Alpaca Trekking!

Ernest giving me eskimo kisses

When my mum asked me if I wanted to do anything special for my 18th birthday I think she was expecting a reply most teenagers would give, a house party, pub crawl, or going out clubbing with friends. So you can imagine the surprise on her face when I announced I would like to go alpaca trekking!

Despite the uneasy grin on my dads face followed by a nervous laugh, the day was planned and booked!

On the crisp sunny morning of the 30th November we all pulled our wellies on and bundled into the car ready for our alpaca experience.

As soon as we arrived we were greeted by our alpaca guide and let into the alpacas paddocks to meet them while learning some cool facts about them.

Despite being under the impression that alpacas spit these little guys were super friendly and full of character!  It turned out that llamas gave alpacas the bad reputation of spitting and that alpacas only ever spit if they feel threatened and trapped.

After playing with them all in the field we all chose an alpaca each to be paired up with and take for a wander.

Me and Munchie

I would love to inform you all on how long the trek was and where we went but the alpacas were so entertaining that I spent way too much time laughing to keep track of anything!

Munchie and Crunchie

Crunchie



Munchie and Toffee

After our trek we headed back for tea and biscuits while we learnt about the business side of alpacas, the benefits of using alpaca wool and the many things that could be produced from it.

It was a truly fabulous day out that was enjoyed by all of us (even my dad was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed it!) and I wouldn't have wanted to spend my 18th any other way :D 

http://www.butlersfarmalpacas.co.uk/

Huntingdon Racecourse 02.11.14

 

On Sunday I went to my first jumps meeting at Huntingdon.  As soon as I arrived I realised it was a totally different atmosphere to all the flat racing courses that I had been to over the summer.  First of all the dress code was much more relaxed, with most people wearing tweed coats and boots, it was clear that warmth and comfort was a lot more important to people than looking good! 

 

The races, being longer, meant each race wasn't over in the matter of seconds.  Despite the races being longer the air was still full of excitement as the horses charged over the fences, everyone holding their breathe each time the horse was in mid flight.

 

I found the day went on a lot longer due to there being more time in between each race, I actually preferred this as it gave you time to watch the horses in the pre parade ring, then put your bet on before running to get a spot as close to the winning post as possible.

 

The course itself was designed so that you could see the jockeys as they dismounted and walked over to the weighing room.  This gave me a chance to take a cheeky selfie with one of my favourite jump jockeys, Sam Twiston-Davies.

 

I had a truly awesome day and enjoyed every second of it!  Below are a few more photos I took during the day...

 




Have you ever been to the races? 

Instagram Diary #2

♥ Shabby chic book keepsake box ♥ Plush bed time quote ♥ Love  and rose petal cushions ♥ Pearls and roses ♥ The morning of the wedding ♥ Bridal suite ♥ Browsing an interior design magazine ♥ Pre wedding manicure ♥ Pre wedding pedicure ♥ Trying the new coca cola life ♥  Bubbley bottle ♥ Backstabbers quote ♥

 ♥ Mint and pink ♥ Date night ♥ Re kindling my love for drawing ♥ Deer circus drawing ♥ Nachos at Sgt Peppers ♥ Welcome home card I purchased for my house mate ♥ Naughty treats ♥ Knits and nails ♥ My face q ♥ Trout pout ♥ Mansion in the woods ♥ I'm a sucker for cadburys chocolate ♥

Just to make this instagram diary slightly more interesting I have selected a few of my favourite accounts that I follow & thought I would share them with you. 

@ichaity 

@fehlstmir 

@allthehorsesandme

@leslieanddoug

If you want a follow on Instagram follow me (@kierstenduke) and then comment your Instagram name in the comments below this post :-)  

Looking forward to discovering some new accounts, it's always good to freshen up that news feed! 

Guess who's back?!

I'm back and super happy to be back in the blogging community!  I had to stop blogging for a while due to work commitments but (I'd like to think) I'm better than ever and ready to dive head first back into the community!

I have big ideas for my future posts so stay updated but for now I shall just share with you my Instagram diary to give you all a sneak peak into what I've been up to.

Follow me on Instagram @kierstenduke



♥ National dog day ♥ Grey bunny jumper ♥  Pug slippers ♥ Friendship quote ♥ My attempt to re-create Pixiwoos Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley make up tutorial ♥ Real techniques brushes ♥ A shameless selfie ♥  Nail polish  ♥  Pouring rain ♥ Looking out my bedroom window ♥ Gladioli in the garden  ♥ 





Woburn Safari Park

Located in Woburn, Bedfordshire is over 300 acres of parkland, home to hundreds of wild animals.  From lions to shetland ponies, baboons to sea lions, this safari park has everything to offer.  With a safari drive through in the comfort of your own car you can get up close and personal with rhinos, baboons, lions, wolves and much more.  This is by far my favourite part of the park, it allows you to take amazing photos of the animals with paths to drive along right next to the fields the animals are grazing in.  There are no fences to block your view and having rhinos stroll along within centimetres of your car, is a really surreal feeling.

 

 

 

Another highlight of the safari park is the walk through aviaries filled with emus, wallabies and ostriches.  Being used to humans the animals are very calm and are happy for you to stroll past them and take a few photos within a foot of them.  If you go around the right time of year (after summer) you should catch an eye of a few baby wallabies or two!

 

There are multiple walk through cages, one being full of adorable spider monkeys!  I would highly advise being present at their feeding time as its a chance to get some great photos as eating seems to be the only time these little chaps stay still! ...Oh and when I say still, I mean pausing for about 2 seconds to grab a handful of food before stuffing it in their mouths and scurrying off putting a gymnastics display on for all to see.  There is no doubt these little fellas are highly entertaining and provide endless giggles and squeals from the little kids watching. 

 

If up close and personal isn't for you then a relaxed stroll around the zoo might be.  With animals in enclosures its perfect for those that aren't hands on and allows for more good photo opportunities. 

 

From road safari's, foot safari's, feeding and keeper demonstrations to outdoor activities such as the treetops action trial to soft play areas for kids, this place is worth every penny. 

 

With plenty of places to stop and rest as well as grab a bite to eat this really is the perfect day out for all and I would highly recommend it as a family day out.

25 facts about me!

1.  I don't have a middle name

2.  When I was 15 I bought my own puppy and trained him myself

3.  I started horse riding at the age of 4

4.  I love Pepsi Max

5.  My favourite colour is red

6.  I don't like feet

7.  If I wasn't called Kiersten I would have been called Daniella or Samantha

8.  If I was born a boy I would have been called Ryan

9.  I love finding bargains

10.  I adore MUA make up

11.  Me & my brother get on so well that people often ask us if we're boyfriend and girlfriend... awkward

12.  My hair is uber fluffy

13.  I have a laugh like a machine gun

14.  I always make really stupid impulsive decisions- oops

15.  I have a huge cartoony smile that fills up half of my face

16.  I am a little bit of an adrenaline junkie

17.  Thanks to my dad I am guilty of using cockney rhyming slang

18.  I really like thai curry

19.  I love travelling to different countries

20.  I am currently completing my bucket list that consists of 100 things (bets on how long it will take anyone?!)

21.  I love being outdoors

22.  Until about the age of 9 I would run around neighing, pretending to be a horse

23.  My hair is naturally mousey brown that has natural blonde highlights in it in the summer (they disappear in the winter though, MAGIC)

24.  I have a fluffy black pet cat that looks like she's on drugs

25.  I played netball from the ages of 8 to 16