of wood and get a score depending on which you knock over, and you'e aiming to get exactly 50 points; no more and no less. I definitely recommend the game - it's simple to grasp and good for families or groups of any size and any age. 

We sunbathed, ate, swam, played smite and had a generally great beach day. 

We went back to Thornbury for dinner, and had dinner in a restaurant next to the marina. There was about 20 of us (or more) having dinner because more people had arrived from England and other parts of Canada in preparation for the wedding. It was great to see everyone who had only just arrived and we had a nice evening. 

Later that evening (around 11pm) the last of the English arrived; my cousin and her boyfriend had flown in from Alabama. It was great to see them since it had been ages since I last had, and they were staying in the house with us. 

The next day we had a surprisingly busy day. We were told that jumping off the pier in Thornbury harbour was some a must-do before we left, and so naturally we all met in the morning to do that. We loved it, and probably jumped in 10-15 times, before swimming back to shore. I love the water for swimming in Thornbury. We were told we were lucky to still be able to in September, although I'm sure even if it wasn't as warm, us Brits would still consider it warm compared to what we are used to! But even the Canadians were impressed by how warm the water was. 

We went to a wine tasting for lunch which was fun. We got to try 4 different wines each, and we ordered some cheese boards, and then we had a tour of the winery. 

We had to be back in time to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. Obviously, those of us not actually in the wedding didn't attend the rehearsal, but we all met for dinner in the evening at one house (aunt and uncle of the bride) for another delicious meal! (The soup was a definite highlight D&T if you're reading!) The whole evening was lovely, and more people had arrived that we hadn't seen yet which was great. 

It wasn't a particularly late one, since everyone needed to be ready for the big day... 

Tuesday 13th September was my mum's birthday (I won't say how old she is). She and I both really wanted to go hiking while we were in Canada since we were staying in the mountains and we knew there was several trails we could go on, and so we decided we would do that for her birthday. 

Happy Birthday Mum!

We followed the Loree trail. It is supposedly one of those trials that no matter which was you turn, you will return to the same place. We reached a view point which looked over the bay and it was really beautiful. However, getting back to the car was interesting. We followed whichever path we found, but it just felt like we were getting further and further into the woods (which we were). But it didn't really matter as we had a great time and the woods were awesome to be in; although we did end up walking down a hill to a small stream and having to cross a small bridge before climbing back up. 


We eventually ended up back on the road, but about a mile away from the car. I really would recommend the Loree trail in the Blue Mountains. It's not a difficult walk and the sights are beautiful. 



After we got back to Thornbury we went to the Thornbury Bakery for lunch which was delicious, and then everyone was really tired and the weather wasn't as good as it had been earlier that day so we went back to the house. Most people napped but I just sat on the deck for a bit. 
For dinner, some family members had organised mum a wonderful meal at their house. The whole meal was delicious, topped off with an incredible cake! This thing was huge and tasted amazing. I think it's set the bar for all future cakes now, and was baked by the owners of the bakery! It was a lovely evening and mum had a great day so happy birthday mum! 

The next day we decided to go on a day trip. It was just my uncle, aunt, mum, sister and I who could go (the English) as the others were all busy with either work or wedding prep! We went to Tobermory, in Ontario, for the day. It's on the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula, and is famous for it's fresh water diving. It's popular for diving because of it's shipwrecks. My uncle and I were looking into doing a dive there, but it was 2 and a half hours from where we were staying and because we were quite busy and not in Canada for that long, it just wasn't looking feasible. 
Instead, we had lunch by the marina and then went on a boat trip. The boat took us over some wrecks, which you could see perfectly through the crystal clear water, and then to Flowerpot Island; so-named because some of the rocks resemble flowerpots. The boat trip was really good. We didn't have time to get off at Flowerpot Island because we had to be back in Thornbury for the evening because more of my cousins were arriving from England, but on the journey out there, which was where we saw the wrecks, we had the boat to ourselves (unfortunately on the way back it was very busy, but two people had two cavaliers on there which reminded me of my dog and one came to sit with me, so I was happy). 





The water was beautiful and the wrecks were awesome. The whole area was very pretty and we were really glad we got to go. I definitely recommend going on a boat trip if you are down there, and if we hadn't been pushed for time, we would definitely have followed a trail on the island, or even camped there for the night. I definitely want to do a dive there as well if I ever go back! 



In the evening, my cousin and his girlfriend arrived and we had dinner at the house we were staying in. It was great to have more people in the house, and dinner was delicious as always. 

I haven’t posted in a while but I’ve been busy, mostly getting ready for my holiday to Canada. I am going to Ontario, to a town called Thornbury where my aunt lives. One of my cousins is getting married there and so quite a few of us are flying over from the UK for the wedding. I haven't been to Canada since 2011, and so I am very excited. 

I am currently writing from the plane. I’ve brought my laptop so I can blog and work (currently have an online rep job and lots of our events are coming up so I need access to the internet.) I’m flying with my mum, sister, aunt and uncle with AirCanada Rouge. I’ve never flown AirCanada before, and I’ve heard mixed things but I didn't book the flight and so didn't have a choice. There is inflight entertainment but only via an app on your personal devices, so if you don't have a smart phone or a tablet you’re a bit screwed. Furthermore, the whole system has crashed and so isn't working yet; hence I am writing. Hopefully it’ll be up again soon and I’ll even be able to watch from my laptop. It’s not what we were expecting to say the least, and getting on a plane and seeing that there’s no mini personal screen is a bit of a blow. 

Flight was fine in the end: got there in one piece and got through the airport easily and to our hired car. From Toronto airport to Thornbury was about a 2 and a half hour drive. We went straight to my aunts house to see her and some of my cousins (they weren't all there yet) and it was lovely to see them again after so long. 

They took us to the house we were staying in for our stay. This house was unbelievable! It was huge, and the houses in Canada all have huge basements too because their frost levels are so low, so the basement here was the same size as the main floor of the house. It was in a place called Lora Bay, where all the houses are amazing. Thornbury is in the Blue Mountains next to the ski resort, and so these are mostly winter homes for people in the city who come here to ski. It's also right next to a huge lake and so is a very picturesque area. 

That night, everyone came to this house for dinner. We all ate (and drank) quite a bit and it was lovely. It was so good to see everyone again and have a proper catch up. 

The next day was quite relaxed. The time difference between the UK and Canada is 5 hours and so we were all quire tired. We went into Thornbury in the morning and to the pub the wedding was at for lunch. It's a wonderful setting, right on the water. We wondered down past the marina, where all the nice boats were and it was very pretty. 

After lunch, I went for a swim near our house in the lake with my sister and one of my aunts. The water was amazing. It's still warm, even at this time of year, and beautifully clear and fresh water! It looks just like the sea, but it's warmer and not salty, which makes perfect water for swimming. I love being in the water and it was really nice to finally be swimming this summer. 

That evening we went for lunch at my aunts house, and one of my cousins had arrived with her new baby boy. It was our first time meeting him as he was only born in July, and he was so small and adorable. It was great to see my cousin as well of course and dinner was delicious.