One less fish in the river (...at last!!!)

Murray and I headed for Turangi on Thursday evening; it was an easy trip because there was next to no traffic and it was a glorious day. We towed the little trailer up with a load of topsoil. We arrived around 7.30 pm and once settled in we opted for fish n chips for tea.

We woke on Friday to find the wind had followed us from PN. It roared through all day but otherwise it was a classic Turangi day. Murray and I got some very necessary chores done [lawns, tidied out the garage and tin shed, emptied the trailer of its load of topsoil - almost filled one of the garden boxes - and had the aerial man around to check things out]. We then stopped for a BLT lunch, went for a wander around town where we bought fishing licences, and visited the flash new supermarket for a few necessities.

We came home to read the papers, caught up with Trish and, late in the day, concreted a chain into a hole in the ground so we could secure the trailer in its new home. Then we made curry and rice for dinner and sat down with a wine to enjoy the evening.

The next morning it was raining! Ian and Robyn were coming down at some stage so once we'd started the day with a croissant breakfast, we got organised and then planned how to create one last garden box (under the window box). We had a cup of coffee and then headed down to the Breakfast Pool for the first fishing session of the season (which started in July). The weather, by this time, had cleared quite a bit, though there was still rain in the air - but no wind, thank goodness!!! As usual, we headed home with no fish. We ate the leftover curry for lunch and were finishing a welcome cup of coffee when Ian and Robyn arrived. We had a bit of a catch up there, then we all jumped in the car to explore Ian's latest fishing spot near the mouth of the river.

That led to a drive to Motuoapa and a look at the subdivision there, and finally we returned home for another cup of coffee. At this point Murray, Ian and I decided to go fishing. Murray and I opted for the Breakfast Pool again while Ian continued across the bridge to the Major Jones. To my surprise, I hooked a fish on my second or third cast. Probably just as well Murray was there or I might have still been standing in the river savouring the moment! My first bona fide fish from the Tongariro [I once caught a very small one and had to put it back] so I am delighted as you can imagine, to have finally landed my first legal fish...

Once home again it was family rules - 's/he who catches the fish, guts the fish' - and once again I had to be talked through it! Few beers, few vinos and dinner followed.

This morning dawned fine and still (yay!!!) - a perfect 'going-home' day. We ate breakfast on the deck and sat and enjoyed a few cups of coffee before we made a move.

Robyn was heading down to Wellington so she left first, and shortly afterward Ian and I headed for the river again while Murray stayed behind to finish off a few things he wanted to get done. We fished in the Major Jones; Ian caught a fish but I didn't. We arrived home to find that Murray had made lunch for us. Sat and enjoyed it, then Ian headed home while Murray and I finished the cleaning up before leaving by 3 pm. Very little traffic on the road so we made good time. Weekends are too short!!!

The Party

Last night Brendan held a party to celebrate his 21st birthday. We put up the 'marquee' in the back yard, hoping against hope that the gloomy sky and high winds would magically disappear. It didn't happen; instead the depressing afternoon weather deteriorated all of a sudden just after the first wave of guests arrived - the winds whipped up, the temperature dropped and the rain blew in sideways. Fortunately the gas patio heater was doing its thing and the guests were all in a party mood. Not only that, but with a barrel full of beer on offer, they weren't about to leave in a hurry...

Brendan dressed carefully for the big night - obviously out to impress...

Brendan's mates gave him a yard glass and it was a compulsory party trick. He made a valiant attempt, but didn't break the record - and any number of photos were taken of his effort, most of which he'd probably prefer didn't see the light of day (ie, those are the ones that came between these two!)

One of his mates also gave him a 'big wooden motorbike' (painted in the colours of the well-known 'green machine' in the garage) and it was signed by all his mates in the time-honoured tradition of the big wooden key:

We served some food (ham on the bone, chicken, coleslaw, bread rolls and mustards/sauces) which went down well, and helped warm everyone up. Fortunately the rain had died by this point, and the wind had dropped a little, although it was still very cold.

It was a low point when the patio heater died and refused to reignite but the revellers partied on, eventually bringing out a few fireworks - very few - to celebrate the occasion. Sometime just before midnight they all left, heading for a warmer place to party in the pubs and clubs in town. All in all it was a good 'do' - and not too much cleaning up to do this morning...

But that was left until after the Rugby World Cup Final. Commiserations to England. How sad. Never mind...

Photos Which Tell Another Story...

By the time you've hung around for 21 years, there are any number of photos you don't want the world to see. Bren's album contains a few gems:

1988

1993

1997

2002

1993

1993

and last, but not least, looking decidedly uncomfortable in a ukata in Japan.

BW turns 21 Today!!!

It's a glorious day here today - just what the Dr ordered for a 21st Birthday! Following is a short version of the many moments during the Boy Wonder's 21 years that made us proud of him....


Here's where it all started:


Five years later he was ready to go to school:

By 1998 he was a strong silent type:

In 2000 he caught his first trout in the Tongariro:

At Auckland Airport in August 2005, arriving home after a year spent in Europe on an AFS Exchange:

By 2007 he was properly grown up. Here he is in Japan visiting his sister.

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY BW!

Love and best wishes from us all.

It's an Unbelievably Small World...!!!

A small follow-up to our Melbourne adventures occurred today. I was out and about in town and ran into Paula, a girl I had worked with some years ago and who I had last seen at the airport a couple of weeks ago when we arrived home from Melbourne. She was there to meet another couple who had also been at the conference. When I saw her today I couldn't help asking how she knew them (I thought she might have been related). But no; it turned out that her mum (who worked for Woolworths also) had introduced them. So being naturally nosey, I asked her mum's name. It was Lynn from the cash office. So there! Small world... just like I said. Or, maybe it's just a PN thing???

The Ups and Downs of the Weekend...

The weekend just past was one of ups and downs, some more major than others. Some of the 'ups' included:

• Friday night is always a highlight!
• Not getting wet while working on Saturday
• Hearing the news that Australia had lost to England in the World Cup... Yay!!!
• Buying new net curtains and discovering that it was the last day for the 'special'
• Going to the 'Irish Rovers' concert at the Regent
• Finally catching up with Karen by phone after trying all weekend
• Cup of coffee with Nui on a sunny afternoon

Some of the 'downs' were pretty down!!! but others weren't so bad. These are in no particular order:

• The LOSS BY THE ALL BLACKS to France!!!!!! (we didn't listen to the radio all day yesterday so that we could avoid the worst of the country's collective depression)
• Murray walked into the open back hatch of his car which I was about to close, and cut his head spectacularly - blood everywhere...
• Returning to the car after the Irish Rover's concert late last night and finding it covered in pigeon shit (like polka dots) - we had to put the hose over it as soon as we got home, but even then it had set like concrete!!!
• Discovering the cherry blossom in the Esplanade had all but disappeared already thanks to the week's winds
• Finding that I will have to take one of my new curtains (the longest one!) up by 5cm
• Taking Nui for a drive and hearing 30,000,000 x how 'turned around' she was by it....!
• Missing 'Kath and Kim' on tv

But things aren't so bad after all. Today is Monday and I didn't get the early phone call. I have a day off to hang my curtains (once I've hemmed them).

The Wine Connoisseur... (not!!!)

When we were in Melbourne, I had the opportunity to go wine tasting in the Yarra Valley, about an hour and a half from the central city. A few busloads of us set off mid-morning and arrived at the first winery just before midday. It was De Bortoli Wines. Everyone else made a bee-line for the tasting room, but I was feeling so queasy from the bus ride that I could only stand around outside gulping in the fresh (and very cool) air. The surroundings were very pleasant though and I had pretty much regained my equilibrium by the time we had to re-board the bus.
A number of people bought wine from De Bertoli (Winery of the Year in 2007) so I guess it was pretty good. I wouldn't know, unfortunately!

Our next stop was at Yerring Station Winery. This was our lunch stop - and it was a nice surprise to find it wasn't the ubiquitous conference lunchbox, but a very pleasant sitdown lunch in their gorgeous restaurant overlooking the Yarra Valley, accompanied by wine, of course. Fortunately by this stage I was feeling more like myself and was able to indulge completely. Delicious!!!

This winery was housed in the most spectacular building. I just loved it, as you can tell from the number of photos I took.... don't ask me about the wine though! Apart from lunch I didn't taste here either.

Following a very pleasant interlude at Yerring Station, we moved on to Yering Farm Winery. This was a more humble establishment; a real contrast to the previous winery. Housed in an old farm building with rusty corrugated iron roof, dusty wooden floors and a big wide verandah with old farm equipment strewn about, it was rustic and down to earth and evoked all things australian. As well as growing grapes, they also had a fair acreage in apples. It was a total contrast to Yerring Station as you can see:


Unfortunately we only had a short time at this winery - just as I was getting my tastebuds back! Unfortunately we had a commitment back in Melbourne and had to be there by 5pm. Accordingly we set off after a quick taste (once over lightly) and after a somewhat stressful trip back to the city owing to traffic hold-ups, we were left with mere minutes to transform ourselves into creatures from the '80's for the 'do' that night.