Coast and Country: Looking back at our year!

Andrew and Ruth

It's been such a busy year for us here on Coast and Country! We've seen the seasons come and go, and we've celebrated everything that makes Wales such a wonderful place!

At the start of the year Andrew headed for the hills.

Snowdonia is one of the most spectacular parts of the world, and the weather can be just as dramatic as the landscape. The snow had fallen, but the harsh weather is a magnet for those like Andrew who love the great outdoors.

Andrew climbs in the snow

And to finish the day, Andrew spent the night in a mountain bothy. There are over 100 of these little shelters across the UK, and with the permission of the owners they are left open for adventurers to use!

Mountain Bothy in Snowdonia

Whilst Andrew was enjoying the epic scenery, back in January I was braving the mists on a hillside farm above Llanfairfechan in North Wales. Gareth Wyn Jones looks after more than 3,500 sheep on the farm. In the harsh winter weather, it's an unforgiving place.

Farmer Gareth Wyn Jones

The extreme conditions make the job much harder, but Gareth has been farming all his life, and he loves it.

Gareth explains his passion for hill farming

As we walked through the mist, the famous wild Carneddau ponies came into sight. A truly magical experience.

The Carneddau Ponies appear through the mist

But the weather hasn't always been quite so harsh! Back in the summer I came to Tenby to meet sand artist Marc Treanor, who draws fantastic creations in the sand using a simple rake!

Sand Artist Marc Treanor

Marc's creations are truly breathtaking, but once the tide comes in, they're gone. And that is why he loves them!

Sand art from the sky

Some of Andrew's highlights have been out at sea. An morning boat ride off the coast of Milford haven to hand pick scallops off the sea bed made for a particularly early start!

Andrew joins Skipper Greg Phillpot

But the haul was more than worth it! These scallops will be headed for local restaurants

Scallops

Andrew's watery adventures also took him to sea with Neptune's Army. The dedicated group of rubbish collectors dive into the waters to clear up waste from the fishing industry.

Neptune's Army

In the years since the group began, they've found all sorts of items littered across the sea bed. From the strange to the bizarre!

You never now what you might find on the sea bed!

And I had my own adventure out at sea too! As I took to the waters of Milford Haven to try my hand a a spot of power boating!

Powerboating with Sam Coleman

Brother and sister Sam and Daisy Coleman are from Pembrokeshire are P1 Power Boating World Champions. And I was lucky to join them on a training day.

The P1 Power Boat Champions

It's been quite the year! We hope you'll join us tonight at 8pm on ITV Cymru Wales.