This weekend gone

We had a busy weekend! what with a wedding on Saturday followed with a long lunch with friends at the viaduct. Maybe everything seems busy now I'm in retirement! but hey we actually had a swim at Takapuna on the way home from church on Sunday afternoon. It was really warm!! fantastic afternoon for the beach, but really our patio was better for reading the Sunday papers and avoiding the really strong sun (we both had a rosy glow when we got home. Pen says she got it just by walking back along the beach from the other end after her long swim.

back to rain, now it's monday, but at least I can say my garden needs it!

Read Paula's Blog with the party for Devon, it's a scream! typical Paula blog eh.

Penny"s Birthday!

Penny's birthday weekend blog at Last! This was a major effort and the delay seems to have been some program bug preventing me from uploading the pictures. Well blog without pics is just unthinkable! So here it is at last.We trolled off after Penny's morning at school on thursday. That meant the house husband (me had to zoom around to make sure we had the delectable viands for our stay at Matarangi (And pack). At last we were off with a hiss and a roar up to the queue waiting to get on the motorway. The weather was lovely and despite the start we had a delightful scenic trip and in the usual time. once there it was unload the bags and off we went for a beach stroll.

What a great evening it was too! Friday was great as well and after a lovely beach walk

where the sand seemed very desert like. note no New Zealand Godwits today to take a picture of so Penny instead. Soon it was time for our lunch , typical of the weekend, lunches were frequent and long.


Penny had her sights set on a big beach swim this time so after a limber up with me for about 30 mins on saturday, sunday seemed to be the time to go for it. Of course the weather wasn't so good and it became very choppy as soon as high tide came around but off she went into the briny The tiny figure boldly battled the waves for half an hour before wading ashore minus an earlug and nearly losing her hat. Well it was a good exercise anyway.
someone else had different ideas

Wekll I didnt stay there all the time, I had my 7+km beach run too. Actually the second time I've run on the flat after my tendon problem as it was the Corporate Challenge run last week where I joined the ex colleagues in the Watercare team and got a free T shirt.
Just thought Id put in an artistic pic of the trees at the end of the golf course walk Monday was similar weather like but we found the water had warmed up considerably so we wave bashed without our springsuits before the trek home. A great time I even did some gardening. lets see if the plants survive the summer. certainly the passionfruit have blossom so something good is happening.

Must be Spring

well we're walking around the botanical Gardens quite a lot now after Pen's knee is just about back to normal. And what do we see but the latest clutch of Geese.

well thinking that winter was over weve had a good time mainly sitting out in the garden.. that is until today when we had a really grey day. didn't know whether to rain or just be cold. we had all seasons. Typical i suppose for Auckland Spring. Unlike some who feel like they're inside a fan oven (see C Waters)

all this after we've been doing all sorts of things in the garden like planting stuff which Anne seems to provide an inexhaustible supply. Also trimmed the leaves on the palms outside the front so we can actually see daylight. Lastly the outside of the house. waterblasted (gently) most and removed yards of stuff from the gutters where the huge macrocarpas shed their needles. even through the mesh screen!

Today penny decided that 60 lengths of the pool was the target. I couldn't believe when she appeared at my arm when I had just completed 42! I guess that means I am busted from doing the Rangitoto swim. I can't see me being able to effectively double my speed to finish in a respectable time. Penny is almost at the 20 mins per km target while I struggle with an almost impenetrable time of 35. Consolation is I think swimming is boring anyway. (unless black fins suddenly appear of course) the view is always the same, wet. I'll be joining my running mate Alan on the Corporate Challenge fun run soon where we can both hobble over the 5 k him after falling off the garage roof and I with the tiny residual of my tendon strain.

well bedtime calls so till next time then.

NZ Labour Day Holiday

Despite the weather forecast, we travelled to matarangi on Friday. penny was hard at work till lunchtime and I seemed to be driving all over the place doing the shopping for the weekend. At last everything was stowed away for both the boarders and ourselves. then all the stuff went into the car and we met exactly at the minute next to the bakery shop where Penny bought her lunch and I sat in the car and had mine. Two and a half hours later in lovely weather and according to schedule we were at the place! Well we don't do a lot there! I checked out the garden to see we have tiny olives on our new tree and even a passionfruit blossom! early in the year or what. at about 8 30 roger and family arrived. We were amazed to see Stephen stride (slowly) through the door unaided. Now he is making a good recovery. good to see him so well.

Saturday was a bit wet. the sea was very choppy. Even the intrepid Roger had to shorten his morning swim. Penny and I were able to get in a great walk to the beach end and back via the golf course. Sunday started well so I was able to try my running on the flat after so long with this achilles tendon thing. Just as i finished the beach the rain started but the sea looked too good to miss so I plunged in! It was COLD. Not by UK standards I may add but it was pretty electrifying. By the time I had done a "pool length" that was IT, my head hurt. Even with the rain we took a nice walk and spent the rest of Saturday nibbling and watching Roger's Sky setup.

I suppose the big event was the final between Cantebury and Wellington. to Penny's great amusement CH Ch won by one point! a good game to watch.

Sunday afternoon the sea had died down enough for the Soulsbys to get into the water. Here they pose!
Roger has bought another Kayak which is much smaller and great for Jennifer and the boys.
but the waves were good and they didn't stay on ot for long!
They all had a great time.




I had to drive Stephen to the beach so he didnt have to walk so far and by the time I had taken him back Penny and I were separated. there was quite a few people on the beach and so I took a walk to the end on my own not realising Penny had only gone for a short one so there was only the view

And me to photograph

Monday morning was a great day for a swim. Penny and I followed Roger into the briny and ploughed up and down for a time. The water temp caught up with us though. andwe were eventually forced out of the lovely calm water.

In the afternoon we packed up and left on the dot at 3. roger and co were into the water again it being so nice and had the audacity while we were on the way back to text saying the water had warmed up to a lovely temperature!!!

Anyway we had a great time (I'm not going to talk about reversing the car into a bush on the way out) and even braved the journey home in commuter traffic. We usually contrive to avoid "workers" times but as Penny was tutoring that evening we had to join the throng. Wasn't too bad actually adding say 30 mins to our travel. So here we are again....till next time.

That Sydney trip

After all the excitement we were run to the airport by Anne. got there hugely early and spent a lot of time in the duty free area. The best part was though that I had time to moan about how the electronic check in wouldnt allow me to pick a decent seat.

Well Lo and behold we got upgraded (mainly cos of the Skyways card) to business class, such space!

And here we are with the free champers!

Anyway we were soon on the road outside Sydney airport and being picked up by Paul

Then we were at 26 Bass Drive, home of these fella's

We were soon into the lazing outside in the carport in the lovely 32 deg.

Paul was nice enough to leave his car at home so we were soon on the road to Manly beach to see young Pip. We took about as much time to park the car as drive across town!

Anyway there she was, waiting for us by the volleyball courts of course.

All too soon after our coffees and chat and walking the beach it was time to go, so cheerio pip and back to Collecutt Waters

Tearing the kids away from playstation (Transformers) and the cartoon channel was a bit of an effort but hey, the parks are great, not only the one a few doors down the street but the rope park in the sports field by the school Viz

In a lovely setting

Soon we were off again in the borrowed car, this time to Camden No not in London, Sydney silly. To see none other than my long lost uncle Granville As Mum would call him but in Australia he's George. And there was Doreen too to welcome us. These Sayers people are talented eh George still puts out etchings and tours old folks homes with a band to play for them. Doreen is presently selling one of her two looms, son Andrew, curator of the Canberra Portait Gallery has written about 8 books on art and Geo kindly gave us a copy of one. The younger son Martyn has just discovered he can draw and has sold a few.
then we had lunch and a tour of their cottage art industry and it was time to head for home again

not before a picture in the driveway though.

Then it was time for a quick starwars

Before teatime

We had a great time that week what with a trip to the reknowned Ettamoogah pub where we had fish and chips in the expanse of outdoor tablesAnd the kids got hot and swaty on the equipment Well it was soon Friday. that meant a quick run down to the local Hertz for transport to take us on our trip to Canberra.

We had to leave Paul to do all the work

While the rest of us drove down to our apartment just south of Canberra

Paula was soon into this lifestyle

as we all were

We took trips out to see the War memorial museum, here I am on the steps with the Australian Parliament building in the distance

With it's splendid exhibits and video shows.

We toured around a bit and saw the Parliament buildings more close up

but in this rather artificial city everything's laid out on a wide scale. Our apartment had a great view over the wide landscape

And like just about everywhere there was reasonably adjacent to lovely park like surroundings with lakes.On the way home we went up the Telstra Tower which had huge panoramic views of the city

Penny drove there and back. I just sat and played with the terrible map and the wonderful satnav with the voice.

curiously on the way we passed a vast depression like a dried up sea, I missed the best pics on the way down but you maybe can see the huge flatness . No?

Anyway we were back in what seemed like no time at all on empty roads. What struck me as funny was our teabreak where we pulled into a service area to find it was a McDonalds only. And it was absolutely Packed! where did the people come from?

Next we went to what was curiously called a wildflower reserve out at the edge of the national park. now I dont know about wildflowers in the Australian bush but it was really pleasant

as you can see. it had lovely views if you like trees

We stuck to the paved walkways which were quite extensive as we were'nt dressed for the rough paths.

finding an enormous lizard

And a very shy echidna was good enough for us

Back home again it was the usual round of eating Actually we went out to a really nice pub this time

and occasional playground trips

Ella's transformer and Devon's lego people had to come too of course.

We went out to mini golf which was a lot of fun

and on the last day, after I had been telling Paula that it was an illusion, just as I cleared the lemons off the grass to get the mower out, who should arrive but Pastie the blue tongued lizard that lives up the drainpipe and here he is!

Of course that was the last day. we were up on Wed at the crack of dawn and off to the airport. guess what! yes another upgrade, Tra La!

Then it was our last view of Sydney out of the window

and in a well-fed and watered couple of hours Manukau came into view.

well we had a simply great time everyone. now we're back being picked up by Tabatha our boarder and Neil being told that for 19th of Sept next year they have fixed their wedding venue. Marai Tai boatclub. something else to look forward to eh?

Anyway hope yopu like the tale of the trip

P and R