Monday, October 25, 2004

17 - 24 October 2004

A whole week!! The boss had been at me all year about getting a decent break (and coincidentally reducing the liability for outstanding annual leave) so I had this booked up for quite a while.

Weather prognostications were not good. First, statistics and history were against us. The Labour Day weekend is the opening of the season for the Mangonui Yacht Club. It is the southwest gales and rain that stick in the mind. There are very few if any with fine days and light winds. Then there is that large low pressure complex sitting and stewing just off the NSW and promising wet and windy for quite a few days....

17 October.

Early Sunday morning is a good time to travel. Very little traffic and good road conditions. Total trip time 4.5 hours almost to the dot. Spent the afternoon on chores. Well I mean to say what is the sense of being on holiday if you spend the whole time working. Get the work done and then holiday.

18 October

Clear calm almost hot. Got out into the garden again and dug the arum lily out of the fig tree. Bit of a mission seeing that the fig has been "cut down" at least twice before. There are suckers coming up all over.

Fay and Ray arrived late afternoon and that was it as far as "work" was concerned.

19 October

Cool, miserable, showers and windy. Much eating drinking and debate.

20 October

Warmer and less wind. Another leisurely day. Took a leisurely trip down to Waimamaku Beach and walked a distance up the beach. Then went around the loop road to Waiotemarama and the falls. The falls are nothing spectacular, it is only a small stream and about a 3 metre drop.

Then down to Rawene and met Jill and Bruce off the ferry for afternoon tea. Very nice. I had sorrel soup - never tried that before. Anyone got a recipe?

Did the mangrove walk as well. First time for that, and it was quite interesting as an exercise in natural reclamation. Most of the area the walk includes used to be sawmill. The outer edges are where the sawdust and scrap "hills" were. They have slowly subsided into the mud but the mangroves are taking over and contributing to the conversion of rubbish to mud.

21 October

A bit windy but fine. Fay and Ray wanted to try the ferry, and to see Kohukohu. I have had a hankering to take a look out through Pangaru so that is what we did. I have now seen the road through from the ferry to Pangaru (surprisingly sealed all the way) and then it is a short distance down to Rangi Point. The view from the end of the jetty has probably only changed to the extent that Kouto on the opposite shore has more grass on it than scrub and bush.

The general consensus was that it was a very interesting trip and there is certainly more to be seen up that way.

Fine and warm enough for a barbeque tea. Steak, sossies and salads.

22 October

A quiet day. Fay and Ray left mid morning. We didn't do a lot. Nice and relaxing.

Oh yes, the forecast was for strong sou'westers, rain and occasional thunderstorms.

23 October.

Spent inside, relaxing. Took rubbish to the tip. Went down and had an icecream at the store. Found that the radio can pick up 1332 AM at night so listened to the analysis of the cricket test vs Bangladesh.

24 October

Clearing up and getting ready for the trip back. Confirmed that sports radio is a night time treat only. At least from home. Drove down to the lookout at about 4 and managed to hear the last 20 minutes of the North Auckland vs Nelson Bays match.

Down to the pub for our traditional dinner.

25 October

Homeward bound. Not a comfortable trip. Outside temp in the low 20s - 23 most of the time - but the car got very hot. Leo quite distressed. Think that the a/c might be on the way out.