#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand:A family of three--Mum, Dad, and Young Human (8?)--are enjoying an evening run on a country track. Side-by-side.Each looking content in their own world. A lanky spaniel loping at their sides. A nearby river gurgling as it flows to sea. A couple (20s?) are sitting on a picnic blanket in a stunning valley. Softly talking and laughing while eating sandwiches.Spring lambs gambolling in a nearby paddock. Sheepy bleats and birdsong an accompaniment to a perfect evening. A tiny human (1?) is fast asleep in a pram as Mum walks along a sunny street. It's a busy day and people are about, talking and making noise but Tiny Human is imperviously getting in his forty winks. He's hugging his toy firetruck, and everyone knows toy firetrucks make the best sleep guardians. On a walking track through a cow paddock, a man (30s?) is taking a minute to admire the view while a very curious cow gives his knees a considered sniff.But wait!Curious Cow does not approve of these knees! She gives him snort and a headshake. He laughs and continues on his way.A woman (70s?) wielding a gnarled wooden walking staff, with a canvas bag of pinecones tucked under her arm, is ambling along a river track. Stopping every now and then to admire a flowering tree or inspect and interesting rock. It's a quiet evening and she's going to take her time.(Continued Below)

#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand:A man (30s?) greets a friend with a hug and a booming: "Hey Big Man! Wanna catch up so you can tell me about your mahi*. It's been ages. Ages!" His friend laughs and returns the hug. "Yeah. Why not now? I've always got time for you, my bro."At a community plant swap: A woman (70s?) hones in, shark like, on another woman's plants.Scowling, she says: "They're from stolen cuttings from MY garden!"The other grins. "Yep! They were hanging over MY fence."The Great Cutting War of 2025 starts! (And soon ends thanks to tea and cake.)A man (30s?) is wrangling a jelly-boned tiny human (1?) who is doing her best to be sideways, upside down and diagonal in Dad's arms. But no fear! He's obviously a Jelly Human Wrangling Master and is managing to calmly eat a bowl of ramen without spilling a drop.A total bubble of a woman (20s?) is cheerfully greeting people who've come to support her on her first day working at a popular bar and beer garden. Her enthusiasm is catching and everyone who chats to her walks away happier. Her new boss watches on, stoic but for a fleeting half smile.A man (70s?) sits across from a teen (14?), placing a big slab of caramel slice** between them. Minutes later they're having an animated conversation about Japanese cinema and movies. Grandad loves Godzilla movies. Teen loves Dandadan.Expressions animated. Crumbs flying as they laugh.(Continued Below)

#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand:A small human (3?) is in a phone booth, chatting away in an imaginary conversation. Dad opens the door and asks: "Who're ya talking to, bub?"She grins: "MUMMY!""Ah yeah? And what's Mummy saying back?""That you HAVE to buy her a coffee or she'll DIE.""Oh yeah?" Dad looks back at Mum who's standing behind him, laughing. A tiny human (1ish?) has worked out a new form of transport! (Ooh aah.) If he looks up at the sky, and raspberries A LOT, it can help him run faster.Mum sprinting after him, scooping him up when the power of raspberry propulsion gets too strong.In a beer garden: Two intrepid small humans (3 & 4?) have decided to renovate the garden's cubby house. One is imperiously demanding the other "pick up rocks!" to make a new room inside for Halloween. She's not sure how many rocks they're gonna need, but it's a BIG job and she's the supervisor to make it happen. A seagull has snaffled an entire cupcake. (Score!)But wait! What is this?!Another seagull has stolen it?! (shock!). But Other Seagull can't lift it off the ground!(Gasp)And now a passing small dog is eating it?! (oh no!)Will the cupcake carnage ever end?! A couple (20s?) are sitting in a park. Sketchbooks on their laps. Silently drawing a duck pond with pencils.Meanwhile a big white goose imperiously struts past them, loudly honking strident opinions. Neither Drawing Couple or Ducks seem to mind. (Continued Below)

#Spotted on Market Day in Aotearoa New ZealandA tiny human (2?) offers a bite of her sausage to her plushie cat.BUT WHAT IS THIS?!Plushie Cat is a sausage snob?! (gasp!)This is NOT good enough...Or is it?Tiny Human's frown turns philosophical.Oh well, more for her.A man (30s?) is riding a pushbike away from the markets. There's a hefty bag of vegetables in the front basket and two small humans on the back, both holding whirligigs. Waving at everyone they pass.Their cheerfully bellowed "Hellooooos" getting swept away on the breeze.A small human (4?) is navigating the markets in a very considered fashion.She's frowning.She's thinking about each step.She's taking GREAT BIG LEAPS and then tiny steps.She's roaring: "I am NOT going to STEP on ANY CRACKS!"This walking business is a precise science.A small human (4?) in a Minecraft Creeper shirt is being VERY sneaky.First, he hides behind a plant stall.Then he hides behind Dad.Then he peeks around a corner.Then he roars: "RAR!" as he jumps out at Nan who manages to feign maximum shock just in time.HA. HA. HA.He is VERY scary.Three men (30s?) are sitting side-by-side on a curb, cheerfully catching up as they watch people go by. Drinking ginger beer, eating fresh made buttery gnocchi and fielding the calls from their small humans to "LOOK AT ME!"It's a pretty good day eh.(Continued Below)

#Spotted While Roaming In Aotearoa New ZealandA woman (60s?) says to a friend: "Ted* showed me a new poem last night and it was awful so I rewrote it. Now he's not talking to me. Can you believe it?!"Her friend says softly: "Liz.""He shouldn't have shown it to me! It's not my fault.""Liz.""I've been awful, haven't I? I owe him an apology don't I?"Her friend nods emphatically.A small human (4?) is sitting across from Grandad in a cafe, carefully taking numerous rocks and twigs out of his school bag and setting them on the table, explaining each one's importance. Precious treasures to be admired.A sausage dog has just spotted a friend and is VERY excited. He's wagging his tail so hard that his entire body is a wiggly noodle of happiness. His friend kneels down to give him a pat and Sausage Dog AWOOOS a greeting. A friend like this needs to know they're appreciated.A woman (20s?) is trudging along in a rain shower. Head down, expression glum.But wait, what is this?Someone to the rescue?!A woman (40s?) runs up behind her holding a big unfurled orange umbrella, sheltering them both, wrapping an arm around her waist as they go on their way.A bubbly woman (70s?) who's obviously a cafe regular, says to a server: "I've never travelled on my own before but I put on my big girl pants and booked a ticket to Auckland for next week. My grandson even said he was proud of me. That's something isn't it?" She beams.(Continued Below)

#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand:A woman (20s?) walks up to a cafe counter and says, "I've had a terrible morning. What do you have that's a full tummy hug? I really need one right now." She's seen a bit later tucking into a big bowl of soup and a massive cheese scone.A man (40s?) is standing on some scaffolding in front of a wooden bungalow, singing at the A man (40s?) is standing on some scaffolding in front of a wooden bungalow, singing at the top of his lungs to Pearl Jam as he wields a paint roller. A big dog (huntaway) snoozing on the ground below. Undisturbed by this musical extravagance. In a cinema: A man (30s?) calls to another (80s?), "Grandad! What flavours do you want for your lobby and your movie ice creams?" Grandad goes with berry and vanilla before cheerfully saying to a curious passerby: "Gotta have two! One before and one during the movie. It's the only way to go."Two women (80s?) are conspiratorially leaning towards each other over coffees. One says: "Did I tell you how I wiped the floor at our Saturday night bridge game? It was a massacre!" She laughs wickedly and begins to recount a daring tale of wit and card sharpery.A small human (3?) is running in a park his their Batman toy clutched in his hand, only to trip and fall over. (Oh no!) Batman goes flying.Small Human gets up, rushing over to him, brushing him off, saying, "Sorry! Sorry!" as he gives Batman a hug. (Batman is unscathed. He is Batman.)(Continued below)