weekn20

Sunday 2nd April. Finally, in the afternoon, I got Rob to go down the beach with us! Not brilliant weather but still warm and plenty people on the beach and in the sea. The three of us strolled along but then I decided to walk back and have a sit down. Rob and N walked a fair bit further. Monday 3rd April. Down to the beach again in the afternoon. The tide was well in and we sat close to the ramp down from the surf beach. Definitely getting cooler now. Suddenly the hills seem to be covered in Pampas grass which has come into flower. Stunning. Tuesday 4th April. Weather warning for heavy rain. Seems we are in the path of cyclone Debbie which hit Queensland a few days ago Goat Islamd Goat Islamd Story! . The rain started after lunch heavy and torrential. Was very pleased to see Rob get back home from work. Wednesday 5th April More heavy rain overnight. I had physio appointment at 11am and it wasn't raining when I left. Good session today after I had explained to her that I couldn't lie on my front. I sat on the couch and she applied pressure to my bones when I moved sideways. Can definitely feel some improvement at last! Heavy rain on the way back home. By teatime the worst of the rain was over. Waybe valley road is flooded so Rob had to round via Wellsford. The rain and flooding has been much worse south of Auckland. Thursday 6th April. Our last day out! Checked that Matakana Valley Road was open after the rain before we left. There had been several landslips on the north side but they had been cleared. Very efficient! First stop was Goat Island where I had hoped we could walk along the beach. Once again the tide was in and we couldn't even get to the beach as the little river was in full flow. Still glad we went to say goodbye for this trip. We were pleased to see that there were several shags nesting in the trees there. Memories of our last trip when we spent a lot of time watching the young ones. Next stop was back in to Leigh to have snapper and chips. Always good fish from there due to their proximity to Leigh fisheries and harbour Goat Island Goat Island Story! . Then on to Mathesons Bay where we stayed a while getting out the chairs out for the last time. Final stop was back to visit Jill and John at Omaha River Retreat which was our home for five months on our last trip. Felt very nostalgic . So many memories of our time there and many visits from Danni and Jonny. Friday 7th April. Our last full day. I had physio appointment at 10am. Another successful session. Back home to clean, tidy up and pack. Busy day. When Rob got home he put our cases in his car ready for tomorrow. After tea we had FaceTime call with Steve who is in hospital following knee surgery. Rob was there as well so we had a good laugh. Saturday 8th April. Up quite early again. Seem not to have adjusted yet to the change of clocks yet. Still with all the hours change over the next few days it's not a problem! Final tidy up and packing of hand luggage Mathesons Bay Mathesons Bay . John (landlord) and Kay arrived 11.15 to do a house check. We left them there and said goodbye to our beautiful little house. Drove to Rob's work, United Autos in Warkworth. Was pleased to know that was our last drive down the Dome. There was yet another fatal crash there last night. Such stupid drivers. Left car with Rob and went to cafe over the road for a quick snack. Left 1pm when Rob closed the garage. Good drive to airport but busy as usual. Arrived 2.20 well early for flight . Found special assistance seating area and now airing there until check in opens at 4 pm. Told Rob not to hang around so said goodbye as soon as we were seated, needed to get the goodbyes said over and done with quickly. So very sad! Checked in when it opened and back to seating area to wait for my wheelchair to arrive and then whisked off through security and immigration. We were soon boarded and off we went after another amazing stay in this wonderful country Mathesons Bay Mathesons Bay . Arrived Melbourne as scheduled and was met by wheelchair assistance. Told him our bags were going straight through to Dubai but he said that wasn't possible as our flight out wasn't for another 24 hours. So, went to baggage controller to check. He said bags would be on carousel. Bags weren't on carousel, we watched it go round many times! Wheelchair man (boy) went off and came back to say that bags had been retained as they didn't know what to do with them so they would now deliver them down the oversized baggage shute. So, finally reunited with our bags. Had we not had the airport assistance goodness knows when we would have found them as we would have gone off to our hotel thinking the bags were going straight through. Into taxi and off to our hotel, Alexander Motor Inn, for the night. Checked in and found we were in upstairs room and no lift. Could have been a problem with the bags but very kind German guy was a tremendous help. Very pleased to get to bed at long last.

Week 19

Sunday March 26th We all had a lie in! I was up first and had breakfast on the deck. Nice and peaceful!. Rob cooked big brunch 11.30ish. Danni and I had been booked to ride at 3.30 pm but Heather had rung, on Friday, to cancel as she said it would be too wet. I couldn't have ridden anyway but Danni had been looking forward to it. Rob and Jonny left to go back to Auckland. Unfortunately Dans car is only a two seater so they couldn't take him back. We sat on the deck and chatted with Danni and Dan. Danni told us about her time on the Spirit of New Zealand sailing ship. What a great experience it was for her. It had been raining but weather cleared so we thought we'd go down to the beach with them before they left Surf Beach after the storm Surf Beach after the storm . Unfortunately I couldn't find my car keys, looked everywhere then texted Rob and he had them. So, that was that. We said our goodbyes, sad as probably won't see Danni again this trip. An couple of hours or so after they had left the rain started. Heather was right! Torrential stuff! Rob got back just as it was starting, he'd had a slow journey due to heavy traffic. He said he had passed them on the way back. I said that was strange as they had intended to go back via Matakana and Snells Beach where a relative of Dans lives. I texted Danni and asked if they were home, if they had got lost. Apparently soon after they left here Dan was stung by a bee and as he has previously had a bad allergic reaction Danni had called for an ambulance. Don't know much else will find out more later. The rain continued till about 9pm and terminated with a thunderstorm. That was quite a downpour! Monday March 27th. Housework morning! Wen to library in the afternoon. Bridge in the evening. Tuesday March 28th. Went into The Heads in the morning to make appointment to see doc. Back is improving slowly but just need to confirm the problem and best way to manage it. Beach pm. N went for walk and I sat in shade. So easy to just sit and do nothing watching the sea and the sky. Such big, beautiful skies here with amazing clouds Surf be Surf be . No jet trails either. Quite unusual in this day and age. Wednesday March 29th. Bit of a tidy up this morning as John, our landlord, is calling in this evening. Cards pm. Played with Margaret vs Aileen and Tony. Had a good laugh! Heavy rain started as we left. John arrived 5.30, rain almost stopped. He wanted to drain the small water tank by the sleepout and to check the rat poison in the roof space. Apparently they have had a rat problem up there the last couple of winters. He used one of the dining chairs to get up there and unfortunately it collapsed and he landed in a heap on the floor! Thankfully he wasn't hurt. I commented that they are unstable and uncomfortable and he said he would replace them. Rob home and he and John had chat about Rob taking over the rental when we leave. Both of them happy with the outcome. Rob will take over on a residential lease until the end of October Riverside Warkworth Riverside Warkworth . Gives him time to sort things out. Thursday March 30th. Appointment with Dr Tot 10.45. Had to wait a half hour. Pleasant young lady from Holland. Pleased,to have my mind set at rest that no serious damage done. She said it would be good idea to see physio. So over the road to make appointment with physio for tomorrow. N was with me and we then drove into Warkworth. Stopped at Sheep World to get a few things then on to Riverside for lunch. Then last shop at New World before driving back home. Friday March 31st. Back definitely on the mend. Physio at 11.30. Another pleasant young woman this time from Aberdeen! We had a good chat about how I had done the damage and how it had been. The. I laid on the table and she poked and prodded my back. No pain and it felt good until I had to get up! Owwwww, it really hurt! Staggered into reception and made two more appointments for next week Riverside Warkworth Riverside Warkworth . Will I be brave enough to go? Hopefully no gain without pain. We shall see. Beach pm. N went for long walk and I had to sit and watch the world go by. Missing my walking and paddling. Saturday April 1st. Rob's birthday! 46 today. I remember it well. Very apprehensive when I woke up as to how the pain would be but, thankfully, it does seem quite a bit improved. N and I went into market and library in Mangawhai for the last time this trip. In the evening the three of us sat on the deck and celebrated, with a glass or two, Rob's birthday.

Week 18

Sunday 19th March. Back painful. Not up to doing much apart from take it easy. Rob back from Pahia. Thinking of something to write! How about Possums! They were introduced into The country back in the 1800's. Someone thought it a good idea to breed them for their fur. Not a good idea! Unlike their "home", in Australia, New Zealand has no natural predators. They were declared a pest in the 1940's and in the 80's there were about 50 million, yes 50 million of the little critters. The population is now down to 30 million. They eat leaves and buds always going for the freshest new growth. They take over the habitats of birds. They can decimate large areas of forest Cullen Street sunset Cullen Street sunset . They can also carry bovine TB. A lot of damage caused by these cute looking marsupials. As they are nocturnal they are rarely seen apart from road kill of which there are many. We don't have to drive very far before we see one lying at the side of the road. Monday 20th March Foggy autumnal morning. Another resting day! Monday morning is generally house keeping day. I was able to do my jobs and N got the vac out as usual. Being a nice, compact little abode it's easy to keep clean and tidy. Had thought of going to the beach in the afternoon but really didn't feel up to it. Tuesday 21st March First day of Spring/ Autumn depending on which hemisphere one is in. Windy day. Had visit in the afternoon from Jill and John. Our friends from Matakana who exchanged houses with on our last trip. Good to catch up with them, spent a pleasant afternoon chatting Town Basin, Whangerei Town Basin, Whangerei . Back improving slightly. Wednesday 22nd March. Rain overnight. Still quite windy. Cards pm. I took chair and pillow so was able to sit pretty comfortably. I partnered Margaret and N was partnered with Len. Len valiantly tried to impress the "three fundamentals" of the game into N but afraid he was on a lost cause ! Lots of laughs. Thursday 23rd March. Day out to Whangerai. Rather cloudy and showery but eventually weather improved. Parked at the Town Basin. Strolled around there and looked at shops. Had lunch at the Serenity restaurant which Margaret had recommended to us. Very nice portion of snapper with chips. Looked in the information centre and then into adjoining ceramic gallery. An exhibition of lighting work which was very impressive. Back to the car and did a shop at New World before leaving for the journey home. Stopped for a short break at Langs Beach. Beautiful, no wonder it is an expensive area to live. Friday March 24th. I went into the library in the afternoon. I'm really going to miss having all these books. Back to downloading onto the Kindle when we leave! Rob back with Jonny about 7.30. Sat out on the deck and chatted. Still mosquitos about so long trousers and sleeves. Saturday March 25th Town Basin, Whangerei Town Basin, Whangerei . Rob to work. I heard him in the showers and then went back to sleep until 9.30am! Jonny still asleep, sat out on deck and had breakfast. Jonny woke at 10.15. Jonny and I went into the Heads to see if he could have a haircut but they were booked up. Shame as he really does need a cut! Then into Mangawhai to the weekly market. Back home played cards. Rob back 1.30. More cards. Jonny and watched programme about super yachts. Rob and Jonny went to shops. Rob started preparing for evening meal. We are expecting Danni and Dan so doing roast beef and Yorkshire puddings. Watched programme about shark fishing. Meat in and veg prepared we sat on the deck and had aperos. Danni and Dan expected 7-7.30 and they arrived 8.45! Rob did a sterling job getting the timing right for the meal. Brought table in as it started to rain. Good to see Danni again. Yorkshire puds went down well!

Week 17

Sunday 12th March. Back to more rain and wind. Rob said thunder storm during the night but we didn't hear it. Rain cleared after lunch. Went down to the beach late pm. Not too windy. A lot of surfers, sea quite rough. Surprising number of people on the beach and in the sea. Suspect everyone pleased to get out after all the rain. Low tide, first time we have been there when it's so low. Seemed to be a vast expanse of beach. Tide had been in quite a way during the stormy weather and a large tree trunk was lying in the middle of the beach where it had been washed up. We walked right along the beach to where the footpath goes up and back over the Heads to the car park Surf Beach Mangawhai Surf Beach Mangawhai . Too far and too hilly for us to attempt, sadly, suspect the views are spectacular. There is house under construction close to the beach and just a bit further along, by the footpath, is a beautiful house with striking Aeolian sculpture for sale. €3.500000+ apparently! A nice little summer house! I wondered how it was accessed and when we got back I looked on Google and access is from the road to Waipu, Cove Road. Quite a way out. Back to our more modest, but most acceptable accommodation, for the evening. Monday 13th March. Weather clearing at last. Got washing done and dried. Walked on beach in the afternoon. We left about 5pm and remarked how few people were on the beach. First time we have seen it so quiet. Quite windy but warm. Bridge in the evening. Ten there this week, a bit better than last week. Tuesday 14th March. Weather definitely on the up again. Beach in the afternoon. N walked a bit further than I did. Very clear. Wednesday. 15th March Cards in the afternoon. Only nine there this week. We were on table for five, different way of playing took a while to get used to. Thursday. 16th March Left about 11am and drove to Matakana. Had lunch at the Black Dog. Then to Martin's Bay Surf Beach Surf Beach . A bit cooler and breezier than our last visit. Sat in shade of Pohutakawa and read. Breeze dropped and I got changed and went in the sea which is still nice and warm. Had a break and then Nigel braved the waves! Not warm enough for him though so he wasn't in for long. Lovely relaxing afternoon. Back home, just before Rob, at 5.45. Friday 17th March. Riding today!!! Up and away at 10am. We were on 11.30 ride at Warkworth. N was given Terminator to ride! Scary name for a very docile horse. I had asked to ride Zoe who I rode many times on our last trip here. She's a nice, forward going horse so don't have to work hard and push her along. Just us and 2 Japanese boys who, it seemed, hadn't ridden before. We were escorted by Heather, Alisha and a German girl. Heather asked if I wanted to go the long way round with Alisha and have a few canters. Didn't think twice, perhaps I should have, but it was too tempting. I did say to Alisha that I didn't want to set off until we had got round the tight bend that I knew was further up the track. Memories of hurtling round there in the past! So,off we went , standing up in the stirrups and holding on to the neck rein. No worries about stopping as I knew Zoe would stop at the top. A bit further on and another fast canter up to the top of the farm and the boundary fence. As we looked down into the neighbouring property Alisha showed me where the route of the proposed motorway, from Warkworth to Wellsford will go Surf Beach Surf Beach . Difficult to imagine looking down on the beautiful countryside and at the hill which will be tunnelled through. Back down to the water trough where we gave the horses a break. Then on to the next hill and the last canter. As we set off I felt a sharp pain in my back, oh dear. Walked back down the hill and met up with the others in the field at the bottom. Back was OK whilst walking so just mooched around with Nigel and then had photos taken before returning to the yard. Said our farewells, got changed and went in to Warkworth for lunch at our usual place, The Riverside. Then shopped at New World before returning home. Rob away until Sunday, up in Paihia. Saturday 18th March. Slept OK but back quite painful. Suspect may have pulled a muscle. Went into library and market. Beautiful day. After lunch we went to visit Margaret, friend from cards, who lives just down the road. Had a pleasant afternoon chatting with her Surf Beach Surf Beach . She and her husband came over to NZ in 1972 and he died some time ago. She is a keen gardener and we had a look round her garden and then she took us to see her absent neighbours garden. There was a flourishing veg garden there so I picked a few tomatoes and some parsley. First decent tomatoes we have had since our arrival. Also got a couple of feijoa, an unusual fruit that I had not seen before we came to this country.

Week 16

Sunday 5th March At home. Rob home mid afternoon. Monday 6th March Morning at home. Went to the beach in the afternoon. Sat in our usual spot. Less people about but it gets busier once school is out. I think how wonderful to live here and be able to come down to the beach after school. Bridge in the evening. Only seven of us there. Think they are considering what to do as so few people attending. Bridget, I discovered, is on an extended holiday and is from Leeds! They return about the same time as we do. I'm very much enjoying playing again. Find bidding a bit difficult but quite pleased,with my card play! Tuesday 7th March Rain Rain . The Day that the Rains Came Down! Heavy rain forecast for later. Debating whether or not to go into Warkworth . Would not be a good drive in heavy rain. Contractors came to cut the grass and she said no rain until about 4pm so we decided to risk it. Good drive there and shopped in New World. Lunch at the Riverside as usual. A couple of heavy showers whilst we were there. Left at 2pm, filled up with fuel and home by about 3 .15 just as the rain started. Rob a bit late home. A crash on SH1 at Wellsford so traffic diverted to Mangawhai then back to SH1 at Kaiwaka. Rain continued all night. Wednesday 8th March. Rain stopped late pm but still showery. Apparently we had a months rain in 24 hours. Cards pm. N and I were partnered with Brian and Warren. Very windy and raining again. Thursday 9th March. Rain, rain and more rain! Friday 10th March. And still it rains! We were going to have a BBQ for a few friends tomorrow evening but have decided to postpone as no sign of let up in the weather. Still, we have books, jigsaw, playing cards, some wifi, food and wine so can't complain! Didn't sleep very well and heard torrential rain about 1am. A lot of wind too. Saturday. A slight let up in the rain today. Went to library and market. Market was depleted but fresh veg still was there. Went for walk down by the boat ramp mid afternoon but had to cut it short when rain arrived again.

Week 15

Sunday 26th February. Lazy morning. Played cards with Jonny. Left at 12pm to go for lunch at Mangawhai Tavern. Not too impressed with the food or the service this time. Shame as its a nice setting and close to home. Then time to take Jonny back home. I went with them, to keep Rob company. A lot of traffic. Back home at 4.30pm. It will be easier and less driving when Rob gets settled nearer Warkworth. It's quite a hail, there and back from here. Monday 27th February. Went down to the beach in the afternoon and sat round the corner from the surf beach by the estuary. Finally I went into the water! Played bridge in the evening Cullen Street Cullen Street . Gail, who I have played with for the last two weeks hopes to visit Weston Super Mare next year! Small world!. Tuesday 28th February. Set off, after lunch, to go to the lake near the campsite where we stayed in 2011. Beautiful day so hoping to have a swim there. Gravel road so a slow journey. Went to Te Arai point and beach first. Memories of being there with Rob and the children. There is a rock pool there, empty this time as low tide, where we sat and swam several times. Such a beautiful, unspoilt beach. No signs of housing or shops. Just a beautiful sandy beach. Set off to the lake but we couldn't find it! Ah well, another day! Wednesday 1st March. Another beautiful day. Played cards in the afternoon. I was partnered with Ray husband of Aileen who was partnered with Jill and were our opponents. Another afternoon of fun and laughs. I asked if anyone knew what the fireworks had been for last Thursday Sunset at Cullen Street Sunset at Cullen Street . Apparently they were to celebrate the marriage, at the weekend, of the daughter of an American billionaire. They were set off from a boat off shore. Jill told us that two horses had had to be put down afterwards. The very loud noises must have panicked them. Because of this another display programmed for Saturday night was cancelled. I did a bit of digging, on Google, to find out more. The American billionaire is Rick Kayne who has an interest in a golf course, Tara Iti, and development in the Mangawhai forest and Pacific Beach at the northern end of Te Arai beach. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11675923 There has been a lot of local opposition to this development which is understandable given the beauty and seclusion of the area. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11749267 Thursday 2nd March I was unable to get to sleep last night Snells Beach Snells Beach Story! . Got up and finished my book before retiring at 3am! Consequently wasn't on my best form! Slept for a couple of hours in the afternoon. There have been some beautiful sunsets these last few evenings. Friday 3rd March. Rob going up to Pahia this afternoon for the weekend. We were up quite early and decided to have a day out. Weather looking good. Clear blue skies. Drove to Matakana via the Matakana Valley Road, not a road I have used before. Apparently it has only recently been sealed, quite glad about that as it is very steep in places with hairpin bends. We parked in Matakana and had a look in the op shop before going over to the Black Dog for a coffee. Then onto Snells Beach. Had a looked round The Warehouse but nothing took my eye. Spent a lot of hours in there on previous trips and there are often bargains to be had so a bit disappointed this time. Then down to the beach where we parked up and got the chairs out to sit in the shade of a tree by the beach. It was high tide. There was a large group of pre- school children escorted by several adults and they were picking up litter! Each child had a plastic glove on one hand and carried a large carrier bag in which to put the litter. Thankfully there wasn't too much for them to pick up but so good to see them learning this at such a young age. Also it was good to see that all of them were wearing hats to protect them from the sun Litter Pickers Litter Pickers . Back to the shopping centre where we had lunch at Chairs cafe. Can't remember what it was called previously but I have visited it many times in the past. We sat and watched the world go by whilst we waited and waited and waited for out order to appear! It must have taken a good half hour, and the place wasn't that busy, but it was worth it in the end! A short drive then to what is my favourite beach (I think, so many of them), Martins Bay. Although there is a camp site at one end of the beach the other end is quiet and lined with Pohutakawa trees. I have spent many hours there, swimming, walking along the beach looking for shells and just generally enjoying the beauty of the place. I wasn't disappointed, the sun was shining, the sea was blue and all was perfect. Installing ourselves again in the shade of a tree we read and let our large lunch settle. After an hour or so I went into the sea which was warm and walked out until I got to a depth where I could swim Martin's Bay Martin's Bay . Bliss! I went in twice during the afternoon but couldn't persuade Nigel to go in. At one point we saw a large, motor yacht sail out from Kawau island and go out to sea. I suspect it belongs to the wealthy American, Ric Kayne as we saw it anchored off Te Arai last week. We finally managed to drag ourselves away from this little corner of paradise but we shall return! Stopped on the way back for an ice cream at Charlie's gelato garden, http://www.charliesgelato.co.nz The best ice cream ever! Saturday 4th March A bit cloudy and blustery today but still warm. Went into market in the morning. Still battling with the latest jigsaw. It's proving to be quite a difficult one.

Week 14

Sunday 19th February. At home! I went into Four Square with Rob. Still humid. The cicadas are very vocal and some of them make a clicking noise. I love sitting out on the deck and hearing them. Monday 20th February. I've had a painful couple of spots close to my left armpit. They were quite inflamed so I decided to go into the medical centre and try to get an appointment with the nurse. Coast to Coast medical centre is the group I saw last trip, in Matakana, and they had me on their computer ! No need to make appointment, nurse saw me after a short wait. She was baffled and said should see the doc. Made appointment for me half an hour later! Good service Mathesons Bay Mathesons Bay . Saw doc, said bacterial infection and gave me prescription for antibiotics. Very efficient. By then it was going on for 1pm so I bought fish and chips to take home for lunch. Hot day. I went to bridge 6.30-8.30 at the club, pleasant evening. Tuesday 21st February. Day out day! Realised we have been here all this time and not been back to some of our old haunts. So we set off at 10.30 am. Stopped off at the library in Mangawhai first then drive to Matakana via Pakiri and Leigh. Road up from Pakiri to top of the hill is still gravel and and partly single track. An " interesting" drive! I remember the first time I drove it, quite a few years ago now, I was terrified! Had lunch at the Black Dog in Matakana. Matakana hasn't changed a lot, still very touristy and busy. We have stayed near there on our last two trips so must have spent about nine months there in all. Drove back to Mathesons Bay where we got the chairs out and sat in the shade reading and watching the waves from time to time Mathesons Bay Mathesons Bay Story! . I had taken swimming togs with me but it was far too rough for me to attempt to go in. Strange as it's usually a very calm place. I had to content myself with just a paddle today. I felt quite sad and nostalgic thinking of the many times we had been there with Danni and Jonny when they were younger. Memories of them playing in the little river that runs into the sea and is such a safe spot for little ones. Then on to Goat Island one,of my very favourite beaches. Not today though! The tide was in so not a lot of beach and far too many people! Last time we were here it was midwinter and we had the beach to ourselves apart from the cormorants and seagulls that is. We shall go back at the end of March when it will be quieter. Back down the gravel road and on through Pakiri and some beautiful countryside. Driving here there is always a stunning view around each corner. So much greener now after last weeks rain. Unfortunately I missed the turn off to Mangawhai and ended up in Wellsford! Oops. Had to go back down SH1 and turn off to Mangawhai a few kms later. A good day out and good weather, less humid thankfully. Wednesday 22nd February. Cards in the afternoon. It starts at 1pm so mornings always seem a bit of a rush! Had a very good afternoon, I was partnered with Margaret and we had a really good laugh! Thursday 23rd February Goat Island Goat Island . We were hoping to see Danni on Sunday but had a message this morning to say that she couldn't come. She has been selected for a 10 day voyage on the youth training ship "Spirit of New Zealand" and sails on Sunday. Disappointed we won't be seeing her but for the best of reasons. It will be a fascinating and challenging 10 days for her. We left at 11 am to go to Warkworth. Traffic lights and queue on the Dome due to reselling the road. Met Rob for lunch at Ginger. Then N and I went to the Riverside for coffee. Did shop at New World. Called at Warkworth Riding, stables where I have ridden and spent many hours over the times I have been here. A quiet afternoon for them so we were able to stay and chat with Roger and Heather for a good hour. They encouraged me to go for a ride and offered me one free of charge. How could I refuse!? I'll go when it cools down, too hot and humid for me to ride at the moment. It will be good to ride Zoe again and go for a gentle hack round the beautiful countryside. Got chip on windscreen driving back up the Dome. Lots of loose chippings. Later in the evening Rob came up to say that he will be picking Jonny up tomorrow evening and bringing him back for the weekend. As we were chatting we could here bangs and when we looked out we could see fireworks. We stood on the deck and watched a magnificent display, it seemed to be from a boat out at sea, which lasted a good five to ten minutes. Longer and more spectacular than the fireworks we saw at Pahia on NYE. Friday 24th February. Wen to the library after lunch, another jigsaw! Then to the beach. I had hoped to go in the water but there were a lot of waves, too many for me. I did sit at the waters edge though and let the waves wash over me. Rob and Jonny home about 7.30pm. Jonny and I played cards. Saturday 25th February. Rob to work. Jonny slept till 10am. Went down the beach. I walked and paddled. N read. Jonny bored! Bacon sandwich for lunch cheered him up! Played cards again. Rob home. Rob and Jonny went down the beach for Jonny to do some rock fishing. He had a few bites but no catch. I cooked roast pork and we sat out on the deck until dusk.

Week 13

February 15, 2017 Sunday 12th February. After a very acceptable, cooked breakfast we left Waters Edge. It had rained overnight and yesterday's hot sunny weather had given way to grey skies. Quite a good thing really as we had a long drive ahead of us so we were pleasantly cool. We were driving up to the northernmost accessible point of New Zealand at Cape Reinga. It's 110kms from Kataia and the road was quiet, little traffic about. The drive was quite boring after yesterday's spectacular scenery and as we neared the cape it became quite desolate. A few farmsteads scattered around and a lot of beef cattle in the fields. When we arrived there were quite a few cars in the park and a tour bus had just arrived. It was very windy so we needed another layer before walking down Cape Reinga Cape Reinga Story! . As we got in the lee of the hill the wind lessened and the views were stunning with the Tasman sea to the left and the Pacific Ocean to the right. Nigel gave up about half way down and sat down whilst I was determined to carry on to the bitter end! It's quite breathtaking and one can see the turbulence of the two seas where they meet. At one point I was the only person standing there. It's quite a drag back up so once I'd got back to Nigel we sat for a while and enjoyed the views before returning to the car. We had intended visiting there on our last trip but when we got to Kaitaia then it was raining heavily so we had given it a miss. This time I was determined to get there! Difficult to say whether or not the drive is worth it but I am so glad that we went. There are no places to eat on the way so as soon as we neared Kaitaia we stopped at a takeaway and had fish and chips Then we turned onto SH10 and went on to Manghanui, on Doubtless Bay, where we had stayed on our last trip Cape Reinga Cape Reinga . After the cheerlessness of Kaitai and the remote drive to the cape it seemed that we were back in the familiar NZ! We had a welcome coffee and walked along the side of the bay before continuing our drive. We drove to Kerikeri where we were to stay, with Phil and Helen, for 2 nights ,where they are renting a property called The Carriage House. What a place! It is owned by Adrian and Sylvia, both in their eighties. It was originally a kiwi orchard but the land is now divided into paddocks where they keep 14 heavy horses. Several shires some of which are grey. I had never known that there was a strain of grey shires and Adrian told me that he had sold his grey stallion,which is the only one in NZ, to keep the strain going. There are also some coloured gipsy cobs. All the horses are in work and Adrian and Debbie, who helps care for them, go out three times a week with some of the older ones. The younger ones are schooled in the paddocks in readiness for going out, in harness, on the roads Cape Reinga Cape Reinga Story! . The house that Phil and Helen are renting is above the building which houses the carriages and a couple of cars. Opposite is another two story building, more carriages on the ground floor and the first story, accessed on another level houses more cars. Adrian and Sylvia live in a house that they bought in Auckland and transported, in five sections by road, overnight to be reassembled on site! When we arrived Helen told us that we had been asked to accompany Adrian and Debbie on their drive around town next morning! What a wonderful surprise this was. Good to see them again although it had,only been three days since they left our place. The accommodation was very comfortable and the view of the horses in the paddocks was perfect. Monday 13th February We had to be at the stables by 9.15. We were introduced to Debbie and the two shires that were going to be our transport, Prince, bay 18.2hh and a grey whose name has slipped my mind Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean . There were 2 grooms there preparing the horses as well as another two horses one of whom was a Clydesdale and the other a grey shire. We also met Tim who it seems works for Adrian and is a jack of all trades caring for the horses, garden and properties. When the horses had been harnessed Helen and I were asked to lead them down to where the carriages were stored. I lead Prince who was well behaved, very much aware that I was wearing flip flops and his hooves were enormous! The chosen carriage was pushed out and the horses backed into the shafts. The four of us climbed into the carriage which had comfortable seating. The horses were quite excited at the prospect of some exercise and were raring to go. Debbie and Adrian were up front and off we went. What an experience to drive all round the town, we were out for an hour and a half. The permanent residents are obviously used to seeing the horses but the holidaymakers were rather surprised to see us Cape Reinga Cape Reinga . We went past a couple of schools and the children all waved. I did feel that I should have practised my Royal wave! What an amazing experience this was. In the afternoon Adrian gave us a tour of his carriages and cars. He's quite a raconteur and very interesting to listen to. Originally from Hampshire he was in the Royal Navy for a spell, then business interests in Australia and finally settling in New Zealand. In the carriage house under Phil and Helens quarters were three or four light carriages all beautifully restored. There was also a beautifully restored gypsy caravan. He gave us a history of each of these but far too much to remember to write down. Also two "everyday" cars, a Daimler Jaguar registration BIG GG and a red Mitsubishi Starlion circa 1982, registration OOO. Downstairs in the opposite carriage house were three wagonettes one of which had been our transport earlier in the day. Once again all beautifully restored. Also a New Zealand settlers wagon complete with original licence dated 1898 Cape Reinga Cape Reinga . We then walked upstairs to the first story and saw three vintage cars which took our breath away. A red 1926 Vauxhall was next to a white Rolls Royce named the Silver Lady from 1907 and she in turn was next to a blue Rolls Royce from 1911. He told us that he bought the white one for £50 when he was in the navy. A large sum then and he had to borrow £15 from his father. All three cars needed considerable restoration and have been restored to the highest standards by original methods. The engines and the bodywork are scrupulously clean. These cars are regularly used on rallies within New Zealand and more amazingly are shipped overseas when they travel. The blue Rolls went all round Ireland last year! It was a privilege to see these vehicles and to have Adrian tell us their history. A real labour of love! In the evening we went out for a meal at the Pear Tree restaurant which is beautifully situated by the inlet and next to the stone house Cape Reinga Cape Reinga . The stone house is famous for being the oldest stone house in NZ. We had a very good meal sitting overlooking the inlet. A perfect penultimate day with Phil and Helen. Tuesday 14th February. A showery day. After breakfast and packing we went to see the Rainbow Falls in between showers. Pretty falls and a nice walk. After lunch it was time to say goodbye again. We have so enjoyed our little holiday with them. Who would have thought, when we first met in France that one day we would share time here!? We did a shop and filled up with petrol before leaving Keri. An easy drive home, about 2 hours. Good to,see Rob again. A quiet and relaxing evening. Wednesday 15th February . Must have been tired slept like a log from 10pm to 6am then back to sleep again till 8.30! Unpacked and did some washing. Cards in the village 1-4pm. Thankfully can still remember how to play Cape Reinga Cape Reinga . Bryan was my partner, thought he seemed a bit fierce but he mellowed and at one point, when I won our game, he gave me a high five! Rain was forecast and it finally arrived at about 5pm. Proper, heavy rain which continued all night. Just what we all need for the water tanks and grazing Thursday. 16th February . Rain until early evening. Had plenty of supplies so no need to go out. Friday 17th February. Showery and very humid. Library pm. Went down to the beach after tea. Saturday 18th February . Went into market late am. It looked like rain and was still very humid but sun came out. Very hot. Rob cooked prawn laksa and we sat out on the deck, chatting, until dusk.

Week 12

Sunday 5th February. Rob had a lie in, he didn't get home until 2am. We cooked salt (corned) beef in slow cooker. Was really looking forward to it as don't get it in France and believe one can only get it on order at butchers in UK. One of the things I look forward to when we are here. Sadly it was a bit too salty but still edible. Said to Rob that perhaps we should have soaked it but he said not, it's usually OK. Monday 6th February. Quiet day at home, very hot. Tuesday 7th February. Expecting Phil and Helen, friends from France who have moved to Melbourne, this evening. We are giving them our room, we shall sleep in the sleepout and Rob on the put u up in the sitting room Phil, Helen and Me. Phil, Helen and Me. Story! . So changed beds and tidied up. Cooked chicken which we shall have cold with salad for supper. Popped in to the shop. Very hot and humid. Had second shower of the day! Then all organised by late pm so sat on the swing seat and read. Chatted with Rob when he got back and then Phil and Helen arrived about 8pm. They'd had quite a delay at the airport and then the Auckland traffic was, as always, bad so it had been a long day for them. So we had an aperitif, supper and lots of chat. Good to see them again. Enjoyed sleeping in the sleepout especially as we had the fan going all night! Wednesday 8th February. Not so hot and quite overcast, much better for going out and about. We had a lazy morning chatting again, so much to,catch up with them. Lunch on the deck. I took them down to the boat ramp and we had a walk on the estuary. Low tide, a lot of wading birds seeking food in the shallows On our deck On our deck . Then into the shops for a few supplies and I went in to the hairdresser and made an appointment for a cut, tomorrow. Back home to pick up Nigel and we went down to the beach. Nigel and Phil got settled on our two chairs and Helen and I had a short walk and paddle. Then we swopped over and Nigel and Phil went for a long walk to the end of the beach. Back home where I cooked a risotto and we had another pleasant, chatty supper.. We were going to eat on the deck again but the rain, which had been forecast, arrived. It was good, later, to lie in bed in the sleepout and hear the rain and wind and know that the rain was topping up the water tank. Thursday 9th February. It was still raining, on and off, when we woke but it stopped mid morning. Helen came with me to the library as I wanted to exchange jigsaws. They made preparations to leave after lunch Waipou forest Waipou forest Story! . They have rented a place in Keri Keri, 2 hours north of here, for 10 days. They left about 2pm but it's only au revoir as we shall be going up to spend a couple of days with them shortly. I went to the hairdresser in Mangawhai Heads. Always difficult to trust a new hairdresser but she was brilliant. We had quite a discussion about what she should do with my "mop" which had got rather long and scruffy. She then set to work with the scissors and we chatted away. I was very pleased with the end result and I'll definitely go back there again before we leave. It didn't take long either, I was there for 2.30 and home by 3.15. Still windy but clouds are breaking up and sun coming out again. Friday 10th February. Much cooler, quite nice! I went into the Heads to get a birthday card for Jonny. The post shop has a large selection of gifts and stationary. So easy to buy a stamp and post something compared to France! At home I have to psych myself up to go to the post office. Our local one, in Grenade, always seems to be busy and the lady behind the counter is not very friendly or helpful and certainly doesn't rush! Otherwise quiet day preparing to leave on our "road trip" tomorrow Saturday 11th February . Left at 10 am. Filled up with petrol in Mangawhai and drove on to Kaiwaka and then up SH 1 and then off left towards Dargaville The tree The tree . Went past the Kauri Museum. Long straight road to Dargaville. Dargaville is apparently the Kumara (sweet potato) capital of New Zealand! It didn't look to have a lot more to recommend it! Continued on SH12 and drove up through the Waipou Forest. We stopped for lunch at a cafe which was signposted left off the main road. I was somewhat concerned as we drove a good kilometre along a narrow, unsealed road before arriving there. Once there it was fine and we had a good lunch. I wanted to see Tane Manuta, the oldest living kauri tree in NZ which was further up the road. I had seen it on our last visit but at the time it was raining, real heavy rain, and N had stayed in the car. I wanted N to see it and to see it without the rain. It's only a short walk from the road to the tree but somehow the magic had disappeared as there were so many people there. A coach had pulled into the park just after us so there were many people gazing upwards at the majestic tree. I heard one woman saw that it had lost some branches! At about 2000 years old it's not surprising I wanted to say! I'm glad that I saw him previously, in all his glory, even in the rain. Onwards then to Rawene and the car ferry across the Hokianga harbour. We carried on through the Waipou forest and then came to the top of the hill with views down to Oponui and Hokianga harbour, the Tasman sea to our left. The sky was a perfect blue and the water a deep aquamarine Waipou forest Waipou forest . Stunning! We arrived in Rawene just as the ferry was leaving so we parked in the ferry lane and went over the road to the Gallery and Cafe. I ordered two iced coffees and had a long chat with the guy there. He was chatting about the UK mostly, said his idea of a perfect afternoon was a beer in an English pub! I admired the floor, wood and I suspect it was kauri, and he said that it had been there for 110 years. N and I sat in the shade outside, drank our coffee and looked out over the harbour. So on to the car ferry for the 15 minute ride across the harbour and then on to Kaitaia. More beautiful scenery, magnificent views round every corner. Arrived at Waters Edge in Kaitaia about 5.30. We found it easily but it's rather strange as it's at the end of a residential road and then along a narrow driveway. We were given the choice of three rooms. All very much the same and all small but well appointed. A very nice pool round the back so I had a welcome dip in the pool as soon as we had unloaded the car Hokianga Hokianga . Rob tells us that Kaitaia is the murder capitol of NZ! We had to venture in to the town centre to get something to eat. Certainly some shady looking characters around and not much open in the way of eating establishments. Our hostess at the B and B had suggested a place called Town and Country but when we finally located it it had a very shady looking character lounging outside. Also the menu, on the window, was photos of the food, never a tempting proposition. Happily, over the road we spied an Indian restaurant that looked acceptable so we dived in there. Service and food was good or as good as anything else we had seen in the town. Didn't hang around for long before returning to our room and relaxing. . https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/02/beautiful-and-doomed-new-zealands-capital-begins-the-fight-of-its-life Pictures & Videos

Week 11

Sunday 29th January. Another beautiful day. Clear blue skies but with a bit of wind. Rob suggested we go to the Mangawhai Tavern for lunch. We haven't been there yet so we're very pleased to go. Www.mangawhaitavern.co.nz It's situated at the waters edge and was established in 1865. Being a holiday weekend it was busy but we were able to get a table in the courtyard, in the shade. Lunch was good and the beer was good, we shall return! Very hot so back home to relax and keep cool. Evening chat, the three of us, on the deck until dusk. Once dusk starts to fall the biting insects make a beeline for me! Monday 30th January Mangawhai Tavern Mangawhai Tavern . Public holiday today. Rob was off, early, to go fishing with Greg out of Sandspit. A hot day. We stayed home. Rob back 4ish, no fish. He reckons the water is not yet warm enough. So I cooked beef. N and I went down to beach. Tuesday 31st January. We went up to Marsden point, south of Whangerei, to visit the visitor centre at the oil refinery there. The only oil refinery in New Zealand. Very interesting. Then drove back to Waipu. Not a lot there in the food line so we just had a pie from the bakery. Then went to visit the museum. Waipu was settled by Scots who had come, via Nova Scotia, after the Highland clearances. Still a very strong Scottish tradition there. They hold a Highland Games every New Year which is attended by people from all over the world. On the way back stopped at Waipu Cove. Beautiful beach. Had a relaxing hour there before returning home. Wednesday 1st February Spent a few minutes watching a covey of Californian Quail, through the kitchen window, foraging on the neighbours lawn at the rear of our house Waipu Cove. Waipu Cove. . They are small, plump birds and have a curly crest. Quite a few young amongst them. Afternoon at cards. Another pleasant afternoon and I think I'm improving a bit! Played with Len as partner against Sue and Tony. All three are deaf! Len plays well,but often forgot what suit trumps were. Thursday 2nd February. Didn't have a good night, was awake for a couple of hours, reading. Went back to sleep eventually and woke at 10am! Hot day. Went to Warkworth. Lunch at Riverside as usual. Browsed the charity shop and found a sweatshirt. Also a kilo of home grown tomatoes for $2. Hope they taste better than the supermarket or even market ones. Cashier gave me a club card and I got $10 knocked off the bill. Didn't know I could have one before. Cloudy evening, rain forecast for tomorrow so fingers crossed! Friday 3rd February. Very damp and some drizzle but no "proper" rain. Went to library in the afternoon. Down to beach after tea. Saturday 4th February. Sunny and warm again. Waitangi weekend so it will be busy again. Went into market in Mangawhai. Rob back 3ish. He left 4.30 to go to Auckland, meet up with Danni and go to see Guns'n Roses at Western Springs. He put some photos on FB, 50,000 people there ! Glad I wasn't there!

Week 10

Sunday 22nd January. A very lazy day! There had been some heavy rain overnight so hopefully it has topped up the tank. It rained more during the day as well. We stayed home all day. Read, did jigsaws, played Scrabble! Decadent but enjoyable. Rob cooked Sunday roast. We managed to go for a walk on the beach in the early evening. Not very warm but still a fair few people around. Monday 23rd January. Went in to Warkworth. Had lunch at the Riverside Cafe then shopped at New World. I went to play bridge at The Club at 6.30. Liz, who I had met at cards, last Wednesday had told me about it and encouraged me to give it a try Fishing Fishing Story and comments! . It's a long time since I have played with people! I have been playing online for several years since I found the club in Mont de Marsan too unfriendly. I was quite nervous but I was made welcome and assured that they didn't take it too seriously. The club is a wonderful facility for the area. A bar a large seating area and a small area where they had set up the card tables. Judy signed me in and said she would like to,play with me using 5 card majors as opposed to acol. There were only three tables and we played four hands at each table. After the first couple of games I began to enjoy playing again and don't think that I disgraced myself! It finished, all too early, at 8.30. I look,forward to playing again but not for another three weeks as the next two weekends are holiday weekends. Tuesday 24th January. Nigel checked the water tank and it seems that we have less than a third of a tank. John, our landlord, had asked us to let him know when it got to that level. I messaged him so we await a delivery. It could be a while as there is a great shortage of rain and many people are having to have deliveries by tanker. Went into Mangawhai to the library to get another jigsaw! Went to the beach in the afternoon. Warm and sunny and quite a lot of people about in the sea and out. We sat for quite a while watching the world go by. Wednesday 25th January Nosy cattle Nosy cattle Story! . Cards at the senior citizens club 1-5pm. Social highlight of the week! Nigel and I were at the same table but playing on opposing sides. I was partnered with Margaret who lives just down the road from me. N was partnered with Tricia who was very helpful and chatty. We all got on well and had lots of laughs! Message from John, landlord, to say 10,000l water being delivered tomorrow pm. Thursday 26th January Stayed home as water delivery expected. It arrived early pm but not able to unload it. Driver did, understandably, not want to drive his very large tanker down our narrow, gravel driveway. I asked if he could access the tank via the rear by crossing the neighbours garden. He spoke to his boss who said not without permission. Nobody at the house. So off he went again. I rang John and he is going to order a smaller, 6000l, load. Now we wait to find out when that will be delivered. Went down to the beach in the early evening To the estuary To the estuary . Not too many people about. Remembered to take our chairs this time. I had a walk and paddle along the beach. Beautiful evening. Some wonderful skies here. There are no commercial jet flights over here so we see no jet trails. All the air traffic is helicopters and small, private planes. Friday 27th January. John rang just after lunch to say that the water would be delivered tomorrow morning. Tide was low so we decided to have another look at the estuary walk from Black Swamp Road. I was suitably shod this time with trainers and also took a walking stick. The place where I fell was ok this time as the water in the tractor tyre marks had dried out. Once safely past there we were soon at the edge of the estuary. As the tide was out it was not very pleasant. Lots of mangroves obscuring the view and rather smelly. We did walk a short way but decided it wasn't worth it so returned to the car. It was pretty hot so quite a relief. We drove a bit further on Black Swamp Road but as it was a gravel road and very dusty we soon decided to turn back and return home. Saturday 28th January. Rob rang to say I can go out fishing with him and Jim later today. Really looking forward to it, first time this trip. We are waiting for water delivery this morning so I went into market in Mangawhai on my own Mangroves in the estuary, low tide Mangroves in the estuary, low tide . Very busy as this is a public holiday weekend celebrating the anniversary of the arrival of William Hobson, later the first governor of NZ and co- author of the treaty of Waitangi, on the 29th January 1840. Back home to find the water tanker here and filling up the tank, whew, what a relief! Rob back about 3pm and said we were leaving to go fishing at 4.45pm. A shame we can't all go but only room for three on the boat when fishing. Nigel can go next time. So off we went down to Jim's where he was ready to leave. Only a short drive down to the boat ramp where Jim backed the boat down into the water. Once Jim had parked the trailer and we were all on board we were ready to set off. There's a jetty at the boat ramp so it's easy for me to get on board not as nimble as I used to be! A calm ride down the estuary, 5 mph speed limit, and then Jim opened the throttle to get us out over the bar into deep water. Apparently that can be tricky and one has to know what one is doing! Jim notified the coastguard that we were leaving. His boat is rather more up to date than Rob's boat which we went out in a lot when we were here last time. There is an electric winch for the anchor, Rob used to have to pull his up manually, not an easy job. Fm radio tuned nto the local station, 2 way radio, depth and speed counters and even a chemical toilet. What luxury! As we got past the bar there were guys surfing quite close to the boat Low tide, estuary. Low tide, estuary. . There was quite a swell out at sea and I felt a bit queasy at first but thankfully soon began to feel better. We motored out for about half an hour, at times the front of the boat crashing into the waves. We anchored up then and got our rods out. Jim and Rob had 2 rods each and I had just the one. Absolutely nothing, no bites for any of us. At one point a bird came to rest close to the boat. I asked Jim what it was and he wasn't sure but hazarded a guess at a shearwater. ( I looked it up when we got back and it was indeed a shearwater and they nest on the nearby Hen and Chicken Islands) We upped anchor and went further out towards Whangerei Heads. Marsden point is a deep water harbour and a busy shipping lane. We saw a couple of oil tankers making there way there. We also saw a dolphin leap out of the water. There must have been others there but we didn't see any more. We anchored up near Hen Island part of the Hen and Chicken Islands group. Once again not a lot happening. Well not in the catching fish line. The waters were calmer here and the view back towards the coast was beautiful . Much to my delight there was a long white cloud, Aoterao,NZ, land of the long white cloud, stretching all the way above the coastline. After half an hour we were off again back towards the Heads and we anchored above McGregors Rock not too far out from the mainland. On the way there we had passed many shearwaters and when we anchored up several of them settled close to the boat Water delivery Water delivery . They were after any spare bits of bait and were even cheeky enough to try and get bait off our books as we dropped them into the water. At one point a mako shark was cruising round the boat. Not a huge shark but impressive nevertheless. Finally a bite and Jim reeled in one of his lines, a small snapper that he returned to the sea. Then, at last Rob had a big snapper. I caught a small one that went back and finally Rob caught a weird fish that they didn't know what it was, very strange looking with a huge mouth. That too went back. It was a beautiful evening and we watched the sun set behind the hills. The fm radio was playing sixties music and at one point, as we sat there gently rocking on the Pacific Ocean we were treated to Paul McCartney singing Mull of Kintyre! Bizarre! It was now almost dark and I was a little concerned about getting back over the bar and into the estuary. Jim knows the area well and the buoys have lights on so we managed to get back to the jetty with no problems. Boat loaded on trailer and back to Jims. Home by 10pm to a slightly concerned Nigel who thought we would have been back earlier. week 10

Week 9

Sunday 15th January. Rob needed to go into Albany shopping centre to get shoes and trousers so I offered to go with him. We left about 11am. The car he has got at the moment is not very powerful, only 1.5 litres, not what he is used to driving! I was laughing as he couldn't even overtake a car towing a caravan at one point! It certainly curbed his speed! The shopping centre was busy and I just kept up with him as he speeded through the place. It didn't take long for him to get what he needed and we were off again. Lunch was a take away from KFC. Many years since I have had one of those! Had to admit it was quite tasty! He had bought a Guns and Roses cd so I was subjected to that on the journey back! We stopped in Warkworth to get a few supplies and last stop was at Jim and Wendy's to pick up the smoked snapper Mangawhai Mangawhai . Had a cuppa and a chat with them. It's been a hot day, Wendy unhappy she had to take a rest from gardening! What to do with 2 large, smoked snapper! I would really have preferred them fresh but apparently Jim has a smoker and that's what he usually does with them. Will ask to have them unsmoked next time though. Anyway I took as much of the flesh off them as I could but suspect there was still a lot on there. Rob doesn't eat it, surprisingly, so there was ample for N and I to have for tea and for lunch tomorrow. Later we started watching "The Level", detective program from UK. Five episodes running each evening. Monday 16th January. Rob up and off to first day of work at United Autos in Warkworth. We were awake about 7.30 and I was listening for him going in for a shower. I do realise that he's a grown man and has been getting himself out of bed, to go to work, for many years without my help! However I still find myself worrying that he will sleep in! A quiet day, finished the jigsaw. Rob home just before 6. Strange to have him coming and going after all these years! Pleasant though and we are co-existing well! N and I went for,walk and paddle. Watched The Level. Am finding it difficult to grasp Tuesday 17th January. Went to the library, got new jigsaw! Oh, the excitement! We wanted to suss out a walk at the other side of the estuary Path to the beach and swamp! Path to the beach and swamp! . We have a leaflet of walks in the area, from the tourist office. It states that one will get wet feet so we wanted to see if it was necessary to go at low tide. The approach road is called Black Swamp Road, perhaps that should have given us a clue. The road petered out and there was a small , grassy parking area. One other car was there. As we got out of the car I did think that I wasn't well shod for walking any distance. Since we have been here I have rarely worn any other sort of footwear than jandles. Ah yes, jandles known in the UK as flip flops. The walk started off well. A narrow track with tyre marks from a small tractor, well shaded and easy walking. To,our right many pukehoes, birds like large moor hens, were foraging for seeds and grubs. To our left an orchard or olive grove. Couldn't quite get near enough to identify the trees. A couple, presumably from the other car, passed us with a cheery good morning. After ten minutes of so the track appeared to go through a swamp that was indeed black. The tyre marks were full of water and the track seemed to go through that for a while. Nothing ventured nothing gained. We took the decision to press on. I went first and managed to negotiate the first part then putting my right foot forward, onto a bank I knew, I just knew, that I was going to slip. Oh yes, full frontal into the black mud. I managed to turn over and shift onto solid ground and Nigel pulled me to my feet Kauri Museum Kauri Museum . It had been a soft landing but it seemed I had bent my big toe rather painfully. Still I was on my feet and could walk so we turned back to return to the car. Adventure over for the day! Back home for a shower and to soak bruised big toe in salt water. No beach walk tonight ! Wednesday. 18th January. Beautifully bruised big toe but, surprisingly, not very painful. Afternoon at cards. At the beginning we drew for which table we were going to be on. Quite a few more there than last week.. I played with Bryan and the other two on our table were Stan and Jill. Stan and Jill played well and had good cards! That meant that Bryan and I lost! Still it was fun and an enjoyable afternoon. Nigel was on a table with three ladies, they seemed to enjoy his company! One of them, Liz, told me about bridge evening, Monday, at the club in Mangawhai and encouraged me to go. I'll give it a go, all being well, although it's a fair while since I have played Kauri Museum Kauri Museum . Thursday. 19th January. An at home day apart from a trip to the shop in Mangawhai Heads. The Heads has a small shopping centre with a couple of restaurants, takeaway, bakery, pharmacy, post office, bottle shop ( other shops can sell wine but not spirits). Four Square is a small supermarket. It seems that every small town has a Four Square. Mangawhai which is 7kms away also has a small shopping centre which is slightly bigger. There's also the weekly market there, butcher, garage and library. Last night of The Level, a two hour episode. Had hoped for some clarity but was still not sure what had happened! Don't think Nigel or Rob was that sure either. Friday. 20th January. A day out at the Kauri Museum at Matakohe a 45 minute drive from here. Kauri Trees are among the worlds largest trees and grow to over 50m tall with girth so up to 16m. They can live for over 2000 years. The north of NZ was covered in forest of these trees. The forests were decimated in the 17and 1800's when the European settlers arrived. The timber was ideal for building. Then the land was cleared for agriculture. The remaining Kauri forests are now protected. The trees also produce a gum, resin like substance, known as New Zealand Amber. Early settlers dug for this gum which was bought by gum dealers and used for the manufacture of varnishes and other resin based products My favourite place My favourite place . The museum has a gum room where the cleaned and polished gum is displayed. One of the rooms had some stunning pieces of furniture, made from kauri wood, that I would have been very happy to bring away with me! The Volunteers hall displayed a massive 22.5 m slab of Kauri and housed a beautiful, turned Kauri balustrade up to the mezzanine floor. We had been told by one of our card playing friends that this was the best museum in NZ and I would agree that it would take some surpassing. We finished our day by visiting the church and the post office buildings. I have been struck before, when visiting other museums, how important the post office was to people in these isolated communities. Telegraphy and then telephones were lifelines for the inhabitants. Hard to imagine in these days of high speed broadband!. Back home and after supper a short walk on the beach finished off the day. Saturday 21st January. Library and market in the morning Rob home mid afternoon. Weather forecast for later is wind and rain. Nigel and I went down to the beach. High tide and pretty windy down there but I still managed a paddle. Quite a few people about and still a few in the sea. Life guards there too as usual. Not the sort of day I would have liked to go in! The rain started about 9pm. Hope that there's enough to top up the water tanks and do the ground some good.

Week 8

Flag of d Paihia, Northland, New Zealand January 07, 2017 Sunday 8th January. Our last day here. A quiet day. Jonny over with Clare and family overnight. I finally got this blog together and sent link to friends, that took most of the morning! Packed the suitcase ready to load into the car. Had lunch. Packed odds and ends, sorted out food and fridge. Rob and Jonny here about 4pm. Cooked a big breakfast! Wanted to use what we had in the fridge rather than buy anything else. Jonny always happy with bacon! Monday 9th January. Rob came down just turned 8. He and I went down to put some petrol in the car. He left for work. We left just before 10am. Drove to Kawakaw and down SH1 past Warworth and turned off at Waipu. Lots of wild Agapanthus on the grass verges Surf Beach Mangawhai Heads Surf Beach Mangawhai Heads Story! . I noticed one high hedge that was covered in beautiful, deep blue Morning Glory (Ipomea). It looked stunning but it is considered a noxious weed here as it is so in invasive. We were back in Mangawhai Heads, where we had lunch, by midday. An easy drive back, roads much quieter than when we went up there. Then we came back "home"! The house was beautifully clean and tidy with a vase of Hydrangeas on the table! So, unpacked again at least,we are now here for the duration so we can really settle in now. It felt so good to be back here, more space and such beautiful, surroundings. I had a game of cards with Jonny, he won again! We had tea on the deck. Mild and breezy. Nice to be a bit cooler than it was in Paihia. Apparently the weather in Auckland has not been good over the Christmas period, windy and rainy. I think we have just had one wet day since we arrived here. I was really wanting to see the beach again so when I announced I was going to go down there, Nigel and Jonny decided they would come as well. John, who owns this place had told me that it had been like"a zoo" here over the Christmas period! I suspect that there's still quite a few people here during the day but this evening it was just so beautiful. Jonny played in the sand, Nigel strolled and I had a good a walk and paddle along the waters edge. The sea was calm and very little wind. I felt in a reflective mood and thought how, sea, tide and beach carried on their twelve hourly cycle despite people coming and going. I read somewhere, a while back, that just 10 minutes a day watching and listening to the sea is good therapy, good for the soul. I am convinced that this is true and do feel refreshed after being by the sea. Tuesday 10th January. Jonny going back home today. Up and away by 9.30am. Called at library to exchange books and pick up a jigsaw. Then on our way to Auckland. Two backseat drivers! Jonny told me I should have shot through the lights at Hill Street, Warkworth when they turned to orange! Otherwise an easy journey. Went in to say hi and everyone seemed pleased to have Jonny back. Danni and Dan there as well. So, turned round and off again. Stopped in Warkworth. Had lunch at the Riverside cafe. Shopped at Countdown. It's a new supermarket since we were here last time and I wanted to try it out but think I prefer New World. There is an escalator going up from the car park to the store, signs at the top and bottom saying dangerous to use in bare feet! Quite a few people in this country walk round in bare feet so it's not an odd notice to have there. Raining as we left and rained on and off until we got off SH1. The road from there to Mangawhai goes through farming country. Not a lot of sheep but several herds of cattle. Mixed dairy herds, nice to see a few Channel Island breeds in them. Mixed beef cattle too with a lot of Angus. We have been told that there is also a herd of water buffalo but not seen them yet. Back home about 4pm. Long day, pretty tired. Played Scrabble. Early to bed for me. Wednesday 11th January . A rather lazy morning. Got jigsaw started! Rang about the senior citizens cards afternoon today. Spoke to Warren who said we would be very welcome. It takes place at the village hall in Mangawhai Heads, a relatively new and impressive building close to the retirement village. We were a bit early so walked up to 4Square to get a couple of things. When we got back to the hall everyone was there, 11 including us. They play a game called 500 which neither of us had played previously. Best to play with tables of 4 or 5 but as we were new they made up 2 tables of 4 and Warren spent the afternoon teaching us and playing with us. It's a good game, not too simple needs a bit of thought! Will definitely go back. Session lasts from 1pm to 4pm. Back home and I decided to go down to the beach, N wasn't keen so went down on my own. It had been a cool, cloudy morning but whilst we were at cards the sun had come out and it was pretty hot. A lot of people down on the beach, many going home but still a lot there. I had a short walk and paddle but prefer being down there when it is quieter. N went for a walk, beautiful sunset. Steve facetimed, good to chat and to see Lauren and Josh. Thursday 12th January. Went into Mangawhai, dropped N off at the information centre to use the free wifi. Bought a fly swat! Went to butcher . Picked an up and went to the post office to post a couple of cards. Another warm day, suspect beach is busy so will give it a miss today. Another beautiful sunset. Friday 13th January. I'm sitting out on the deck, as I write, looking out over the estuary and thinking how lucky I am to be in such a beautiful place. It's a bit cooler today with a nice, warm breeze. It's very quiet apart from the blasted sparrows tweeting away! It seems that they were introduced here in the 1860's and twenty years later they were designated as pests. Rob working his final day in Kaikohe. He got a lift down to Martin's, in Snells Beach, where he picked up a car and arrived here about 8.30pm. Saturday 14th January . Rob was up and away by 6am, gone fishing with Jim. I could have gone but too early for me! N and I went in to market in Mangawhai. Bought fresh veg, free range eggs and Cornish pasties. Went over the road to the St Johns op shop (charity shop) and I spotted two lightweight folding chairs for $2 each. Bought them, they'll be ideal for when we spend time on the beach or go for a picnic. Rob was back early pm, no fish, they have gone with Jim to be smoked. He was shattered so went for a siesta. N and I went for walk on

Week 7

Sunday 1st January. N coughing a lot during the night. Lazy morning. Caught up with this. Cooler and not very sunny, beautiful! Now almost noon and Jonny is still asleep! Just looked in to make sure he is still breathing! Cooked bacon and eggs. Rob came down not the brightest after last night so he went home and back to bed! We went down to Paihia to see the "Biggest, Littlest Circus" on the village green. Sadly ageing grandmother had made a mistake with the timing and we arrived as the show was finishing! Ah well, it's on all week so will go another day. Went for coffee and iced chocolate and came back home. Monday 2nd January. Think N is improving, certainly not getting any worse. A late start Rob came and he and Jonny went fishing. We caught passenger ferry over to Russell. Had good lunch in courtyard type cafe. Visited the museum and church. We were in Russell in 2012 but later in the year when it was much quieter . Pleased we saw it then when it was at its best. It is, though, a lovely little township with so much history. It was known as the hell hole of the Pacific when it was visited by many whaling ships and was full of ale shops and brothels! A centre too of disputes between the Maoris and the British. The neighbouring township of Okiata was, briefly, the Capitol of New Zealand. The simple wooden church is the oldest in New Zealand. As we were walking back to the ferry we bumped into Clare. We had a bit of a chat and she invited us all to go over later. Met an interesting £10 Pom on the return trip on the ferry. He and his family, parents and seven siblings, emigrated to Australia in 1952. N went back to car and I popped in to the small Costco to get a few things . I managed to break the automatic till there so I was there quite some time. So embarrassing! Rob brought Jonny back and we arranged we would go and pick him up when we had all freshened up. So took some supplies, picked up Rob and off to Opua to get the ferry. So hot, hard work going up the hill but managed to stagger up to Clare's ! Both her boys are away, so just Poppy and a friend there. Another pleasant evening ending at dusk when the insects came out! Walk back to the ferry and home. Tuesday 3rd January. Didn't wake till 9.30! Rob came down but Jonny still asleep. Eventually we were all up and dressed and had lunch. Rob came and we all went to Keri Keri to the New World there. Much better supermarket than Costco in Waitangi. Rob said if we bought makings of a roast dinner we would all go over to Clare's and he would cook. I managed to knock over a box of six eggs which smashed on the floor. Jonny thought it was hilarious! Back home. Sorted out shopping. Brief interlude before picking Rob up and off to Opua to catch the ferry again. Very busy, lots of cars queuing both sides. Thankfully Clare drove down to pick up N and me and the shopping. Didn't fancy the walk up there again, very hot day. So we sat out, had a couple of drinks, chatted, laughed and let Rob cook the dinner. Roast beef and Yorkshire puds, very acceptable. A good evening. Back home on the next to last ferry Wednesday 4th January. Rob back to work. Jonny slept till midday! Went to the biggest, littlest circus. Jonny was not impressed. Coffee and iced choc in usual place. Rob called in after work. Thursday 5th January. Woke Jonny at midday. Went to the Action Park after lunch. The three of us played mini golf or perhaps not quite! The course is built on the side of a cliff, need to be mountain goats to get around with ease! It started off ok but as the course became vertiginous I realised that flip flops weren't the right footwear. Many balls went off back down the hill but luckily Jonny is young and agile and he could retrieve them. About half way round my ball ran away and Jonny couldn't find it. Then he lost his so that just left Nigel to finish the course, he even got a hole in one at one point. Not an event that I would like to repeat. Anyway, after that it was all downhill so to speak! We sat in the shade and watched Jonny enjoy all the other attractions of the park. His favourite was definitely the water slide but I was impressed to see him have a go on the trapeze! The park closed at 5pm. Back home, Rob called in. Jonny played cards again! Friday 6th January. Nigel seems to be OK again. Catherine, owner of rental, and family back after their holidays. Had chat with her. I went to Countdown for a few supplies. Had walk and paddle on beach by the roundabout . A bit quieter today in as much as a few parking spaces. As I stood on the beach, the waves washing my feet I looked out across the bay over the as a few parking spaces. As I stood on the beach, the waves washing my feet I looked out across the bay over the sparkling , clear water I thought how lucky we are to be here. Jonny slept till lunchtime again. After lunch I took him to fish off the wharf at Opua. I sat quietly keeping an eye on him and watching the many pleasure boats and the ferry. After about an hour my peace was shattered by a group of five youngsters who came to jump off the wharf and into the water, a drop of about 10 feet I would think. Noisy but the problem was their b**** dog who went berserk, whining, barking and dashing up and down ever time one of them jumped. Dog went in water too, several times, and had to be hauled out. Jonny caught quite a few small fish which he kept as live bait for tomorrow when he is going out fishing with Rob and Steve. Rob called in after work. He's been down to Orewa today, a long drive in heavy traffic, so he's going back home for an early night. Saturday 7th January. Jonny was up and away by 7.20 to meet up with Rob, Steve and Oscar to go out fishing on Steve's boat. We went down to Pahia late morning. Had a coffee, look around. Lunch at Alongside. Walk and paddle before back home mid pm. Rob came down with some fresh caught snapper for our tea. Jonny and Oscar fishing on the wharf at Opua. He's going to pick them up and take them over to Clare's. Clare working till 9pm so he'll cook the fish for them all.

Week 6

Sunday 25th December. It doesn't feel at all like Christmas. Sun shining and not a lot of Christmas decorations around. A much lower key experience which is much better than all the usual hullabaloo. Rob came down to pick up some things for later. Nigel, Jonny and I went into Paihia. Parked at the far end and walked along the beach to the centre. People in swimming gear wearing Santa hats! Had a look in the church. Very busy in town. Had a coffee. Drove up to Rob's about 1pm. Lunch was smoked Marlin and various nibbles. Had good chat with Danni and had a look at her school report which is very good. Spoke about her plans for the next couple of years. Christmas dinner early eve. BBQ snapper, lots of it, that Rob had caught earlier in the week. Big salad, fried potatoes. So different from the usual Christmas roast! Not the right climate here for that. A very relaxing and pleasant day. It's the first Christmas I have spent here so a very special occasion. Monday 26th December. Dan, Danni's boyfriend, left Auckland at 6.15 to come and pick her up! They were down here, with Rob, about 9.30. They had some cereal and were obviously eager to be off! A brief stay but pleased she found the time to be able to spend Christmas Day with us! Rob went back to get some more sleep! Cold snapper and salad for lunch! Played cards with Jonny. Rob came down and we went into Pahia, had walk around. Then we went to port at Opua. This is where the car ferry goes over to Russel. Both ferries operating as a busy day for them. Much quieter than Paihia not many people around. Had a look at the boats. One very large one, Pacific HQ, which is an expensive charter boat for game fishing. Then back to Paihia and on to Waitangi. Stopped on the hill above the treaty grounds and looked over the golf course and out to the bay. Called at supermarket for a few things and then back "home" and Rob went home. A bit of a problem with Jonny who it seems is bored. A bit of a surprise/shock as I thought we were doing alright with him. I did get rather upset, Nigel did his best to pour oil on troubled waters (!)but Jonny not communicating or eating! Tuesday 27th December. Jonny still silent apart from saying he's not hungry. I texted Rob and said needed to see him and could we meet. Texted back to say meet at Te Huomi beach which is between here and his place. I drove down and told him what had happened so he said he would be down shortly and would take Jonny fishing at Opua. So off they went and we breathed a sigh of relief! Very hot so we stayed home and chilled. They were back about 3pm. They had met up with Oscar at Opua. Oscar being 11 year old son of Clare, friend of Rob's. Oscar and Jonny fished and got on well. Rob had arranged for us all to go to Clare's early evening for supper. Rob went home and I got some food together and we went and picked Rob up and drove to car ferry at Opua. Left car on the pier and went on ferry and walked up to Clare's. Nice lady with three children. We all got on well. Had lots to eat! Played silly but fun board game and had a good laugh. There's a fishing competition for kids tomorrow so Jonny staying over there and fishing with them tomorrow. Thankfully he's brightened up a lot! Left as darkness fell and the midges started biting. Walked down to the ferry and caught the last one back across to Opua. I drove back and dropped Rob off on the way back here. A very good evening. Wednesday 28th December Pleased to have a break from Jonny and pleased for him that he has a friend. Good for all of us. Quite understand that it's not all a barrel of fun being with aged grandparents but he has to understand that life is not all about him. Still I expect he's no different from many others of his age. Went into Pahia and had lunch, bacon and egg bap, and a coffee at the cafe by the ferry terminal. Went to supermarket. Had a pause by the beach on the way back. Paddled and read. Pretty hot. Rob called in after work, he's going over to Clare's later. He took Jonnys fishing gear over on the early ferry this morning. Thursday 29th December Quiet morning. It's pretty hot at the moment so it's easy to hang around here up the hill where it's a bit cooler. The last time we were here, in 2012, it was Autumn and relatively quiet. Now it's full to bursting with summer holiday makers. Not always easy to find anywhere to park and beaches are very busy. Cafes and takeaways very busy. We could walk down there but it's quite a hill to get back here so haven't tried that! Rob rang just after lunch to say would I go down to the ferry to pick up Jonny who had just come over with Clare and Oscar. Did so, he's still rather quiet, will just have to let him come round in his own time. Rob came in after work. Friday 30th December. By the time I woke up Rob had been and picked Jonny up to go into work with him. N not very well, usual symptoms of a flare. Will have to see how he goes over the next few days. I went down to the beach, Te Haumi first but tide was in an nowhere to walk so went into Paihia. Managed to park near the thirty bar. Walk, paddle, read and people watched. Always happy to have a walk and paddle, a paddle a day keeps the doctor away! Went to supermarket pm, N came too. Rob brought Jonny back. He went back home and walked down here 6.30. Jonny, Rob and I went to pub, N stayed here. Jonny and I back about 8. Saturday 31st New Years Eve. Another hot day. Rob came down, had a cuppa and I made pancakes for us all. Then took Jonny back home with him.N and I went to supermarket bumped into Rob and Jonny. We had a walk and paddle on way back. Rob brought Jonny home and went back to have a sleep in readiness for tonight! I had bought rump steak and cooked that along with roast potatoes and veg. Rob came down and we had a couple of drinks then I served up the meal.Rob and Jonny started laughing and I didn't know what it was all about until I tried my supposedly tenderised steak! What a disaster it was, tough as old boots. Not much of it was eaten! Anyway we had a few more glasses of red and a laugh and a chat. Rob went down to Paihia. We decided to stay here, it will be very busy down there and Rob reckons it will get quite raucous later. So we managed to stay awake and then made our way to the top of the hill to watch the fireworks from there at midnight. Rob walked up to see the new year in with us, I was so pleased he did. Then he went back down to the maddening crowd again! We came home and were soon in bed.

Week 5

Rob left late morning. In the afternoon we walked up the road. N had been up before but I hadn't. There is a notice saying it is a private road but it isn't. It is the start, or the end, of the Goldschmit track which goes a very up and down route to the surf beach. We just walked up to the highest point and sat on the seat there admiring the view across the estuary to Great Barrier Island. We conjectured on the way back about a very large house which appears to be unoccupied. Is it a holiday home? If so they must be a very wealthy and large family! Monday 19th December. Plumber came again. Went up to the shops in the afternoon and then down to the beach. Dull and windy. Not many people about. Walked round the corner to the estuary where it was a lot calmer and we were able to find a shady spot to sit and relax. Tuesday 20th December. A beautiful day so we spent the afternoon on the beach. I had a walk and paddle along to the rocks whilst Nigel got settled in our usual spot. Another lazy afternoon reading and watching the world go by! Wednesday 21st December. Left at 11am for Warkworth. Called in to see Angela and got the registration for the car. Lunch at the Riverside then off to Auckland to pick Jonny up. Easy drive there and back not too much traffic around. Played cards! After tea Nigel and Jonny went for a walk. Thursday 22nd December. Went into Mangawhai to the library. Dropped N off at the information centre to use the wifi there. Jonny stayed home. We leave tomorrow so have to pack and clean the place and empty all the cupboards and fridge. Later in the afternoon we went down the beach for a short while. Nigel and Jonny walked part of the way then I picked them up on the way down. Friday 23rd December. Nigel and Jonny packed the car up and we left at 10am. Drove through Waiwera and Langs Beach. Beautiful beaches so must take a picnic up there one day when we return. Got up to SH1 and drove past Whangerei. Stopped in Kawkawa to use the famous Hunterwasser toilets and have some lunch. Arrived Paihai about 1.30. Had a coffee and then came up to our new lodgings. It's a small place I found on Airbnb. No complaints as it is as advertised. Finding somewhere to rent up here in our price range in the holiday season was a bit of a challenge so I think we did well. Small and the strange thing is that the shower is in the kitchen! Not the best arrangement but we did know about it beforehand. The bed is comfy and there is enough room in the sitting room for Jonny to have the put u up bed provided. The kitchen is small and not a lot of storage so won't be doing a lot of cooking here. There's a small sitting area outside. The owners are away for the festive season but there is a young couple looking after the place. So we got unpacked and everything stowed away before Rob came down after he had finished work. He went back home to change and came back, on foot, and we all went down to his local watering place! Had a couple of beers with him then we left him there and came back here. I taught Nigel and Jonny to play Kaluki, the card game I play back in France. Saturday 24th December Lazy morning. Rob came down for a cuppa then he went and Jonny and I had a shower, not together! Rob came back for Jonny and took him into work with him. Nigel and I went into Paihia had a kebab! And then to cafe by the ferry port for a coffee. Paihia is a popular place particularly at this time of year. Unlike the majority of beaches there are many cafes and shops bordering the waterfront. The ferry terminal is busy, both with ferries for the short ride across to Russell and tourist boats for fishing and sightseeing in the Bay of Islands. We had stayed here for a couple of days on our last trip in 2012. It was late summer then and much quieter than it is now. Rob brought Jonny back about 3.30 and then went home to get changed. Danni was due to arrive, on the bus from Auckland, at 5.30. Rob came back and he and I went to supermarket in Waitangi to get a few supplies.and then went down to pick her up and take her back to his place where she is staying. He and Danni then walked down here and we went down to the bar in Pahia. I then drove us all back here and made bacon sandwiches before Rob and Danni walked back to their's. My little granddaughter is all grown up! Lovely to see her.

Week 4

December 11, 2016 Week 4 Sunday 11th December. Rob left late morning. After lunch we went to visit the local museum. It's relatively new and very impressive. We both like visiting these local museums and learning about the early settlement in the area. Monday 12th December. A windy day. Walk down by the boat ramp in the afternoon. Tuesday 13th December. Walk and paddle on the surf beach in the afternoon. Wednesday 14th December. Plumber came to fix the cistern which doesn't turn off properly. As we are on tank water we really don't want to be wasting water. Walk again on surf beach in the afternoon, took books and found nice, shady spot by the rocks to relax, watch the world go by and read. Thursday 15th December. Shopping trip to Warkworth. Had lunch at the Riverside cafe where, ta da!, they have free wifi! Good food as well. Then to New World to stock up on supplies before coming back home. Roads not too busy Friday 16th December. Another afternoon walk on the beach. It was easy walking along the beach in a northerly direction but once we turned round the wind was really strong. Many gusts blowing the sand along, didn't need an exfoliant! We tried to sit for a while but it was just too unpleasant. Cistern still leaking! Saturday 17th December. Market day again! Went to library, changed books, card still not laminated!! Bought veg and pasties. Rob arrived after lunch. He and I went to the op shop in Mangawhai then down to the boat ramp. N and I went down to the beach Rob stayed here to watch fishing shows and prepare dinner. Lots more people on the beach today. The first of the holiday makers. Quite a few of what seem to be holiday homes are now being occupied. Still no trouble parking though. A walk and a paddle and then managed to find somewhere in the shade to sit and read and watch. Soon the people next to us left and we moved to a more comfortable position. Now, please bear with me! I just found this fascinating. It seemed that the previous occupants of our position had had a picnic and had left a few pieces of bread on the sand. After a while a seagull landed and approached the bread but Nigel shooed him away. This became a bit of a game between Nigel and the gulls and eventually they gave up. We were there more than an hour and as we got up and prepared to leave the gulls returned! As we left our spot they immediately gobbled up the bread! We must have been under surveillance from afar! Back home to the smell of roasting pork! Felt quite spoilt today, Rob cooked dinner and Nigel cleared up afterwards! Then we sat on the deck with a glass or two and watched night fall over the estuary! Life doesn't get much better.

Week 3

Week 3. Sunday 5th December Made bacon sandwiches. Played cards again. Went to visit Jim and Wendy who live not too far away. Jim and Rob go out fishing together from time to time on Jims boat. Jim is Julie's half brother. Wendy has the most beautiful garden and Nigel and I spent a good half hour or more going round it with her. Some familiar plants and some not so familiar plants. Sat on the deck and had a coffee along with Nina, the parrot! She likes men and really took to Nigel! Rob and I left late am and took Jonny back home. It's a fair trek from here, about an hour and a half each way. Still, it was worth it to see Jonny again. Missed Danni again, she was at work but rang us as we were on our way back. Monday 6th December. Rob left before we were up. A day at home for me. Nigel went for a walk in the morning. I had a tidy up and sort out. First time I've had chance to do so since we got here. A few jigsaws here to keep us going as well as books and dvds. Tuesday 7th December. I decided I would go for a walk with Nigel this morning. Still no news of when or if we will have a car! It took about half an hour, strolling, to get to the shops at Mangawhai Heads. A pretty warm day so was glad to be able to sit and relax with an iced coffee and the lpaper at one of the cafes. The last hill on the way home was a bit of an effort but I was pleased to have been able to walk that far. Wednesday 8th December A week since we arrived and beginning to feel at home and get my bearings. I felt the effects of yesterday's walk so I let Nigel go for a walk on his own today. I had a phone call from Rob in the afternoon to say that Martin, where Rob is going to work after Christmas, will have a car available for us to borrow and we can pick it up tomorrow. Rob gave me all the details and I rang AA insurance to insure it from tomorrow. Messaged Angela whose friend, Vicky, is going to give us a lift into Warkworth to pick it up. Seem to have a problem connecting to the Internet so will go into Vodaphone tomorrow. Thursday 8th December. As arranged Vicky picked us up at 10am. Not met her before but she was very chatty and pleasant. Arrived at garage and met Martin. The car had gone for its MOT so he invited us into his office and we chatted until the car was brought back. It's, like me ,elderly but well preserved!, Honda Accord. I have to say I had been a little apprehensive about driving a different car on the other side of the road but soon felt fine about it. It's automatic which makes it much easier! We went to the vodaphone shop and got the phone sorted then had lunch before going to do a shop at New World. All that done we left for the drive home. The first part of the journey is through the Dome which is a notorious black spot. Nothing wrong with the road the problem is some of the dangerous driving so I took it carefully! Not a good road to be on at busy times. Anyway,we made it safely back home and got the shopping unloaded and relaxed. Friday 9th December. Went into Mangawhai to join the library. Not as easy as it sounds. I asked if we were able to have temporary membership and the ladies in charge, volunteers, had to ring up the librarian to find out! Thankfully the answer was yes and I filled in the relevant form. I didn't know my phone number so it was suggested that I return tomorrow and finish the registration. Wonderful to be in a library again, so many books to choose from. I felt like a kid in a toy shop! I asked if they knew if there was any free wifi in the area and we were told to ask at the computer shop in Mangawhai Heads. We are so used, in both France and the U.K to being able to go into many coffee shops, bars etc where wifi is widely available. Not here it seems. Nothing in Mangawhai or Mangawhai Heads apart from the information office where it is free for 15 minutes. It's a very poor connection though and I didn't think it worthwhile although Nigel persevered with it! Saturday 10th December. Went to market and library. My library card was written out but told to return in a week to pick it up when it will have been laminated. Things work slowly here, it seems! Picked up some veg and Cornish pasties and came back home. Rob came early pm. Had bought some beef in Warkworth so he cooked that along with some Yorkshire puddings which I have to say were exceptionally good. Probably helped by the fact that he used beef dripping. 

Week 2. November 27th.

Sunday 27th November

Another warm day, not quite as hot as yesterday though.

We went to East Perth for lunch. Several cafes situated on an inlet of the river. The cafe was a short walk from where we parked and the river was bordered by beautiful Jacaranda trees which were in flower.

Very nice menu but I'm afraid I was tempted by the breakfast platter despite it being 1pm. Beautifully cooked and was so pleased I had chosen it!

Later in the afternoon Donna and I went down for a swim. After a while we were joined by a young (30's?) man, Matt. Donna got chatting to him and it transpired that he is the occupant of the $2.500,000 penthouse. He was complaining that it was windy up there, 23rd floor! Poor chap! In the evening we just "grazed on the remains of yesterday's picnic.

Monday 28

Rob was off to work, early, this morning. He's not been working for several months but has now got a three month contract. He wasn't that happy at the prospect of going back!

Donna kindly went and got my morning coffee, it's becoming a habit!

In the early afternoon we went shopping, I had offered to cook tonight so needed to 

get the ingredients. Donna and I went down for a swim but it was quite a bit cooler so 

we didn't stay in too long.

Rob came home saying he was shattered

I prepared an anchoiade followed by a mushroom risotto. All washed down with a bottle of Margaret River red. Apparently Nigella Lawson has been visiting the wineries there and was raving about their wines.

Tuesday 29th November.

The longest day!

Our last day in Perth.

We took fish and chips up to Kings Park for lunch. After eating them al fresco and admiring the view for the last time we had a look round the gift shop. Some beautiful 

local art work but sadly neither the money nor the space in our luggage for any of it. We then sat outside at the cafe and had a drink before going back "home" to pack. After Rob got home, in the early evening, we walked a short way to an Asian restaurant, overlooking Langley Park, where we had our final meal in Perth.

All too soon it was time to leave for the airport. There wasn't room in either Donna's car or Rob's car for all of us plus luggage so I went with Donna and Nigel with Rob. So sad to say goodbye to them and to the beautiful city of Perth but excited at seeing Rob and New Zealand again after all this time.

Our flight was with Qantas from the domestic terminal. I took advantage, at check in, of a wheelchair and N pushed me through security and on to the cafe air side where 

we waited to board our flight which was at 11.30pm.

Wednesday 30November.
 Arrived in Melbourne 6.30 am local time. Qantas porter took us from domestic terminal to international terminal and left us by the Emirates desk. Our flight to Auckland was at 8.30am. We sat there for over an hour. I was much entertained by an elderly, infirm couple in wheelchairs waiting for the same flight. They were from Peru and were surrounded by their son, daughter and families who were obviously very upset to see them leaving. Eventually a porter came and took us through security and then to board our flight. After breakfast was served I dozed a bit but not for long enough! Finally we arrived in Auckland at 1pm local time. Our porter took us through immigration with no problems and then on to baggage reclaim. Nigel's case was off very quickly but mine seemed to be one of the last. A bit nerve wracking, wondering if it was still in Perth. After our bags had been X-rayed we went out to the arrivals hall. A big crowd there but no sign of Rob. The porter pushed me round to the back of the crowd and then I saw him, striding along. Think I saw him before he saw me. My first though was how grey his hair had gone! Gave him a big hug and he went off to get the parking paid for and told us where he was parked. Luggage piled into car and off we went. I had forgotten how busy Auckland is and it seemed to take a long time to get out and on to SH1 and the road north. Finally it all began to look familiar as we joined the toll road. Such a lot of development going around Silverdale and Orewa, much busier than I remembered it. Off the toll road and on past Puhoi. Up the windy hill that Rob always goes up faster than I would like and as usual I kept my eyes shut! Arrived in Warkworth, looks familiar, and went to say hello to Angela before going to New World to get supplies in. New World hasn't changed much, I still knew where things were. Finally the last leg to Mangawhai Heads and our new "home". The drive from Warkworth takes about 40 minutes up and over the Dome before turning off SH1 to Mangawhai. The road through the Dome needs treating with respect as there are many accidents there, due more to idiot drivers than to the road. An interesting fact about NZ is that motor vehicle insurance is not compulsory! Hard to believe! At last weary but unbowed we arrive at 70 Cullen Street. It looks as advertised which is always a relief! The view from the deck is stunning, across the tops of houses to the estuary and sandbar and out to the ocean, the Pacific Ocean! The evening passes in a bit of a haze as exhaustion kicks in. A bite to eat a chat with Rob and off to bed. Happy to be back in NZ and to be with Rob. Thursday December 1st. A chance to take in our accomodation in the light of day! The bed is comfortable, the kitchen is well stocked and even has a cafetière! The shower is efficient and easy to understand as is the microwave. There is a sleepout in the garden where Rob slept, twin beds and kitchen facilities but no water or bathroom facilities but then again we knew that before we came. Basic but adequate. The garden is on a slope and is mainly native bush of kanuka trees. A bit of work going on next door clearing some land but hopefully that will soon be done and it will be quiet. Rob took me into Warkworth as I needed to go to the bank and the Vodaphone shop. The lady in the bank was extremely helpful and soon updated my account and issued me with a new bank card. At the Vodaphone shop I bought a PAYG mobile card that included data so we can get on line via the phone. Back home. Rob has taken over the catering, I'm quite happy with that! My French mobile doesn't seem to be up to coping with data and I have to admit it's pretty useless! Will see about updating it tomorrow. Friday 2nd December. We have arranged to pick Jonny up this afternoon after school. We all went into Mangawhai Heads and had a look round then to Mangawhai and bought some meat for the weekend. Then Rob took us down to the estuary and boat ramp. Rob had a chat with some guys who were preparing to launch their boat and go out fishing. I had a paddle! It's safe swimming in the estuary so I shall be down there at some point to have a swim. Then he took us to the surf beach. Beautiful long beach, views over to the Hen and Chicken Islands, views north to Whangerei and south to Pakiri. Back home and we left Nigel here whilst we went to go and pick up Jonny. Stopped off at Ŵestgate shopping centre and I bought a Vodaphone phone which will be a big improvement on my old Wiki phone. Then it was time to go and get Jonny. I was a little apprehensive as it has been over four years since I have seen him, apart from on FaceTime when he didn't say a lot! Last time I saw him he was 8 now he's 12 a big difference, he won't want to hold my hand now when we cross the road! Rob parked outside the house and I went in. Said hi to Jodi, gave her a hug. Jonny was ready and waiting with his bag, he let me give him a big hug and seemed very happy to see me. Back in the car and off back north. Rob stopped at the KFC to get himself and Jonny something to eat. I helped myself to a few chips but wouldn't touch the chicken! Home about 5.30 and relaxed while Rob cooked supper Played cards with Jonny, e's quick and usually wins! Also got him to have a game of Scrabble. Rob and Jonny slept in the sleepout. Sat 4 We went to see Angela who lives in a rural area near Tomarata. She has several rescue dogs. Then went to the weekly market in Mangawhai. There's a stall selling pies and Cornish pasties. Bought two pasties for Rob and I. Had them for lunch, they are very good! Played cards and Scrabble. Rob cooked roast pork dinner.