Monday 27Apr

We're back from Matarangi where we had a wet and mostly windy weekend. Actually longer than that cos we left on Wednesday afternoon. We took Roger's nice honda Accord as it had the trailer hitch and we had to take back the much repaired washing machine. Unfortunately we didn't get any swimming done as either the tide was out when the weather was marginal or otherwise our much waited for sunshine never appeared. didn't matter to me, I'm not the swimming buff, had lots of time for the wine beer and reading to take effect. what was really good was that we found a new (for us) delicatessen supermarket before we left Auck!! we were quite the bon vivieur for the weekend!! ate our very last pieces of cheese and sicilian olives before we left. yummy. Of course Earl was pleased to see us on our return as was Tom, already into the homework/telly before the week's schooling. He even appeared in his very own car a 1.0 litre toyota something or other. Very swish, for a 9 year old anyway.

Anyway one of the things about returning is that there's always something in the garden to look at. It's Autumn now, so the grapes the birds havent eaten, the figs that I pick just before the birds realise theyre ripe and the passionfruit, all join the apples that the caterpillars certainly have had a go at.

don't they look good?

And then I realised that we still had the last gasp tomatoes left mainly from bushes I hadn't planted but came up from our homemade compostfinally the lettuces have come up!That just leaves the rest of the garden to wrestle with in the coming months.

Well that's the sort of trivia you get when all the family (except Penny of course) are too far away to just pop round to.

Have a great week everyone

R and P

Return from Sydney

Well we have made it back to NooZilland from the big S . We arrived OK but are recovering from our stinkers of colds we picked upbefore we left

This blog starts a while ago

R was hurriedly taken on to fill the gap in the "Determinators" which was a team of 4 who wanted to take on the Oxfam 100km chauPenny's know how and support. R had resisted taking any part in the thing this year but when one team member was forced to drop out, had a go. Apr 4 was an abolutely lovely day. We started in the dark at Taupo central at 06:00Note all the lovely smiles!

At first we encountered fog as we walked alongside the Waikato River

finally clearing as we walked across a thermal area. notice still smiling!

Through bush

and some fantastic lake views. Yes this is the lake.

And this is Mt Tahara

The supoport crew worked hard during the fuel stops. Penny's fluoro top was useful later!

Gradually the walk got harder

And harderInevitably, just past halfway it got dark, and chilly.

but after trials and tribulations, and lots of walking, after 24 hrs and a minute or so The end of the trail!

Get my stripey tights, havent had to wear them before!!but after a quick sleep and an hour in the hot pools everyone was back to normal!!

home we went and after a couple of days We were winging our way to Sydney!

It was time to relax with a book

perhaps a light sabre fight or two

In town to see the Starwars expo at the Powerhouse museum,

remember this?after this we had a quick lego race

And then a bit of hard construction work

There was soccer training to do

And new Gear (The Bears) to wear

Of course it wasn't all work. we went wine (and food) tasting in the Hunter Valley

Yummy!Of course bags got heavy doing this browsing Then it was time to hit the motorway only too soon
And even sooner it seemed it was time for our big tea out on our last evening together

And then the next morning it was off to stay in the City so we could get the early flight tomorrow

We always love Hyde Park

There's my favourite fountain

Didgeridoo players at Circular Quay

The charming "Rocks" district

The Opera house hasn't moved

Neither has the Harbour Bridge
And in the Botanical Gardens the fruit bats still gather in their hundreds

And of course we had to sit on Mrs McQuarrie's Chair


Just for Nicola the Ibises are still in the park, their beaks are just as long!


And as the sun went down on our hotel while we were having our Sauna on the roof, the UFO came to take us back to Auckland

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And as well as Neil and Tabatha coming to pick us up at the Airport, someone else was glad to see us home!

The end