March Caravan trip - 24th and 25th March - and home on the 26th

Friday - Duncan headed out to the golf course just after 7 and I had a nice lie-in. The forecast had promised a nice fine warm day so I did a wash, but it was cloudy and drizzly and it was hard to get it dry.

Dry socks were a priority for Duncan - that's why it looks like Santa is descending through our skylight!

I enjoyed my day reading books and magazines and regretting I had not bought knitting with me.
Duncan was tired after a full day on the course. They found they needed more people reffing as some areas were quite contentious. He initially thought he would only be needed for half a day at a time.
I went for a stroll to the dairy to buy the bread and investigated some of the streets nearby, and had a good nosey around the camping ground. We look out over a river with a park and rosegardens on the other side. But there was no way to get across.

By Saturday morning I was beginning to regret not having got up early, dropped Duncan off and brought the car to use. There were showers all morning but at least by early afternoon it cleared enough for me to walk around the block and find my way into the park.

Looking back at the caravan

The pretty bridge we couldn't cross.

Beautiful reflections

Autumn colours starting.

The park path stopped abruptly at the back of Splash Palace and the only way back was over a sports field. Sports had been cancelled that morning - but a heard a few hardy souls have a bit of cricket practice. So you can imagine the ground was very wet underfoot to walk through.

We had a good trip back on Sunday however we had to have wet mats etc in the back of the car rather than put them in the caravan, so we had a bit of reorganisation to do when we got home. The floors had been polyurethaned and the place stank of fumes - and did so for the next 10days or so. The floors are more matt this time - lets hope they see us out as I dont think they would stand another full sanding.

March Caravan trip - Wed 22nd, Thursday 23rd

Duncan had to do most of the packing up this morning as I was still feeling a bit tender. However we were still on the road by 10, and headed down the barren road to Napier. The bleak countryside was softened by row on row of purple ericas.

Barry and Liz had told us that the camping ground was very muddy when they were there for Horse of the Year and it still looked pretty unkempt. We were directed to a site with no water access - the office girl's excuse was "I've never been down there".

After setting up and having lunch we headed out to time the route to the golf club and then we went winetasting at Alpha Domus and Ngatarawa. 

Duncan went for a swim in the pool while I had a nap - And then I burnt the dinner!!

Due to the early start tomorrow I had a shower before bed. We are in Melrose place and we have to cut across Coro St, Peyton Place, Ramsay Street and skirt around Footrot Flats to get to the showers - the lighting wasn't all that good either.

It's Duncan's birthday - we are up at 6.30am to get Duncan out to Bridge Pa Golf Course where he is refereeing the Amateur Stroke Play Championship. I don't take the most direct route back to the caravan - but I don't end up in Waipukarau either!

After a bit of housework I headed to Havelock North for some shopping and bought a handbag and a navy necklace of freshwater pearls. The weather was drizzly and not too warm. Back at the golf course I waited for Duncan in the cafe, and then we had lunch with 3 other referees.

The fourth hole - a short par 3. I was hoping I might see a hole in one.

Duncan was a bit damp so we went back to the caravan for him to change before heading out to Elephant Hill and Te Awanga for wine tasting. On returning to Hastings we tried to get a new clothes drying rack in Briscoes "Sale" but the one I had seen in Taupo had sold out (Managed to get one from Gisborne in the "Sale" the following week.) 

We went to a Greek Restaurant called Fiko but the food was only mediocre so we didn't staylong.

My Spanakopita had potato in it which made it quite bland.

Duncan's Lamb kofta were a bit fatty.

Back at the caravan we had a bottle of French Champagne - and it was mediocre too, even though it was from Epernay. Duncan enjoyed his day - especially the emails, phonecalls and facebook hits.

March Caravan Trip - Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st.

Robin came to the caravan for breakfast and then we packed up and left Hamilton for Taupo. We liked the look of the cafes in Tirau and in the end chose the "Loose Goose" but it was absolutely abysmal! So we didn't stop again until we got to the Taupo Top 10 Motorcamp and had lunch about 2 after we had set up.

This camping ground is just over $50 per night, but it does have a fantastic swimming pool complex and free showers.  We had a rest and restocked the fridge and headed for the pools. When we were suitably prune-like we went back and cooked butter chicken for tea. Duncan won the scrabble.

Duncan in the pool with the bar on the right

Lots of waterfalls and spa areas

The pale grey area is a cave - very deep.

Heaps of sunloungers by the bar

My first panoramic picture! Nice not to be the fattest one in the pool.

Quite cold overnight (had to get up and put a rug on) but brilliantly next day. Duncan went for a run and my task was to change the sheets! We went for a walk along the waterfront with the mountains - with a little snow - clearly visible in the background

Past the Wave sculpture - there was a para-sailor just above it (small orange blob)

 We watched a few people try the Hole in One challenge into the lake (No, Duncan wasn't tempted this time) We drove to Kinloch where the Jack Nicholas golf course did not impress Duncan - but the size of Kinloch did and some of the houses were very flash.
Back to Taupo for lunch - Duncan had a Lakeman Pale Ale. After looking at this photo he went for a haircut. After a short nap we went to the pool complex again.

 To night we decided to cook a leg of lamb on the Baby Weber BBQ which we have bought for the caravan. It turned out beautifully but the larger potatoes could have done with a bit longer. Sadly my enjoyment of this meal was short lived as my hernia was playing up and by about 9.30 we were heading to A and E in Taupo. The doctor, Dan Fox, was American but superbly calm and controlled and got it back quickly and I immediately felt much better. I don't know why they torture people to make them talk - when I'm in pain I just cant string a sentence together!

March Caravan Trip Saturday 18th, Sunday 19th

Jackie had a market on Saturday morning  so was  up very early. Duncan went  off to play golf with Barry, so I got to help Simon out with the kids. We headed off to the centre of town as there are large murals of graffiti  art in the process of being put up. Then we went to the square in Hamilton and Simon and Theo played draughts with the chess set.

Theo still needs some help with the jumping over moves

...but he has the demeanour of a champion

Not sure who won in the end.

... but I bet I could beat you all.

Then we went to the Hamilton Gardens - there was  the last of the roses in these gardens, but plenty of room to kick a ball.

 The maze had quite an Indian theme going on - much to the delight of the crowds of Hamilton's Indian community.

Theo quickly solved the maze

Simon and Claudia took longer - but Gran chose the wrong colour entirely and it didn't even make a maze. 

Miss Independent trying to decide what to do in the playground.

After lunch I went and picked up Duncan, and we had a cuppa with Barry and Liz and a bit of a catch up. After a quick snooze we headed back for baby-sitting duties while Jackie and Simon went out for dinner at a new chicken restaurant  Winner Winner(which had run out of some cuts of chicken!) Fortunately we managed to get both kids to sleep before they returned.

On Sunday we were expecting Duncan's sister Robin to join us for dinner as she was over from Australia for a reunion. I told Theo that we would have to bake a cake, and before we made it round to their place at 9.30am he had drawn - in the tradition of Great British baker - a view of what it should look like. Yes definitely  4 layers.

 But first there were swimming lessons to go to. If you look carefully you can see Theo in his blue rash singlet and togs doing his width with the flutterboard.

Thank goodness, he's come up for air. (With bathing cap as he has had grommets)

Yep I think I'll be good at this when I'm old enough.

 The cake was only a small one - the recipe One egg chocolate Sponge from the Edmonds book, but the decoration was lavish. The raspberries were $10 a punnet so we had to intersperse them with Marshmallows. Unfortunately - as you can see from the drawing the pink decorations were an absolute necessity.

There was also the need for a good dowsing of 100s and 1000s

Completed - 4 layers

Masterchef and cake.

I had given Theo a book - a bit like dress-up dolls except with laminated pirate characters and stickers for clothes. He declared we were going to have a competition to dress a pirate and he was going to be the judge. Simon, Duncan and I settled down to our creations. (Jackie was up at her grandad's  90th birthday). When judging time came, much was made of the prize to be given out and Duncan bribed Theo with the promise of a surprise and duly Duncan was announced the winner. Theo went inside to work on the prize. Quite a long period of time elapsed before he appeared with a parcel wrapped in brown paper and lots of sticky tape. Inside Duncan found a sandwich with salami, tomato and pesto!! We had had lunch but Duncan  ate it. Theo seemed content with his surprise of a $2 coin.

We went back to the motorcamp to get  Robin who was staying in a cabin there. She had hired a rental car to come down from Auckland. Simon had cooked a roast chicken and a roast vege salad and of course there was cake for dessert.

I was taken aback to find that Robin was no longer a hoarder and subscribed to the "either you love it or its useful" or you must get rid of it. Apparently her daughter, Hannah  comes around to supervise the clearing out of the wardrobe on a regular basis. It has certainly given me food for thought.

March Caravan trip - Thursday 16th, Friday 17th.

"I'm keen"

A bit of shopping at The Base - K and K, Zierra and Merric for me and Farmers for Duncan. WE had a nap after lunch and then got prepared for our visitors for dinner. Jackie turned up with the kids just before 5 and then Simon joined us, biking in from work. Dinner was a little chaotic but we all managed to get something to eat. Fortunately  there is a playground in the camping ground.

Theo at the playhouse

The playhouse had a couple of slides to go UP and DOWN

Our little fashionista and her glam sandals

OK Theo how long to I have to stay up the top for?

Thanks Mum

17th March
Today is a big day so we got up early. It takes us 2 hours to get to Greenlane to Wrightway studios who are going to fix the angel wings off the Bush Family statue It is a fascinating place and  I have to report that my dolly, Anna, is now worth $300 - $400. Lots of broken stuff which I wouldn't have thought worth repairing, but obviously loved.

Broken angel wings

Then we made our way to the Covi caravan show. We went through all the stands and only found one caravan that we liked better than the one we have got. Maybe...
We stopped for lunch and rang Margaret and Wren who by chance we having lunch about 20m away from us, so a good catch-up with them. They were a bit like us - confused by all the new stuff on the market.
We left about 3pm but it took us 30mins to get on the motorway even though it was only about 500m.
Then it took us another hour to be moving freely - and 3 hours!!! to get to Hamilton. We passed sooo many cars with just one person in them. Aucklanders need a big attitude change.

March Caravan Trip - Hamilton Wednesday 15th

We had a good trip through to Hamilton, but it did make us realise that Mrs Tom Tom (our GPS navigation guide) is in need of updating. We found the camping ground after a few lucky turns. It is very shaded by silver birches which are just starting to lose their leaves. Once we had set up we headed round to Nixon Street. Jackie was still away picking up the kids from school and day care. It took a bit longer than usual because Theo's bike had a flat tyre from doing too many skids.

We waited in the new outdoor seating area

 We spent a few hours playing with the kids and talking to Jackie and Simon but headed back to the caravan for dinner.

Claudia loves hats - she has put them all on Grandad!

Getting used to us now

Theo blew us the hammer we bought him from field days.

Theo began play fighting with Grandad - but Claudia joined in with a fistful of blocks!

Ow, that game will have to stop!

Theo is  doing well on his sticker chart.

Hmmmm. Theo is doing something with his pens..

I'll do something too

There -I've rewritten the front page of the newspaper

Simon comes home and asks for a cuddle -he gets a great hug!

She must have really missed her dad.