2020 a year to smell the roses.

It must be nearly Xmas as the Pohutukawa are out, so so pretty.

And so on to our next adventure. We were planning on walking the Abel Tasman but decided to spice up our travels by taking our grandie with us. We were those grandparents taking her out of school before the end of term.

So a few days at Kaiteriteri then on to Kaikoura. The wind was a bit of a problem at times throughout the trip but we still managed to have a good time in a really beautiful place.

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We took the boat trip all along the Abel Tasman calling in at all the pretty bays and even got to see a cheeky weka.

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Staying in the campground in Kaiteriteri we had a few friends. One duck used to knock every morning on the ranch slider when he was ready for breakfast!

And so onto Kaikoura. There was to be two elements to this trip, cray fish and whales. Sadly we were defeated by the wind and not able to get out to see the whales, cute baby seals made up for us missing out. And there were some happy campers.

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Half Moon Bay had seals a plenty. We were lucky to be there a week or so after most of the pups had been born, so cute.

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Travelling back to Picton we stopped for awhile in Blenheim to admire the gardens, really pretty and time again to smell the roses.

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As always another friend made in Picton before the crazy golf championship continued. Koko the undisputed champion. And home via Taupo. We were going prawn fishing but the prawns are dying! Huka Falls instead.

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End of December, Christmas and whanau time. As the UK go back into lockdown we are so lucky to be able to travel, spend time with our family and have near normal times. Loves to all of you out there in the rest of the world struggling with covid. I so hoped to see so many of you this year but it wasn’t to be. Thank goodness for the weekly family quiz. 😘

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So the year is slipping by and of course still no overseas travel so I asked my boss if I could go back to work for awhile in exchange for time off another year when the world reopens. So back to school to help write a timetable. We have a good team and we got it done! Not sure it’s our best work but time was very limited.

However I was able to have a little weekend trip out with my mate Belinda and her mother in law Anne. The garden and art festival is amazing and we got to go into lots of people’s fancy gardens for a nose around. A very hot day and a great picnic lunch, thanks BD 😁.

We finally got some dudes in to create our patio. Concrete and railway sleepers, we love it apart from the smell occasionally from the old sleepers. Hopefully that will fade with time.

And so to our October outing. A trip around the Coromandel peninsula. We have visited many times as it is so close even just to have lunch in Whangamata but thought we could find some bits we had never really seen…. and so we did.

First stop was Miranda, such fun! It is a place where thousands of birds migrate to. We didn’t realise you had to be there at a certain tide time to see them, so had to do some hanging around and then the torrential rain came.. another time we will be more prepared! I did like the signs in the hides some naughty birds are on the wanted posters, must have been up to no good.

On to Thames. We usually pass through but stayed the night and by crickey the fish and chips were worth it.

After morning tea with Belinda and Dirk for the best scrolls ever, the theme for the day was trees and gardens.

Up to Coromandel town we stayed in a motel that a few nights earlier Winston Peters had stayed in whilst on his pre election campaign trail. They didn’t think much of him and neither did the rest of the country it would seem, as he failed to make it back into parliament, the end of a long journey in politics… Or is it!

Dinner at the pub was magnificent. The owner, Stan Hill a former NZ basketballer, sure knows how to cook up a good snapper.

We decided to help out the local tourist economy by visiting the railway. Driving Creek railway did not disappoint. 30+years ago a science teacher decided he’d had enough of teaching and built a railway up a hill just for fun! Even for those of us who are not train spotters it really was fun and interesting. The clay is also used by local potters a good accidental find.

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Onto the East Coast. We stayed in Whitianga for a few days. Great ferry and walk over to Cooks beach. We also went out to the pub to watch the rugby. It was the first time since lockdown that we had really been around lots of people. All went well and the All Blacks won!

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Quick stops along the way to Whangamata including Hahei, Tairua – if there’s a hill climb it- but not hot water beach.. roadworks! Another time.! The weather set in so dirty dash home again.

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Time to take the boat out at home.

So what to do in a new town late afternoon. Well if your with me the botanical gardens, a park, a view and the seaside are usually high on the agenda. Good work Whanganui you had them all and some birds in an aviary all for free, our sort of town.

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Whanganui is renowned for its river so we decided to drive the river road. The river was not particularly pretty, obviously carrying a lot of sediment from the day befores torrential rains. We had a good walk to take in the views and found some interesting bits and pieces. Flour mill with water wheel, the convent, lots of native bush and of course a waterfall (would be impressive from the river but we were a long way away).

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We decided to head to the ‘main’ road for the return trip, turns out it was about 60ks further and just as twisty, at least there was a waterfall 😉.

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Heading out of Whanganui the next day we caught a glimpse of the top of Mount Taranaki/Egmont he soon disappeared into his cloud cover for the rest of the day. We of course had a stop off or two, before driving the coast to New Plymouth. I wonder what they would be…

First stop Bason Botanic Gardens. Magnificent! Stanley Bason was a farmer who loved gardening and left his land to Whanganui. He suffered through his life with depression and sort solace in his garden. He preferred plants to people. He helped with the vision of the gardens and it really was pretty. On the entrance a quote of his rings true in these weird times.

“Through the troubles of this world there still runs a thin stream of serenity for those who seek it” Stanley Bason.

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Of course another wee side trip had to include Egmont lighthouse. Quite bizarre it was a good distance from the sea.

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We stopped off at Opunake to have our lunch, sandwiches and a flask of coffee. Mum your Yorkshire ways travel far ☺️. We watched a few surfers brave the cold, full suits, head gear and feet. We stayed in the car!

And so to New Plymouth, Wayne’s first ever visit. We stayed in town with easy access to well pretty much everything. Late afternoon walk along the boardwalk we did catch the mountain peeping through, it was the last we saw the top of it in 2 days.

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We spent quite a while watching people foraging in the rocks for kai moana. Not sure if they collected much.

Next day we spent of course at the gardens and free zoo. Great for kids of all ages and then took the boardwalk in the other direction. Turns out we walked more than 22000 steps over 16kms so dinner out was the order of the day. Living at a beautiful golden beach, the black sand is quite different, beautiful in its own right, but I think I prefer the gold.

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We decided with the weather about to change to pouring down, we would have one more day and make our way home. We took in Dawson Falls before taking the scenic route to Taumarunui then home. The drive along state highway 43 was quite an adventure. Wooden bridges, a wee tunnel and gravel just a few of its endearing features. Up and over saddles kept up the twistyness we love and a good place for our coffee stop offs, courtesy of Mr Flask.

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What a great adventure. Of course we would have loved to have been at the other side of the world but to be fair this part of the world ain’t half bad 😉.

So we finally decided on our outside seating area! I loved the grass but it was always full of prickles and as people who always go out in bare feet we had to change. After much deliberation it’s done. We also had to save the best orange tree ever, so hopefully it has enough room to breathe.

The beauty of not working means you can do lunch dates with your other unemployed mates.

So now we have the seating area at home sorted no point using it, time to go on holiday. The plan, to head over to the East Coast to see the whanau then head south..

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After Gizzy first stop Napier, always pretty. We walked an interesting route to the Botanical Gardens, it was getting dark by the time we arrived but we had seen every hill on the way, I wasn’t popular 😂

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Heading off the next day we took in Te Mata Peak. We of course walked up but apparently there is a road all the way to the top! A very windy day, a bit of a theme for this trip!

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Carrying on to our next destination we took an 80km detour to this place!

We decided to stop in Masterton for the night… How difficult could it be to get a motel room on a Tuesday night… Turns out quite tricky! According to our very friendly motelier (who may have already been on the sauce!) only 4 motels were still operating as motels. Apparently at the onset of covid most of the motels were taken up as housing for the homeless and other social housing. He invited us to a public meeting later in the week, we had to decline politely we were moving on. Apparently Masterton is usually where all the agricultural sales reps stay and with so little accommodation now available, we were lucky to get in! We left early the next morning things to see and do.

Castlepoint soooo worth the side trip.

1. A lighthouse, we love a good lighthouse.

2. Lovely sandy beach

3. A good walk up a hill (we chickened out half way, was just tooooo steep for our poor knees)

4. Nobody here cos its September!

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After a fabulous wind swept day we stayed in Greytown and treated ourselves to dinner out at the White Swan. Greytown is really cute old town NZ but unfortunately dark when we got there, so no pics! Not being regular dinner out peeps we had forgotten it was still level 2 so table service only at pubs. We got the last table in the restaurant, lucky! The 30+ people in the bar standing around tables were perhaps pushing the level 2 restrictions of 10 in a group a little.

About this time on our trip we had both developed a bizarre cold. During the day, out and about no symptoms happy campers. In the evenings in our motel rooms snotty and sore throats, maybe air conditioning issues! So kept up our social distancing for the rest of the trip… So nothing changed 🤣 we had hoped to catch up with friends later on in the trip but decided best for everyone if we kept our germs to ourselves. Next time Taranaki peeps. Anyhoo on with the trip..

The windiest day of the year, the day a truck blew over on the harbour bridge in Auckland, we decide to go to Cape Palliser the bottom of the North Island. To say there was a slight gale is an understatement. There were times when I felt our Jeep rocking and rolling and it’s a heavy car. Photos at times were difficult as I couldn’t hold the camera still. So what do we do… go up to a really exposed lighthouse. The best part was the workmen were repairing the handrail so there was only one, and boy did we need it. The chaps were on smoko when we arrived and made Wayne really jealous as their morning tea was fried fresh paua they had waded into the sea for! The area is well known for its seals, hundreds of them, and quirky launching vessels for their boats. No-one was out fishing that day!

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Wairarapa you are pretty cool we had a blast!

East Coast done, heading to the west we popped in to see the only white kiwi in the world.

We had a night in Palmerston North as we headed west and hoped to explore, but torrential rain forced us into the museum then the car, Whanganui and the west here we come.

When August came around it was difficult not to once again think if only… August 1 was due to be my eldest brother Stevan and his lovely partner Sue’s wedding day. The whole fam dam would have been together in Ironbridge to celebrate and party and drink great beer… Not to be. We raised a glass of pretty good NZ pilsner in honour of the non wedding day and Steve and Sue had a week away on a non honeymoon. Old covid you pain, you have stolen another fun time.

We encountered a really weird phenomenon on one of our return walks from the Mount. Frequently you come across the odd dead fish on the high tide line, puffa fish are common. On the 3km walk home we counted over 50 puffas spread along the shoreline. No idea why, our theory was that they were by catch from a trawler and thrown overboard as the boat moved along… Answers on a postcard to..

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It was perfect conditions for those who love to kite surf. One idiot was swimming.. Its August man, get a wet suit and watch out for spikey fish on the beach!

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We decided that we needed to support local tourist business and obviously we had had such a stressful year 😂 we needed a holiday. So a trip to Queenstown it is. We have been around this area a few times but have avoided Queenstown in favour of Wanaka as it always just seemed too busy.

We thought we would go and see what winter is really about as we generally only get a couple of frosts here. The view on the flight was extremely promising with glorious views of mountains in the snow, north and south island.

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Arriving in Queenstown airport was a shock to the system. Having not really been out many places in the last few months we were a bit taken aback to walk into this party atmosphere with music blaring, people drinking and generally a good time being had by all, welcome to Queenstown! Having arrived at our hotel and checked out the view, time to hit the town.

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We were a little surprised to see so little snow but it meant getting around town was easy. It was extremely evident that there were no foreign tourists, and even though the domestic market seemed to be going well the shops were quiet. The rides on the lake were still doing a great trade with the drone of power boats a constant background noise.

But we weren’t here for any of that touristy stuff we were here to walk and see nice views. We did 2 big, up walks. Queenstown Hill, and up to the top of the gondola, Ben Lomand Park. The only problem for us doing up means there are significant downs, and for us folk with dodgy knees, it means pain! But we grin and bare it like the real troopers we are 😬

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We also spent time around the lake, sampling the local fare, interacting with the locals and generally marvelling at the lovely views.

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The gardens are worth a visit and no doubt will be stunning in Spring, we were a bit early.

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Great little break and on our return thought spring may be on its way.

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Seals are regular viewing around the Mount now on our frequent walks but for a change we took in the views up Papamoa Hills.

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Rounding out August is dad’s birthday 84 not out and your turn to do the quiz. My goodness you know a lot of stuff that none of the rest of us know. 🤣

Getting the garden ready for spring and summer is next on the job list but that will take me into September….

With the weather settling in to a pattern of cold and rain you have to take the opportunities to get out and about when you can.

With the school holidays happening we were delighted to get our grandie to stay with us for a week. Elise popped over from Rotorua a couple of times and we took the opportunity to take Selah back to Giz so we were able to see the whanau again.

We are so lucky to have a granddaughter who is so easy to please and likes the things I like. Walking is not a strong point but as long as it has interesting bits along the way she manages. Kaiate Falls and of course the Mount base track had plenty to see and do.

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On wet and rainy days a trip to the movies and art gallery keeps you warm and dry. Of course the playground and Hairy Maclary always a favourite. The greenhouse on Monmouth Street a must for our little lover of nature, particularly flowers.

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Playing dress up, creating shoe box houses and a neighbours cat visiting, other highlights of the week.

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The most hysterical time was when the grandparents joined in the sofa gymnastics. Apparently I’m not to share the video of Wayne, you will just have to imagine, that’s if I haven’t shown you already. 🤣

A great week with our little munchkin 😘😍 so grown up.

We decided that our jeep deserved a face lift, the sun and sand had done the damage.

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We also managed to get out a few times in the boat. A couple of times it was nice to have a picnic on the boat… No fish caught. The last time the gurnards came to the party, for some of us.. Bizzarly on the news that evening there was a picture of two boats on the ramp and we are one of them, freaky!

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On to August…

So Elise and I have birthdays only a few days apart so why not spend the week together enjoying ourselves. So that’s the plan a trip to the Tongariro National Park. But first a little bit of fishing fun.

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Due to not being in the UK we have to rely on photos of the new addition to the Eggleton clan. Great Aunty from afar. 😘

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With the UK in even more strife with covid and lockdowns being longer the family quiz occurs every week. It’s a bit more tricky for me as it is early doors Sunday morning, but it is cool to catch up with everyone and see their smiling faces. Go zoom meets.

Back to us and our birthdays. We headed off to Whakapapa for 3 nights, Taupo, Rotorua and Hamilton for 1 night each. Walking is the name of the game and seeing some cool stuff as well. Spoiling ourselves is also important which means no cooking for me for a week yipeee. Tawhai and Taranaki Falls and Silica Rapids keep the legs moving and despite the drizzle mizzle it’s pretty and we have fun!

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And to round off the week a trip to wet Hamilton to the rugby. The new competition in nz, the first in the world to bring back crowds.

The weather in June was pretty crazy with hail and huge winds. My banana plant hung in there. And I was warmed to see my lovely friends again. Anita, Anna and Miriam (no photo too busy chatting) and Cath (she took the photo) and Belinda. So on to July….

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So all the jobs we thought up during lockdown could now be done! Yipeee! We should have been in the UK at this point preparing to celebrate my big bro’s 60th but hey ho…

At level 2 everything was nearly normal and people were excited!

With travel restrictions lifted it was time to head away. With Elise in the back it was time for the Whanau to reconnect over the hills in Gisborne. With a brief stop in Ohope for lunch we were excited to be heading off, still though with reminders of previous times.

On arriving in Gisborne it was lovely to reconnect with our humans but there was a little bundle who stole the show. Despite being winter Gizzy really turned on the weather another beautiful part of Aotearoa.

A trip to the arboretum a great opportunity to stretch our legs and just caught the end of the autumnal leaves.

A short drive away are the Rere falls which are pretty cool and we watched as a young tourist tried them out… Best left to the young and fearless. Video at the start of next month!

As covid got its grip on the world, we at the bottom of the world were to be impacted too. We were lucky, for as the rumours of constrictions began to swirl and anxiety began to rise, a sad extended family event meant we got to see the whanau just before lockdown began.

And then the words, ‘we are moving into lockdown level 4 on Wednesday’ ! The queue at the checkout in the supermarket was something to behold, weaving all the way to the back of the shop, it was orderly though. Throughout the whole lockdown the supermarket staff at New World were amazing and although I was a bit anxious on my first visit, I felt confident in the hygiene practices that were evident and shopping, although not my usual happy place, it was bearable.

So the end of March, all of April and most of May it was just the two of us. How would we cope being the extreme socialites that we are…. Hmmm pretty well to be honest. Things were very much the same apart from we couldn’t go anywhere. Les Mills daily exercise classes complemented our exercise routines we had already established and our walks down to the Mount every other day kept us in good spirits. A call went out to put teddies in windows for kids to spot when out on their walks. Us big kids loved it. One lady at the Mount excelled having a themed new Ted everyday and he had his own Facebook page.

I had, pre lockdown, established ‘a beast’ so I was able to continue to make my sourdough bread and managed just, at times, to scrape up enough flour to keep us going. I did pay $8 for a kg of organic flour once, as it was the last bag on the shelf, I normally pay less than that for 5kgs!

Our walks to the Mount during level 4 every other day enabled us to at least say hello, from an appropriate distance, to other people. From being a bustling little town it soon became quiet. Many families took to their bikes with the roads now safe and the birds, no longer spoilt on chips, just sat around.

When in tricky situations it’s always good to have a laugh. We may not have the perfect relationship, if there is such a thing, but every day we have a giggle at something. To be fair, others would not find most of it amusing but that’s fine too.

During lockdown there was a mega moon, always cool to see the moons reflection on the sea and again reminded us of how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place.

And then great joy, the move to level 3 and the loosening of some restrictions. Paint and grass seed could be bought and the promise soon of seeing the family… Better get those jobs done.