My trip to the Antipodes

Yesterday was a day for lounging round the pool. Trip into town mid morning to walk about the Sunday market but only bought a coffee. The locals obviously enjoyed it as it was quite busy. Local wines and port on sale. Locally made cheeses, lots of fruit n veg, home made chutneys. a bit WI in a way.

Today I did the bay tour that I had starred on last Thursday. Returned to Matauri Bay, the scene of the lost keys etc. Still very beautiful and tempting surf, but carried on around many more headlands and little bays. Most distant destination was KariKari Bay, a wild huge crescent of silver sand and deserted apart from a family group of 4 who were heading away through the dunes back to the only other car up on the cliff top. Great! Good swim and then kit off, sun cream on and help that all-over tan. Nicely getting settled, almost asleep when i heard them coming back. Subtle slip on of top and shorts preserved my modesty. "Excuse me, do you own the red Colt in the car park. Only someone has smashed the rear window" Friendly family. He came originally from Kent but long enough ago to have lost his English.  They were camping over in the next bay and had decided to go back there as the breeze was getting up on the KariKari. After  relating the episodes of Thurs/Fri they headed of back through the dunes. Right settle down again. A couple of turn-overs to avoid sunburn before a few other stragglers came onto the beach. Time to go, it was getting very breezy anyway.

Stopped off in Monganui for the famous fish n chips in the restaurant on piles over the bay. Bluefin in crisp batter, very good and just what was needed after my swim.

Keith had suggested that I take a detour on the return and go via the Kaori Forest. I involved something like 15 miles of dirt track up the hills and through various forests of different native trees and finally to the great trees in question. Certainly huge and well worth the trip. The downside was the amount of dust and grit that I had eaten and was spead throughout the car as a thick layed of dust.

Back at Glenfalloch GH I finf three Roumanian guests have arrived. Mum, who is a qualified civil engineer lecturing in Aukland, her 15 year old son and grandmother. There was some concern when granny went to join mum and son in the hot-tub. But then Mum should have been able to calculate displacement. Archimedes an all that. Mi thinks it might need refilling.

Must go and clean out the car before driving back to Auckland tomorrow to exhange it,.

bfn bertie

Yesterday was a day for lounging round the pool. Trip into town mid morning to walk about the Sunday market but only bought a coffee. The locals obviously enjoyed it as it was quite busy. Local wines and port on sale. Locally made cheeses, lots of fruit n veg, home made chutneys. a bit WI in a way.

Today I did the bay tour that I had starred on last Thursday. Returned to Matauri Bay, the scene of the lost keys etc. Still very beautiful and tempting surf, but carried on around many more headlands and little bays. Most distant destination was KariKari Bay, a wild huge crescent of silver sand and deserted apart from a family group of 4 who were heading away through the dunes back to the only other car up on the cliff top. Great! Good swim and then kit off, sun cream on and help that all-over tan. Nicely getting settled, almost asleep when i heard them coming back. Subtle slip on of top and shorts preserved my modesty. "Excuse me, do you own the red Colt in the car park. Only someone has smashed the rear window" Friendly family. He came originally from Kent but long enough ago to have lost his English.  They were camping over in the next bay and had decided to go back there as the breeze was getting up on the KariKari. After  relating the episodes of Thurs/Fri they headed of back through the dunes. Right settle down again. A couple of turn-overs to avoid sunburn before a few other stragglers came onto the beach. Time to go, it was getting very breezy anyway.

Stopped off in Monganui for the famous fish n chips in the restaurant on piles over the bay. Bluefin in crisp batter, very good and just what was needed after my swim.

Keith had suggested that I take a detour on the return and go via the Kaori Forest. I involved something like 15 miles of dirt track up the hills and through various forests of different native trees and finally to the great trees in question. Certainly huge and well worth the trip. The downside was the amount of dust and grit that I had eaten and was spead throughout the car as a thick layed of dust.

Back at Glenfalloch GH I finf three Roumanian guests have arrived. Mum, who is a qualified civil engineer lecturing in Aukland, her 15 year old son and grandmother. There was some concern when granny went to join mum and son in the hot-tub. But then Mum should have been able to calculate displacement. Archimedes an all that. Mi thinks it might need refilling.

Must go and clean out the car before driving back to Auckland tomorrow to exhange it,.

bfn bertie

An eventful week you might say. Tuesday travelling up the coast from Auckland called in at Waipu Cove and watched the boys surfing and took a stroll along the warm sand around the bay. Lovely spot with a surfers clubhouse but no beer! Lots of piccies. Then on to Pahia in the heart of the bay of Islands. The setting is wonderful with rugged promentories and islands some covered in dense woodland. Great for boating and fishing.

Sense of direction!! took me on an adventurous trip past Waitangi onto a dirt road that wound up the hillside and eventually dropped down to some waterfalls at Haruru. More piccies.

Rejoined the main road and made it to Glenfalloch GH at KeriKeri right on 6pm. There was a note on the doorstep, "Out for 10 mins picking up some other guests make yourself at home" Lovely house and 5 acres of sloping gardens densly planted with all kind of trees and flowering srubs. Great views across the KeriKeri river valley and the constant background rumble of the lower waterfalls. Keith arrived back with Beth and Suzanne, two ladies from Arizona who had been on a day trip up the 90 mile beach. My room is spacious and leads out to the terrace and swimming pool. The hot-tub is up on a veranda with that valley view.

Wednesday.  Keith suggested that I go back to Pahia, take the ferry over to the pretty town across the bay, Russell, and have lunch in the old pub on the waterfront, The Duke of Marlborough, would you believe! At the ferry ticket office there was a scrawled notice offering limited places on an ocean racing yacht, Swift, in a yacht racing event that evening. Went for it. Had lunch in Russell and joined the yacht out on moorings and introduced to Rob, the skipper and Paul, mate. Also joining the boat was Jo a trim young lady from London. We motored down the bay, Jo on the wheel, to Opua where the collection of club yachts were all getting ready for the Wednesday race, WAGS "wednesday, away gone sailing". 3 classes. Swift was one of the larger yachts with the highest handicap. Skipper and crew were very proffessional trimming and changing sails, all action. Jo and I were working equally hard bringing up the beers, which seemed to be just as important to the crew as the sailing. Back at the modern sailing clubhouse there was a great atmosphere, good banter, cheap and good nosh and of course more beer. Had to control my intake as I had a half hour drive back to KK. Jo and I and Rob motored back to Pahia in the moonlight, I was on the wheel this time. Both Jo and I had taken lots of piccies and swapped e-mail addresses to pass them on later. Arrived back at home 11:20. Place in darkness but a pot of tea with cup and milk was waiting for me on the table. Keith is a great host. 

Thursday. Mixed fortunes. Planned to drive around the coast but stopped off at Matauri Bay and stayed put. The surf was up and the sun was shining so in I went. Great. Dolphins arrived in the bay thanks to a motor yacht, and gave us a terrific display. Leaps and splashes. A few times you would get a great view of one or two swimming at speed just under but within the crest of a breaking wave as if looking through a glass wall at them. Time to move on but couldn't find car keys.... could they have been in my swimming trunk pockets... yes! 

Some time later, Don the semi-retired locksmith arrived and although he was able to get into the car using a slightly modified version of the old coathanger trick, would be unable to provide a new key, transponders and things. There was no option but to leave the car, take everything out, and return to KK and  wait for a replacement to be flown in the next day hopefully. To arrange all that needed a landline phone as the bay was not good for reception so Don, who lived between the Katauri and KK, kindly took me home where Susan made me a cup of tea with fruitcake whilst Don and I did the ringing round. Eventuially sorted and Susan suggested to Don that he should take her out for a meal in KK. I said that I would love to join them and that I would pay for that privilage. Called in at Glenfalloch where Keith offered them liquid refreshment whilst I cleaned myself up. Keith then was able to accept my invitation to supper also.

Over a lovely Thia meal I though how lucky I had been to lose my keys. I had made new friends and enjoyed their company. Don had alteady refused to charge me for the call-out and to top my good fortune suggested that if we were to play golf at his club, KeriKeri, the following afternoon that there would be a good chance that the replacement key would have arrived and then he could takle me back to the car. What good fortune. Better to be born lucky.

Black Friday.

In the morning go onto Keiths comuter to try to download my pics. Problems couldn't find them. Perhaps they were automatically downloaded. Looked everywhere in the PC but no sign. Checked in another guests laptop, all gone! Bugger !

The courier delivered the key.

2:30 Don arrives and off to the golf club. Lovely course. fairways like axminster, well trimmed fast greens and delightfull setting. 5 down after 6 but back to 2 down at the turn. Finished losing 3 and 2 but great game.  Now off to Matauri Bay. We saw the car from way up above the bay but I thought it a little odd that there was no reflection of sun from the rear window. Sure enough back window and drivers door windows smashed. The laminated front screen had had a rock smashed into it and the wing mirror also. At least the key fitted and the car would start. Started clearing up the broken glass when a patrol car arrived. Out stepped a well built but friendly looking Plod who walked toweards me hand outstreached, "Hi Terence, where have you been we were all very worried for", "Golfing" I replied. The damage had been reported early in the morning. The police had already spoken with Europcar who had set in motion plans for repairs in KK. He suggested that the car was OK to drive. "But what if I am stopped for damaged screen" "Here's my card, tell em to get in touch if they really need to".

Back at the autoglass folks in KK they said that they wouldn't be able to get the screen until sometime Tuesday As I'm due to leave  early that day I have now arranged to change cars back at Auckland. Until then I have and air-conditioned car with a new spiders web design windscreen. I'm just paraying that it's not raining on Tuesday.

Spent saturday walking the valley up to the Lower Falls and then up to Rainbow Falls. I have more piccies! Just hope that I can get them into the blog at least!

bfn

Good flight through to Singapore. The A380 is great and Singapore Airlines do good nosh and very attractive stewardesses.

More later when I can get piccies downloaded. This computer at the B&B won't recognide my card reader!

Finally arrived at this heaven on earth B&B 6pm local time on Tuesday evening after taking a liesurely and investigative tour up the coast.

Several "Senior Moments" , couldn't find my wash bag. I knew that I'd taken it out in a lay-by to use the nail clippers to take the security tag off my sunglasses. Assumed that I'd left it on the bench at the lay-by. Eventually found it tucked well under the passenger seat and then remembered that I had had to break hard at one point and that everything shot forward off the back seat!

Wednesday I took off for a ferry ride to Russell and had lunch at The Duke of Marlborough. At the ferry terminal there  was a notice offering the chance to crew on an ocean racing yacht that evening. Went for it and had a fantastic evening. My crewing job was helping replenish beers for those doing the work. They were very good but we didn't win. Celebrations back at the clubhouse were very friendly. Met a fellow "drafted" crewmember, Jo from London, who recieved a bit more attention from Rob the well tanned skipper, than I did.

Thursday set off to do a tour of the local beaches but ionly made it to the first one at Motauri Beach. The surf looked so inviting so in I went. Brill. Dolphins arrived in the bay and leapt. played with the surfers and came right up to within 30 yds and you could clearly see them in the face of the breaking waves speeding along it.

Unfortunately I also took my car keys surfing with me and presumne that the dolphins are now playing with them.

Must go for now.  Waithing for the courier with a second set! More news later

Just look what I'm leaving behind. Winter Wonderland  at Rushmere GC

Thats it. Just doing final clearing before I go. Fridge is empty apart for a bottle of milk for the builders when they arrive on Monday.

Off to son Jonathans 40th birthday party tonight, staying with the family and off early hours to Terminal 3.

bfn

No golf today, frosted up, so .. rucksack now packed. Weighs in at 13 kilos which includes tent, sleeping bag and mat. 

Must resist packing anything else. Not necessary!