Test Run 2022

 The end of October, and it is time to get the caravan out of the shed and have a few days away at Ohiwa.

Lots of pairs of quail at the camping ground this year.

The most distressing thing to see was the state of the roads. The slip between Opotiki and Ohiwa had closed the road for a few days the week before. Todd and Nola told us that the camping ground was cut off for a short while, and hard to get to for a couple of weeks.

We went for a drive around to the boat ramp - the walking track is a mess - and there were big trees that had slid down banks. 

The first of the Pohutukawa blossom at the boat ramp

The ground still looks very unstable.

Even the road cone needed some repairs!

Still, there are always beautiful views somewhere.

We even took a dip in the pool!

A good four days away.

The PlodFest

 Just a quick Blog to record the 70th birthday of Murray Kemp - aka Plod. He had - way before COVID - promised that he would get all the family together in a Bavarian Tavern (in Germany). But a few weddings and several babies had occurred in the intervening years, so he decided he would have to settle for a party in his back-yard. And just as well, as he had a major heart attack and cardiac surgery in Waikato,  a couple of months before the event. But still it was a Bavarian Tavern theme, and even an um-pah band (Gisborne City Brass). All the family was there. Such a pleasant afternoon with live music, great food and wine or beer.

The Nut Trip.

 Next morning we are off to pick up our nuts from Whynut We have just over 70kg from 212kg of Nut in shell. But our recovery rate is extremely high. We would expect about 2.8kg of rejects, but we had 0.63Kg of rejects. Sue at Whynut is extremely complimentary.

This is the total rejects that we can't use.

These have been rejected because of bits of skin remaining, but we can easily scrape this off and use these ones at home.

We head off to New Plymouth where we drop our nuts off to (a very talkative) Bill and Christine at emacadamia who process the nuts into products. They impress on us the fact that it will only be for one year - but  we are no sooner heading on our way home when we get an email saying the nuts are so  good, they would like to be  first in the queue for our nuts next year.

However we have had a long day and stay a night in Hawera, where we sample possibly the only two highlights of the town - the water tower, and a very good Indian meal.

Next day, the long trip back to Gisborne, but feeling quietly pleased with our harvest. We save 8kg for our own use.

But wait, there's more..

  The final day of the wedding festivities is a picnic at "Tickle Park". They have brioche buns which are superb with the bacon.

Claudia does gymnastics with her second cousins, once removed, Freya, Bonnie and Sunday, but there was no one of Theo's age, so he just climbed trees - along with the crows!

We finished the jigsaw back at the Haszards unit  - Claudia squidging the last few bit in. Time for a nap until it is time for dinner at the local hotel. (Unfortunately I have reached my limit, and cannot even finish a glass of Chardonnay - let alone a meal!)

At 1.05am a text floated in  saying our nuts were ready to pick up. Fortunately Duncan and I slept on until the alarm went as we had to catch out airport shuttle at 6am.

Coolum Caprice in the early morning sunlight.

Rua and Jill had to leave Coolum at 4 am. Jill said that if they were out of pastries at the lounge then their plane must have been delayed.

Jill and Rua must have made their connections.

We had put in for upgrades on the return trip, but there was only one available, and Duncan graciously let me accept it so I could catch up on a bit of sleep.

The Big Day. 24th September 2022

 

This is in Jill and Rua's apartment - Claudia getting the beauty treatment!  Their place looked down more towards the swimmers area.

Nippers practice, then the older surf life savers.

The morning was fairly low key and we had to be at the Park where the wedding was by 3.

The one good thing about being 70 now, they usher you to the seats!!

Such a wonderful setting!

Both Robin and Chris walked Phoebe up the aisle. Her frock was a very rich lace, with a hemline which lifted in the front. 

With this ring....

The vows that they exchanged were exceptional - Phoebe's were so tender we were all in tears, and Shannon's - being an early child educator - had the flavour of Dr Suess and had us all in fits of laughter.

The Happy Couple

Otis got a bit niggly towards the end of the ceremony, but just was included  - Phoebe held him till he settled down.

We had a short while to fill in until the reception started at 4, but the setting was glorious, and a pod of whales just started blowing and leaping out to sea - hard to photograph.

Shannon is from a very musical family, and for their original wedding plans, the wedding was more like a music festival! 

It didn't take long for the music to start humming.

The guy in the turquoise shirt, playing the sax is Peter (aged 94)- Shannon's grand-dad. Frank - with Otis above and below in the band on guitar is Shannon's Dad. They riffed and jammed and did a bunch of old jazz classics - Take Five, Summertime - which for some reason I know all the words to, and could sing along.

There were platters on the tables, and hot finger food bought round by waitresses.

Cousin's catch-up

Chris's speech was very heartfelt.

Phoebe and Shannon's speech of Thanks - "Well" said Shannon, "I'm going to leave all this to Phoebe"

The band started to play again - A rocker from Frank's Band did a crashingly good version of Mustang Sally.  I just loved it. All to soon it was time for us to go home and relieve the babysitter - a friend of Jackie's, so she was able to catch up with her on the weekend too.

Just the best wedding.

Family Photos - Our Blended- for the weekend family, and the Bushies!

All together now! Friday 23rd September

 Jill and I go hat shopping as it looks like being a sunny Wedding  day. Unfortunately I left my wallet in the apartment so Jill has to pay!

She also has to pay for the gelato on the way home!

Duncan goes on a trip to the supermarket, then we go to the beach - there are quite strong rips, but I manage to catch 3 waves. Back to the apartment - the pool and spa are quite crowed so we only stay a short while.

Trying out the new togs with the hat elastic holding the legs in

Of course we have a nap after lunch, and then it is across the road to the Surf Life Saving Club (big building in the background of the above picture.) where there are pre-wedding drinks and dinner. We are only allowed the tables there until 6.30pm, so the drinking starts at 4.00pm!

Hannah, Robin and Chris

One of the drinks of choice is the alcoholic ginger beer. I had a sip and it seemed like a nice drink. The exchange rate did a sudden dive on the day we came over and so we were later shocked to see what we paid from house wine when it came through on our bank a/c. Just gaily Paywaved away!

Another family shot

Typical Pub Grub

Simon and the kids arrive about 6. Theo and Claudia are staying with Jill and Rua and Simon and Jackie have booked into a hotel just up the street. So as you can imagine, it was up early and down to the pool.

When you go to these sports clubs it is a whole different culture. When you ask for a glass of wine, they say "Small or Large" naturally I chose large but it is 250mls - about double what a standard glass is! Note the free bingo tickets on the table too.

Pre Wedding Parties begin - Thursday, 22nd Sept 2002

 The bed was a bit of a disappointment - too firm, so we've had some naps during the day.

We saw 4 whales spouting in the morning, but the sky is grey, the sea is grey and its a bit foggy. But the exhaling of breath sends water through the air like a geyser and as it lasts 15-20 seconds is long enough to point out to someone, but difficult to get a photo of. The weather is drizzly, but it doesn't stop the surfies who look like miniature whales in the sea.

I feel a bit upset in the abdomen, so I go for a walk, and just miss a visit from Robin, but later in the day Phoebe picks us up and takes us for a BBQ at Chris and Robin's (Like Jill and Rua, they have opted for an apartment in town, and a beach house) Chris has smoked chicken and lamb in his smoker, and Robin has done an egg and potato salad and a green salad. Shannon and Otis (groom and son), Michelle, Bonnie and Freya (Nick's family) are there too, as well as Michelle's sister Ann Marie, who I found very good company. Oh and there was this guy.....

The Australians just love them!!

Jill and Rua arrive that night. As it is an apartment not a hotel, reception closes at 6.00pm, so we have to go about 8 ish and let them in.

Loving Coolum Wed 21st September 2022

 Unfortunately the plane was absolutely chokka and we are in economy, with very little wiggle room. The plane arrives early and the airport is deserted, so we have a bit of a wait for our bus shuttle to Coolum.

Mural at Brisbane Airport.

Although fine when we landed, the skies looked thunderous by the time we joined our bus "connexxion". The journey is about 2 hours and we had some very heavy rain, but it was just fitful showers by the time we arrived in Coolum. We went and stocked up on breakfast essentials from a rather alternative store, and we are struggling to find products which aren't vegan or gluten free, and therefore hugely expensive.

The surfing end of the beach, outside our apartment.

 

Looking the other way, over the Surf Club.

We are very happy with our apartment.

We go to a Thai place for dinner - its a bit scruffy, but the food was good.

Still a few surfies out under floodlights!!

Ferris Wheel at the fun fair down the road.

The Trilogy

 This trip is in three parts: the delivery of the nuts in shell to the nut cracking and sorting  facility in the Waitakeres, Phoebe and Shannon's wedding in Coolum, Queensland, and the the delivery of the nuts to New Plymouth. It's quite ambitious for me as my health is still up and down.

Not much room for other luggage.

We have about 212kg of nuts, and it is like travelling with a maraca player in the back seat. The turn off at Tauranga is in complete disarray and we lose a bit of time driving by a very circuitous route which seems to involve views of the Omanu Golf Course.

Nuts all tucked in for the trip

We are staying at the Heartland Hotel which allows you to park for $7 a day while you are overseas. We have bought our own breakfast stuff so get on the road at 9 the next morning.

Its a bit noisy in our room - and a Weatheralls truck from Gisborne roars past

Why Nut? is truly in the wilds of the Waitakeres and the steep drive is most precipitous. We manage to edge past the lady stuck in the ditch without falling down the bank. The processing plant is in full swing with the aid of WOOFers (Workers on Organic Farms).

Sue Vause checks our nuts.

We think our nuts are wonderful.

The nuts are feed into this hopper

And travel up here to the cracker - very noisy.

These are not our nuts as they have to go into the dryer for a week.

The WOOFers take out any that look like seconds

And the shells are collected for mulch. We were going to bring our shells home, but this was a step too far.

We notice a sign on the office door "John likes a nap on the floor after lunch. He does not require medical assistance."  And the lady from the ditched car seems to have walked to one of the nearby houses, so we head back to the city.

We have a wander around Sylvia Park, but Duncan does like to use his HOP card, when we are in Auckland, on the train so he head to the Britomart in a flurry of policemen, who were apparently chasing someone who is strolling along the railway tracks. We have a light lunch down at the Viaduct which was hugely busy as it was Graduation Day for some students.

We get back to the Hotel in time for a nap before catching up with Brian (optometrist) and Lindsey Kirk, who are willing to drive over to see us since they are Aucklanders. They have just returned from France where they own a house in a small village, and spend a couple of months each year, and where Lindsey was hit from behind by an elderly lady driver (probably at least 5 years older than us) and broke her ankle. They also both had very bad COVID.

Lindsey is installing an art exhibition next year at Quesnoy where many kiwi soldiers died when liberating it in 1918. Unfortunately the Gallery has been bought by Peter Jackson and Weta Workshop is making an interactive display. Lindsey is now relegated to a smaller gallery, but of course there will be spin-offs. So they will be heading back next year for a few more months. I have been charged with investigating 2 of the Gisborne soldiers who are buried there. It sounds like the whole project is very interesting.

A light tea, and we repack so that we can be away bright and early for our flight.