Woke up to the lovely news that Jon's niece has had her baby, she is really tiny and the baby was 8lbs 10oz and she had a home birth with no help- well done her.
I met a man in the park with his dog and the dog was a hunting dog and was deaf because of the gun. How sad. He was a lovely dog and at 11 years old was having a lovely time chasing a ball.
I had to go to the supermarket for a few things today - you can only buy bananas two or three at a time as they go really soft very quickly. I also bought some passion fruit which are just coming into season - I am now hooked on fresh passion fruit it is delicious!
I went to the shopping area where they are building the new supermarket, which will be my nearest, and it has some really nice shops. I managed to find a lovely top for the new baby, Zachary, with a kiwi on it - so cute. I also found a card shop with cards at sensible prices. Most of the shops sell Hallmark cards and they are about £3 each plus postage you are looking at £4 to send a birthday card a little OTT I think.
In the afternoon I had a phone call from a lady called Joan. She had been given my number by Lois from Lions. Joan moved here two years ago when her husband retired. She has a daughter married to a Kiwi living here and two grandchildren. We had a very long chat, over an hour, and got on really well. She lives across the other side of Tauranga but it is not too far. We are going to meet one afternoon and walk up the Mount together and then go for a coffee which will be nice. It was nice to speak to someone who understands how I feel. Although I have met lots of people here there are no memories with them and so everything you talk about is new and not like chatting to old friends when you can talk about anything and relax. It is hard to explain unless you are in the situation so it will be nice to meet up with her.
There was a very odd looking "hoodie" down in Rotary park when we went tonight, I was glad I was with Jon as he looked very shifty, on his own and no dog just leaning on the barbecue??? It was so calm down there tonight, no wind and the tide was so far out we could have walked across Welcome Bay - we might do that one night.
I made a delicious three cheese macaroni with bacon for dinner tonight and it was really yummy!
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Monday, 30 March 2009
Housework
Another typical Monday for me here in NZ - washing and housework which is much easier to do now that it is not so hot but we are still having temperatures up in the mid 20s - it got up to 29 this afternoon.
I have been having a lot of trouble with Facebook and have not been able to get on to my home page. The really annoying thing about Facebook is there is nobody you can tell you have a problem to and so cannot get it sorted. I came up with a brainwave this afternoon and tried to go in through Firefox instead of Internet Explorer and it worked. I don't know how or why but it did so at least I am back on Facebook and can keep up with folk.
I have decided I HATE stainless steel! There is a lot of it in the kitchen here and it is an absolute B to get and keep clean and I am becoming a slave to it.
Got all my washing dry and ironed, house is clean now, what do I do for the rest of the week?
I have been having a lot of trouble with Facebook and have not been able to get on to my home page. The really annoying thing about Facebook is there is nobody you can tell you have a problem to and so cannot get it sorted. I came up with a brainwave this afternoon and tried to go in through Firefox instead of Internet Explorer and it worked. I don't know how or why but it did so at least I am back on Facebook and can keep up with folk.
I have decided I HATE stainless steel! There is a lot of it in the kitchen here and it is an absolute B to get and keep clean and I am becoming a slave to it.
Got all my washing dry and ironed, house is clean now, what do I do for the rest of the week?
First Haka!
It was another beautiful day today. The weather now is so good, lovely clear days with bright blue skies with a sharpness in the air that you don't get in the summer. Had I known it was going to be so hot I would have put sun cream on!
We set off to Roturoa and the journey was pretty quiet. We went to Te Puia one of the many thermal attractions here. We started with a cultural show where the Maori people welcome you to their meeting house called a "marae". They send one of the warriors to greet you with a fern leaf and the chosen chief has to pick it up from the ground and then you can all follow into the house, leaving your shoes by the door. They put on lovely show with singing which was lovely and dancing and the women twirl balls around that are on string and they really do it fast and don't get tied in knots. Then the men do the "Haka" which is the first one we have seen. The inside of the building is beautifully carved and decorated.
After the show we had some lunch and then went to visit the Kiwi house. As kiwis are nocturnal you are not allowed to take photos but we couldn't see it anyway.
We then walked around the park to see the thermal activity. There was a huge pool of bubbling mud and although it was smelly it did not smell as strong as the other park we visited last time we were here.
We then walked round to see the Prince of Wales Feathers geyser and when this one starts to erupt it is an indication that the much bigger Pohutu is about to erupt. We sat and waited for about 20 minutes before it started but it was well worth the wait as it is quite spectacular with the water reaching up to 100ft. The hot water then flows down the rocks leaving lovely colours on the rocks from the minerals in the water. There is a lovely blue coloured pool which used to be used for swimming when this was a real village and the temperature is between 30 - 50 degrees. However, I would not like to be in it when the geyser erupts as that water is even hotter.
We visited a Maori village and saw how they lived and the ornate buildings on poles where they stored their food.
We followed the nature trail around the park and saw a hole with boiling water bubbling in it and they showed how they did their cooking in it.
After an ice cream we went back to see if the kiwi was in and we were in luck. They are really big birds with thick legs and very long beaks that they use to find insects under the leaves in the bush. So we saw our first Haka and our first Kiwi all in one day!
After all that walking in the sun we had, by this time, had enough and I was quite red as I had not put any cream on so we headed back.
There is still so much to see in and around Rotorua you could easily spend a week here so we will be back again sometime.
After a quick walk along the beach with Totty I was more than ready for my glass of wine and Jon was ready to watch the Australian F1 Grand Prix.
We set off to Roturoa and the journey was pretty quiet. We went to Te Puia one of the many thermal attractions here. We started with a cultural show where the Maori people welcome you to their meeting house called a "marae". They send one of the warriors to greet you with a fern leaf and the chosen chief has to pick it up from the ground and then you can all follow into the house, leaving your shoes by the door. They put on lovely show with singing which was lovely and dancing and the women twirl balls around that are on string and they really do it fast and don't get tied in knots. Then the men do the "Haka" which is the first one we have seen. The inside of the building is beautifully carved and decorated.
After the show we had some lunch and then went to visit the Kiwi house. As kiwis are nocturnal you are not allowed to take photos but we couldn't see it anyway.
We then walked around the park to see the thermal activity. There was a huge pool of bubbling mud and although it was smelly it did not smell as strong as the other park we visited last time we were here.
We then walked round to see the Prince of Wales Feathers geyser and when this one starts to erupt it is an indication that the much bigger Pohutu is about to erupt. We sat and waited for about 20 minutes before it started but it was well worth the wait as it is quite spectacular with the water reaching up to 100ft. The hot water then flows down the rocks leaving lovely colours on the rocks from the minerals in the water. There is a lovely blue coloured pool which used to be used for swimming when this was a real village and the temperature is between 30 - 50 degrees. However, I would not like to be in it when the geyser erupts as that water is even hotter.
We visited a Maori village and saw how they lived and the ornate buildings on poles where they stored their food.
We followed the nature trail around the park and saw a hole with boiling water bubbling in it and they showed how they did their cooking in it.
After an ice cream we went back to see if the kiwi was in and we were in luck. They are really big birds with thick legs and very long beaks that they use to find insects under the leaves in the bush. So we saw our first Haka and our first Kiwi all in one day!
After all that walking in the sun we had, by this time, had enough and I was quite red as I had not put any cream on so we headed back.
There is still so much to see in and around Rotorua you could easily spend a week here so we will be back again sometime.
After a quick walk along the beach with Totty I was more than ready for my glass of wine and Jon was ready to watch the Australian F1 Grand Prix.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Saturday
The forecast was not very good for today so we thought we would not go too far. As it turned out it has been a lovely day.
We went into Tauranga and our first stop was for some coffee in one of the many street cafes. After coffee we wandered round the shops looking for a fridge magnet to add to our collection but we could not find one for Tauranga not even in the Tourist Information Office. Jon joined the library and got some books out and we then went to look for some rugby shirts for him to wear now that the evenings are getting cooler I think he will need them soon.
After lurch we took Totty out to Te Puna Quarry Park. We went there not long after we arrived here and it was a really hot day it was much more enjoyable walking around today. We walked all the way to the top through thick bush up and down steps and when we got onto the flat I went over and twisted my ankle and it hurt a lot!!!! I hope it will be OK for tomorrow as we plan to go to Rotorua.
Our piece of "bolar" roast beef was delicious and the first proper roast dinner that I have made since we arrived. There is plenty left over for sandwiches
We went into Tauranga and our first stop was for some coffee in one of the many street cafes. After coffee we wandered round the shops looking for a fridge magnet to add to our collection but we could not find one for Tauranga not even in the Tourist Information Office. Jon joined the library and got some books out and we then went to look for some rugby shirts for him to wear now that the evenings are getting cooler I think he will need them soon.
After lurch we took Totty out to Te Puna Quarry Park. We went there not long after we arrived here and it was a really hot day it was much more enjoyable walking around today. We walked all the way to the top through thick bush up and down steps and when we got onto the flat I went over and twisted my ankle and it hurt a lot!!!! I hope it will be OK for tomorrow as we plan to go to Rotorua.
Our piece of "bolar" roast beef was delicious and the first proper roast dinner that I have made since we arrived. There is plenty left over for sandwiches
Friday
I was asked to go and help at the Red Cross shop's processing room by the ladies I met at Lions the other night and they go on Fridays so off I went to join them. It is like a big warehouse beneath the actual shop and it is full of all sorts of stuff. I met Lois there and the lady in charge asked me to help with some Easter things they wanted to sell. They had been given loads of end of line jewellery and her idea was to decorate a glass or a mug with a necklace and matching earrings stuff some tissue in the top and put on a couple of mini eggs or a cream egg in. They are then put into clear plastic bags and taken to the shop to be sold. I have no idea how much they intend to sell them for but I wouldn't pay more than a dollar!!!! We had a break mid morning for coffee and somebody had brought in some hot cross buns and we all sat around and had a chat. I was glad they did not put me on pricing clothes as I have no idea what things should cost in dollars when they are new let alone what they should cost in a charity shop. You can only park outside for two hours so that was a good time to say I was going and I went off to do my weekly shop. It passed a morning and the company was nice.
I bought a piece of beef for Saturday and the cut is called bolar roast. It looks like a nice piece but I have no idea what part of the cow it comes from! I'm sure it will be fine.
In the afternoon I caught up with my emails.
As it is fish and chip night I have no dinner to prepare.
The fish and chips, once again, were excellent. We had John Dory and the batter is so light and a half a scoop of chips is still more than enough.
I bought a piece of beef for Saturday and the cut is called bolar roast. It looks like a nice piece but I have no idea what part of the cow it comes from! I'm sure it will be fine.
In the afternoon I caught up with my emails.
As it is fish and chip night I have no dinner to prepare.
The fish and chips, once again, were excellent. We had John Dory and the batter is so light and a half a scoop of chips is still more than enough.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs!!!!!
Sorry!!
Monday was a bit of a boring day and all I did was the washing and ironing.
Jon called me from the office to say he had a meeting in Gisborne on Wednesday afternoon and if I could get Totty into kennels I could drive down with him. No sooner said than done!
Tuesday evening I was picked up, at 5.40p.m., by a lady called Janice to go to the Lions meeting. It was held at the Armitage Hotel in Tauranga and when I got there I was given a name badge to wear and introduced to lots of ladies and it was all very friendly. We sat down to a buffet dinner of fish, roast potatoes, mixed vegetables, two pasta salads and roast gammon followed by apple crumble or Pavlova. Not the best meal I have had here but OK. After dinner they had a speaker who, although born in NZ, was brought up in UK and went into the RAF but due to him breaking his back in a rugby game could not fly and so went into security for the Royal Family and after a long career became head of counter intelligence for the UK. He has now moved back to live in NZ with his wife and grown up children. He told some really interesting stories and if he ever writes a book it will make good reading. It was a real fun evening and reminded me of my evenings with my Tangent friends. However, the evening was finished really early and I was home by 9.15 p.m. that is not like my Tangent evenings!
Wednesday we were up early as we had to get Totty to the kennels and then be on our way as it takes four hours to get to Gisborne. Totty went off with the kennel man OK but I do feel mean leaving her and I can't watch her going in.
The drive to Gisborne was amazing. We drove down the coast to Whakatane (pronounced fa-ka-ta-ne) it was a really beautiful day, very warm and not a cloud in the sky. You can see Whale Island and White Island (still an active volcano) off the coast and the beach is just beautiful white sand with lovely blue water. You then head inland and drive through some lovely countryside. We stopped for coffee at a roadside cafe and had a lovely mini meat pie. You then head up into the hills of the Urutawa Reserve passing through Waioeka Gorge and it takes about an hour of very windy roads alongside a river and it was really lovely. We came out the other side and although we were still high up there were not so many big trees and ferns just lovely green hills, sheep and cattle. As you get closer to Gisborne so the vineyards start. Gisborne is known as the Chardonnay capital of NZ and is the first city in NZ to see the sunrise I would have liked to get up early to see it but didn't manage to.
We eventually found the hotel and Jon had to rush off to his meeting. I went into town and had a sandwich from Subway. I made my way to the tourist information office and got a map and asked the girl what I should see as I only had the afternoon. She directed me to a walk around the town taking in the beach at Poverty Bay, so called because Captain Cook could not take on supplies due to fighting with the Maoris. I walked along the river walkway and to the port and it really is a pretty place. I got back to the hotel and when Jon got back from his meeting we went walking again. We ended up in a lovely cafe and had a really nice cream tea sitting by the port. He leads a very hard life does Jon!
We had dinner at what was the old Freezer Works. It is a lovely old red brick building on the port now a restaurant and winery. The food was wonderful. They have one chef, Jean, who cooked all the meals in view of the public and did not get flustered at all. She came out to introduce herself to us when the kitchen calmed down. She creates all the menus herself and it was soo good. We had fish with a cashew and sun dried tomato crust served on a bed of mashed potatoes with blue cheese. Yummy!
We had a nice walk back to our hotel with our executive suit that Jon had managed to get at a knockdown price of $130 (£56).
On Thursday morning we had to be up and on our way by 9.00 as Jon had to be back at work for a meeting. So after a buffet breakfast we were on our way. It was another lovely day with not a cloud in the sky and the drive was really good. We stopped at the same place for coffee as it is about halfway.
Jon went back to work and at 4.00 I went over to the kennels to collect Totty. She was very pleased to see me!
Monday was a bit of a boring day and all I did was the washing and ironing.
Jon called me from the office to say he had a meeting in Gisborne on Wednesday afternoon and if I could get Totty into kennels I could drive down with him. No sooner said than done!
Tuesday evening I was picked up, at 5.40p.m., by a lady called Janice to go to the Lions meeting. It was held at the Armitage Hotel in Tauranga and when I got there I was given a name badge to wear and introduced to lots of ladies and it was all very friendly. We sat down to a buffet dinner of fish, roast potatoes, mixed vegetables, two pasta salads and roast gammon followed by apple crumble or Pavlova. Not the best meal I have had here but OK. After dinner they had a speaker who, although born in NZ, was brought up in UK and went into the RAF but due to him breaking his back in a rugby game could not fly and so went into security for the Royal Family and after a long career became head of counter intelligence for the UK. He has now moved back to live in NZ with his wife and grown up children. He told some really interesting stories and if he ever writes a book it will make good reading. It was a real fun evening and reminded me of my evenings with my Tangent friends. However, the evening was finished really early and I was home by 9.15 p.m. that is not like my Tangent evenings!
Wednesday we were up early as we had to get Totty to the kennels and then be on our way as it takes four hours to get to Gisborne. Totty went off with the kennel man OK but I do feel mean leaving her and I can't watch her going in.
The drive to Gisborne was amazing. We drove down the coast to Whakatane (pronounced fa-ka-ta-ne) it was a really beautiful day, very warm and not a cloud in the sky. You can see Whale Island and White Island (still an active volcano) off the coast and the beach is just beautiful white sand with lovely blue water. You then head inland and drive through some lovely countryside. We stopped for coffee at a roadside cafe and had a lovely mini meat pie. You then head up into the hills of the Urutawa Reserve passing through Waioeka Gorge and it takes about an hour of very windy roads alongside a river and it was really lovely. We came out the other side and although we were still high up there were not so many big trees and ferns just lovely green hills, sheep and cattle. As you get closer to Gisborne so the vineyards start. Gisborne is known as the Chardonnay capital of NZ and is the first city in NZ to see the sunrise I would have liked to get up early to see it but didn't manage to.
We eventually found the hotel and Jon had to rush off to his meeting. I went into town and had a sandwich from Subway. I made my way to the tourist information office and got a map and asked the girl what I should see as I only had the afternoon. She directed me to a walk around the town taking in the beach at Poverty Bay, so called because Captain Cook could not take on supplies due to fighting with the Maoris. I walked along the river walkway and to the port and it really is a pretty place. I got back to the hotel and when Jon got back from his meeting we went walking again. We ended up in a lovely cafe and had a really nice cream tea sitting by the port. He leads a very hard life does Jon!
We had dinner at what was the old Freezer Works. It is a lovely old red brick building on the port now a restaurant and winery. The food was wonderful. They have one chef, Jean, who cooked all the meals in view of the public and did not get flustered at all. She came out to introduce herself to us when the kitchen calmed down. She creates all the menus herself and it was soo good. We had fish with a cashew and sun dried tomato crust served on a bed of mashed potatoes with blue cheese. Yummy!
We had a nice walk back to our hotel with our executive suit that Jon had managed to get at a knockdown price of $130 (£56).
On Thursday morning we had to be up and on our way by 9.00 as Jon had to be back at work for a meeting. So after a buffet breakfast we were on our way. It was another lovely day with not a cloud in the sky and the drive was really good. We stopped at the same place for coffee as it is about halfway.
Jon went back to work and at 4.00 I went over to the kennels to collect Totty. She was very pleased to see me!
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Sunday
Well the T bone was very nice and Totty enjoyed pulling the last bits of meat off the bone while I held it for her! Five minutes less cooking time would have been better - Jon will know for next time!
We took Totty to Rotary Park, just down the road, this morning and as the tide was out we walked right along the beach and you come to some wooden steps which bring you out in a little cul de sac near our house. I'll take the camera next time we do it and you will be able to see it.
As it was Mother's Day we thought we would have lunch out instead of a picnic as we were going over to Matamata and the Waiere Falls.
We got to the falls at 12.00 and the notice at the bottom said 45 minutes to the first lookout and 90 minutes to the top. We decided on the first lookout. It was a lovely walk up the waterfall through the bush but quite hard going in some places, walking over big boulders and mini waterfalls and once again lots of wooden bridges. I don't know how they managed to build the bridges. To bring all that wood up those tracks is quite impressive and must have been hard work. Jon thinks it was the same builders who built the pyramids!
We were going really well and then we came to the wooden stairs! All 153 of them! When we got to the top we could hardly walk and our legs were like jelly! There was a sign there saying one minute to the lookout and 45 minutes to the top. We were glad we had decided the lookout! A lady, who was on the way down, told us it was lovely at the top and Jon said can we see your photos then as we aren't going there! But she didn't have a camera with her only her mobile. I wouldn't do a climb like then and then not record it! The view of the waterfall was lovely and maybe one day we will climb to the top but we would have to have a packed lunch with us as a three hour walk and no food would be a killer.
The walk back down was much better than going up but it still took 45 minutes and the stairs looked very impressive from the top. When we got to the car park at the bottom we saw a big sign, I don't know how we missed it going up but am glad we did or we may not have gone. It explained about the track and how many steps there were and if you don't like heights then maybe you should not do it! The height of the falls is 150mts, not that high until you climb it! Ignorance is bliss!
The three cockerels we had seen in the woods on the way up were in the car park. I have no idea where they cam from but I had some bread in the car to feed any ducks we might see (we usually see ducks on our travels) so I thought I would feed them as they looked hungry. Looking back it is really funny but at the time it gave me a fright. They were so eager to get the bread they chased me round the car park, one even jumped up on the car as I ran round it. Fortunately the car door was open and I jumped in and closed the door! Last time I feed chickens.
We went into Matamata for lunch and by this time we were really hungry. It was 2.00 by this time and a long time since breakfast. We found a little cafe, very easy to do over here, and sat in the sun and had a very pleasant lunch.
Lord of the Rings was filmed on a farm just outside Matamata and we thought we would have a look at the set for Hobbiton but they only do guided tours at $58 per person which is a lot of money for what, I have been told, is not much to look at. We drove out to the farm and had a look around the area which is very pretty but decided not to go in. The leaflet says it has mostly been returned to its natural state so unless you are a real fan I don't think it would be worth it.
We were by this time really tired and headed home for a cup of tea and a muffin.
We have been having trouble with the wireless internet connection. The modem is in the office downstairs and we have to keep turning it off to get the connection which is a bit annoying. So with a bit of planning we moved the furniture in the area at the end of the kitchen and brought the desk up from the office and we now have a little office upstairs and can connect the modem to the phone line up here which is much better and we now have the dinning room table back.
All in all a pretty good Mother's Day but I did miss the girls.
We took Totty to Rotary Park, just down the road, this morning and as the tide was out we walked right along the beach and you come to some wooden steps which bring you out in a little cul de sac near our house. I'll take the camera next time we do it and you will be able to see it.
As it was Mother's Day we thought we would have lunch out instead of a picnic as we were going over to Matamata and the Waiere Falls.
We got to the falls at 12.00 and the notice at the bottom said 45 minutes to the first lookout and 90 minutes to the top. We decided on the first lookout. It was a lovely walk up the waterfall through the bush but quite hard going in some places, walking over big boulders and mini waterfalls and once again lots of wooden bridges. I don't know how they managed to build the bridges. To bring all that wood up those tracks is quite impressive and must have been hard work. Jon thinks it was the same builders who built the pyramids!
We were going really well and then we came to the wooden stairs! All 153 of them! When we got to the top we could hardly walk and our legs were like jelly! There was a sign there saying one minute to the lookout and 45 minutes to the top. We were glad we had decided the lookout! A lady, who was on the way down, told us it was lovely at the top and Jon said can we see your photos then as we aren't going there! But she didn't have a camera with her only her mobile. I wouldn't do a climb like then and then not record it! The view of the waterfall was lovely and maybe one day we will climb to the top but we would have to have a packed lunch with us as a three hour walk and no food would be a killer.
The walk back down was much better than going up but it still took 45 minutes and the stairs looked very impressive from the top. When we got to the car park at the bottom we saw a big sign, I don't know how we missed it going up but am glad we did or we may not have gone. It explained about the track and how many steps there were and if you don't like heights then maybe you should not do it! The height of the falls is 150mts, not that high until you climb it! Ignorance is bliss!
The three cockerels we had seen in the woods on the way up were in the car park. I have no idea where they cam from but I had some bread in the car to feed any ducks we might see (we usually see ducks on our travels) so I thought I would feed them as they looked hungry. Looking back it is really funny but at the time it gave me a fright. They were so eager to get the bread they chased me round the car park, one even jumped up on the car as I ran round it. Fortunately the car door was open and I jumped in and closed the door! Last time I feed chickens.
We went into Matamata for lunch and by this time we were really hungry. It was 2.00 by this time and a long time since breakfast. We found a little cafe, very easy to do over here, and sat in the sun and had a very pleasant lunch.
Lord of the Rings was filmed on a farm just outside Matamata and we thought we would have a look at the set for Hobbiton but they only do guided tours at $58 per person which is a lot of money for what, I have been told, is not much to look at. We drove out to the farm and had a look around the area which is very pretty but decided not to go in. The leaflet says it has mostly been returned to its natural state so unless you are a real fan I don't think it would be worth it.
We were by this time really tired and headed home for a cup of tea and a muffin.
We have been having trouble with the wireless internet connection. The modem is in the office downstairs and we have to keep turning it off to get the connection which is a bit annoying. So with a bit of planning we moved the furniture in the area at the end of the kitchen and brought the desk up from the office and we now have a little office upstairs and can connect the modem to the phone line up here which is much better and we now have the dinning room table back.
All in all a pretty good Mother's Day but I did miss the girls.
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Saturday
I had to be up early and ready today, not that I am usually late but it was Saturday. My Age Concern induction day started at 9.00 and there was no traffic about on the roads.
The office is in a little wooden cottage in the Historical Village and there were seven of us there including Viv, who I had met in the park last week. There was a Scottish girl there who has a young son aged two but I didn't get to speak to her. There was a man in his 40s, me and Viv who is 65 and the other three are probably in their 70s!!!! Visiting the elderly????? It was a good meeting and lasted till 11.30. They now have to do a police check on me and then they will pair me up with somebody.
When I got back Jane was on a video call to Jon and we spoke for a long time. There was also the most beautiful arrangement of flowers from the girls for Mother's Day which made me cry.
We had a late lunch as we spoke to Jane a for a long time. We went up to the shopping centre to a little bar and I had a roast beef pannini. We then went to buy a T bone steak (£2.30 for a 500gram steak) for our bbq tonight. I saw a nice recipe in a magazine on Friday. I have never cooked a T bone but Jon is doing it so I am not going to now - I'll let you know how it goes.
We then went to the Historical Village to have a look around. It is really interesting and made up of old and replica houses from the way Tauranga used to be and one is actually the oldest house in Tauranga which was damaged during the Maori land wars and has been restored and moved there. There is a lovely little church and when we visited there was a wedding taking place so we couldn't go in but we did see the bride coming out. All the old houses and cottages are used for charitable trusts and community organisations which is why Age Concern has its office there. You can also hold conferences there and they have exhibitions. It is in a lovely setting though it looks like it could do with some money being spent on the buildings.
Jon is just cooking the steak now so I will end and tell you tomorrow how it was
The office is in a little wooden cottage in the Historical Village and there were seven of us there including Viv, who I had met in the park last week. There was a Scottish girl there who has a young son aged two but I didn't get to speak to her. There was a man in his 40s, me and Viv who is 65 and the other three are probably in their 70s!!!! Visiting the elderly????? It was a good meeting and lasted till 11.30. They now have to do a police check on me and then they will pair me up with somebody.
When I got back Jane was on a video call to Jon and we spoke for a long time. There was also the most beautiful arrangement of flowers from the girls for Mother's Day which made me cry.
We had a late lunch as we spoke to Jane a for a long time. We went up to the shopping centre to a little bar and I had a roast beef pannini. We then went to buy a T bone steak (£2.30 for a 500gram steak) for our bbq tonight. I saw a nice recipe in a magazine on Friday. I have never cooked a T bone but Jon is doing it so I am not going to now - I'll let you know how it goes.
We then went to the Historical Village to have a look around. It is really interesting and made up of old and replica houses from the way Tauranga used to be and one is actually the oldest house in Tauranga which was damaged during the Maori land wars and has been restored and moved there. There is a lovely little church and when we visited there was a wedding taking place so we couldn't go in but we did see the bride coming out. All the old houses and cottages are used for charitable trusts and community organisations which is why Age Concern has its office there. You can also hold conferences there and they have exhibitions. It is in a lovely setting though it looks like it could do with some money being spent on the buildings.
Jon is just cooking the steak now so I will end and tell you tomorrow how it was
Friday, 20 March 2009
Fish and Chip Day Again!
It was really windy again last night and the loose drainpipe, which we have been asking the landlady to fix, was knocking against the side of the house all night. Jon would fix it but we don't have a ladder!
I called the lady from Age Concern and she gave me the details of the induction day on Saturday. I thought I had better check the venue out as it starts at 9.00 and I don't want to be in a panic if I can't find it.
It is in a cottage in the "Historic Village" which is just behind the hospital and I found that no problem. The Historic Village has old and replica houses of how Tauranga used to be and until today I didn't know anything about it. It is a lovely place all set out like an old town and somewhere Jon and I will need to visit as it looks so pretty and only ten minutes from where we live!
I had a nice coffee and a read of a lovely magazine in the coffee shop before I walked around the shops. I need some comfy shoes to replace my worn out ones. The ones I bought last week have given me a blister so I had to be really careful what I bought today. I found what feel like comfy shoes - I hope they will be OK.
I didn't get back till 2.00 just in time for lunch and Neighbours!
Bronwyn phoned me and invited me over for a glass of wine and we sat in the garden with her husband and had a lovely chat in the evening sun.
One glass of wine turned to two and Totty and I had a very wobbly walk around to the park! Just have to wait until 8.30 when Jon should be home with the fish and chips. I hope his flight is not delayed!
Not a bad day!
I called the lady from Age Concern and she gave me the details of the induction day on Saturday. I thought I had better check the venue out as it starts at 9.00 and I don't want to be in a panic if I can't find it.
It is in a cottage in the "Historic Village" which is just behind the hospital and I found that no problem. The Historic Village has old and replica houses of how Tauranga used to be and until today I didn't know anything about it. It is a lovely place all set out like an old town and somewhere Jon and I will need to visit as it looks so pretty and only ten minutes from where we live!
I had a nice coffee and a read of a lovely magazine in the coffee shop before I walked around the shops. I need some comfy shoes to replace my worn out ones. The ones I bought last week have given me a blister so I had to be really careful what I bought today. I found what feel like comfy shoes - I hope they will be OK.
I didn't get back till 2.00 just in time for lunch and Neighbours!
Bronwyn phoned me and invited me over for a glass of wine and we sat in the garden with her husband and had a lovely chat in the evening sun.
One glass of wine turned to two and Totty and I had a very wobbly walk around to the park! Just have to wait until 8.30 when Jon should be home with the fish and chips. I hope his flight is not delayed!
Not a bad day!
Thursday - oops what happened to Wednesday?
Jon left this morning for Wellington and Nelson and will be back on Friday night.
I went to do my shopping and spent ages in the supermarket as there was no hurry to get back for Jon's lunch. I had a good look around and found lots of things that I might need in the future like golden syrup, I have a longing to eat flapjacks!
It was Totty's graduation tonight and I had to go on my own - Jon being away. She behaved much better and did everything I asked her. All the extra training this week has paid off. She graduated with a certificate and a doggy biscuit! Not sure she is ready for agility! Now I just need to remember to keep it up. She even sat still in the car on the way home.
The road we have to come home on is well known for "Pukeko" nests on either side. These are lovely dark blue birds (about the size of chickens)with red beaks and are more common, at least around here, than kiwis. They are a bit stupid though and insist on crossing the road which is a dual carriageway and now that the days are getting shorter you have to be very careful you don't hit them.
One of the ladies in the doggy class asked me if I was in Cambridge on Saturday and for one minute it felt very strange being asked that and all I could think of was Cambridge, England until I remembered we had actually been in Cambridge, Hamilton!!! She had been driving through with her husband and seen us - small world!
Lonely dinner but it was OK - I had control of the remote!
I went to do my shopping and spent ages in the supermarket as there was no hurry to get back for Jon's lunch. I had a good look around and found lots of things that I might need in the future like golden syrup, I have a longing to eat flapjacks!
It was Totty's graduation tonight and I had to go on my own - Jon being away. She behaved much better and did everything I asked her. All the extra training this week has paid off. She graduated with a certificate and a doggy biscuit! Not sure she is ready for agility! Now I just need to remember to keep it up. She even sat still in the car on the way home.
The road we have to come home on is well known for "Pukeko" nests on either side. These are lovely dark blue birds (about the size of chickens)with red beaks and are more common, at least around here, than kiwis. They are a bit stupid though and insist on crossing the road which is a dual carriageway and now that the days are getting shorter you have to be very careful you don't hit them.
One of the ladies in the doggy class asked me if I was in Cambridge on Saturday and for one minute it felt very strange being asked that and all I could think of was Cambridge, England until I remembered we had actually been in Cambridge, Hamilton!!! She had been driving through with her husband and seen us - small world!
Lonely dinner but it was OK - I had control of the remote!
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Rain again
It has been very wet again today so I haven't been out and there is still no end to it!!!!
Monday, 16 March 2009
Time for a haircut
Bronwyn had Mark, the hairdresser, coming over today and asked if I wanted my haircut. It was looking fine but another week and it would go too far so decided to have it done. He is a really nice chap and chats away and never once does he say "Where are you going on your holidays"! He has cut it a bit short this time but it looks very nice again.
It was really hot again today back up into the high 20s. Shame Monday is washing day - I could have gone to the beach.
My neighbour, Linda, is back from her holiday on the Gold Coast (OZ) and had a lovely time but sadly her mum died the day after she got back so she is quite upset.
Made apple crumble today but had to use Granny Smith apples as they don't have Bramleys over here. It tasted fine and is the first pudding I have made, we've just been having fruit and yogurt and the occasional cheesecake.
It was really hot again today back up into the high 20s. Shame Monday is washing day - I could have gone to the beach.
My neighbour, Linda, is back from her holiday on the Gold Coast (OZ) and had a lovely time but sadly her mum died the day after she got back so she is quite upset.
Made apple crumble today but had to use Granny Smith apples as they don't have Bramleys over here. It tasted fine and is the first pudding I have made, we've just been having fruit and yogurt and the occasional cheesecake.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Karangahake Gorge - Sunday
We thought we would give Totty a treat and take her on a walk through the gorge - she is now very, very tired!
Karangahake is about an hours drive and so we stopped half way for coffee in Katikati - we have to have our coffee. Totty was given a dish of water.
There are many different walks you can take in the gorge and it is a very popular place for Kiwis. Some of the walks are short and easy and some are long and more difficult. We took the difficult walk called Dykes Trail (pronounced Dickies). To start with we had to cross the river via a wooden bridge which was very long and very wobbly and we didn't get a picture of it as both Totty and I hated it and half way across on the way back she just stopped as the people ahead of us were making it move about so much, I had to drag her across!
The walk was amazing and you pass lots of entrances to tunnels that were once used for mining gold. We crossed over 15 bridges but, thankfully, not all of them were wobbly. We walked along very narrow tracks and I had to keep a tight hold of Totty's lead as, at some points, the river was a long way down! We reached some pretty waterfalls and had lunch. The next part of the track was through a very long, dark tunnel - 80m - and after speaking to one of the locals we decided not to go through as we didn't have a torch and it looked a bit wet underfoot and I was not wearing trainers and I am not sure that Totty would have liked it either. The locals said we could go through with them as they had a torch but it was not a loop track and we would have had to come back that way too. Jon and I will go back another day with a torch and do it without the dog. It can take four hours if you go all the way to the end and back!!! There were a few muddy patches and I did get in a bit of a mess but it was a really lovely walk and we will certainly go back again and do some of the other tracks.
Karangahake is about an hours drive and so we stopped half way for coffee in Katikati - we have to have our coffee. Totty was given a dish of water.
There are many different walks you can take in the gorge and it is a very popular place for Kiwis. Some of the walks are short and easy and some are long and more difficult. We took the difficult walk called Dykes Trail (pronounced Dickies). To start with we had to cross the river via a wooden bridge which was very long and very wobbly and we didn't get a picture of it as both Totty and I hated it and half way across on the way back she just stopped as the people ahead of us were making it move about so much, I had to drag her across!
The walk was amazing and you pass lots of entrances to tunnels that were once used for mining gold. We crossed over 15 bridges but, thankfully, not all of them were wobbly. We walked along very narrow tracks and I had to keep a tight hold of Totty's lead as, at some points, the river was a long way down! We reached some pretty waterfalls and had lunch. The next part of the track was through a very long, dark tunnel - 80m - and after speaking to one of the locals we decided not to go through as we didn't have a torch and it looked a bit wet underfoot and I was not wearing trainers and I am not sure that Totty would have liked it either. The locals said we could go through with them as they had a torch but it was not a loop track and we would have had to come back that way too. Jon and I will go back another day with a torch and do it without the dog. It can take four hours if you go all the way to the end and back!!! There were a few muddy patches and I did get in a bit of a mess but it was a really lovely walk and we will certainly go back again and do some of the other tracks.
A Trip to Cambridge - Saturday
Jon had stopped in Cambridge on his way back from Hamilton one day and thought it was worth a visit.
We set off and had coffee in a lovely little cafe near McLaren Falls. Coffee bars are a relatively new thing here in NZ and they do them really well. You find them in the most amazing places and we have yet to have a bad cup of coffee, flat white being our favorite.
Because you have to drive on main roads to get around as there are no motorways or dual carriageways as in the UK you find lots of interesting little shops, potteries and craft places along the roads much like it used to be in UK before all the roads bypassed the towns and villages - if you stopped at them all it could take a very long time to reach your destination
The journey takes you through Kaimai Mamuka Forest Park climbing to a height of 693m with stunning views and rock formations.
As you get closer to Cambridge so the stud farms appear and there are quite a few, not as many as in Newmarket but still very impressive. We also passed deer farms and alpaca farms along with many sheep and cattle.
Cambridge itself is quite small, population 11,000, but it is very pretty and is most famous for its selection of trees which are stunning and it will be worth coming back in the later in the autumn to see the colours.
We walked the suggested route from the Tourist Information Office which took us along the Waikato river which looked very dangerous with many whirlpools. We stopped there for our picnic before continuing the route which took us across a "trading estate"!!!! We then went into a beautiful park with a huge sunken lake, a waterfall and the most amazing selection of trees. We saw the old Cambridge Bowling Club and bandstand and it all looked soooo English.
We completed our walk in time to go into St Andrews Church before it closed which is beautiful. It is all white outside and the most lovely wood inside with wonderful stained glass windows all made in England.
We walked down the main street passing their clock tower which does not have the same problem with traffic as Newmarket clock tower!! We walked on to the Court house which is now a small but very interesting museum.
We had done enough walking by this time and so thought we would head home. I had been looking to see where the 2010 World Rowing Championships are due to be held and so we headed off to Karapiro Lake which is just east of Cambridge and on our way home.
To get to the lake you have to drive across a single lane road, controlled by traffic lights, over the top of the Karapiro Dam which was quite exciting. Not sure how such a small road is going to cope with a world championship!
A competition was taking place between NZ colleges and it was a lovely atmosphere. All the colleges had big tents set up along the lakeside. It is a really pretty setting and a lot of work is being carried out in preparation for next year.
It was such a busy day we were glad to get home and have our bbq even though I was bitten to pieces again. When are these insects going to get used to me, or me to them!
We set off and had coffee in a lovely little cafe near McLaren Falls. Coffee bars are a relatively new thing here in NZ and they do them really well. You find them in the most amazing places and we have yet to have a bad cup of coffee, flat white being our favorite.
Because you have to drive on main roads to get around as there are no motorways or dual carriageways as in the UK you find lots of interesting little shops, potteries and craft places along the roads much like it used to be in UK before all the roads bypassed the towns and villages - if you stopped at them all it could take a very long time to reach your destination
The journey takes you through Kaimai Mamuka Forest Park climbing to a height of 693m with stunning views and rock formations.
As you get closer to Cambridge so the stud farms appear and there are quite a few, not as many as in Newmarket but still very impressive. We also passed deer farms and alpaca farms along with many sheep and cattle.
Cambridge itself is quite small, population 11,000, but it is very pretty and is most famous for its selection of trees which are stunning and it will be worth coming back in the later in the autumn to see the colours.
We walked the suggested route from the Tourist Information Office which took us along the Waikato river which looked very dangerous with many whirlpools. We stopped there for our picnic before continuing the route which took us across a "trading estate"!!!! We then went into a beautiful park with a huge sunken lake, a waterfall and the most amazing selection of trees. We saw the old Cambridge Bowling Club and bandstand and it all looked soooo English.
We completed our walk in time to go into St Andrews Church before it closed which is beautiful. It is all white outside and the most lovely wood inside with wonderful stained glass windows all made in England.
We walked down the main street passing their clock tower which does not have the same problem with traffic as Newmarket clock tower!! We walked on to the Court house which is now a small but very interesting museum.
We had done enough walking by this time and so thought we would head home. I had been looking to see where the 2010 World Rowing Championships are due to be held and so we headed off to Karapiro Lake which is just east of Cambridge and on our way home.
To get to the lake you have to drive across a single lane road, controlled by traffic lights, over the top of the Karapiro Dam which was quite exciting. Not sure how such a small road is going to cope with a world championship!
A competition was taking place between NZ colleges and it was a lovely atmosphere. All the colleges had big tents set up along the lakeside. It is a really pretty setting and a lot of work is being carried out in preparation for next year.
It was such a busy day we were glad to get home and have our bbq even though I was bitten to pieces again. When are these insects going to get used to me, or me to them!
Thursday, 12 March 2009
A sunny day
The air was very nippy on Thursday morning and it had a definite feel of autumn.
I met an English lady in the park with her dog who had just been showered and she was giving her a run to get her dried. Her name is Viv, she is divorced and she has just retired but has lived in NZ for 35 years. We had both seen something in the paper for Age Concern looking for volunteers for an hour a week so thought we would give them a call and find out more.
I went to the supermarket to do my weekly shop and was entered into a draw for a 21 day holiday to Fiji - that would be nice!
Age Concern will send me out some forms and they have an induction day on 21 March which I will go to.
Bronwyn Ann called me in the afternoon and we went over to the Mount for a coffee and sat on the front and it was lovely and sunny.
Week five of doggy classes and the trainer seems to be in despair with out class as we have not "progressed" as she would have liked!!!! I have to say she is not the best trainer but I enjoy the class. The most annoying thing is Totty will not do as I ask in the class, she is much too interested in what the other dogs are doing, but when we are at home she does it all! Ah well! only one week left and then we will see what happens. I'll work extra hard with her this week and see if we can make the trainer happy!
I met an English lady in the park with her dog who had just been showered and she was giving her a run to get her dried. Her name is Viv, she is divorced and she has just retired but has lived in NZ for 35 years. We had both seen something in the paper for Age Concern looking for volunteers for an hour a week so thought we would give them a call and find out more.
I went to the supermarket to do my weekly shop and was entered into a draw for a 21 day holiday to Fiji - that would be nice!
Age Concern will send me out some forms and they have an induction day on 21 March which I will go to.
Bronwyn Ann called me in the afternoon and we went over to the Mount for a coffee and sat on the front and it was lovely and sunny.
Week five of doggy classes and the trainer seems to be in despair with out class as we have not "progressed" as she would have liked!!!! I have to say she is not the best trainer but I enjoy the class. The most annoying thing is Totty will not do as I ask in the class, she is much too interested in what the other dogs are doing, but when we are at home she does it all! Ah well! only one week left and then we will see what happens. I'll work extra hard with her this week and see if we can make the trainer happy!
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
An unhappy few days
Until my PC was hacked I had not realised just how much I depended on it. It is the first thing I do in the morning - log on to see who has contacted me and see if the girls are online and read Chris Evans' blog. I suppose if I was busier it would not be so important to me. I think I need to look for a job or something to keep me busy!!!
Totty has decided that she likes the water! We have had beautiful hot days when she could have gone in to have a swim (not sure she can swim as she has never had the chance, is eight too old for a dog's first swim?) but she decided yesterday when we were in the park that she liked the taste of the cockles and went into the water to search for more. It just happened to be a very windy evening and the water was quite rough and "cold". She got herself into a spot of bother and looked panicked and I had to go and fish her out. Tonight we kept her on the lead!
I made our first roast dinner tonight and all things considered it was OK. This oven would be a challenge for Jaime Oliver! I had a flashback using Bisto powder to make the gravy (they don't have granules here) It reminded me of many years ago stirring the gravy for my mum.
Changing the subject completely. You can get your house washed here for $180 (£72) but they only mean the outside and the roof!!!
Totty has decided that she likes the water! We have had beautiful hot days when she could have gone in to have a swim (not sure she can swim as she has never had the chance, is eight too old for a dog's first swim?) but she decided yesterday when we were in the park that she liked the taste of the cockles and went into the water to search for more. It just happened to be a very windy evening and the water was quite rough and "cold". She got herself into a spot of bother and looked panicked and I had to go and fish her out. Tonight we kept her on the lead!
I made our first roast dinner tonight and all things considered it was OK. This oven would be a challenge for Jaime Oliver! I had a flashback using Bisto powder to make the gravy (they don't have granules here) It reminded me of many years ago stirring the gravy for my mum.
Changing the subject completely. You can get your house washed here for $180 (£72) but they only mean the outside and the roof!!!
Monday, 9 March 2009
What a weekend
Saturday morning started very badly when we realised spam had been sent from my account and not only that, all my contacts had been deleted so there was no way I could let people know. I had also lost my recent inbox and recent sent mails so I could not get the addresses that way. An automatic "not in office" response had been put on with the email copied in the response. How can people do this? I managed to put on some addresses and set up a group on Facebook asking for people to let me have their addresses.
Saturday lunchtime we went over to Mount Maunganui and had lunch and then a walk along the beach and across to a little island that is joined - just about - to the beach when the tide is out and it is really pretty to go there. At the tip of the island is a blow hole where we stood watching the waves come into.
Sunday morning the same thing had happened with my Hotmail account and I was in a desperate state!
I emailed my nephew who, to cut a very long and complicated story short, was so helpful and on Monday morning I got an email back from him saying he thought I had been hacked. He gave me all the information I needed to report it and a website to try and get my contacts back - I am still waiting for an answer from them. So far I have managed to get 58 contacts back but I had 101! It was of some consolation that when I went onto the website I found many stories of the same thing happening to many people and a lot over this last weekend. It had made me feel like I was infecting people! Ugh! Horrible!
On Sunday we went to Rotorua. We had intended to leave early but due to the email problem didn't leave until gone 10.00 but we were there by 11.00. The weather was not as good as it was forecast and so we decided to just have a look around rather than visit one of the big thermal parks as it looked like it might rain. Rotorua is a pretty place and we walked around the lake and then to Kairua Park which is just an open to the public park with lots of thermal activity. It last erupted in 2003 and covered the area with mud and it is a fascinating place just to see steam coming up out of the ground in various places. Next time we go to Rotorua we will visit one of the big parks which put on Maori shows and have big geysers.
I would now advise anyone with an email account or any account for that matter to make sure you have a "strong" password and not use anything obvious . I learnt the hard way.
Saturday lunchtime we went over to Mount Maunganui and had lunch and then a walk along the beach and across to a little island that is joined - just about - to the beach when the tide is out and it is really pretty to go there. At the tip of the island is a blow hole where we stood watching the waves come into.
Sunday morning the same thing had happened with my Hotmail account and I was in a desperate state!
I emailed my nephew who, to cut a very long and complicated story short, was so helpful and on Monday morning I got an email back from him saying he thought I had been hacked. He gave me all the information I needed to report it and a website to try and get my contacts back - I am still waiting for an answer from them. So far I have managed to get 58 contacts back but I had 101! It was of some consolation that when I went onto the website I found many stories of the same thing happening to many people and a lot over this last weekend. It had made me feel like I was infecting people! Ugh! Horrible!
On Sunday we went to Rotorua. We had intended to leave early but due to the email problem didn't leave until gone 10.00 but we were there by 11.00. The weather was not as good as it was forecast and so we decided to just have a look around rather than visit one of the big thermal parks as it looked like it might rain. Rotorua is a pretty place and we walked around the lake and then to Kairua Park which is just an open to the public park with lots of thermal activity. It last erupted in 2003 and covered the area with mud and it is a fascinating place just to see steam coming up out of the ground in various places. Next time we go to Rotorua we will visit one of the big parks which put on Maori shows and have big geysers.
I would now advise anyone with an email account or any account for that matter to make sure you have a "strong" password and not use anything obvious . I learnt the hard way.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
More Spam!
It has been horrible to sort this out and I am getting very upset and feel very bad for the people who are getting the emails from me.
We are setting up a new email account in the hope that it will get rid of it. I will send all my emails titled THIS REALLY IS FROM NORMA. If it does not say that it is not from me.
We have been out and about this weekend but my heart isn't in writing about it just now!
We are setting up a new email account in the hope that it will get rid of it. I will send all my emails titled THIS REALLY IS FROM NORMA. If it does not say that it is not from me.
We have been out and about this weekend but my heart isn't in writing about it just now!
Friday, 6 March 2009
My Hotmail has sent spam!
Beware anyone who gets an email from me telling you to log on to a shopping site in China DELETE.
It has been sent to everyone in my address book and has wiped out all my contacts, my recent inbox and my recent sent emails so I am having trouble contacting everyone.
If you don't hear from me it will be because I do not have your address so please contact me.
If I could get my hands on the people who do this sort of thing I would kill them!!!
It has been sent to everyone in my address book and has wiped out all my contacts, my recent inbox and my recent sent emails so I am having trouble contacting everyone.
If you don't hear from me it will be because I do not have your address so please contact me.
If I could get my hands on the people who do this sort of thing I would kill them!!!
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Another wet day
Well the rain and wind started about 9.00 last night and is every bit as heavy as last weeks episode, we seem to have one day a week. Just as well I had set today aside to do my housework.
There was a bit of a break in the weather about 1.00 and as Jon was at a lunch meeting I thought I would take my chance and get Totty out. By the time I was ready - first walk with a COAT and trainers - it had started to rain again but not too heavy so off we set. By the time we got to the park it was pouring again and we got rather wet but it was actually quite nice as it wasn't cold and everywhere looked so green and fresh.
Back home and after a change of clothes I made myself a nice chicken salad and had a beer. Jon will think I have lost it hitting the booze in the middle of the day!
Yesterday I bought some "Kiwi berries" in the supermarket and had some for pudding. They are mini Kiwi fruit and you eat them whole, skin (as it is smooth) and all. They are the size of large grapes and are really delicious. We had tried them on our tour of Kiwi 360 but it was the first time I had seen them in the shops. We were told the season is only about four weeks and they only export to Australia as they do not travel well as they need to be picked when ripe unlike the larger variety which will ripen after picking.
It rained for the rest of the day so it was a good day to do the housework.
Fish and chips tonight!
There was a bit of a break in the weather about 1.00 and as Jon was at a lunch meeting I thought I would take my chance and get Totty out. By the time I was ready - first walk with a COAT and trainers - it had started to rain again but not too heavy so off we set. By the time we got to the park it was pouring again and we got rather wet but it was actually quite nice as it wasn't cold and everywhere looked so green and fresh.
Back home and after a change of clothes I made myself a nice chicken salad and had a beer. Jon will think I have lost it hitting the booze in the middle of the day!
Yesterday I bought some "Kiwi berries" in the supermarket and had some for pudding. They are mini Kiwi fruit and you eat them whole, skin (as it is smooth) and all. They are the size of large grapes and are really delicious. We had tried them on our tour of Kiwi 360 but it was the first time I had seen them in the shops. We were told the season is only about four weeks and they only export to Australia as they do not travel well as they need to be picked when ripe unlike the larger variety which will ripen after picking.
It rained for the rest of the day so it was a good day to do the housework.
Fish and chips tonight!
Thursday already
Had to take Totty to the vet to have her kennel cough booster this morning. Mr Drummond, the vet, thought it would be a good idea to give her ALL her vaccinations, even though they were not due until May, this way she will have everything together and not have to go twice which makes sense. I don't think dogs have any feeling in their neck as she didn't flinch with either injection.
After the vet we went for a walk to the park and Totty found a ball which she would not leave behind and carried it all the way home in her mouth.
The forecast for Friday is for torrential rain and wind again - this is not the weather I expected to have down here - so I thought I would go to the supermarket today instead. I went over to Bay Fair for a change and did my shopping there after enjoying a coffee and a look around the shops.
We had Totty's class again tonight which was much better although she seems to think she should get a treat for just sitting down now and when I don't give her one she barks!!!! She won't do half the things I ask her to when we are at the class but as soon as I get home and ask her she will do it!!
I had made a chilli for tonight and I really must write down how much chilli powder I use as it was very hot. I must try and remember next time to use only 1 teaspoon of chilli powder!!!
After the vet we went for a walk to the park and Totty found a ball which she would not leave behind and carried it all the way home in her mouth.
The forecast for Friday is for torrential rain and wind again - this is not the weather I expected to have down here - so I thought I would go to the supermarket today instead. I went over to Bay Fair for a change and did my shopping there after enjoying a coffee and a look around the shops.
We had Totty's class again tonight which was much better although she seems to think she should get a treat for just sitting down now and when I don't give her one she barks!!!! She won't do half the things I ask her to when we are at the class but as soon as I get home and ask her she will do it!!
I had made a chilli for tonight and I really must write down how much chilli powder I use as it was very hot. I must try and remember next time to use only 1 teaspoon of chilli powder!!!
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
A trip to town
I went into Tauranga today to have a look round the shops, go to the post office and also the library.
I went to my usual place for coffee - that's another stamp on my card!
I changed my books at the library and had a look around the shops. The clothes are just changing from summer to winter but it is still a bit too warm to think about things like that.
The weather was good for most of the day but about 6.00 it came over a bit cloudy but nothing was going to stop our bbq.
Really enjoyed our bbq. Well that will stop my cravings until I smell the next one!
I went to my usual place for coffee - that's another stamp on my card!
I changed my books at the library and had a look around the shops. The clothes are just changing from summer to winter but it is still a bit too warm to think about things like that.
The weather was good for most of the day but about 6.00 it came over a bit cloudy but nothing was going to stop our bbq.
Really enjoyed our bbq. Well that will stop my cravings until I smell the next one!
Monday, 2 March 2009
A lovely walk in the park
Totty and I went over to Yatton Park this morning. We have been there before but only in the afternoon.
As we got into the park a big, black greyhound was on the path growling at me and I could see the owner further down the path. I shouted to him to call his dog off as although it was wagging its tail he was looking pretty fierce!! The man came back and said he was fine he was only "talking". I started to walk with him and he was with a group of five or six all with their dogs and poor Totty was a bit nervous. After a little way I let her off the lead and she had a lovely time running and barking with the dogs, she hasn't had so much fun for ages. These people meet every morning so I will certainly go there again it is about 7km away so not too far.
There is an ornamental pond in the park which the dogs swim in but there was no way Totty was going in there - she just ran round the outside!
I went to the supermarket to get some bbq food as it was really hot and I have been fancying a bbq for days now as I can smell them around the neighbourhood.
I was already for a bbq when just before Jon came home we had a downpour and that put paid to it. As I had nothing else out of the freezer we went and got an Indian takeaway which was alright but not the best I have ever had but for £11 you can't complain. Oh well better luck tomorrow night!
As we got into the park a big, black greyhound was on the path growling at me and I could see the owner further down the path. I shouted to him to call his dog off as although it was wagging its tail he was looking pretty fierce!! The man came back and said he was fine he was only "talking". I started to walk with him and he was with a group of five or six all with their dogs and poor Totty was a bit nervous. After a little way I let her off the lead and she had a lovely time running and barking with the dogs, she hasn't had so much fun for ages. These people meet every morning so I will certainly go there again it is about 7km away so not too far.
There is an ornamental pond in the park which the dogs swim in but there was no way Totty was going in there - she just ran round the outside!
I went to the supermarket to get some bbq food as it was really hot and I have been fancying a bbq for days now as I can smell them around the neighbourhood.
I was already for a bbq when just before Jon came home we had a downpour and that put paid to it. As I had nothing else out of the freezer we went and got an Indian takeaway which was alright but not the best I have ever had but for £11 you can't complain. Oh well better luck tomorrow night!
Wash Day
I am organised now and just do my washing once a week and get my ironing done on the same day which leaves the rest of the week for my busy social life!!!!!
It was really hot again today up - to 29. After all the rain and wind at the weekend I had planned a casserole for dinner but it was much too hot to have the oven on so it was spaghetti out of the freezer.
Jon had his first trade show for the company today, they don't usually do them. We will have to wait until it is over to see what the response has been.
I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to put a slide show on my blog and it is driving me crazy as I can't do it!!!!!!
It was really hot again today up - to 29. After all the rain and wind at the weekend I had planned a casserole for dinner but it was much too hot to have the oven on so it was spaghetti out of the freezer.
Jon had his first trade show for the company today, they don't usually do them. We will have to wait until it is over to see what the response has been.
I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to put a slide show on my blog and it is driving me crazy as I can't do it!!!!!!
Sunday, 1 March 2009
The sunshine after the rain
Today is the first official day of autumn in New Zealand and it certainly does not feel like autumn!
We visited Katikati today - known as the "Mural Town". There are more than 40 murals, carvings and points of interest in the town telling the story of the early settlers. We walked along the Uretara Stream which was really lovely even though there was a lot of debris from the awful storm of Saturday (the main state highway had been closed for part of the day due to flooding). There were some lovely pink flowers growing along the stream and they looked like they had just shot up from nothing, no leaves and we wondered how they could have survived the rain of yesterday.
The Backpackers motel was completely washed out and had everything outside drying out.
We walked around the town looking at all the murals which are really interesting. We had bought a set of "cards" which tell the story of each mural and when it was painted and who it was painted by. There was so much to do and see we decided to leave some of it for another day. We drove down to the beach and were sorry we did not have a picnic with us as it was a lovely spot with the best kept public footpath we have ever seen.
We headed off to the Heritage Museum for lunch which was very nice but after a chat with the owner we decided to leave the museum for a "bad" day as it is all inside and looks like it could be really interesting.
We then went to visit Omokoroa which is where the ferry to Matakana Island goes from. It is really pretty. We watched the ferry dock. There must have been all of four cars and at least ten passengers on it!
We walked along the foreshore and into the George Crapp Historic Reserve which was lovely with some really mature trees. The footpath takes you along the coast and INTO people's back gardens of some of the most beautiful houses. We thought the public right of way was lovely in Katikati but this was something else. All the house owners look after the area between their gardens and the cliff edge about 16 - 20 foot and the planting was lovely and we were so glad we had wandered that way.
On the way home we pass through a village called Bethlehem and popped in to the supermarket to get some lamb chops to BBQ and go with the Spanish allioli I had found in the supermarket on Friday - yummy!
We were able to sit out on the deck for our dinner tonight - not bad for the first day of autumn!
We visited Katikati today - known as the "Mural Town". There are more than 40 murals, carvings and points of interest in the town telling the story of the early settlers. We walked along the Uretara Stream which was really lovely even though there was a lot of debris from the awful storm of Saturday (the main state highway had been closed for part of the day due to flooding). There were some lovely pink flowers growing along the stream and they looked like they had just shot up from nothing, no leaves and we wondered how they could have survived the rain of yesterday.
The Backpackers motel was completely washed out and had everything outside drying out.
We walked around the town looking at all the murals which are really interesting. We had bought a set of "cards" which tell the story of each mural and when it was painted and who it was painted by. There was so much to do and see we decided to leave some of it for another day. We drove down to the beach and were sorry we did not have a picnic with us as it was a lovely spot with the best kept public footpath we have ever seen.
We headed off to the Heritage Museum for lunch which was very nice but after a chat with the owner we decided to leave the museum for a "bad" day as it is all inside and looks like it could be really interesting.
We then went to visit Omokoroa which is where the ferry to Matakana Island goes from. It is really pretty. We watched the ferry dock. There must have been all of four cars and at least ten passengers on it!
We walked along the foreshore and into the George Crapp Historic Reserve which was lovely with some really mature trees. The footpath takes you along the coast and INTO people's back gardens of some of the most beautiful houses. We thought the public right of way was lovely in Katikati but this was something else. All the house owners look after the area between their gardens and the cliff edge about 16 - 20 foot and the planting was lovely and we were so glad we had wandered that way.
On the way home we pass through a village called Bethlehem and popped in to the supermarket to get some lamb chops to BBQ and go with the Spanish allioli I had found in the supermarket on Friday - yummy!
We were able to sit out on the deck for our dinner tonight - not bad for the first day of autumn!
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