From Aintree to New Zealand

I've not been very good lately have I.....??!!!!

2012-01-31T18:36:00.002+13:00

I got a shock when I saw the last blog, from October!

Anyway, I have been a tad busy with work and Xmas etc. So will add a couple of updates of my adventures over the Xmas and summer break - even though summer has been a bit late this year - probably why I haven't had too much to blog about!

Labour Day weekend

2011-10-28T21:47:00.002+13:00

We went across to Ruapuke motor camp last weekend - 0ur first time camping at this time of year. Apart from one day that was a bit damp, the rest of the weekend was ok weatherwise.
We all needed the break and had a good relaxing time next to the stream.
Walks on the beach, a trip in to Raglan where we harvested some fresh cockles, all the usual stuff we enjoy so much. We never got round to doing any fishing which is a shame, but we have the summer ahead of us.....

Ngaruawahia pa, and a bit of Irish culture!

2011-10-10T19:50:00.004+13:00

Took a run over to Ngaruawahia in order for Kieran to play in the school Ceilidh band on the occasion of Father Keane's 50th anniversary of his ordination. It was a bit of a "churchy" weekend, with our kids performing in the church band and choir the evening before.

While the band was setting up, Jan and I took the opportunity to do a little bit of geocaching nearby. There was one close to the church that took us to the local pa (Maori hill defence system). The pa afforded the defenders a commanding view of the local area, with the river and local hills all being overlooked by the site.

The preserved site, with fantastic wood carvings provided by the traditional carvers from a local university, is a reminder of the turbulent past of this young country.

After this we went back to the church hall to watch the boy's performance of some lovely Irish tunes, accompanied by some lively dancing from a couple of girls from the Irish dance school.

The lovely sunny weather added to the nice relaxing Sunday, with both of us enjoying the walk in the sunshine.

St. John's college Sporting and Cultural awards evening - Vilagrad winery

2011-10-08T22:52:00.003+13:00

Last Wednesday, we attended the prizegiving event at the Vilagrad winery near Hamilton. Kieran was being awarded his "blues" for services to the school musical scene.

It was an excellent evening, with a beautiful carvery meal and an excellent performance from the school guitar group to provide the music. An after dinner speaker had the audience in tears, both laughter and sadness, well worth a read of his story on his website... http://www.jasonbarrell.co.nz/jasonstory.html

Kieran and all the boys looked very smart in their school uniforms, they were a credit to the school and it is nice in this day and age to celebrate young people's achievements instead of hearing about their problems.

Flying to Wellington tomorrow...

2011-10-02T09:55:00.002+13:00

Camera will be at the ready for some nice shots of the mountains in the morning sunshine.....well weather permitting!

Tongariro range looked beautiful in the week, lots of snow on the tops - watch this space!

International blog readers

2011-09-25T10:22:00.002+13:00

It never ceases to amaze me when you see the site visit statistics of how people find this site, and where they are in the world. The internet is indeed a wonderful thing, allowing people to communicate, when in the past it was often frowned upon. North, south, east and west, no dividing boundaries or ideologies, one big global family of PEOPLE. So, hello all readers, whether you are regular or just passing through.

Our little puppy - Pippa - Raglan beach, Waikato

2011-09-24T08:45:00.005+12:00

A picture with me in for a change!!!

Pippa, action dog pose

Our kids and the dogs, Paddy and Pippa

Louisa and Pippa

Pippa wondering what it is all about

Louisa, Jan, Kieran and Pippa

Kieran and Pippa

Enjoying the freedom with Paddy and the kids

her first outing to Raglan beach during the winter...... she was chasing everything, picking stuff up, digging, in fact she had such a good time she slept all the way home!

Sacred Heart Girls College 9D - Netball champs 2011

2011-09-24T08:37:00.006+12:00

Louisa airborne to take a high ball

I'm very proud to say that my daughter's school netball team, of which she is captain, won their league and the resulting final to gain her first final win since we arrived in NZ.

It was a difficult season, and after a shaky start in the grading games when the team was trying to gel, they were put in the B league, not bad considering they were the D team.

An almost unblemished record, apart from one game where the opposition "rigged" the score for them to win, some great netball, many high points and the satisfaction that they came through in the end. Captaincy also handled very well by Louisa who had a lot of challenges over the season, and she matured in the role and fully deserved her plaudits. Well done my girl, we're proud of you!

The blog isn't dead, but winter is almost over and it's time for blogging again!!

2011-09-24T07:55:00.001+12:00

3 metre satellite dish installed in Auckland for Sky news
A view of the transmitter station on top of Mount Te Aroha taken from the trig point
looking south from the Te Aroha transmitter station toward the Kaimai ranges
Mount Hikurangi with most of the tonnes of kit already installed
me getting out of our trusty "taxi" used to get us and our equipment up Mount Hikurangi near Taumurunui

.........time to catch up on things!

Well, winter was spent with me looking for work after a long lay off. It got very depressing when one day I spotted an ad for a company I have wanted to work for for a long time.

No joy as the job was all over the Pacific isles, but decided to phone the manager from their local office. I had spoken to him in the past and was very surprised to find that I could have a possible short term contract. As it transpired I was taken on as extra help for the Rugby World Cup. What a relief to get regular salary again after a very lean time. I already knew one of the other workers, so at least I wasn't totally strange.

Things I did in the early weeks included maintenance and installation of local FM radio transmitters atop a 3000ft mountain, installation of a 3m satellite dish at Sky news, broadband network access nodes in telephone exchanges, battery changes at major radio sites, new radio link installation for the railways, and the only way to the site was by helicopter! Some jobs aren't quite so "glamorous" - the bread and butter stuff like cable pulling, fibre optic splicing and the like, but it is all work and great experience.

Quite an exciting few months I'd say, and now I am to fly to Wellington in 2 weeks for a course that should keep me busy on a project for a while to come... watch this space!

Just in case you read this...

2011-04-06T23:35:00.001+12:00

to all my old mates who I have handed out the blog address, great to catch up with you again :) Keep an eye out for the critters hehe.

some more pics from the weekend.....

2011-02-21T20:19:00.004+13:00

some of the strange plants

the "art deco" express, including period costumed passengers

the crossing on the lane to the camp site

HMNZ Canterbury in Napier for the celebrations

art deco dad.... buried in pebbles!

some essential "supplies"!!

the signs that caught our eye driving past

floating the in the warm river water

even Paddy took a dip in the warm waters... not the piping hot ones though!

Napier weekend

2011-02-20T17:31:00.003+13:00

Park winery

Louisa on Napier beach

Waipunga falls
Steaming mineral waters in Taupo

Huka falls

We all took a trip across to Napier in Hawkes Bay with our friends Geoff and Linda. The cars were loaded up with the camping gear on Thursday evening and we headed across on Friday morning.
The weather was nice, and it was a pleasant drive down to Taupo where we planned to stop to show our mates a few places we knew off down there. Well, pleasant apart from when Geoff was a bit slow and took the wrong turning - we waited, saw no sign of them then decided to follow. Just after we got on the new by-pass, Geoff was coming the other way so we had to do a quick u-turn to catch up, panicking in case he decided to turn around and follow us again. Thankfully he didn't, so we headed down the road to Huka Falls to let them see the fantastic ice blue water rushing through the narrow gorge. Amazingly they had never been there, even though they had travelled the length and breadth of NZ! Duly awed, we headed in to Taupo itself for a little bit of a rest before the next leg of the trip. On a school camping trip last year, we were shown a hot springs on the banks of the Waikato rived, all free. So, we took the opportunity to take everybody there for a bit of a swim and a soak in the mineral waters. The hot springs meets the river in a calm spot, ideal for the kids to enjoy swimming in warm water... but the spring itself it very, very hot!
Duly refreshed, we set off for our trip across to Napier. Not having been there ourselves it was a nice trip to the camp site, seeing some beautiful mountain scenery. A quick stop off at Waipunga falls on the way allowed us to break out the little cooker and put the kettle on for a well deserved cuppa...
After an uneventful trip to the camp-site, we set to putting the tents up after booking in. It was getting late by this stage as we had taken longer on our trip than planned- nothing new there!
With the tents and the beds all put in, we decided to get fish and chips for dinner, but this entailed a 13k drive to Napier. But after a beautiful fish supper and a few beers we crashed for the night.
Geoff and Linda were taking their kids to see the Spanish school of riding so were up and out early. We ate breakfast and saw them off, minding their 2 dogs for them. We were to meet up in Napier later on, so we took a little time to relax in the sun before loading all 3 dogs in to the car and heading in ourselves. After a stop off at one of the many fruit places in the region, we gorged on beautiful fresh grapes, peaches, apples and plums. We stopped off at a beach to let the dogs have a run and for the kids to play in the surf. The sea was a beautiful green/blue and the sun beating down was lovely. We stayed on the beach for a while, collecting pumice stone and sea glass, then headed further in to Napier. It was extremely busy as it was also art-deco weekend, and it was amazing to see the thousands of people who head here dressed in 30's garb, along with period cars and flying displays.
We took a trip up Bluff Hill to the viewing point getting a great panoramic view of the coastline from Cape Kidnappers in the south to way up north in the opposite direction. We then drove down the hill admiring some beautiful colonial architecture and were lucky enough to find a parking spot - not easy on this weekend!
The pebbly beach was very hot, with the sunshine heating the stones making it difficult to walk on them at times. We sat down and let the dogs and kids have another run against the beautiful backdrop of the south Pacific.
At this point the kids decided to bury me in the pebbles, and it was quite an experience to be buried in the damp pebbles with just my face exposed to the sun.
Our friends had left the show and we arranged to meet them on the beach were we sat. They arrived after about 20 minutes and we sat and watched a fantastic air display by the NZ air force display team. Other notable aircraft flying over, a P51 Mustang and a Catalina flying boat.
After the 4 kids had ran themselves ragged in the surf, we headed off to Hastings for a bit of shopping for dinner stuff. On the way back, our eye was caught by a sign offering wine at $6 a bottle at one of the many wineries that dot the region. A quick u-turn (again!) we headed in to sample the Sauvignon blanc, Merlot and a kiwi fruit wine that was a bit different!
Suitably stocked, we headed off via the fruit shop, again, and got back to the site to have a lovely tea with steak, pasta, Greek salad and breads, all washed down with some lovely beer and a few wines. By this stage the sun was setting and the crickets were starting to sing their lovely song. As the stars came out, a game of Cranium was started on the table under lamp light, and with the sound of the crickets and the stream bubbling by, it was a lovely end to a great day.
Sunday morning saw us have a bit of a sleep in (7am!) and we had a hearty breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs and tomatoes washed down with lashings of tea. A drive past by a steam train pulling red pullman coaches packed with period costumed passengers as a pleasant surprise and it was a precursor to a good drive home, ending a great weekend in the fruit basket of New Zealand.

The next day out... Rotorua lakes again....

2011-01-18T12:14:00.003+13:00

Cup of tea and a laugh at the Green Lake viewing area

Kieran walking on water!!

Geoff and Linda fancied a trip over to Rotorua, so we all met up on Sunday morning, loaded the kayak on to the car, packed another picnic and put the dogs in to the cars and set off over the Kaimai hills again. We decided to take our friends to see some of the places we frequent, Geoff and Linda didn't even know of the place we took them, and they enjoyed the beautiful landscape around the lakes. First stop was Lake Tikitapu, the Blue Lake. The kids didn't waste much time getting in to the water, after a surprising meeting with their old school principal who was also there for a cooling swim after a cycle ride. It was very busy, but we soon settled down and watched the kids enjoying themselves.

After a short while the heat was too much and I headed in to the lake as well... it was certainly warmer compared to last week, and very refreshing. Jan took the hint as well, getting in for a good splash about with the kids - she even had a go in the kayak herself!

After a while we packed up and headed over to Lake Tarawera. It is a stunning location, and we are glad that Geoff and Linda shared our thoughts. A coffee in the cafe by the pier saw us meet some friends from Cambridge. The families were camping over the other side of the lake, and after saying our goodbyes to them, the kids were straight in to the water again, jumping and diving off the pier. The adults took the dogs for a walk, and we showed Geoff and Linda some Maori cabe paintings that were nearby. We found a nice little beach and took in the scenery. On the way back to the kids we were met by a very frantic Louisa. It was suggested that Louisa go across with her friends parents in their boat to surprise her friend who was feeling a bit low. We agreed and she got her bits together out of the car and waited for her lift. After about 5 minutes a white dot appeared around the headland, and 5 minutes later it beached, she clambered in, and after hasty farewells, I pushed the boat back out and they headed off in the sunshine to the far side of the lake, to Mount Tarawera. Tarawera last erupted in 1886, decimating the surrounding areas and the world famous pink and white terraces.
Our friends were shaking their heads in disbelief, it was definitely something else to think about as the kids certainly get to do some wonderful stuff here.

A stop off at the green lake viewing area, where the camp stove and kettle was broken out and a nice cup of tea along with some fresh melon slices saw the end of another excellent day. Fish and chips at the end of a very tiring day saw us all agree that it was an excellent day, a perfect end to a perfect weekend. Good friends and good times, we are truly blessed.

What a weekend!

2011-01-18T09:37:00.005+13:00

Me getting airborne on the biscuit!

Weekend plans were thrown in to disarray when our neighbour, then our friends, suggested days out with them over the weekend. We were quite happy to go along with them as it was something different for us all to experience.

Firstly, Saturday morning saw our neighbour coming over to the house and inviting us for an afternoon/evening at Lake Karapiro. He was taking his boat and associated toys and his little portable BBQ, so a picnic was packed, along with the usual stuff.
We met up at Horahora domain and the kids started off "biscuiting" in the big rings being towed behind the boat. It wasn't long before Jake and I had to have a go as well, so we jacketed up and got ready to go. Trying to get in to the ring was another thing however, as I am somewhat bigger than Jake, who used to be a jockey. My first attempt ended up with me slipping off the side and face-planting in the water to a roar of laughter from the assembled throng on the bank. After successfully getting in to the ring, we were dragged away from the shore, only problem was, my ring didn't want to play as I was sat too far forward, resulting in the thing "diving" under the wake. The resulting snap off of the rope nearly took Kieran's head off! After attaching a new rope, we took off again, and it was a lot better this time, with Jake and I bouncing off each other, skidding over the water at a great rate of knots.
Unfortunately for me, I caught the wake and took off, as you can see from the picture. This ended up with me stopping very quickly, getting a lung full of water and being dumped unceremoniously in the lake! A tremendous struggle to get back in the ring and we were off again. However the constant bumping and the water intake was making me feel ill, so I asked to get off, Kieran taking my place after catching it all on video of course!
June had a go in the boat after this, thoroughly enjoying herself in the process. The kids then spent the best part of the afternoon on the biscuits/hot dogs until bbq time and a bite to eat.
After this the kneeboard came out, and what a great time I had on that. After a very wobbly start, once going and the balance point found, I was away, skimming across the lake. After a big circuit it was time to let go of the tow, and unlike our neighbour's daughter who did a neat 360 degree turn, mine was more like a very ungraceful splash.....
Not to be deterred, I had a go later on when the lake surface was like a mirror. The sun was setting over Maungatautari, the mountain was reflected in the lake and it was one of those moments when I can say I was awestruck. I was skidding across the lake surface, weaving from side to side in the wake, looking at the surrounding landscape. After a much better drop off, it was Louisa's turn. Her first attempt was short lived, her face planting in to a wave. She was a bit dubious to have another go, but she did, and had a great run round to great applause from us all. Her face was a picture, and we all agreed that it was an experience we would never forget.
And then we had the next day to look forward to....

Rotorua lakes

2011-01-17T08:27:00.002+13:00

Took a trip over the Kaimai's to some of the many lakes that surround Rotorua. Our favourite is the blue lake, or Tikitapu, which is an old collapsed volcano crater near the site of Lake / Mount Tarawera, the site of the 1886 eruption that decimated the world famous pink and white terraces and large parts of settlements in the area.
The kayak loaded, we set off on a nice enough day. The kids (all 3 of us!) had a great time, kayaking, swimming and just generally fooling around. Jan and her mum sat on the beach with Paddy, our dog. while we aped about. He even joined us for a bit of swimming and kayak riding himself!

Mount Maunganui - January 3rd

2011-01-04T15:20:00.002+13:00

A trip across the Kaimai's on a lovely hot, sunny day. The mount was heaving busy, the busiest I have ever seen it. A cruise ship was in, but the kiwi holiday was in full swing as well, making it very difficult to find a parking place near the beach. But once parked, the lunch was opened and we tucked in to some sandwiches and lemonade. After this is was time to get the boogie boards out and togs on, it wasn't long before we were in the warm sea. Another first for me was seeing the beach "steaming" not like hot water beach and it's geothermal heating, but pure strength of the sun! The retreating tide was being boiled off, and thankfully there was a nice breeze or it may have been unbearable. Straight in to the sea then, and we spent a long time in the water, the downside to this being sunburn, you don't notice as much as when you dry and I got a nice red back as a reward. Unfortunately my face also copped it, I even got a white handlbar moustache effect where my pudgy cheek folds didn't get as much sun as the rest of my face... the ribbing I got off the others was merciless!
We moved farther down the beach and the kids took the opportunity to go in the sea again. This time, Kieran's surf board was trotted out, and everyone bar myself were in the water again.

After this, a trip to the free BBQ's to cook the sausages and onions we brought along followed by a spot of fruitless fishing in the evening sun. After packing up for the run home we stopped off to get ice cream and watched the beautiful sunset over the Kaimais. We arrived home in the dark, very tired, very hot, and ever so slightly frazzled - but what a lovely day we all had.

Christmas hols.

2011-01-04T14:52:00.004+13:00

She's here - the eagle has landed!

The kids acting silly.....

Moody shot of an Air NZ 747 taking off in to the stormy evening sky...

Dunkin' Donuts goofing around in the car..... they went down well with a cup of tea.

It's a long way to the top when you want to rock n' roll!!!

"The Groupies"

"Will you stop moving please ladies...~"

Well, Christmas has been and gone. The weather on the day was very warm but cooled off in the evening. The holiday weather has been mostly lovely, very warm.

Christmas day saw us go to our friends for lunch. Lots of good food was had - chicken, pork, lamb, beef, venison, salmon, with lots of salads and nibbles, all washed down with a beer or two.
In between times we were preparing for Jan's mum. The house got "tidied", beds sorted and lots of other associated stuff. New Year saw us at Angie's again! Lots of food, drink and a good laugh was had by all - accompanied for the most part by AC/DC music!

New Years Day saw us travelling up to Auckland airport to collect June. A bit of geocaching on the way up helped to break up the journey with some interesting historical sites visited.
A very tired but happy June came through the arrivals half an hour earlier than expected, and the journey was uneventful heading back to Cambridge. Paddy was very pleased to see June, and duly gave her suitcases a good old sniff, looking for his usual treats!

Sunday was "quiet" - Angie visited in the afternoon, sitting on the deck catching up with June - 30 degrees and very humid - to be followed by "Christmas dinner" of beef, ham, and roasties etc.
Kieran was well up for the spuds, he does like roast potatoes. We turned in, tired and well fed. Tomorrow was planned for a trip to Mount Maunganui, so the boards/fishing gear and swimming stuff were all packed ready for the day, what a day it turned out to be!

Ruapuke beach camp Jan's birthday weekend

2010-12-20T23:11:00.004+13:00

It's that birthday photo...!

Someone say something funny? Jan, Linda and Geoff have a giggle.

the kids launch themselves in to the estuary at Raglan

Lou and Ellie braving the swimming hole waters...

Kieran eventually enjoying the waters - it took him time to get in but once he did...

Went to Ruapuke motor camp this weekend, our "local" west coast camp site. Some friends of ours came along with us as well which was nice as it added a whole new dimension to our camping. It was also Jan's birthday, so a good weekend was anticipated.
Friday loomed with the weather forecast not looking too good. After the record breaking weeks leading up to this weekend, it was our luck that the weather would break, we didn't expect it to break quite so spectacularly though!
The car was loaded up, final arrangements made to collect Jan from her works Xmas dinner and to meet up with our friends. I had spoken to Linda on the phone in the morning and told her we wouldn't be offended if they decided to back out as the weather was looking poor - I also told her that the coastal weather can sometimes surprise you - but glad when they decided to jump in with both feet and come along.

The showers started as we were driving across to Hamilton on the main highway. By the time we got there is was a complete deluge! After collecting Jan we headed off to a fish and chip shop to get some food for dinner instead of having to mess about at the site. Suitable replenished, we drove across the ranges towards Raglan with the sky looking an ominous shade of grey. Thankfully the showers stopped and on arriving at site the sun was shining, the grass was dry and we sweltered in the heat to get the tents erected.
The kids, as usual, managed to find something very important to do as the tent building was going on, including taking the 3 dogs on an exploratory tour of the camp site. It suited us to be honest.
We relaxed that evening, drinking the odd beer and having a good chat. A walk up the hill to see the beach and walk the dogs rounded off the evening before we turned in for the night.

Saturday morning, Jan's birthday, and we all woke to a grey morning, not too bad, but warm and muggy. The kids were itching to go for a swim in the swimming hole so we had breakfast then traipsed up the track to the pool, where the kids and the dogs had a great time in the water. Us more sensible, older ones sheltered under the branches from the passing showers, enjoying watching the families having fun.
A trip in to Raglan was required in the afternoon as petrol was required. A quick stop off to collect cockles and another swim for the kids, this time in the estuary, was followed by a drive back to site on the "scenic route". Whaanga Road follows the coast line south of Raglan, is part of the World Rally Championship course and is not for the faint hearted with sheer drops to the Tasman sea in places. We stopped at a lookout for photos and to admire the spectacular scenery from the lofty viewing point, perched atop a cliff. Duly viewed, we set off for the drive to the site, to be greeted by a lot of young lads, with lots of beer and cars full of the stuff. Our hearts sank, it wasn't looking good, and it wasn't! They were there for a party and it turned out to be thoroughly miserable that night. We still went to the beach for a tradition driftwood fire, cooking bananas with chocolate and marshmallow for the kids.
Not at all impressed with the events of the night, we managed to avoid paying , and the odd moment of conflict aside, we managed not to let it spoil our weekend.
After seeing the rowdy ones leave, we had lunch and played a board game in the tent, having a good laugh in the process.

Also, a few new buzz words were added to our arsenal, with Geoff's constant "no, no, no, no, no, no...." being picked on by his wife and kids, and his flabbergasted response of "you're having a laugh" on finding out he had to act out, in charades style, "Swan Lake" in our game of Cranium. Now Geoff is a big feller, and seeing a 6ft plus guy in shorts and walking boots trying to get his team to guess what it was made us all laugh. The slice of bread guess from Linda has already gone down in Cranium and camp folklore! Especially as it got her 7 year old daughter crying, she was quite upset that her mum mistook her drawing of a wedding dress as a slice of bread, and dad's offered excuses just didn't get through, especially as mum said it did indeed look like a slice of bread!

Unfortunately, Geoff, Linda and kids had to leave us that afternoon due to work commitments, so we had a nap in the afternoon to try to recoup some of the lost sleep. While sleeping, we missed the stream bursting it's banks and wondering what the noise was when we came to, were astonished to see the amount of water pouring down out of the mountain. We knew it was raining but not that much!!
After dinner, another game before retiring for a much more peaceful night - thankfully! Although warm and humid, sleep came quickly which was very welcome.

Monday and it was time to strike camp and head for home. After saying our farewells to people at the site we headed north along Whaanga Road as there were roadworks on the usual stretch and parts of the road weren't in very good condition.
So we plodded on at a leisurely pace, stopping off to do a quick geocache en route. After a stop in Raglan for drinks and popcorn, we headed off for home after a very pleasant weekend with some good friends. We are looking forward to our next trip that is certain.......

Pictures from Tongariro summit

2010-12-11T21:01:00.003+13:00

North side of the Tongariro north crater

Tongariro summit, with Ngauruhoe in background

Red crater with Ngauruhoe behind

north crater "lunar landscape"

The blue lake at Tongariro summit

Tongariro crossing

2010-12-11T18:59:00.004+13:00

Wednesday was the big day. The weather was good, everybody was up bright and early, fed and prepared for the day. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of the top 10 walks in the world.
Our party was going to the Ketetahi track end, the plan was to cross paths with the party attempting the crossing from the other end and swap van keys. We arrived at the start point, made certain all was well and set off. The lower level of the track runs alongside a stream, milky white with the sulphur deposits from it's hot spring source farther up the mountain. It has an almost eerie feeling about it, running through the bush, often leaving a mist hovering a few feet above the surface.
The boys and the regular tramper got in to their stride and quickly made headway. The other teacher in our party was really struggling, so I decided to hang back with him. Little did I know at the time that this would mean I couldn't complete the crossing. After struggling up the steps and track, his pace slowed dramatically. When the weather drew in and rain started spattering the path, he slowed even more. But we stuck with it, and even though hailstones made an appearance, we cracked on and eventually made the hut. One of the warden's saw him and advised me to tell him not to carry on as it got a lot harder after this point. So, I discussed it and he agreed I should go for it - but this meant I would be going it alone. Not to be deterred, I said my farewells and put in my headphones. A bit of AC/DC got me in to my stride and I made good progress. Thankfully the weather clearedmaking it a lot easier. The views over the landscape on the way up were breathtaking, but the best was yet to come.
On turning a corner I was treated to the sight of the central crater, a vast lunar looking landscape, flat as a pancake and surrounded by a basin of rock. In the background was Mount Ngauruhoe - Mount Doom again! Up close it was simply stunning. One day I intend to scale it and look down in to the depths. But that wasn't the only thing. To my left was the blue lake, in the distance the emerald lake and in front of me, my next big climb, was red crater. It reminded me of a huge tooth cavity, with the fantastic reddy-brown colours of volcanic rock infused with iron oxide.
I made my way down in to the crater, but noticed the other party approaching me. They were very surprised to see me, assuming that the other teacher and I had returned to the vehicle. It turned out that the teacher who was with the boys from our party had made the assumption and carried on regardless. The distance was such that I would struggle to catch up so I had to turn back. I was a little disappointed, but it was great to talk to the others as it helped pass the time and ease the disappointment.
My legs were aching, my shoulders as well from the straps on my backpack. To make matters worse one of my walking boots decided to give up after standing on a sharp rock and I broke the strengthening bar in the sole. This led to blisters and a very painful foot where the bar stuck in to the ball. However, I limped on and completed the trail after having walked a total of 21.2kms - over 2km more than the actual trail!
It was an amazing experience and one that I want to do again, with my family next time......!

some more pictures from last week's camp

2010-12-11T18:52:00.003+13:00

Trout in the stream

A quick check of the GPS to see what altitude we were at....

Some of the boy's tents.

Trekking across the alpine landscape

Kieran helping his teacher cross a tricky stretch

Some images from Old Coach Road and Waitonga Falls

2010-12-11T13:24:00.000+13:00

St.Johns' school camp - Tongariro NZ 2010

2010-12-11T11:09:00.006+13:00

Me getting on Kieran's school bus!

I was kindly asked to go along on the school camp with my son's school. It turned out I was the only parent there along with 4 teaching staff.

The first day of the trip saw me boarding the school bus with Kieran, loaded with our stuff for the camping trip. Arriving at his school, we saw lots of other parties getting ready for their respective trips, diving, fishing, mountain biking amongst others. We had 2 mini buses with trailers. One was an enclosed trailer, the other belonged to one of the staff and was a real Heath Robinson affair, with all sorts of attachments and gizmos attached. This teacher is a bit of a tinkerer, and his gadgets, although the butt of our jokes, were really great to have on camp.
We set off in bright sunshine, heading down the main highway to our first stop at Lake Taupo. A bit of morning tea and a leg stretch, then on our way down the eastern shore of the lake. We had a stop at a trout hatchery at the southern end of the lake, a convenient place to soak up the sun and have our lunch.

Refreshed, we continued on our journey south to the Tongariro National Park, passing through some stunning alpine countryside. Our destination was Mangahuia camp site at the base of Mount Ruapehu. Once at the camp we quickly tasked the boys to start setting up their tents and sorting out the equipment. This was done with the minimum of fuss, a really great effort by the boys, some of which had never camped before.
A journey up to the information centre on Ruapehu then a drive up Bruce Road to Happy Valley ski field (without snow!) for a leisurely walk up the hill to look down in to the valley and over to a cloud covered Mount Ngauruhoe - or Mount Doom as Lord of the Rings fans know it. A brisk walk down to the vans, then back to camp to prepare dinner and plan the events for the next day. The weather was closing in so it was not looking good for the Tongariro crossing. As it started to rain, we shelved the idea until the morning and went to bed after a hot drink and a light bite.

Tuesday morning saw a misty and wet start to the day. The mountains were covered with cloud and the forecast wasn't looking too good. A decision was made to shelve the crossing and head in another direction. We ended up going south towards Ohakune and went on a walk along an old coaching route. It was very interesting, ending up at a gorge with a large rail bridge spanning the whole valley. The Hapuawhenua (translated as pregnant uterus) Viaduct towers 43m over the valley and is a marvel of engineering. Climbing under part of the bridge I noticed the steel came from Middlesbrough in England. The river bed at the base was where the local Iwi - Maori families - used to give birth to their children. Some information is contained in this link ....

After lunch on the viaduct, we headed in to Ohakune then on up the road towards Turangi ski field. There is another track that leads to a fantastic waterfall. Waitonga falls drop 39 metres in to a small valley on the side of Mount Ruapehu. Although there wasn't much water flowing over, it was still a great place to trek to, a bonus being the myriad of flora and fauna encountered en route, and the freshwater springs that flow out of the rock, cascading down over moss covered rocks. Unfortunately, I took a fall and the camera bought it... not a good thing especially as we had the majority of the walks ahead of us. More information on the walk is available here.

We returned to the town for a toilet visit for the boys and a quick bit of shopping that was required. A BBQ at camp and a bit of time for the boys to do their stuff preceded an early night for the main event of the trip - the Tongariro crossing. All the signs were looking good as far as weather was concerned, so we prepared all our packs for the following day. We were splitting in to two parties, one going the more "difficult" route and my party going to so called "easier" route from Ketetahi. Van keys would be swapped half way as long as everything went to plan.

The Tongariro Crossing will be covered in a separate blog.

Aotearoa 1

2010-11-19T18:15:00.002+13:00

This weekend, my wife has gone on this beautiful vessel as part of her uni course. As an ex-seafarer I can say I was a bit jealous, especially as they were taking diving, snorkelling and fishing gear, and to make matters worse, when I was dropping her at the collection point, I was asked if I wanted to join them for the weekend! I would have loved it, but in all fairness, it is Jan's course, it is her time, and I hope she has a fantastic experience on this amazing replica of a Maori sailing waka.

http://www.seateamimages.com/STI/pics/103/103150_800.jpg

Labour Day.. Monday

2010-10-25T21:36:00.004+13:00

Another beautiful day, sunny start after a small lie in. Unfortunately our slow puncture on the car turned in to a major one but we managed to get it repaired - thankfully. Lots of washing today, taking advantage of the weather, and a chance to air the house. This afternoon saw us heading in to Hamilton to get a set of hair clippers on a reward scheme. Our poor dog has been suffering in the heat with his super thick coat of hair. I reckon he didn't know the meaning of suffering until my eldest was unleashed with the electric clippers.. that is unfair, he/we did a reasonable job for our first attempt at a Schnauzer cut!

Prior to this we went to the lake in Hamilton, it was beautiful, with families enjoying the nice weather, BBQ's and all kind of outdoor games were on the go when we arrived. We got the bikes out and took a cycle around the lake in the late afternoon sunshine before heading off home, but not before stopping at the Strawberry Fields on the way home for some freshly picked strawberries and strawberry ice cream. A perfect end to our Labour Weekend.

Pancake Rocks,- Raglan

2010-10-25T10:10:00.004+13:00

Another trip out on Sunday. Initially going to go to the Pacific beaches, last minute change - ended up going to Raglan again. There were a couple of changes of plan for various reasons, and we decided to go for a couple of caches that were over the other side - usually only accessed by boat, but we drove down a rough, winding track for a long way, the poor car! Lou brought her friend along as well, but wasn't too impressed with our venue this time, as it wasn't "normal Raglan" - we were on the opposite side of the harbour. We tried a bit of fishing, resulting in a snap off on the 3rd cast, so gave up on that. We also found the geocache that was hidden there and had a nice picnic lunch in the hot sunshine. There was another one to be found on the way back, and after a lot of cuts and prickles later, I finally found it hidden in an old Manuka tree.
We then ventured across to "normal Raglan", tried a bit of fishing from the pier with no luck, the usual bites from small fish as it was getting on towards low tide. As it was low tide, the kids and I armed ourselves with a chilly bin and ventured across the flats to the cockle beds. I am constantly amazed by the quantity and quality of the cockles here, let's hope they aren't spoilt by overfishing or pollutants. We didn't go to the mussel rocks as cockles are our favourites.
A fish and chip supper on the way home, watching the sun set, finished off a tiring but fun day, with another little scenic place found on our travels.

Matamata - geocaching

2010-10-25T09:57:00.003+13:00

Decided to take a little run across to one of our local towns on Saturday. The set for Hobbiton from the Lord of the Rings films is not far from there, so we decided to take the scenic route for the first time instead of the usual main road. There were some lovely views on a clear sunny day. We also did a bit of geocaching while we were there and topped the day off with a nice cup of coffee and cake..

Labour Weekend

2010-10-25T09:45:00.002+13:00

Well, it is the long weekend, the weather forecast is good, and Kieran managed to get 2 top tickets for the Waikato v Canterbury rugby game on Friday. It was a lovely moonlit evening. The game was played under a full moon in front of a passionate crowd. The unofficial "mascot", a guy known as possum, made it known that it would be his last night up on the cherry picker behind the goal, revving his chainsaw and ringing the cow bell - we duly obliged with a photo for a souvenir. The game was good, with Waikato winning 26-6. We enjoyed it, and even got on the pitch at the end of the game with the rest of the fans to meet the players, not that we did, we just watched the goings on and I even managed to get my face on TV :)

No cockles for us this time;

2010-10-12T20:31:00.006+13:00

Another couple of pics from Raglan last weekend. We were hoping to collect cockles from our favourite spot, but we never checked the tide times so missed out on a good feed of "kai moana". They are beautiful with a bit of spirit vinegar or on their own, but not to worry, we'll be back again to get some more in the near future. Fish and chips in the sunset, fun with the family, and the joy of watching the kids having a great time outdoors... what more can a man want?

Spring is here... then it is cold, then it is warm....

2010-10-12T19:16:00.005+13:00

been neglecting the blog again, but have had an excuse. Apart from being winter/spring, I have also been working so haven't had so much time to sit down and update the blog.
But, the weather is improving, the trees and plants are blossoming, the wildlife is getting more active and everyone feels better in themselves for a bit of sunshine.

We trekked across to the beach last weekend, stopping off at Bridal veil falls on the way as there has been so much water we thought it would be spectacular. We weren't disappointed. We also took a couple of pals for the kids and ended up bumping in to some more friends of ours who were also there. Jan and I sat in our chairs looking after the dog as the kids played a number of games on the sand. It would have been a wonderfully warm day, but typical for this time of year there was quite a breeze which cooled it off a bit. So 6 kids wandered off around Raglan town buying food and stuff and us adults sat in a cafe with a cuppa.

Fish and chips rounded the day off nicely and we all ended up at home, tired, but feeling so much better for a day at one of our favourite beaches.

More pics from Mount Maunganui.

2010-07-08T21:07:00.003+12:00

Fishing on the rocks.....

Day out at the beach - the Mount Maunganui winter picnic.

2010-07-08T20:40:00.003+12:00

Today we went across the Kaimai range to the eastern side of the island for our usual winter day out to the Mount on the Pacific coast. We took along one of Louisa's friends and her little sister as well. It started off cool, but that was only the breeze, when we were in a sheltered place it was really warm in the winter sunshine. Louisa got us to stop at the spring on the way over the top as she wanted to fill her drink bottle, and it came in useful later on to give our dog Paddy a drink.
When we got there we got a coffee/hot chocolate while the kids played on the beach and bought a load of hot chips so as we could have a bit of a picnic on the pa site, stuffing them in to bread rolls and having lashings of lemonade and biscuits.
Paddy our miniature Schnauzer had great fun and totally wore himself out (like the rest of us, fresh air and running around on the beach and fishing, climbing rocks etc.) The fishing was unproductive, but we didn't have any proper bait with us so that was hardly surprising. A game of footy on the beach was a bit of a laugh but there were injuries aplenty, so it was a fitting end to the day as the sun was starting to set. A last little visit to the ice cream parlour for waffle cones and thick shakes and we headed back across the darkening hills in to the Waikato.

Footprints in the sand

2010-05-16T11:15:00.001+12:00

I like this photo, taken at Ruapuke beach on a camping trip a few months ago, been meaning to publish it so here we go.

Everton (Place)

2010-05-16T11:07:00.001+12:00

A road sign that certainly caught my eye as we were driving along one day...! And as we are all Everton supporters I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a photo :D

Kawau Island camp May 2010

2010-05-14T20:30:00.004+12:00

Some pics of Louisa's school camp to Kawau Island on the north east coast of NZ's north island.

From Aintree to New Zealand: Biddy Mulligans - Hamilton 7/5/10

2010-05-07T21:29:00.000+12:00

From Aintree to New Zealand: Biddy Mulligans - Hamilton 7/5/10

Biddy Mulligans - Hamilton 7/5/10

2010-05-07T21:20:00.002+12:00

Had a good night tonight at one of the Irish bars in Hamilton. Kieran was playing cello with the school ceilidh band, and bloody good they were as well!! They played for an hour, and were followed by a group of Irish dancers showing off their skills.
Couple of beers, good music and lots of nibbles supplied by the Irish club committee members...

Another big break from blogging!!

2010-05-04T11:32:00.002+12:00

Oh dear, I must get my act in gear. We have been busy though. Some stuff to do, made contacts with old colleagues and friends, camping trip over to the east cape, and the winter sports season has started again. All good stuff.

Lady Gaga... we didn't go.. but we weren't idle..

2010-03-14T22:13:00.005+13:00

As the girls were enjoying themselves at the concert, Kieran and I were walking the dog along the waterfront. On a trip to get some chocolate from a shop, we spotted the base for the rescue helicopter, so, on the way back, we peeked through the window to see the helicopter. As luck would have it, one of the crew opened the door, told us that he was having his dinner but if we would like to come back later he would show us around. We watched the Police helicopter take off in close quarters at that time, getting a taster of what it would be like when the bigger rescue helicopter took off.
We eagerly accepted the opportunity and were given a first class tour of the aircraft. Kieran was sitting inside and was shown all the technical stuff, including the cost of the crew helmets and night vision goggles. We were taken outside on to the landing pad and allowed to see what the NVG's were like, you could see the laser pointers on the clouds and the stars were brilliant - amazing!
So, a huge thanks to the guys at Auckland rescue centre, you certainly made our evening with your tour - that hour of your time made us feel quite privileged.

Hot outside...

2010-03-05T13:28:00.001+13:00

I have been out cutting the grass and doing a bit of maintenance... have had to come inside to hide from the oppressive heat! "Only" 27 degrees C, but the UV meter is up to 8, the sun just feels so intense.

Still, the washing gets dry in a jiffy and that can only be good news :)

Keep on smiling.

Some pictures.

2010-03-02T09:07:00.003+13:00

Goodness me I have been neglecting the blog!

2010-03-02T08:58:00.003+13:00

Where does the time go? In all honesty I have been a bit busy of late, getting the business up and running as well as having a visitor in the shape of Jan's mum for 5 weeks. We are already in March, amazing!
Apart from our guest being here, there have been all manner of things going on. Went to see AC/DC in Auckland after a break of almost 30 years since I last saw the band - pre Brian Johnson days! An amazing gig it has to be said.
Also got my first taste of super stock car racing when our pals came up from Palmerston North as Kev has been racing stock cars for years. It was great to catch up with them all having not seen them for some time.

We discovered the "hobby" of geocaching, a form of treasure hunting using GPS. Some laugh, but it is a great way of getting out and discovering all sorts of places that you would normally drive past, let alone discover and learn about. It is also good exercise getting to and from the caches.

A lot of the caches are educational too. We discovered the Anchor butter story started just down the road from where we live, have found swimming holes, beaches and waterfalls, historical monuments, and all manner of wonderful walks and places to visit.

Throw in a couple of camping weekends and beach visits and that covers our life since my last blog entry. Expect more photos to appear on here soon..... watch this space!

Selecting the Christmas tree...

2009-12-21T23:48:00.002+13:00

...........in the sunshine in shorts and t-shirts is a thing that takes some getting used to, especially as our tree ritual used to entail getting wrapped up in warm clothing and heading out to Delamere Forest in Cheshire with the CD player blasting out Xmas tunes, doing reindeer hunts in the forest, mulled wine and Xmas festive fayre.

Now we still play the Xmas music, but looking round for trees in hot sunshine is so far removed from our old routine !

Santa "Kiwi style"

2009-12-21T23:44:00.002+13:00

The end of term for schools seems to bring out the ingenuity in the Kiwis as far as Santa appearances are concerned. Up to now we have seen him on a vintage fire engine, a motor bike and a quad bike among the usual sleigh transports!

It usually ends up in a free for all with lots of sweets or lollies being thrown for the kids to chase after, all good fun, and it brings a smile to your face.

some more pictures from the camping trip

2009-12-20T22:41:00.002+13:00

Camping

2009-12-20T22:31:00.003+13:00

Went for a camping trip over to Raglan for Jan's birthday. Just to get out of the house and get a bit of fresh air and relax as well as celebrate her birthday.

Went to a lovely little camp site,basic but very well kept. It was literally in the middle of nowhere, very dodgy road to get to it, but it was worth it. A little stream ran through which gave us lots of opportunities for games (boat races which were made from leaves, pooh sticks, the dog having fun in the water as well)

Weather held out, we got a bit of rain overnight on Saturday, sunny on Sunday. We had literally just put the last bit of equipment in the car and the heavens opened!

Took a little run over to Raglan after this and got a bit of fishing in for the kids.

Then it was pizza and home - a great weekend.

School athletics day

2009-11-24T22:08:00.001+13:00

DSCF8842, originally uploaded by fides invicta.

It was supposed to rain today, as it was, it didn't, it was gloriously sunny and we got to 29.4 degrees here in Cambridge!
Not the best of weather for the school athletics day it has to be said, but the kids had a great day. Louisa did quite well, and we were proud of her showing.
Here she is negotiating the hurdles... she came 3rd overall in this event.
As house captain she had to gee on her team as well as organise and help out as much as required.

Raglan

2009-11-22T14:14:00.001+13:00

Raglan, originally uploaded by fides invicta.

I love this place, about an hours drive from home, not the whitest of sand, in fact with it being on the Tasman sea side of the country it is more of a grey black anyway. But I love the vibe of the place as well as it's beauty.
It is a real surfer's paradise, and the town has a great feeling to it when it is holiday time.

You can fish, pick mussels and cockles as well as swim and surf / bobyboard, or just take a lovely walk along the beach.

Strange driftwood sculpture on Raglan beach

2009-11-22T09:01:00.001+13:00

Strange driftwood sculpture on Raglan beach, originally uploaded by fides invicta.

Just love this picture taken on Raglan beach a couple of weeks ago.

Up on the roof....

2009-11-22T08:57:00.001+13:00

Up on the roof...., originally uploaded by fides invicta.

As said in earlier post, have re-discovered my ham radio bug. Using borrowed, low power equipment at the moment, but having fun "rag-chewing" using Morse code. Best contacts to date are Tahiti and Uruguay.
Picture shows K up on the roof helping me get some form of wire antenna up to at least get on the air.

Lake Tarawera

2009-11-22T08:51:00.001+13:00

Lake Tarawera, originally uploaded by fides invicta.

Went for a trip over to Rotorua a couple of weeks ago. Took a picnic, loaded up the chairs and the dog and off we went.
We like to go the the lakes, it is very quiet with some beautiful scenery.
This fun photo has my kids messing about threatening to throw mum in the lake, nice snapshot of a family messing about and having fun.
In the background is the menacing bulk of Mount Tarawera which was rent apart in a huge volcanic eruption in 1886, hugely altering the surrounding landscape and killing over 150 people in the process.

My girl

2009-11-22T08:47:00.001+13:00

My girl, originally uploaded by fides invicta.

Messing around in the garden the other week with her friends. They were all playing on the hammock as kids do, I just like this picture with the colours - not the best picture of L but it is fun

Girls and horses

2009-11-22T08:15:00.001+13:00

DSCF8818, originally uploaded by fides invicta.

.... she'll stroke a huge animal like a horse, but if the little chickens go near her, she runs a mile.... odd isn't it.

I ain't afraid of no "goat"

2009-11-22T08:11:00.002+13:00

DSCF8807, originally uploaded by fides invicta.

Visited some friends yesterday up in the hills. He had just returned on the horse after giving her a bit of exercise and the kids wanted to put her in the paddock. The thing is, they also have a big old pig and a bit of a mad goat... hence K ending up on the woodshed after the goat decided to charge him!

The difference in ham radio NZ style v UK

2009-11-09T21:25:00.001+13:00

Listening to some old guys talking on the local FM repeater channel today. I was just driving along, listening to them natter about all and sundry. Then one of them comes out with the news that he was actually sat in his tractor waiting for the butcher to come and kill a few beasts. Then he proceeded to go in to great detail about offal pits etc. i was laughing my head off, although I felt a bit for the poor beasts about to meet their fate. I chatted to him later on and he told me that the butchers had arrived and were doing their work, accompanied by the sounds of saws in the background. I was a bit shocked but still had to laugh as I honestly don’t believe something like this would happen in UK amateur radio circles!!

Armistice in Cambridge

2009-11-09T21:13:00.001+13:00

Had a real busy weekend again, along with the usual sports on Saturday, a BBQ/bonfire/fireworks party on Saturday evening then a lovely sunny Sunday to do things. Bits and pieces around the house, washed the car (hooray at last!!) then decided to go to Armistice in Cambridge. It has been an annual event for some years now, and has grown in to quite a spectacle. Flying displays, battle re-enactments, historic vehicles and aircraft, models, indeed loads of stuff to keep people occupied. I have put the link on to the homepage for people to get a better idea of what it is all about. But it was a lovely afternoon, we met friends, enjoyed lovely weather and had a good time and a bit of a laugh as well.

http://www.armisticeincambridge.co.nz/Overview.html

Vietnam field gun demonstration

Tahiti

2009-11-05T22:31:00.002+13:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have taken up my old hobby of ham radio again. With borrowed radio and bits and pieces, I am enjoying listening to the airwaves again
Tonight, after I had been watching the fireworks in the garden, I switched the radio on, listening to the static crashes and dits and dahs of the morse code when I heard a weak call. I decided to rattle off a quick reply in morse and was pleased to hear the station call me back. I was totally unprepared, looking for a pen to scribble down the details, but when I heard his weak signal describe his location as Tahiti I was very pleased. I am only using a small, low powered radio in to a lashed up aerial outside the bedroom window, very much a temporary thing until I can get something more permanent. It is very different down in New Zealand compared to the European noise that I was used to, things are so quiet down here that you get the chance to hear stations from all over the world.

Bonfire night.

2009-11-05T22:18:00.002+13:00

Remember, remember, the 5th of Novembe, well, it certainly is a thing to remember down here. Sitting on the deck in the warmer nights in shorts and t-shirt as opposed to being cold and wet on an autumn night. No damp /wet grass smells or the tang of smoke on the air from the hundreds of bonfires. No "penny for the guy" or fireworks going off for weeks in advance - it is very different down here.
Anyway, the kids got a big box of fireworks today, and as we are going to a firework party on Saturday we couldn't set loads off. So a select few were taken out, along with some we had put aside from last year.
They had fun setting them off, laughing at the more pathetic ones, but there were some good ones that had them ooing and aaahing.
Watching on as a parent, always remembering back to the times as a youngster when my dad would get the fireworks for us, and the anticipation waiting for him to bring the box home. He would always go on about the fireworks from his younger days, Brocks, rip-raps and other stuff, so I make a conscious effort not to do the same, but you can't help it can you!
Jan as usual had the camera, waiting for opportune moments to take pictures for scrapbooking, which she showed us once we had finished for the evening.

Haere mai to all my blog readers

2009-11-02T22:16:00.002+13:00

Haere mai - the Maori word for Welcome - it is fascinating seeing where visitors are from who are reading my blog. I haven't a clue why or how people find out about it, but I don't care, the more the merrier :D

I have trouble loading photographs at the moment hence the text only blogs, but I am working on a solution to this problem and hope to add some of the lovely pics we have taken lately.

ka kite - see you soon

Swan Lake

2009-11-01T18:58:00.003+13:00

We have just got in from Hamilton where we collected Jan and Louisa from seeing Swan Lake by the Imperial Russian Ballet. They absolutely loved the performance, and we went around to the stage door to meet the stars of the show and to collect a few photographs and autographs for the girls. Louisa and Zara were thrilled to meet them and the grins on their faces when they posed for the photographs was a joy to behold.

It's official, I'm a nerd again!!

2009-11-01T12:54:00.003+13:00

Ah well, if you got the reputation you may as well be one! I have got into ham radio again after a legthy lay off of 15 years. Now don't get me wrong, like lots of hobbies that get this reputation,some of it is warranted. But ham radio was the reason I ended going back in to education, gave me a career and an interest in all sorts of things. I have met, and spoken, to some great people all over the world. So after meeting up with one of our local constabulary, an ex-pom like ourselves, I was loaned some equipment, made enquiries about getting a New Zealand license, and here I am.
I am sitting on the deck in the sunshine at the moment listening to various stations, a bit of a difference to my old operating places back in UK, a shed in the back garden, a cupboard in the bedroom or stuck in a corner somewhere!

I worked my very first station last night on Morse code, a guy across the ditch in Australia, who funnily enough is an ex-pom as well!

So, now I have the bug, I see my son Kieran is getting a bit of a taste too, but there again, he is a nerd!!

Dance Show and luvvie weekend ahead

2009-10-31T07:47:00.002+13:00

Went to a dance show last night. A friend of Louisa's was dancing with her dance school, so we all headed across to Hamilton for the evening, but not before Louisa and Jan had been to get their coif. Louisa was a sight to behold, he hairdo certainly was different, with a fringe and a shorter, more shoulder length cut. She looked great, if not a little strange because we not used to seeing her like this. Kieran remarked she had a "Lily Allen" cut, and that is the nearest I can describe it as.
So, we arrived for a lovely evening. It was a great show, very visual with brilliant costumes and some not too bad dancing either!
It will be a bit of a "luvvie" type weekend all round as the girls are going to watch the Russian Ballet performing Swan Lake tomorrow. I know they can't wait to see it.

Labour Weekend

2009-10-28T22:27:00.002+13:00

Had planned on going camping, before no.1 offspring decided to tell us he was going up to Auckland on the Saturday with a friend and his dad to some show. So that was planned scuppered. Anyway, the weather forecast was lousy, but it turned out to be lovely. Typical.

So Saturday saw us over to a friends to spend the day over at Raglan beach. She asked me to drive, and I had to have my arm twisted up my back before I took the wheel of the big silver BMW X5 with 4.4i V8 engine. I mean, who would want to drive one of these? :)
It was a pleasant, if blowy day, but one which we enjoyed.
Sunday was spent moving a bit of the house around, and collecting the kids from the friends house as they stayed over on the Saturday as well.

Monday, Labour Day holiday, saw us take a trip over the Kaimai's to Rotorua. We took a picnic and went to the Blue lake. It was nice weather again, and a trip over to Lake Tarawera for a couple of pictures and a little walk to see some old cave paintings.

A nice little weekend, and one that will go down in the memory banks.

Penguin

2009-10-18T17:19:00.002+13:00

Madness? We decided to go for a run over to The Mount today, absolutely tippling down it was. The Kaimai's were shrouded in mist and once over the top things didn't look much better. We headed in to Tauranga in heavy rain, with things looking grim. However after stopping at the front we were rewarded by a break in the weather and we headed on to the beach to let Paddy have a good run.
Jan headed in to the waves with Kieran to try and get some relief on her leg from the salt water, hoping that it would be therapeutic for her rash.
We spotted a little dead penguin on the beach as well, which made us all feel quite sad as it is the first penguin we have seen in NZ.
Anyway, we had a little paddle, played a few games on the beach then headed off to the town for a coffee. Louisa didn't bother with a drink but opted for some sushi instead. The kids then had ice cream before we headed off to a shopping centre looking for some picture frames.
The weather was very changeable but it beat sitting at home staring at the same 4 walls. But as the weather is getting better, we hope to be out and about more often.

School hols - been and gone!

2009-10-17T18:10:00.002+13:00

The kids had their mid term break and went back to school this week. The trouble was, the weather was shocking, with rain, and rain, and more rain, so we didn't get much done outdoors. However, the garage has been hanging over our heads like the sword of Damocles, so we managed to make a huge dent in the job, sorting and clearing loads of junk that has accumumlated in there. There is still a bit of work to go, but it is nearing the end now.

Got a school fundraiser to go to tonight, and we are in a quiz team. Should be a giggle if nothing else. The kids are going to watch a movie with the neighbours which will be nice for them.

Maybe a trip to the beach tomorrow for us if the weather remains like it did today - hit 25 degrees here in Cambridge at one point before the thunderstorm arrived in the afternoon.

Mount Ruapehu

2009-09-08T20:05:00.003+12:00

We took a midweek trip to the mountain today, taking our children along with the gang from Jan's workplace. The students, some of whom have never even seen snow, were picked up at an early hour and we met up in Kihikihi to take the back route down towards Taupo for our first stop, taking a quick break at the famous Huka Falls. There was a huge amount of water flowing through the narrow channel meaning it was as impressive as ever.

There was quite a bit of fog on the way down, but this gave us some spectacular views at times, with the hills peeking through the snow white sunlit fog being quite an eerie but spectacular sight.

A drive down the eastern shore of Lake Taupo in the spring sunshine afforded us our first glimpse of the mountains covered in snow. The sun caused the snow to almost glow, giving it an ethereal beauty. After stopping to inflate the inner tubes we had taken for sliding on the snow, we stopped for lunch on the mountain. It was a stunning day, with Mount (Fuji'esqe for want of a better term) Taranaki being visible over on the New Plymouth coast, and the sun being complemented by a very pleasant 16 degrees temperature. It was a case of slapping on the sunscreen and we made our way up to the top of the road. It was quite funny to see this rag-tag bunch of kids with inflatable inner tubes compared to the ski slope fashionistas in their expensive equipment - who, if I am being perfectly honest, were giving a few strange looks at our motley crew. Some of these poor kids come from the lower levels of society and haven't had much of the good things in life. To see them sliding on inner tubes, snow and boogie boards down the sledding area was heart warming. As I couldn't do much after having surgery not too long ago, I took to taking photos and pelting them with snowballs as they sped past, something I regretted later as they all plotted to get me, which they did in abundance, duly assisted by my own kids!
A treasure hunt was organised with prizes being buried in the snow followed by a sort of coconut shy with mini-snow mountains fashioned around chocolate bars. You only got the chocolate when you hit a little hill with a snow ball from a distance away. The trouble was, when the successful kids ran to get their prize, all thoughts of hitting the snow mountains was forgotten by the others who immediately took aim at the kid in their line of fire.

Unfortunately the time came to leave and we took a different route on the way back, going via Taumaranui with us stopping off for chips and fish in Te Kuiti.

We drove a total of 500k today, which is quite a lot for a day out, but for the looks on the kids faces today, it was totally worth it.

Photos to follow.....

Tea tonight...

2009-09-06T19:55:00.001+12:00

I've lost my bicycle!

2009-09-06T19:48:00.003+12:00

Kieran has taken a liking for using my bike to go racing around Cambridge.... we managed to spot him yesterday on our way back from the netball final on Shakespeare Street. Jan duly obliged with the photos through the windscreen.

Netball final

2009-09-05T21:42:00.003+12:00

Well, Louisa's netball team was in the final today. Unbeaten over the whole season, they approached the final as the division's top scorers, winners of their provisional division and if they played their game, would probably have swept the board. Unfortunately it was one hurdle too far. The other team was studded with the rest of the representative side, our side had 3 reps. Louisa played out of position as Wing Defence instead of her usual Goal Shoot position. She had a good game considering and helped to keep the score down to a respectable 3 point gap at half time. She was playing against the Wing Attack rep player and kept her very quiet.

As it turned out, they lost 21-12, but the girls have worked hard this year and it would be cruel to criticise them for this one defeat.

Louisa in full flight keeping the opposition at bay.

Cross Country

2009-09-05T21:35:00.003+12:00

Louisa had school cross country day on Friday, with the whole school crossing over to Te Koutou Park in the spring sunshine. Louisa ended up 4th in the 11 year old race - well done. Considering they ran such a long distance she didn't even seem to be out of breath, or show any sign of sweating. Athletics club this summer I think.

Louisa burning it round the final bend

Racing to the line...

Kieran is 14!!

2009-09-05T21:23:00.003+12:00

Kieran was 14 on Wednesday, and as an added bonus his school finished at lunchtime for a meeting, so he got home at 1pm. Ended up taking him in to town to one of my favourite cafes and got him a hot chocolate and a lemon meringue slice. A little walk by the river was nice while we waited for Louisa to finish school, and we laughed at the ducks whizzing past in the fast flowing waters....

That evening we went to Gengys in Hamilton, a Mongolian all you can eat BBQ type place. It was very good, and Kieran, Jan and Louisa went back for seconds on the dessert, pancakes with ice cream....

Rain

2009-08-30T16:20:00.002+12:00

This is some of the heaviest rain I have seen today, it is actually reaching half way down the covered deck at the front of the house, getting blown in by the stormy winds. I hope the kids have made it safely back to their friends on their bikes or they going to be very wet indeed. The sound of it battering down on the steel roof gives a very cozy feeling though, but the silly chickens, or at least some of them, thought it was fun to stand out in the rain. I quickly shooed them in to the shed and locked them in. It is quite mild though, and spring is definitely here now. I expect to see the last throes of winter over the next week then spring to totally blossom. The plants are blooming and the peach blossom in the garden is lovely.

Some pics of the chooks

2009-08-23T13:45:00.002+12:00

Where does the time go to?

2009-08-23T13:33:00.003+12:00

A lot has happened since my last post. Not posting anywhere near as much as I would like to due to the picture facility on the blog not working for a long while now, so I get frustrated and disheartened and don't bother. We take so many pictures as a family, a lot of my blogging is based on imagery, so for the uploader to be a pain is very annoying for me. The rigmarole I have to go through to get the pictures on is a real pain.

Anyway, I have now had my 3rd operation on my left knee. It was a lot worse than the previous 2, the anaesthetic really hit me hard and the wound split open on the day following the operation and became infected. Cue huge amounts of tablets and sleepless nights. They can't have helped me either as they really put my system in a spin.

We also got 6 chickens from a local battery farm. They were due to be culled and we went up and bought 6 of them for $3 each. They were a sorry looking bunch of girls, all bedraggled, scared of their own shadow and not looking like the classic farmhouse hen that we all know. We settled them down in their new surroundings, which was very sad as they had fresh straw and sawdust for them, and they looked at it as it was a whole new experience for them to be walking on soft stuff instead of bare iron cagework. The first day saw them sitting in the evening sunshine, warming themselves and just looking at the light, they had been kept in a dark shed for their whole existence. Now they were able to walk free as nature intended. Their feathers have grown, and the majority of them now are beautiful looking birds. One still looks a bit stubbly, but the other 5 are virtually fully feathered now.
They are incredibly funny little things and keep us entertained, they even provide us with a good little supply of eggs, and they are the richest, tastiest eggs I have ever tasted. The kids are enraptured with them and it is a great education for them to see and interact with these animals. Paddy, our dog, is fascinated by them, we have slowly introduced him to them and he is a bit jumpy for their liking. He even got a big peck on the nose today and he didn't like it one bit!!

School production.

2009-06-30T21:53:00.002+12:00

I have co-written a show based on the creation story. It was an idea by my co-writer and we sat together for many hours hammering out a script. We used the music of an Australian man called Andrew Chinn, who tours Australia/NZ and the islands doing musical workshops covering his religious songs with primary age children. We contacted Andrew last year and he agreed to see where it got to as a show.... well, we wrote it, he liked it and we ended up producing the show with Louisa's school here in Cambridge. Andrew was so excited by it he even planned a tour to coincide with the opening of the show, and he brought his wife and daughter with him, their first time outside Australia. After a lot of rehearsals, casting and hard work, the big day arrived. A matinee performance went well, albeit to a small audience, but the evening show went well, apart from a minor problem with the lights in the theatre. We had the use of St.Peter's school theatre, a professional standard facility and it was excellent. A big audience appreciated the efforts of the 180 children, and the band made up of students, staff and parents (I played guitar in the band and thoroughly enjoyed it all).
It was very well received, with the house being almost full for the last night. It was a fantastic experience and one which I will never forget.

Goodness me!!

2009-06-12T19:43:00.003+12:00

It's a month since I last posted on the blog.... it is winter, lots of rain for a few weeks then a clear, balmy week at (20 degrees for a few days). warmer than UK here (well, Liverpool at least!)

The school production rehearsals, (which I co-wrote) is in full swing We only have just over a week and we are all go. I had the choice of being stage manager or playing in the band - I decided to look after the guitar section and be in the band. Was I wrong? Only time will tell......

The theatre is booked, the guy who's material we based the play on and who's music we are using is coming over from Australia with his family. I found out today he is going to be helping us out and playing along - looking forward to it.

These last few days have seen Agricultural Field Days down the road. It is the biggest show in the southern hemisphere, and Jan has been there with her trainees allowing them to get work experience. We went along today, Kieran being off school and Louisa having the morning off. We got some bits and pieces, soaked in to the bargain, but the kids loved it. Ended up back at the school for more rehearsals, then back to Field Days to get some more stuff. We even got a chicken feeder for our girls we are expecting soon. The coop has been built, the shed is almost finished and we just have to wait for the weather to get a bit warmer before we get our rescue chickens!!

Watch this space.

Tui Ridge camp 09

2009-05-16T20:45:00.001+12:00

Well, suppose I can say I have recovered from my camp with the kids from Louisa's school this week - still feeling a little tired but what a great week it was! The kids were worn out as much as us adults, but we put them through the mill so it was to be expected I suppose. They did rock climbing (Lou was so determined, even though she got scared and started crying, she was determined to get to the top - she was one of 12 kids who got there, and it was HIGH - that was my main activity for help coz of my climbing work), high ropes, orienteering, nature walks, mini golf, 3D maze, mass "soccer" game which was brilliant fun, team champion competition, quiz, camp concert... and the very scary Burma trail when most of the adults went in hiding in the bush to frighten the life out of the kids bumping their way through holding a rope in pitch darkness - you literally couldn't see a hand in front of you. I had an alien mask lit up by a UV light, other parents were in skeleton suits, grabbing legs, tickling faces with leaves as they went past... great fun for all concerned. Some of us parents even ended up playing Balderdash with the 2 teachers til 1 am then wreaked havoc on the other parents who were asleep, playing silly pranks on them.

So to put it in a nutshell, it was tiring but very worthwhile. Considering the weather was changeable, we got soaked on a couple of occasions, on the whole it was decent for the time of year.

Saturday sports..

2009-05-09T16:59:00.002+12:00

.... another successful sporting Saturday, Kieran's team won 11-1 with him grabbing a goal, Louisa's netball team won 46-0 - she got 9.

Been a lovely day, sunny, ideal weather for the kids to play. It was very wet yesterday so it allowed the pitch to soften up a little compared to the rock hard surfaces they have had to deal with lately.

A fine end to the day.

2009-05-03T09:19:00.002+12:00

Nice evening at a mates house up in the hills. Kids out running round in the fields, riding around on a big ride on mower making race-tracks in the paddocks in the evening sun. We sat and had fish and chips for tea in their beautiful home, had a look at all of his memorabilia from his household cavalry days as well as WW2 stuff that his grandfather had. I was in my element, the kids had a ball and Jan got to talk about horses for a large part of the evening.... and we even got to listen to an Everton song or 3 because he is a fanatic Blue.

And so it begins....

2009-05-02T14:04:00.003+12:00

m'

the winter sports season.

Kieran was first up for his school football team, not a good result, getting beaten 7-2 by Hamilton Boys - but they have only had 1 practice session so early days, not gelled as a team and having 4 lads from south America who speak little English (and hog the ball too) didn't help the team. But he managed to get the team's 2nd goal after the ball squirmed along the line and he tapped it in.

Louisa's first game was against Cambridge middle school. Although she only played the last 2 quarters she got 5 goals in a 44-0 drubbing. Her friend Natala was on fire scoring most of the teams goals.

So, Saturdays are taken over by the kids again, but we don't mind...

Back to school week...

2009-04-30T12:57:00.003+12:00

The Easter hols are over, and the kids have gone back to school. What we notice is the difference between holidays here and when they were in UK. They always grumbled in UK, but here they positively look forward to going to school. Don't know what the difference is, but they really like the schools they attending.

Louisa is busy preparing for the camp (I am going to help on this one over near Rotorua) and the school production (of which I was a co-writer hehe and also helping out with rehearsals and playing in the band). "Nitball" (as she pronounces it now, the little kiwi) starts this Saturday too, so they are all pumped up for their first game of the year.

Kieran is back in to it all, busy as usual. The soccer season starts this weekend and he is busy preparing for a possible trip to Australia with the school orchestra this winter, if it goes ahead. But if it doesn't he will definitely be going next year. Coupled with the sheets of new music he has to learn for the Cailidh band, he is going to find himself under the cosh again this term....

One thing is certain though, the house is a lot quieter in the day time!

Ruakuri bush walk

2009-04-30T12:44:00.002+12:00

an

Had a lovely walk last Sunday, even though it was raining. This walk is in cave country, about a 3/4 hour drive away from us. Waitomo caves is where the glow worms and black water rafting (floating through underground caves sitting in inner tubes etc.) takes place. It is a lovely area, and there is lots to do for the outdoor minded person. As you can see from the first photograph, Kieran was well prepared with waterproofs and walking boots. Louisa on the other hand, had little sandals on, denim shorts and a flimsy cotton top under her sweatshirt. You can tell who is in the scouts!
But we all enjoyed it, had a little picnic with us which we ate under a shelter that was built by the original discovering team judging by the photographs on the display nearby. Loads of feijoas off our trees in the garden with sandwiches - only thing missing for Jan and I was a flask of hot tea - we'll deffo remember one next time....

Autumn

2009-04-05T15:57:00.002+12:00

Can't remember the last time we had rain (ok it was the end of Feb but it seems ages ago!) The ground is bone dry, rock solid and I struggled to get the dog's spike screwed in to the ground at the University cricket pitch yesterday....

It is really beautiful this time of year. The weather has been gorgeous, not as hot as last year but still very nice. It is cooling down overnight now, but the days are on the whole glorious. We got 26 degrees yesterday and much the same today. It is a bit better because the clocks went back last night, so the day seems to have gone on forever, even though Jan and I had a big sleep in - exhausted with all the stuff we have been busy with lately. Both of us are studying and taking courses now, and with all sorts of other stuff going on, we are a tad tired to say the least.
The kids are keeping us busy, with Louisa having auditions for the school play this week (that I have co-written) and Kieran with all sorts of stuff that he is doing.

And talking of Kieran - he has damaged his foot again. After playing in a very long game of cricket, when his team were narrowly defeated in very warm conditions, he gets home and turned his ankle on the steps by the spa pool. More than just a turn, his right foot has a big lump sticking out on the outside, he in a lot of discomfort and is dosed up on painkillers and ibuprofen. What is this family like for leg injuries!?

Anyway, apart from this, things are ok. We were supposed to go to the beach today but with K's injury we had to leave it. Maybe next week......

So busy!

2009-03-30T10:13:00.003+13:00

Where does the time go??? Just noticed my last blog entry was beginning of month, and there has been so much going on.

Louisa has had her school swimming sports day. Entered 2 races won both races - freestyle by a country mile, breast stroke a photo finish, but considering it is her weaker stroke (she should have been in backstroke but her name got mixed up!) very happy with the result. She got put in to the relay team then as a result of her swims and did a great job.... but her house was a bit weak in that even so they didn't win it.

Kieran is busy as always. Soccer camp, cricket, orchestra and ceilidh band in school to name a few, and he got a great first school report to, and 10 commendations so far this term - go Kieran!!

Will get some photos sorted soon and post them on here...but facebook seems to be taking over from blogging so you may have to wait a little while yet......

Kids news.....

2009-03-04T21:10:00.002+13:00

Louisa came home from school in a very excited state last Friday. She had been voted house captain and won by a clear 6 votes. We were very proud of her, well done Louisa!

Not to be outdone, Kieran attended the senior football trials in school yesterday, he didn't tell me that they were the senior trials, but he did really well..... so well he had the chance to join the senior team. But I felt it was just a bit much for him, the guys were huge and he would have been left off the pace a bit. But he is now in the Colts, the 1st XI in his year, so he will have chance to develop a bit more. The training will do him good too, with some top notch coaching coming his way too.

Well done kids.

Billy Connolly in Rotorua

2009-02-24T22:47:00.000+13:00

Popped over to see Billy with some friends this weekend. What a scream, we had a great time, always wanted to see him "live" - we weren't disappointed.

He got to telling about how he likes the way ordinary people speak, mentioned he got lost last year in Liverpool, which brought a big cheer from us - he looked over and pointed - then carried on describing his mishaps in the roadworks and one-way system in the city centre. We could tell where he was talking about which made for a weird feeling being the other end of the earth.

So a good night was had by the 6 of us, totally worn out and glad I didn't have to drive this weekend as I was asleep as soon as the car got going! Compared to the previous weekend in Auckland it was easy, on that occasion I had to keep stopping off and having power naps as they call them, very tiring day and I not good of a night anyway.

Some more David Byrne pictures...

2009-02-24T22:42:00.000+13:00

David Byrne - Auckland day out.

2009-02-24T22:37:00.000+13:00

Jan, Kieran and I went up to Auckland the other week to see the Top Gear Live show (Kieran the petrol head) and David Byrne, the ex-Talking Heads front man.

What a day we had. Louisa was duly farmed out to her friend for the day/night and we headed off in anticipation of a great day out.

Kieran thoroughly enjoyed Top Gear as we would have expected, Jan and I popped over to Sylvia Park for a look round Borders book shop then on to the English shop to see what we could get there - after a very expensive 10 minutes in the shop, we went to get Kieran, he was thrilled, took lots of photos and was well pleased with himself for going to a show like that on his own. Well done son.

Then we went up to the CBD for the second part of our day out, to see Mr Byrne in concert with his new album. He had a band without the excellent Tosca strings this time as his new stuff with Brian Eno was more akin to older Talking Heads stuff and not so "way out" as his later solo stuff. We were in the 2nd row from the stage, and he was only 10ft from us - great position. We could see everything that was going on in close up detail, he even posed for some photos as we snapped away!!
Part way through the show he introduced an NZ legend, and it was a big surprise to see Neil Finn enter the stage, dressed in the same white as the rest of the band/dancers. He sang "Heaven" one of my fave Talking Heads songs - and we even got to meet him at the end and get his autograph. Result!!

Pokarekare ana - June's take off from Auckland

2009-01-25T21:40:00.005+13:00

This is for June, Jan's mum, who returned to UK last Wednesday after 3 weeks here. It is a video of her plane taking off from Auckland, set to her favourite tune down here, Pokarekare ana, a Maori farewell song.... she even has it on her mobile as her ringtone now. Just hope she doesn't get upset each time her phone rings!!

Auckland Zoo

2009-01-19T17:42:00.000+13:00

Took a trip up to Auckland zoo with Jan's mum, she is such a big fan of the programme, watching it all the time in the UK. So, when we got there we found she knew all the places in the zoo, all the things that had happened etc. It was quite funny and we ribbed her mercilessly (of course!) Even had a Father Ted moment (the kicking the bishop episode :D) caught on camera for posterity sake haha But it was a fabulous day out, well worth it and we will do it again. I even managed to get a couple of my pictures on the zoo homepage....

Been busy since my last post...

2009-01-17T17:12:00.000+13:00

Not been blogging of late, been far too busy running around the place, visiting here and there with Jan's mum. She has seen a lot of things, beautiful beaches (including Hot Water beach - very hot!), waterfalls, lakes, volcanoes, held new born Alpacas, too much to mention. So just going to put a few piccies on to give an idea of some of the places we have been to....

some more pictures..

2009-01-10T08:40:00.000+13:00

June arrived, just in to the new year...

2009-01-10T08:20:00.000+13:00

Been a bit busy for blogging lately. The weather has been gorgeous and with Jan's mum arriving, we have been giving her a bit of a tiki tour of places we go to regularly.

She touched down in Auckland at 23.20 on new years eve, eventually coming through the gate at 00.03 to be greeted by a bottle of champagne with cries of "I did it!"

We let her have a quiet first day, taking her across to Hamilton gardens, showing her a bit of the locality and letting her experience a big kiwi style BBQ in the sunshine.

A bit of shopping on Friday was followed by a good look around the Cambridge area on Saturday, followed by another BBQ at a friends house.

Sunday saw us over at the Pacific coast at Mount Maunganui where the kids got her to attempt body boarding in the surf.

Monday was a bit of a rest day with a visit from another friend followed by an evening with the kayak down the road at Lake Karapiro.

Tuesday was a long trip down to Mount Ruapehu and Taupo, lovely hot day and very enjoyable, if not tiring with the amount of driving.

Wednesday was over to a friends swimming pool and a BBQ - again, you notice a trend developing here?!

Thursday saw us heading over to Rotorua and the lakes. Very hot day, so the swim in the Blue lake was very welcome, but the big stone chip in the windscreen on the way home certainly wasn't!

Friday was a trip over to Hamilton city as I had to get my windscreen chip repaired, so a lazy'ish day was had by all

Cockles

2008-12-29T19:37:00.000+13:00

after our trip to Raglan yesterday, we had a little pan of cockles that we collected. We didn't take too many because we were a bit unsure, but we have just done them and they were very, very nice!

Jan was eating them out of the shell, whereas I put a few in vinegar and water to try and get the taste that I enjoyed so much at home (but I also put prawns in vinegar so that's me...)

Another little thing for us. Just need a bit more success in the fishing stakes and we'll be enjoying a bit of nature's bounty.

Boogie boarding and cockling....with a pohutakawa tree bloom.

2008-12-28T20:00:00.000+13:00

The kids caught their first fish today..!

2008-12-28T19:48:00.000+13:00

We took a trip over to Raglan today, it was beautiful weather, got well tanned/scorched whichever way you want to say it, but what a lovely day we had. First stop when we got to Raglan was the wharf by the old silo. It was very busy there with loads of people fishing. Our two were well up for a go, especially as Louisa has her own pink fishing rod now. They didn't look like fishing types though, dressed more like they going to a concert of fashion show than anything else. Anyway, I digress, they managed to break their duck, Kieran caught the first, a yellow eyed herring, then Louisa got one too. Kieran ended up catching eight, his face was a picture. Louisa wasn't quite sure what to make of it all and pulled a funny face but she still loved it :D

After this it was across to the main beach where they went bodyboarding as I sat it out on the sand reading a book and listening to my iPod (Crimbo present) - hence the scorching I got!!

We got fish and chips for tea and went down to another quieter part of the estuary we found with picnic benches. As we were sitting there we spotted the fisheries sign saying there were cockles and pipis there, so we ended up getting a small bag of cockles, never seen so many shells in my life, the beach was literally crammed with them, and you just scooped your hand in to get a hand full, amazing........

Christmas Day....

2008-12-25T14:44:00.000+13:00

our "first" at home, always been and visited, had our dinner elsewhere. Started off with the presents, then had our now traditional breakfast of croissants with "Bucks Fizz" - even threw in a few fresh strawberries in this year. And also new for this year we did our first roast!! I had a lovely piece of beef, we also made a beautiful nut loaf for the rest of the family, but Louisa decided to have fish! The nutloaf was very nice - and a bit of home grown stuff in it too made it a bit extra special. Also picked our own broccoli from the garden, had honey roast pumpkin, potatoes with rosemary and kumara with honey glazed carrots, peas and gravy. A drop of the old Lindauer strawberry fraise washed it all down beautifully, and even Paddy got his own little dinner, beef and boiled potatoes which were polished off with gusto.

So, merry Christmas everyone! Back soon.

Jan has reached THAT milestone birthday......

2008-12-24T11:43:00.000+13:00

Happy Birthday Jan, hope you enjoyed it last week. The cake was fantastic, all that fresh fruit and flowers decorating it..... all delivered to "the Saddle" for you ho ho ho.

2008-12-24T11:39:00.000+13:00

Kieran and his fellow students had a leavers dinner in town. There was a special guest speaker invited and it turned out to be none other than Laura Langman, the Silver Ferns netball player.
Don't know who was more pleased, Kieran or Louisa!! She was lovely and stayed right through to the end of the dinner, nothing was too much trouble and she certainly did the kids proud.

Triathlon

2008-12-24T11:38:00.001+13:00

Louisa took part in the school triathlon a few weeks ago. She did quite well too, and I love these pics of her on the course.....