Firstly, in response to a comment on a previous entry asking how we found driving through the Forgotten Highway in large vehicle towing a small vehicle…..it was absolutely fine, no problems, worries or woes. Either that means we are becoming more used to driving over narrow, twisty roads, or the anxiety levels are reducing!
Friday and it is get ourselves sorted day. Bernice needed a haircut and something done to her hair to cover up the sudden arrival of a multitude of just the one shade of gray! Off to town and suitable appointments were made for later in the afternoon. Meanwhile Roy had business to attend to.
Van safely parked up in front of the spare hangar, viewed from Barry & Sandra’s base above their hangar. The now unused control tower is in the background
Right next door to the Payne’s is the Taupo Tandem Skydiving venture. Watching the activities consumed a fair bit of time over the weekend.
First is the briefing Plane ready to take passengers
and down they come
First down is the photographer then the rest arrive
All these photos were taken from our vantage point from Barry & Sandra’s apartment.
Sunday, and someone has a birthday. They seem to roll around with monotonous regularity and the numbers keep getting larger. Lunch was had out at the French Cafe and Hilary joined us along with some friends of the Payne’s. Then it was back to their place to have the wonderful coffee chocolate layer cake Hilary had made for me.
the delicious cake, complete with random number of candles.
Now, a couple of challenges have been set today, more on both of these will be progressively announced in the next weeks, with regular updates occurring over the coming months. Watch this space!
Later in the afternoon, Roy & Bernice headed around the corner to the NZMCA park to visit a couple we had met on the road over a year ago and to also make new acquaintances, over the usual afternoon happy hour. Happy hour extended to a few hours before we left and then headed round to Hilary’s to spend our last evening in Taupo with her.
Monday morning, we packed the RAV4 with what we think we may need over the next 6 weeks, bade our farewells and left Taupo
parting view of Tongariro and Ngauruhoe
and headed to Putaruru where we will be staying with sister Sue and husband Jeff. An uneventful trip through some very familiar countryside. However, it was interesting to see the changes in the familiar landscape we once knew so well from our days of living in the region. What were once forests of pine plantations are now cleared land for dairying.
We arrived in Putaruru by lunch time and settled in for the evening of catching up.
Tuesday morning and we arrange to meet up with Roy’s cousin Robert before heading to Hamilton to stay with friends Wade & Lindsay. We are friends from just a few years ago (hmmm, is it really 30+ years) when we all lived in Tokoroa.