Catch up, you lot!

OK, so here we are, back home again. And once again I have slipped up on the blogging routine. I am not quite sure how to remediate this state of affairs in the future, but I think it may involve David taking over meal preparation when we arrive somewhere so I can exercise my creative bent on something other than food.

Not sure how that plan will work, so don't hold your breath, folks!

We had curtailed our travel plans back in Waitara. The decision was based on my not wanting to spend too much time driving - the Far North is a very long way away, don't you know?

So our aim was the Bay of Plenty and the Coromandel. There is lots to see in both areas and people to catch up with. So after our lovely two days at Tongaporutu, we headed off reasonably early for us on March 6th, to Tauranga. Our intention was to get to the Memorial Park which is adjacent to Barry and Pauline's place and score one of the free motorhome parks there. We got there about noon, but both spots were taken, there were thousands of cars and millions of kids - school swimming sports, I think. We got a recommendation from one of the motorhomers in situ and headed over to Tauranga Tourist Park - a lovely place as it turned out and we scored a site in the shade and beside the estuary - so lovely and it was cooler than the other sunny spots. Have I perhaps told you I don't like the heat?

The laundry method of putting the washing and soap powder into the bucket with a small amount of water and leaving it to vibrate as we travel was successful (I put it in the shower which is right at the rear of the motorhome - site of the most movement and vibration, methinks). So the first job was to rinse it all (under the outside tap by the motorhome), wring it out and peg it on our drying rack. And given there was a laundry on site, we got the sheets and towels washed too. Fortunately, they also have clotheslines so I didn't have to use the dryer or try to hang lots of stuff on the small rack out the window ...

We had a couple of days with Barry and Pauline, they of narrowboating fame on this here blog before they moved back to NZ late last year. One day they led us on a VERY VERY long walk (about 16 kms I think, or maybe 600kms, I can't remember ...) of which we took no photos (too exhausted) and which we survived but only just - a nana nap was required.

Another day they took us on a walk around Mt Maunganui - not so long and very pleasant.

There are large numbers of pohutukawa trees on Mt Maunganui, and their roots are very good at holding on ... In the early summer, they look just beautiful with their bright red flowers - they are known as the NZ christmas tree because they flower about then.

Pauline and I were waiting here on a bench for David and Barry to come past - they were deep in conversation and we thought they may not see us if we kept still ...

Difficult to see, but in the water over by the rock and in front of the woman in the kayak you can just see the flippers of a seal who was basking in the warm water and the attention. I was interested that the school kids were focused on what their teacher had set them to do and observe in the rock pools rather than on the seal - excellent teacher, I say!

This rock has had the addition of a stick to make it look even more like a kiwi.

One part of the beach at the Mount. There were lots of tents set up on the beach (just out of shot) for the junior surf lifesaving champs that weekend.

And we walked further down the beach (after coffee and a bite to eat) - quite a few people swimming, given it was a work day.

We then headed to Waikino to get re-acquainted with Brian who we met once about 10 or so years ago at my cousin Gordon's place in Surrey, where Brian was working for Gordon on house destruction, house building, barn construction. He showed us his photos from his times working with Gordon - he would come home in the UK winter, and as you know, that makes sense to me ...

Brian is an interesting man - he lives simply, drives an electric car, works as a volunteer for DOC and other community based groups with a focus on the environment, pots and nurtures cuttings of native trees and plants and donates them to re-forestation projects. On the day we arrived he had given away 360 plants in pots and there was barely a dent in his potting patch.

He took us to the oldies' dinner down to the local pub where we met several of his friends and neighbours. A good meal with convivial and interesting people.

Brian

When we left, Brian gave me two tamarillo plants (and I gave one to Pauline when we saw them again at Papamoa).

We headed back in to Waihi so that David could do the Gold tour - I stayed behind and blogged and blobbed. I parked the motorhome just beside the replica poppet head - made me quite nostalgic for my days working on the Waiuta Mine Remediation - no poppet head there now, but I've seen many photos ... Thanks, Jim!

On his return David took me for a short walk up to show me the open cast mine - now abandoned. It is very deep. Read more here. Mining now is all underground with lots of adits and tunnels under the town - spooky. Apparently the mining company has a policy of paying residents whenever the vibrations from blasting exceed a certain level. Not sure it would be the place for me to live.

The open cast Martha mine

The Cornish Pumphouse which, surprisingly enough, was moved 300 metres - on teflon-coated concrete rails (I think - check it out in the link above).

The replica poppet head - you can see how big it is as the motorhome (2.4m) is parked behind it.

As we were going to stay with Mike and Helen in Tauranga on Sunday night, we decided to stay at Waihi Beach NZMCA camp on the Saturday night - there are lots of carparks we could have parked in along the beachfront, but I am always a bit wary of them on the weekend - local hoons do not fill me with joy.

Then, before heading back into Tauranga, it was back to Waihi - we had been trying to connect with Del and Al from nb Derwent 6 who were in NZ touring in a motorhome. But it had proved quite difficult to coordinate. But persistence paid off and we arranged to meet beside the poppet head, and I promised cheese scones and coffee. At about the time they turned up, a young couple in a car told me that whatever I had cooking smelled yummy. So a couple of scones (buttered of course) were donated to them. That did save the other four of us from total gluttony. But only just - there were still 13 scones among 4 of us ...

Hayley and Rob scored a cheese scone each - you can see them in the paper towels.

Del, Al, D&M plus scones - Del had to take the photos as he has the longest arms for selfies.

And then, for some unknown reason, David tossed my phone back at me and knocked over Del's coffee which went all over my shorts and the blanket protecting the seat. He swears it was accidental and that it just flew out of his hand, but I am not so sure.

If you follow me or Al on fb, you may well have seen this photo. See, I have forgiven David.

Into Otumotei in Tauranga we went, and it was great catching up with Mike and Helen - Mike and I worked together at Waiuta and Alexander on the mine remediation, Mike was site supervisor and Dean's right hand man. Mike and Helen came and stayed with us on the boat in 2017 and he is a great steerer. Hopefully they will come and see us again there, even if it is with a rented boat that Mike doesn't have to share ...

We parked on the sloping bit of lawn at the front of their section and Mike had to find a number of bits of wood to make sure that we were almost level - cannot have me rolling in to David overnight, now can we?

David and Mike on the deck, with beer.

Helen with wine. I think I had some too.

I am not sure if it was the overload of gluten or cheese, but we decided sometime around then not to go to the Coromandel (or possibly it was much earlier when we were trying to hook up with Del and Al and prior to the cheese scone gluttony). So the next stop was a whopping travelling time of an hour away at Papamoa.

Papamoa is a lovely place just a few kilometres down the beach from Mt Maunganui. As it is so close to Tauranga, we knew we could tempt Barry and Pauline, the exercise freaks, with a walk on the beach and a swim. Yep! They came to see us there two days in a row - two walks, two swims, two lunches and one dinner, I think.

David and Pauline at Papamoa Beach

Barry in photographer mode. David and Pauline were well ahead and I left them all to it and headed back to the motorhome - only one problem in that David had the keys in the backpack, dammit! One of those hills in the distance is the Mount - just not sure which one ...

While we were waiting for David and Pauline to return, Barry and I watched the kite surfer - well, more accurately, we watched his kite.

One night we met up with my nephew Jonny and his wife and two daughters over dinner at the Papamoa Tavern. Good food, good chardonnay (the Bastard Series which I had in Dunedin too - good and oaky as a chardonnay should be).

Jonny holding Charlie, Eva in the high chair, and Debs. Strangely enough, this is the first time we have met Jonny and Debs' wee girls. Not sure how that has slipped past us.

The catch up is not yet completed, so stay tuned. More tomorrow, I promise!