November 20 / 21 2004
Another of the overnighters. Up on Saturday morning, work hard, sleep the night, work hard, drive back. It gets fairly hard but there are compensations.
Left at 6 on Saturday morning and had a good run right the whole way through. We were going to do the trip non-stop (no breakfast in Dargaville) but coffee deprivation and hunger struck at around Ruawai so it was scrambled eggs and bacon at the cafe in D. They are getting to know us in there now. Even to the extent of having my varicose veins admired and complimented as a "real landscape".
The lawn was cut. Took a whole 2 hours and a full tank of gas, and it was getting hot. I mean 25+ hot. Well, sometimes pissing with rain does have its compensations. Anyway that was done. Had lunch, a bit of a post-prandial snooze, and then we went out as it was getting cooler at about 4.30 and lopped the tops out of three of the trees round the front of the house.
Saturday night (6.30) was dinner (posh fish and chips) at the pub. They were busy, four large parties and people out on the terrace as well. We made straight for the house bar and turned on the netball. NZ vs Aus with the series at 1-1. A well earned beer, glass of wine, garlic bread, and before we knew it was 8 and we hadn't gotten our fish and chips. But what a game!!
Sunday was dragged out of bed to misty rain, low cloud and a westerly. Went out and tidied around the edges, packed the car and set out home. By the time we reached Wellsford the weather was clear once more and hot, particularly in the car.
Saturday night at the pub was fun. One of the larger parties in the restaurant proper was a group of elderly (I would guess 55 to 75 plus) Maori ladies. These ladies were not local, well the conversation when they came into the house bar indicated not, though there were stated family links to the district.
After the netball finished, their conversation (with the world at large) was prompted by a question from Sue (Ian's wife and part owner). It turns out that they are on an extended tour round the north, visiting rellies (extended, one mentioned in particular that the last time she had been in the Hokianga was 2 years back when she attended the funeral of her brother-in-law's niece), and sites of significance.
It turned out that the highlight to date was visiting Bishop Pompallier, a French Catholic who was very active in the north particularly during the 1820's to 1860. He was brought back to this country from France not so long back and now lies in a chapel at Waimate. They described, with respect and with great pleasure, how they had been giving the honour of having the Bishop raised from his crypt so that they could see him.
These ladies were in and out of the bar during the evening keeping in touch with the netball game and then after their meal watching the last quarter or so. They know the game. They know it weel. The commentary from the tv was not needed; just listening to their analysis of what was going on was great. Much cheering from the public bar with the score running within a 2 goal range both ways. Ahh, there is nothing quite like NZ vs Aus for stirring the blood and the passions.
We will NOT talk about the cricket.
Oh, the Aussies won the netball by 2.
Left at 6 on Saturday morning and had a good run right the whole way through. We were going to do the trip non-stop (no breakfast in Dargaville) but coffee deprivation and hunger struck at around Ruawai so it was scrambled eggs and bacon at the cafe in D. They are getting to know us in there now. Even to the extent of having my varicose veins admired and complimented as a "real landscape".
The lawn was cut. Took a whole 2 hours and a full tank of gas, and it was getting hot. I mean 25+ hot. Well, sometimes pissing with rain does have its compensations. Anyway that was done. Had lunch, a bit of a post-prandial snooze, and then we went out as it was getting cooler at about 4.30 and lopped the tops out of three of the trees round the front of the house.
Saturday night (6.30) was dinner (posh fish and chips) at the pub. They were busy, four large parties and people out on the terrace as well. We made straight for the house bar and turned on the netball. NZ vs Aus with the series at 1-1. A well earned beer, glass of wine, garlic bread, and before we knew it was 8 and we hadn't gotten our fish and chips. But what a game!!
Sunday was dragged out of bed to misty rain, low cloud and a westerly. Went out and tidied around the edges, packed the car and set out home. By the time we reached Wellsford the weather was clear once more and hot, particularly in the car.
Saturday night at the pub was fun. One of the larger parties in the restaurant proper was a group of elderly (I would guess 55 to 75 plus) Maori ladies. These ladies were not local, well the conversation when they came into the house bar indicated not, though there were stated family links to the district.
After the netball finished, their conversation (with the world at large) was prompted by a question from Sue (Ian's wife and part owner). It turns out that they are on an extended tour round the north, visiting rellies (extended, one mentioned in particular that the last time she had been in the Hokianga was 2 years back when she attended the funeral of her brother-in-law's niece), and sites of significance.
It turned out that the highlight to date was visiting Bishop Pompallier, a French Catholic who was very active in the north particularly during the 1820's to 1860. He was brought back to this country from France not so long back and now lies in a chapel at Waimate. They described, with respect and with great pleasure, how they had been giving the honour of having the Bishop raised from his crypt so that they could see him.
These ladies were in and out of the bar during the evening keeping in touch with the netball game and then after their meal watching the last quarter or so. They know the game. They know it weel. The commentary from the tv was not needed; just listening to their analysis of what was going on was great. Much cheering from the public bar with the score running within a 2 goal range both ways. Ahh, there is nothing quite like NZ vs Aus for stirring the blood and the passions.
We will NOT talk about the cricket.
Oh, the Aussies won the netball by 2.
