More Ohiwa Activities

As usual there was the "Family Outing", this year to the Tautarangi walkway at Opape. The sign had been completely twisted around it's post and pointed back out again. However we had taken the precaution of reading the guide and knew to walk down the beach and over a small stream. Fortunately this was just a hop and a jump to get over - unlike the thigh deep river crossing at Tauranga bridge of a few years ago. 

The track was very well graded and an easy uphill stroll with magnificent views up the coast framed by native bush. It took us less than half an hour to get to the turn-a-round spot where we stopped for a short break.

Heather, Duncan and Alex 

Millie and Lyn 

Jill and Rua with the lone carving at the end.

We also played a game that I had planned for Xmas but was just too tired to organise on the day. It involves writing a short paragraph using three phrases. The ones I had chosen were "Merry Christmas my friend" "small and bright" and "big and black". Lyn began reading her's out by saying it was X rated. then.... The Jazz singer was big and black. She was dressed in sequins and her immense body swayed to the beat.   It was hard to top this story and Lyn took out first place!
 As things quietened down in the new year I started the jigsaw - the title was Teacher. It was not too difficult except for the children's hair. Oh dear I cant turn it around.

New Year was a quiet affair with just 3 of us left. In  fact the whole camping ground was quiet, thankfully.

We had a few visitors as well - April and Greg from Brisbane (also Isabel and Ross Boreham) and Caroline Stewart from Whakatane And apart from all the swims, walks and one try at fishing the other activity of note was my 65th birthday. It looks like I qualified for the pink card as well as the gold card! Duncan, Heather and Lyn and I enjoyed a champagne breakfast of french toast, berries and mascapone and later went to Opotiki for an Indian meal - the choices in Opotiki being a bit limited

Ready for dinner.

Family Christmas 2016

 What a great pleasure it was to have all our children, grandchildren and my two sisters together in the same place. It was for 4 short days and unfortunately I was plagued by hernia popouts due to the rather steep step into the caravan, and the determination to just enjoy every minute despite the pain. I hope you will enjoy these photos just as much as I have looking back at them.

Two grandaughters Millie (15) and Claudia (1)

Millie and her Dad, Rua Millie looked gorgeous on Christmas day. OK Rua looks quite sharp here also.

Claudia and her Dad, Simon

Theo 5, and great auntie Lyn have a wack at the swing ball

Claudia sits up all by herself

Jackie checks the table decorations

 Jackie had organised a gratitude tree on which we all had to write something we were grateful for this year.

Simon and Claudia

Entree on Christmas day - Christmas wreaths by Millie

Moist turkey on the Weber

Fruit salad and pavlova by Alex

Brother, Sister.

Dense Pohutukawa blossom

Claudia crashes out.

Simon (Claudia) Jackie and Heather ponder over the beer tasting on Christmas Eve.

Simon won the mystery questions on the beer tasting night with his full and comprehensive answers such as "I would like to share this beer with Al Brown at one of his restaurants with a blue cheese and mushroom burger" However Duncan won the one for the slogan for Pale face ale: " Pale face, My place, I've got a case."

More beer tasting

Alex, Theo and Millie wait for the present opening.

We all bought silver decorations for the tree and Alex helped some of us make things with his 3D pen - although this was more difficult than I thought!!

Making hay while the Sun Shines

The hectare where we are going to plant the macadamias was taking quite a bit of mowing so we decided to allow it to grow long and make hay. By the time we got back from Ohiwa the hay was cut and it just remained for us to stack it once it was baled.

First the tedderer when in and fluffed up the hay and raked it into long lines in a sort of spiral pattern

Then the baler when through and out its back end came the small bales - all 257 of them. Now our job was to start. Fortunately Duncan had some experience on this when his parents lived in Ruawai and he was a strong young man. But he had learned some useful tips like how to use his knee to hoist the bales up.

We gathered them up on the trailer and began to make our stack. It was 30 degrees and we were glad that the beers were cooling in the fridge. We managed about 60 bales in a session. The hay will be used as mulch when the trees go in. We think we have more than we need, but we will see.

We have put some up in the shed as reserve. Duncan was concerned that he would not be able to lift the bales  but he has been coping very well. With my hernia I have been staying away from lifting but I have been doing the driving and using a dolly trolley to move bales which are stuck in our way.

 Probably will need to have a break tomorrow so that Duncan isn't too stuffed to play golf, and then do the last session on Friday.