You can't beat a day at the beach, writes Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana.
''Kiwi way of life'' is something that, as Kiwis, I think we take for granted. Having travelled extensively over the years, I have a new appreciation for it. The fact that you can sit on a pristine beach, look either left or right and not see another person as far as the eye can see is something many in the world can simply not fathom. But when you add into that picture, your family, a crystal-clear summer holiday day, some pipi, a fire and a piece of corrugated iron ... you have my best day and a true slice of heaven.
I think I must have been about 7 years old and we had made the annual pilgrimage to visit whanau in Takaka in the family Valiant, packed with everything a family of five needed, including the TV. We spent the day swimming and enjoying the freedom of a perfect summer day. My father, a true hunter-gatherer, then went in search of a tasty afternoon snack for us all. I remember coming out of the water as my father placed a forgotten piece of corrugated iron on top of the fire he had built.
My sisters, cousins and I all sat around that little fire waiting for the tasty little molluscs to open, on our best behaviour in order to be the first to have one. When they finally stopped being shy and embraced their inevitable fate by opening up, we were put out of our misery and each given a pipi to eat. Nothing to this day has tasted so good.
Now, I am not writer, I don't have the gift to wax lyrical in a way that can do justice to how perfect that moment was. My family together, not a care in the world, a perfect beach in the most beautiful country in the world and the freshest seafood on the planet: best day ever.
Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana is events and Cadbury World manager.