July was fun - despite the weather!

Realised this is going to be a very long post as I didnt post it until I got back to Auckland - hang in there!

 The beginning of July saw me get my “ get up and go” going – I seemed to have found a new resolution to stop faffing about and get stuff done. One of my resolutions was to ensure I made the effort to stay in touch with friends and get out of the house as much as possible whilst still making time for my hobbies and interests.

I had met up with friends from the Nathan homestead quilting group  for lunch, and spent quite a bit of time fiddling with working on my Happy Villages project ad finally got the top of Annabelle’s quilt done.

 I also decided on Wednesday that rather than sit in the house and do my Sanskrit homework, I would take the campervan for a  drive and park by the beach and do my homework there, and get some nice fresh sea air. Thursday was a bit of a write off.. Had a funny sore throat so decided to spend most of that day staying warm and cuddly in bed with no guilt and that really did me good.

Then Saturday in to Auckland Quilt Guild and the speaker was a chap who had been a prizewinning florist and also a quilter – his talk was so good you could have heard a pin drop!

 After that I went in to Dorothy’s for a cuppa and it was good to talk to her – I do love my sister-in-law, my little brother had very good taste when he married her.

Sunday I didn’t go out but decided to stay home, work on projects, and take Tui for a walk. Monday  I had contacted the other Counties quilting group in Pukekohe about coming to speak to them about the exhibition next year and how they could contribute. Went well, and afterwards I met Jan ( who did Peters funeral) for a cuppa at one of the local cafes. She is a very practical minister of religion and as an old friend it is so good to talk to her…   Mark from Philosophy came in the evening and we worked on teaching me how to update the database and I made him pumpkin soup and toast – that all went well and I worked until my eyes were tired and finished off the tasks Tuesday morning.

So Tuesday afternoon 1.30pm I finally was off in the campervan.. gas bottle changed, water topped up, food packed and my suitcase for the following week packed and stowed … weather wasn’t too bad – about 14 degrees in most of the country and high winds and gales were not forecast.

Stopped at Huntly under the Tainui bridge for a cuppa and decision making about which route I would take… I decided to opt for the back road through Pirongia and Otorohanga and then down through New Plymouth and the coast road…Daylight comes a bit early at this time of the year so although I thought I might do either Pirongia Forest Park or the Pirongia Golf club I ended up at the Otorohanga NZMCA parking area. The Forest park at Pirongia had a gorgeous view and some lovely walks but no one there and might not have been too good if the weather had changed, and unexpectedly the Golf Club parking didn’t have any other there so kept on going.

View from carpark at Mt Pirongia - of the Waikato

 Everything was so green, and although the trees were bare, there were still some autumn leaves and it was lovely driving …

The Otorohanga park was well laid out and beside the little Waipa river which has a new walkway going in – mud at the moment! But the park was all hard gravel and only 3 others there so plenty of space and for $3 a night fee, it was a sensible place to spend the night. And good to arrive at just on dark. Cold and clear night at first but a hot water bottle and using a polar fleece rug as a sheet inside my Duvalay I was snug as a bug in a rug.

NZMCA park at Otorohanga beside the little Waipa river... 

Leaving Otorohanga, all was very foggy which lasted until I got into the Awakino Gorge after 10am.. A very special NZ landscape – rugged hills , cliff faces, lush green paddocks – lots of sheep and cattle, bush areas ( 50 shades of green..) and with all the rain the streams were running well. I went slowly in to Te Kuiti main street which I usually bypass when in a hurry and was interested to walk along and look at the Colin (Pinetree) Meads tributes on the main street. He was the epitome of what was considered the ideal NZ man – a humble, hard working  farmer who was an internationally acclaimed All Black.

Statue of Colin (Pinetree ) Meads

Colin Meads memorial - Main St Te Kuiti ( that is his brother on the left also an All Black)

Also impressed by the shelter that commemorates all the different nationalities now in Te Kuiti – and speaks of unity and “it takes many races to make one people” with Maori, Pakeha, Indian and Chinese acknowledged  all with Maori carvings and proverbs.

This drive down the island is so filled with memories, almost every town, corner, rest area seems to bring back memories of trips with Peter to dog shows, canoe trips, and in our bus – good memories but more than once brought me to tears… they tell me this is normal and I am reminded of the phrase “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”…..  I remember the beach where we stopped and let all the dogs out – including a Samoyed on black wet sand! The road up to Mt Messenger where I was sharing the back seat of a VW with 5 dogs and smoke started coming out from under the seat, the beach where Peter bought cigarettes because they didn’t have the Kurol cough lollies ( and he didn’t stop smoking again for about fifteen years!),  the many times we stopped at the Te Kuiti pie cart in the middle of the night.

Awakino Gorge

Mokau Beach

Looking over Tongaporutu river mouth

I called in at Mokau ,Tongaporutu ( this would be a nice spot to stop in better weather – can walk around to the Three Sisters rocks at low tide – caught a glimpse of them from high up on the road… Also went int o the Urenui Beach camp – a huge camp with what looks like private baches and caravans, some quite luxurious as well as sites for further camping but the sign said NO dogs on the beach or in the camp .. count that one out!

The road follows the top of the cliffs with paddocks leading to high rugged hills on the left and only intermittent opportunities to get down to the beach – usually where a stream or river comes out – like the Mokau River.

And as I came into New Plymouth one lot of friends didn’t answer their phone so I thought I would just carry on to Huatoki Domain park, and then I saw a sign for Te Kainga Marire the  native garden Valda and Dave Clarkson developed over a period of 20 years and is now described as a 6 star garden open to the public – I turned in and Valda was home – really good to catch up with her – we had gone to dog shows together with our German Shepherds over 40 years ago… and visited a few times over the years…I look forward to returning with longer time to spend – good value people…

Valda's garden "Te Kainga Marire" - Peaceful encampment.

Left Valda at  4pm – drizzly and damp – and discovered that the Huatoki area was closed as it was only a grassed area and it was too soft so decided to come on to Cape Egmont Boat Club – on the coast west of Mt Egmont – where Peter and I had stopped in the bus one beautiful summer evening some years ago. Drizzly and wet and I got here just on dark – no one else here but I am tucked in behind the hedge and feel quite safe. The coastguard operate out from here and the whole Tasman Sea is beating in tonight so I am going to go to bed with the sound of waves in my ears. I knew there would be some car park area here that would be a hard enough surface to park on, although I am actually on the grass.

Part 2

More drizzly rain when I woke this morning – no sign of Mt Egmont – pity – it was a beautiful sight when Peter and I stopped here some years ago.  After paying my $10 fee I started out again along the rolling hills – basically the road continues along the cliff tops about 3 km inland and drops down to the sea occasionally – usually where a river comes out, like at Patea and Waitotara – and there were several roads in labelled “Surf beach” – the beaches are all black sand, lots of driftwood come down from the rivers and access always focused around a stream or river mouth. Mostly dairy and beef cattle evident everywhere- some sheep…

Cape Egmont lighthouse 

river mouth at Patea

Patea

Patea - a narrow river mouth over a bar..

The sun was mostly out, although a few “sun showers” and I called in to one or two beaches and stopped for lunch at Patea – home of the famous song “Poe E” from Dalvanius Prime and the Patea Maori Club  - as I stepped out for a walk and to take a few photos chatted to an older couple about campervans and renovated buses – they came from Kaitaia and when I said the only person I knew in Kaitaia was Ronnie – lightbulb moment – they were good friends and their grandson was going to stay with her next week for a few days! Small country this!

After a refuel and waste water dump at Hawera I decided to carry on and called in at Kai Iwi Beach where we had been with the children a few years ago. The pile of driftwood on the beach was huge! 

Kai iwi beach river mouth - cant see the full extent of that pile of driftwood..

On the Rapanui Rd south from Kai iwi Beach was a beautiful spot – Bason Botanic Gardens! Gorgeous to drive or walk around – will be fantastic in the spring! Went straight through Whanganui and Bulls, decided to go on to Palmerston North and park at Jonathan’s – be on power and could have a shower and wash my hair!

Friday we went out to Bush Lane – and I admired all the work already done – the paddocks were fairly wet in the hollows and they have already put in two culverts and planted flaxes to hold one side of the driveway – more to go… we went in to Feilding market day and bought some more trees and a delicious Brioche donut and then back to the paddock where I went for a stroll in the bush  and replanted some of the flax that had been a bit washed out by the previous week’s rain.

Cordelia

Home for lunch and then went round to watch Callum at his football training and back to meet the girls when they arrived. I am definitely their number 1 Nana ( well their only one actually) - nice to get great hugs, read stories, went back andpicked up Callum and then took Cordelia to swimming which was a fun night, lots of confidence building especially for the very littlest ones.

Saturday we all went out to Bush Lane and there was riding of donkeys, and lighting of bonfires - I explored the native bush reserve next to Jonny's block. It is not much fun trying to walk in gumboots on hilly wet grass! but they have made great progress already,

I stopped writing the blog about here.., so the rest is a quick summary of  what I remember. Once the kids arrive I tend to be at their beck and call 24/7!

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Sunday morning I took Tui out to Feilding to where she is going to stay while I am in Wellington and I think she is going to be a bit shell shocked sharing with at least 6 other dogs and not being allowed to sleep on the bed, but she will survive. ( and she did).

I had received notice that I was going to be staying in the motel down the road from the Wellington School of Philosophy so decided to take the campervan as there would be parking. I set off just after an early lunch and received another notification that the motel had had a fire so I was to stay in the Wellington Willis hotel - hoped there was parking enough for the campervan - decided to have faith and it all worked out well ( really pleased that we had an ensuite bathroom) despite my having fun negotiating Wellington's one way streets in the CBD.

The Wellington residential week went well - good company, lots of time for meditation and reflection, studied the Aitareya Upanishad,  and no stress. Long days but not as exhausting as it had been in previous years - I avoided lots of stairs and did my work sessions in the kitchen! Getting up at 5 am and to bed about 10pm wasnt too bad -amazing what you can do when you are motivated and the mind is more rested. 

The School of Philosophy Wellington - the old Salvation Army hostel- 

Life skills at Cubs

I returned to Palmerston North in the campervan the following Sunday - via Waikanae and a visit to a long time friend who is now in a retirement village in Waikanae with failing eyesight.  I went out and picked up Tui who was massively pleased to see me, although I am quite sure she was well looked after.Then back to a quiet evening with Jonathan and Amy who were pooped after a very  productive day doing fencing at the farm. Lunch the next day with another old friend who now lives in Palmerston North - and picked up the kids after school to do the Monday scramble. Swimming for Callum and Annabelle at 3.30pm, cubs for Callum at 6.15pm and swimming for Cordelia at 6pm. I made muffins for afterschool snacks and  cooked chicken drumsticks and wedges for everyone to eat for dinner in between activities  which went down well. Tuesday I had a quiet day after dropping the kids off to school, did some cooking and sewed cub badges on shirts... and then in the afternoon did the school pick up, Annabelle and Cordelia to swimming at 3.30pm ( with more home made muffins first), Callum to swimming at 4.30pm ( he is going so well, wish he would admit he enjoyed it and try out for competitions), snatched a quick dinner ( I made cottage pie) and girls to Keas at 6pm. They enjoyed having me there to watch them.  Then each night I had to read a story to each of them, including Callum!!!

Training with flutter boards - but both girls were swimming lengths unassisted and very proud of their progress

At Keas, learning to tie reef knots.

Wednesday, after dropping the kids off at school I set off home - decided to drive straight through as there was plenty to do back home and I was eager to get started , so I came straight up the middle through Taupo - had several "cuppa" breaks and one quick nap - easy drive - the weather was all over the place but no real problem. Everything all in order back at home.

What a marathon writing effort - I should have done this in several parts, but didnt have long enough with access to a wifi computer to load photos and do it!