We spent our last week in NZ having on and off days, fine, wet, fine, wet, but there was always a space to get out for a walk and for Nina to have a run on the beach and for Hawk to play "bombs away", throwing rocks into the sea. The planned BBQ for Sunday for Mark's birthday had to be cancelled as the elements were trying to breach the front of the house. I think that was the day also that the near vertical hillside was trying to breach the back of the house, with a series of small land slips, or "slups"as they call them. It was a very squeezy experience! Do you know that NZ has an earthquake almost every week???? Apparently they are very small and often not felt, but.....heck.
So the wet Sunday became a trip to the excellent Te Papa Museum, which is great indoor space for kids to run around and fiddle with interactive stuff. Adults too!
Mark had a day off next day and it was perfect weather for BBQ on balcony overlooking great view. Gourmet suasages, chops, steaks, all cooked on his birthday present BBQ from loving wife. Loving in laws gave him binoculars, lets hope they get a good work-out. Chocolate cake once again with candles, saliva and singing, we did him proud. We even had a chat to his Dad Ron and wife Lise in Canada, on Skype, a new experience for us.
That BBQ was serious, it saw us off for the rest of the day!
Tuesday and another day off for Markie, so off we went en famille to Porirua Aquatic Centre with Hydroslide. John and I studied the sliders and concluded it took 12 seconds to go from top to bottom, so we decided we would do it.... We eventually decended a deux (you can tell I have been in Akaroa) with much yelling and a bit of panic, and even did it a few more times so that we could hold our heads up in society. Well you have to, don't you?
That evening I managed to get myself to a local Tai Chi session; rocked up at a convent address to find a beautiful large garden on an absolutely flat large site on a steep hillside, complete with large car park; such a surprise in hilly welly. I was greeted in friendly style, and it was identical to our own class in Shoalwater - exercises, set, etc, really comfortable feeling even though I knew no-one. They are just as friendly as my own group. I left them with a tea towel souvenir from Rckingham and arranged to return the next night with my camera, to take some snaps of their lovely club room. Leasing premises is so much better than just renting sessions, it allows the group to put up information posters, banners, mirrors and wall bars. Perhaps we will be able to lease soon. I discovered later that the nun gardener had won a community garden award.
Going back to Cousin Jim in Noosa, we enjoyed his great knowledge of showtunes and their words, but the one we really got into was "I don't care if it rains or freezes, I'm all wrapped up in Jesus, all my sins are taken away...but that was all he could remember. As we travelled along, whatever went wrong or failed to perform, we used to sing this song, and especially in Arthur's Pass. Well at this point Mark decided to Google the first line and BINGO it was sung by Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. So Mark printed off the words and we got down to some serious entertainment. We determined that we would print a copy of the words and send them to Jim, plus burn a CD and send that too. What a find. Next day we got the movie out just to hear Paul sing it, but the movie was not as good as we expected, although apparently Paul really liked the story.
Time with Bo's was running out. K and M had time out on Weds night while we babysat and we 4 went out for a meal locally on Thursday, the day before we left. I really enjoyed my role as bathtime monitor and made the most of it while I had the chance. Hawk is a little devil, always getting in Hayden's way, pressing and pushing wih much flailing of arms in the hope of making contact, while Hayden plays along and loves it. 2 completely different kids, physically and mentally, and it was great to watch a fight dissolve in giggles.
Friday, time to go..we spent the morning at a local cafe called the Bach (pronounced Batch), great coffee and food, plus newspapers, mags and toys; last few photos and then taxi to airport. It's always hard to leave them but this time we know they are coming home in a few months, so it was not too bad.
Great flight, we had to have separate seats, so I just watched movies, Harry met Sally and Slumdog Millionaires; great. The hotel van picked us up and it was with some trepidation that John left me with the bags and went to collect Rita after 3 weeks of idleness.....
But what a girl! She was so pleased to see him, she started first time and leapt around the corner to collect me and the bags and suddenly it as as though we had never been apart!
It was late, so we made our way west of Melbourne, declining to see Sarah and Rob because I had caught a bad cold and didn't want to pass it on. We found our way to Bacchus Marsh CVPk in order to plug into mains and recharge all batteries. Next day we did some shpping and found a picnic spot and suddenly we found ourselves being familiarised with the history of the women of BM. There is so much information everywhere you go, you can get quite overwhelmed. Gold was the thing, as in so many places, but of course, the women created the fabric of the society and were responsible for the establishment of so many social services. Very interesting.
We expected that it would take 7 or 8 days to get ourselves home, judging by last time, 2 years ago and our only date along the way was with my nursing pal Margot in Mt Gambier, just over the Victorian border in South Australia. Little did we know how much there was yet to see and do, right up to the very last day!
Hopefully by the time I complete this blog I will also have learned how to post some photos. Give me another week...
Great to read the final episode.X
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