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.