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.
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