It’s not very often we get to have some of the family together, and so this opportunity to celebrate Antony’s 40th was too good to miss. Sarah had kindly offered to host a get together and dinner and with other family members invited we were all set to go for Saturday May the 4th. Very appropriate date seeing as though Antony is a Star Wars fan. However, as you would have read in the last blog entry, the week beforehand went a little awry with Roy’s angioplasty and stent procedure throwing a bit of a curve ball.
On Friday I went with Sarah to do the shopping and organise the menu, keep it simple yet delicious was our plan. Two legs of lamb to be slow roasted, a green olive salsa, a green salad, a chickpea miso & peanut salad, smashed roasted potatoes with garlic butter, and bread rolls. I said I would go round on Saturday afternoon to help with prep. However, those plans were to change.
Antony had no idea about any of our plans, he was under the impression that it was going to be dinner with Sarah, Shaun and family along with Roy & I. Little did he know!!!
Saturday morning we got a call from Antony, he was in utter agony with severe pain. As we were a good 45minutes away, we said for him to call an ambulance which apparently duly arrived within 15minutes. He knew what is was straight away. This is not the first time he has had kidney stones, he had them back in 2016 which you can read about here and here.
As Roy was still grounded from his recent angioplasty and wasn’t allowed to drive for 48hrs, I dropped him off at Sarah’s, made a few phone calls as I had to reorganise who was going to pick up Jason from the airport. Simon came to my rescue there thank goodness, and I then headed down to Middlemore Hospital. You would think being a Saturday the traffic would not be like it’s usual weekday mayhem, but indeed it was just as bad.
I arrived at Middlemore, found parking eventually, then found out where he was, I could hear him snoring long before I found his room!
Dozing!
He was pumped full of fluid and pain killers so wasn’t making much sense, I made myself comfortable in the chair beside his bed and proceeded to wait. After an hour or so he woke enough to tell me that the pain had now subsided, he’d had scans, blood tests, and was just waiting to see the Doctor. To cut a long story short, he was finally discharged at around 4:30pm, we then had to get his scripts, and find the car in one of the distant parking areas.
I took him to his home where he had a shower and a change of clothes before he decided he would be ok to drive his car over to Sarah & Shaun’s for what he thought was just dinner with us. He said he could always stay at Sarahs for the evening, I wasn’t giving away the plans that we had already formulated that Jason would be staying with him for the night!
We got to Sarahs just before 7pm, where Antony was very much surprised to see not only us but his brothers, cousins, niece, and second cousins. After the initial surprise we set about putting out dinner. OMG, the lamb was just amazing, falling off the bone and deliciously caramelised with lots of yummy, sticky with reduced baking juices and carrots, shallots, garlic that had roasted underneath the lamb in the baking dish with stock.
I forgot to take any photos, how unusual, but suffice to say the meal went down extremely well.
The bearded pair, Jason and AntonyLaurie and Antony….yes, that was a hastily found candle for his cake!!!
It was a great evening enjoyed by all, which I must admit that we were the first to leave later on in the evening, I was utterly exhausted and needed to collapse into bed. Apparently there were some sore heads the next morning, not looking at Shaun and Laurie in particular. Jason drove Antony home and stayed the night with him before catching up with a Simon again on Sunday morning. And no I don’t have a photo of the 3 of them together, I shall try and rectify that next time!
All in all the end of a very busy week where the two Vannini men kept me very busy but at least they are both now very well and healthy.
Antony came to stay with us for a night, as it was his 40th birthday on the 13th! Goodness, where has that time gone, and how did I get to be old enough to have a 40 year old!!!
Birthday cake
We had a nice dinner together before he headed out for the evening, I did a slow roasted leg of lamb with all the trimmings. I had a cake for him for morning tea on his birthday.
He was off to play poker on Saturday afternoon, where the guys surprised him and gave him a new Phoenix (NZ football team) shirt and they also had a cake for him. Lucky fella.
A few days later and Roy was having a birthday, he is nearly twice Antony’s age!!! We headed up the road to Eatery Rothesay Bay for brunch, delicious it was too and one of the best coffees I’ve had in a very long time.
EateryBrunch for two
The following day we had friends come to visit, all are volunteers at Shakespear whom we have got to know quite well over the years. Skip & Mindy along with Alison & Selwyn have been stalwarts of the volunteer community at Shakespear, the backbone of what keeps the park running smoothly whilst taking a lot of pressure off the hard working Rangers. I had made a large pot of soup for lunch which was fitting for a dull day. And yes, I forgot to take any photos.
The following day, another wet miserable day, Peter & Wendy came over for lunch. We spent a very pleasant afternoon wiling away the day. And I even remembered to snap a photo.
Roy and Peter
I forgot to take a photo which included us ladies., oh well, next time!
The van had been booked in at Kaitaia Tractors to get a change of transmission fluid. We had topped the fluid up ourselves whilst at Tauranga Bay but Garry pointed out that it probably needed a complete change. It’s handy having someone who knows about such things, he could tell by the smell of the fluid on the dipstick that it needed changing – who knew to take a sniff at the dipstick? Speaking of dipstick, the ones in the van are incredibly long…as in around 5 ft long!
We were due at the workshop first thing Monday morning so we headed into Kaitaia on Sunday to get a few chores done; laundry, shopping, dumping, getting fuel etc but we also has another pressing chore to attend to. The fridge wasn’t working, in fact it had well and truly died. How did we know for sure? From the very strong ammonia smell that happened on our way into Kaitaia. We knew straight away what was the problem so the fridge was immediately switched off and windows opened. We need to get it removed as soon as possible for safety reasons. But we have a freezer full of fish as well as other delights. What are we to do?
We were spending the night at the RSA and on booking in there and chatting with the bar staff, they very kindly offered to put out freezer contents into their large chiller. Brilliant, what a very kind offer. With that dilemma sorted, after delivering the van to the workshop on Monday morning we headed back into town to try and a) find someone to cap off the gas and remove the fridge b) find a replacement.
We knew we didn’t want another 3 way fridge, that is running off gas/12v/240v, we wanted a straight domestic 240v fridge. Initially we thought we also needed to have installed another solar panel dedicated to the fridge with its own battery, inverter and controller however that was proving impossible to find someone to do all of that. I made contact with Wayne Hunt from Motorhome Solar, as he did all our upgrades of our solar system a few years ago, yes he said, we can comfortably run an inverter compressor fridge on our system very easily, the brands to go for are Samsung or LG, he tells us. Great, now I know what to look for I can do some research. But what brilliant service from Wayne, his continued customer service is outstanding and we can highly recommend his company for good, honest, reliable service.
The other factor was the cost, approximately $3800 for a new 3 way fridge plus fitting including the services of a gas fitter versus $850 for a digital inverter fridge which we could fit ourselves (with help). A no brainer really. With the type of fridge sorted, the immediate priority was to find a gas fitter to remove the old fridge. Again, our fingers did the walking and we found a gas fitter in Kaitaia who could come first thing Tuesday morning and cap off the gas. Valentino from North Flow turned up as promised, on time, checked out our gas system, disconnected everything and then proceeded to get the fridge out of the van.
Valentino and Roy trying to remove the fridge.Getting the old fridge onto the trailer, Valentino offered to take it to the rubbish tip for us, how kind is that?
With specifications in hand we let our fingers do the walking, actually we got Mr Google to help us to find the right fridge. We are limited on size of a new fridge as it has to fit in the recess we have, not such an easy task it seems as fridges are rather large these days. After an exhaustive afternoon spent googling, going to visit shops, suppliers and phoning all over Northland trying to find the right one, mostly being told that they are unavailable, or I have to wait 2-3 weeks, with one place telling me it was a 6 week wait, I finally found a very helpful man in Whangarei at Barrell’s 100% Extreme Store. He went out of his way to be helpful, checking on stock, checking other stores before going straight to the manufacturer. He could get one delivered to us by the end of the week, he told me, brilliant, he even gave a bit of a discount too.
We have to say that the people of Kaitaia were extremely helpful and friendly, from the many businesses we made enquiries with, to staff at the RSA, the café we frequented (Manaaki on 25), where the staff and food were fantastic, we cannot fault the locals from being exceptionally helpful and friendly.
Going without a fridge for a week is going to be a challenge, as well, we needed to keep those frozens frozen for a day or two. Next purchase, a chilly bin and salt ice. The bin was packed with the ice and the frozens carefully placed inside with the the lid closed and taped down, everything should remain frozen until out next destination.
Chilly bin fridge!
We had a one night stop in Kerikeri before continuing on to Uretiti DOC camp where I knew that the managers Steve & Adrien would allow us to put our frozens into their freezer. We just had to wait a few days for the fridge to be delivered, and as promised I had a phone call to say they could deliver it to us on Saturday morning.
Fridge has arrived and is going well running off our solar array.
Sunday afternoon Garry arrived to help us with fitting the fridge into the recess. Some adjustments had to be made because the new fridge is taller than the old one, plus it has to be secured in place. Child proof locks were also purchased to secure the doors so they don’t accidentally swing open whilst we are on the move.
Oh look at all those wires. Remnants of the original American wiring plus new wiring. It was all tested, what could be removed was removed, the rest tidied up and carefully stashed. New wall linings were installed to complete the tidy up.
Of course it did not all go to plan, and new plans were constantly evolving. By the end of Monday we had the fridge in situ but not secured, as the final problem had to be overcome.
The fridge levelling feet at the front of the fridge were the problem and with no wriggle room left at the top we had to come up with another plan. The biggest issue was the left hand foot was under the base of the fridge but the right hand foot was under the hinge of the door, the door sits outside the cabinetry. After a good nights sleep with many ideas running through everyone’s heads, Garry came up with the perfect solution, we needed a piece of angle iron cut to length for the width of the fridge, this could be mounted flush with the base of the fridge with a long bolt threaded through the angle iron into position with locking nuts to effectively become the adjustable foot, as an added bonus it meant that the fridge would be bolted to the floor securely.
Looking through the vent hole and doorway, yes that is the fridge inside the door.It looked like a building site outside.
A trip into Whangarei was required where we found a very helpful engineering company who had exactly the angle iron that we wanted plus they cut it to length and rounded off the edges. Perfect. Bolts were sourced and purchased and back we went to Uretiti. Holes were drilled, I painted the angle iron with rust proofing paint and once the paint dried it was all put into place. However, one of the bolts for the feet was too short to go through all the wood, so I had to go back into Whangarei to buy one more bolt. I was back by 5:30pm, bolt put in, angle brackets had already been secured to the back of the fridge and side bracing put in. It was all done. Woop woop.
We can’t thank Garry enough for all his help and able assistance, and it’s been a bit of a mammoth task as of course not everything went to plan.
Getting there, the final adjustments being made, Garry on the floor and Roy holding the fridge in place. Voilà, new fridge in situ, bolted down in every way possible. The old fridge was probably only as tall as the underside of the energyrating sticker, I now have much more usable fridge & freezer space.
We’ve now had the fridge running for a week or more and energy wise it is very very efficient, we get down to anything between 85% to 87% full overnight so we are thrilled with its performance. It is certainly going to save us some LPG usage with it paying for itself over a very short period of time. As well, it has ice making capabilities which has a certain member of the touring party delighted, lots of ice for his rum!!
It had to be done, we just had to revisit Houhora and Rarawa, we haven’t been back for a couple of years and we really wanted to check it out again. We had originally planned to head up that way and stay and spend some time up here but plans change and we both (Garry and us) have other things we need to get done. Looking back through our blog, I see we’ve been at Rarawa at some stage every year (apart from the last two years) since 2013, no wonder I was missing it!
From Tokerau Beach (blue dot), to Houhora (A), to Rarawa (B), to Pukenui (red dot), to 90mile beach, exit at Waipapakauri, then return home.
Our first stop was to Wageners Camp in Houhora, we have stayed here a few times previously, we went to check out the new improvements made and the winter rates they offer. We would definitely come and stay here again, and as soon as we are able to fit it in.
Looking out to Houhora heads from the campground
Time to continue on our journey north, but first a stop at the container café just north of Houhora for one of their amazing pies. Now these pies are made on-site and have the best homemade pastry, it’s very thin and delicious with the pies filled to bursting with delicious fillings. And not justthe usual fillings either, how about an eggs Benedict pie, or a big breakfast pie – hash brown, bacon, egg, beans and goodness knows what else, or a burger pie, or spinach feta and pumpkin pie, or a paua pie. All delicious.
The unassuming pie shopFound these two fellas enjoying their pies!
From there it was onto Rarawa, we first checked out the camp ground, reminiscing about the times we have been here and the people we have met.
Looking across the campground, the large macrocarpa trees that used to line the boundary along the front of the camp have all been removed.
Next it was down the beach. Here we met up with a lovely local whom we met last time we were here, he regaled us with tales as he came to watch us fish.
Roy setting up his line on Rarawa Beach
We had a great couple of hours here and managed to catch some good fish as well. Before too long though it was time to pack up and start our return journey.
Oh but first we must call in to the container café again to get one of their famous all fruit ice creams. Someone from the touring party who shall remain nameless enjoyed his icecream so much he had another one!
Boysenberry real fruit icecream Garry (with his first icecream) and Roy enjoying their afternoon treat.
From here we made the instant decision to go out to 90mile beach to see what the prospects were for maybe having a fish off there. However, on the drive out to the beach there was a constant stream of vehicles all looking like they were set up for fishing. It wasn’t until we got to the beach we realised that it was the Snapper Bonanza surf casting competition.
Surf casting rods lined a good stretch of the beach, with 1000 competitors, it’s a big event.
As it was late in the afternoon, most of the competitors were packing up and heading back to the weigh in base at Waipapakauri. We joined the long stream of cars driving down the beach.
Driving down 90mile beachIn the queue of vehiclesSome of the competitors at the weigh-in centre. There was a huge marquee set up for prize giving and celebrations. (Photo from Snapper Bonanza website)
Prizes were good too, a new Mitsubishi ute, $30,000 for the heaviest snapper caught over the 3 days of competition, daily spot prizes and much more. It is apparently extremely popular with entries for the following year opening in June this year. You have to be quick to get an entry in.
Back onto the main road and we headed back to base, but we all agreed that we must come back to this part of the country again soon.
We were sitting quietly having our morning cuppa whilst in Kerikeri when I got a call from Jacky….”where are you? How would you like to join us in Russell for the night, we have been given a couple of rooms for the night at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel?” Well, that didn’t require much thought, yes, was the quick reply. We quickly packed an overnight bag and set off to Russell.
The drive is not far at all but Mr Google insisted on trying to take us the long way round over some very dodgy back roads. However, we knew to go via the car ferry which takes you from Opua to Okiato, a much shorter and a more pleasant drive rather than all around your hat.
We had to wait all of 5 minutes to board the ferry, and we were quickly loaded on ready for the short trip across the harbour. Although it is very unnerving sitting in the car whilst passing moored boats.
On the ferry
We were soon at the Duke of Marlborough hotel right on the waterfront in Russell.
Hotel
Checked in, we went to our room.
Our comfortable room
It wasn’t long before Jacky & Chris arrived and we went to sit at one of the hotel tables on the foreshore to watch the world go by and imbibe on some liquid refreshments before dinner.
Afternoon drinks with this view.
We had decided we would eat in the hotel restaurant and really take in the atmosphere. The meal was excellent and reasonably priced too we all thought.
Top: Smoked mullet pâté, carpaccio of tomatoes. Bottom: whole slow roasted shoulder of lamb which just fell off the bone served with all the trimmings that Roy and I shared, followed by a Tiramisu Martini
We all agreed that the meal was outstanding, the menu was full of the best of NZ food. Jacky had a Boil Up which included Titi (Mutton bird) and Hangi Pork Belly, Kumara and watercress, there was also Ika Mata – raw fish salad, and other local delights which were relished by us all.
The R Tucker Thompson historic sailing vessel coming into the jetty. Note that this photo was taken from our dinning table.
It was a lovely evening, tales were told, many laughs were had and the world was put to rights. After a relaxing evening we all headed off to our respective rooms for a good nights sleep.
Morning view.
It truly is a wonderful setting, we could have watched the world go by for quite some time but we had agreed to meet up back in Kerikeri at the Saturday market for breakfast. But first the return trip via the ferry
Yes, we did drive over water!!!
Breakfast was had at the market where Garry joined us before Jacky & Chris left to return home. A lovely change of scene and a refreshing break from the usual. Now we are ready and raring to go to venture further north.
Over the weekend the camp filled with lots and lots of weekend campers, it became very busy and noisy. One of the weekend campers came to say hello. It was Michael, one of the Auckland Council Rangers whom we met for the first time when he was a summer Ranger at Shakespear 10 years ago and coincidentally it was our first year as camp hosts. We got to know him quite well over the subsequent years as he worked at some of the other northern regional parks. And we also met up with him in Spain a few years later.
Top: Roy & Michael in Huelva, Spain in 2017 and below at Uretiti 2024. Both Roy and Michael tell me that they still have the tops that they were wearing way back in 2017 and if I’d given them notice they could have put them on for a matching photo 😂
It was lovely to meet up again and catch up with all his news. Once the weekend campers left, peace and tranquility reigned once more.
Monday morning and I was heading to Auckland for the day with Garry as he had lots of jobs to tick off his list and I could keep him company. It ended up being a full on day of running errands, meeting people, buying bits and pieces and getting lots done. We left camp at 9am and didn’t get back until after 7pm so it really was a full on day but we got everything done. We didn’t get a break to have our lunch until 4pm as it was busy getting from one side of Auckland to the other – we won’t mention the traffic! Meanwhile Roy had a morning in Whangarei getting a few things sorted before heading back to camp for a quiet afternoon.
Tuesday we met up with Gary & Marg in Waipu Cove for lunch. Gary was having a birthday so it was good timing for us all to help him celebrate. Just as well we booked a table as it was really busy with not a table spare, it really is a very vibrant place with great food and very attentive staff too.
L-R: Bernice, Roy, Gary, Garry and Marg
Yes, it is a little confusing with the two Gar(r)y’s, but we get there!! It was mentioned in passing within earshot of staff that Gary was celebrating a birthday and the staff surprised him by delivering his dessert complete with candle and they all came along singing Happy Birthday.
Gary conducting us all singingToilet signsLooking along the beach from Waipu Cove…Uretiti is along there in the distance somewhere
It was a very long and relaxed lunch with lots and lots of talking and laughing, the afternoon slipped away quickly before we headed back to camp and a final fish before we head off tomorrow. And yes, a number of fish were harmed in the late afternoons fishing exercise. And no, we didn’t need anything for dinner as we were all still full from lunch!!
The weeks seems to be rapidly passing us by, I don’t know where the days disappear but disappear they do.
Nothing terribly exciting happening in camp, but we have had a couple of days out and some visitors. We went off one day to give Garry a hand at one of his commercial rental properties to fix up a few bits and pieces before new tenants go in. My first job was to fix the vertical blinds, nothing too complicated just a slow methodical fix was required. Meanwhile Roy was busy setting up and sorting out new light fittings to go in the warehouse part of the complex which also meant hiring of a scissor lift to reach the lofty heights.
“I think it goes this way”…..Roy and Garry working out the intricacies of a scissor lift.
We had a plan, I attached the safety chains to the new lights after Roy had set the lights to the correct colour and settings, then we place one in the scissor lift and watch Garry go up! No, neither Roy nor I are into heights!!
It’s hot and bright way up there! That’s the old light fitting up there ready to come down and a new LED light will be going in it’s place.
It was a full on day but we got everything done that needed to be done including putting in new ceiling tiles in the office space.
A couple of days later Wade & Lindsay came for lunch. Oh how lovely it is to relax with good long time friends and talk the afternoon away. Of course I neglected to take any photos, we were too busy engrossed in conversation to interrupt for a photo opportunity.
Then it was time for us to host dinner for our summer rangers who will be leaving us later this week. Stefan and Aurora have been a great addition to the park over summer and we shall miss their cheery hellos. Emma also joined us for dinner, Bruce couldn’t make it due to family commitments, but it was a great evening sitting outside enjoying the last of the sunshine hours. Aurora is from Canada, so I thought I should cook a NZ leg of lamb for dinner, slow roasted on the BBQ with lots of salads and vegetable accompaniments.
Dinner time!
After the sun had gone down, we retreated inside to play a game of cards.
Aurora (blurry), Stefan and Emma
It was a late night of fun and laughter, and I learnt a few new expressions from the younger generation, not that I will remember any of them!!
Just about time for us to think about our plans for the next couple of months before we head to the UK. Plus do all those jobs we said we would do before we leave Shakespear as we’ve managed to put them off until “tomorrow”, however there’s only a few tomorrows left before we leave.
A school had booked out the campground for two nights, 100+year 13 students plus staff, it was going to be busy and noisy. Why do we need to stay on site we wondered ? No reason at all, so at just after 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon we rang Garry to see if he wanted a couple of visitors for a night or two. Sure, he said, come on up. By 4:30pm we were on our way.
Toll road route for us!
No sooner had we arrived than we decided to head out to the Mangawhai Tavern for dinner.
What a lovely location right on the estuary, we sat outside enjoying the last of the evening sunshine and ordered a lovely dinner.
Looking at the view…rubbish photography skills I know!!
We ordered 4 or 5 plates of food to share, it was all delicious and tasty. It was so nice to sit back and relax whilst enjoying good company, food and drinks in the sun.
We headed back to Garry’s for the night where we had a very quiet blissful sleep.
The next morning the big decision for the morning was where to eat breakfast. I chose outside in the deck, as you can see from the photo below, it was another stunner of a day. If I had thought about it a bit more I should have swung myself further round to the left to show the stunning view out to sea.
Breakfast on the deck at Garry’s
After a leisurely breakfast, the next big decision was where to have morning coffee so we headed off into Mangawhai for a coffee where we sat for a good couple of hours chatting and watching the world go by. I just so happened to give Jacky a call as we had contemplated popping over to visit, however she was on her way back from Auckland. Why not meet up tonight in Waipu? she asked. We are meeting up with Anne & Greg at McLeods Pizza Barn so why not come along as well. Sure, why not. So after a leisurely afternoon of doing very little, we headed into Waipu.
LtoR: Anne, Chris, Greg, Roy, Garry and Jacky – most caught mid mouthful so it seems!
Another lovely evening was spent catching up on everyone’s news before heading back to Garry’s, with the odd diversion here and there to visit previously unexplored bays and views.
Friday morning and it’s time to head back to Shakespear refreshed and relaxed after a couple of nights away. Thanx Garry for our sojourn, we needed it!
Yes, we are having summer this year, the skies are blue, the gentle sea breeze lulls us into a false sense of it not being too hot, the sound of children out playing games or riding their bikes until dusk fill the air as happy adults chatter away the evenings. Kayaks, buckets, spades and boogie boards make their way to the beach and it’s great to see people out enjoying life away from the trappings of modern life. Many of the older regular campers have commented on how lovely it is to see kids running about and having fun in the outdoors and fresh air, making new friends and enjoying nature at its best.
We’ve played cards with friends who are camping, they told us they weren’t really into playing cards but after teaching them how to play 5 crowns, they were hooked.
Rosalind & Gary
We abandoned camp for a couple of days as Antony was due back from his London sojourn. As he was arriving in the early morning we headed down to stay at his place the night before as it would then just be a 30minute drive to the airport.
Waiting
We didn’t have to wait very long as he was thru in around 30minutes. He had a great time in London with Alex, Ian and Callum and it was lovely to hear all the news. We had presents to open and share, thank you to our UK family for our Christmas gifts. Now we can’t wait until we head off to visit in May.
Back to camp we went to settle in for more warm summery days. We keep busy what with sorting out campers and any issues, doing maintenance and chores – yes we still have chores to do.
Antony rang the following day to say he’d brought another present home with him….Covid-19!
Antony’s test
Hopeful we haven’t caught it, we did look up what the incubation period is but it’s hugely variable with the range from two to fourteen days so we shall just have to wait and see and not get too close to people.
Garry came to visit for a couple of days, it was lovely to have him here with us, I cooked dinner the first night for us all. I made Bao buns, slow roasted a pork belly with a sticky glaze and made a quick pickle type of salad with julienned carrots, cucumber, radish and red onion finished with chopped peanuts and coriander. It was delicious….and yes I forgot to take any photos.
The following day Garry cooked a leg of lamb with his new rotisserie attachment for his BBQ, it was cooked long and slow over the afternoon and evening and my goodness it was delicious.
Garry cooking up a stormSlow rotisseried leg of lambSlicing up the spoils
My nephew Stuart came for a visit, along with Emma and their three children. Stuart lives in Dunedin so it’s been a couple of years since we last caught up and it was a lovely afternoon spent talking, laughing and oh, a little swimming too.
Maggie, Toby, Mack, Stuart and EmmaEnjoying the warm water
Meanwhile, we try to stay cool and can firmly attest to the fact that shade under a tree is far superior to any other shade device be it gazebo, awning or umbrella. And as it is so warm we are eating later and later in the evenings when it’s cooler and when it’s more comfortable to cook altho I must say that the bbq is being very well utilised. But we are not complaining at all, summer is here at last.
Just as well we did the shopping on Saturday as later that evening Marilyn rang to say that she & David were heading our way and would we like to meet up. Now, we met David & Marilyn on their narrowboat in the UK just over 4 years ago, you can catch up with that adventure starting here, as well as in NZ. They arrived in the rain at Uretiti in the late afternoon, quickly got themselves sorted and parked up before joining us for a cuppa and then staying on for dinner.
All settled in and parked up
David & Marilyn are vegetarian, however we won’t hold that against them. I had made a leek and asparagus quiche, focaccia bread with cherry tomatoes and balsamic, and a chickpea salad with a peanut & miso dressing (a Yottam Ottolenghi recipe) all of which went down very well with enough left over for Marilyn to have the following evening whilst David joined us in having snapper.
Peanut Butter and Miso chickpea salad (photo borrowed from Ottolenghi’s website, as per usual I forgot to take any photos)
I did the tried and true snapper with tomato, orange and avocado salad as it always goes down a treat with everyone who tries it and I’m assured that David enjoyed it.
Dinner
Meanwhile, one of our light strips wasn’t working which led Roy tracking the wiring through the various cupboards which then led onto an investigative adventure to find out the source of the problem. Of course this resulted in opening up of multiple cupboards which meant a mass explosion of contents to a raft of “why do we have this?” and “do we need this?” type of questions.
Man at workCables and wires everywhere.
The issue wasn’t resolved, however a plan B was instigated which will suffice until another day. It did also make us ask the question “why do we still have a TV?” The one in the above photo plus it’s mate in the bedroom haven’t been switched on for at least 4 or 5 years as we both watch what we prefer on our devices by streaming. Roy bluetooths the sound to his hearing aids and I used headphones to listen whilst watching want we want when we want, we also use them to listen to podcasts and I listen to audiobooks. And I’m sure our neighbours are pleased they don’t have to listen to a TV being played at full volume.
But no TV watching on this occasion, we were introduced to a new old game called Crosshand Poker. It’s sort of a combination of poker and scrabble, with poker hands being the play but joining onto other play. It’s a great game which we enjoyed, so much so I managed to find a set online and purchased it.
Intense concentration
A few days later Marilyn & David continued on their travels around the Far North with lots of information and instructions under their belts. But did they heed any of the advice? Apparently information was accepted but not necessarily absorbed which resulted in a few extra kilometres travelled over some narrow windy roads. They do say that it’s the journey not the destination that is important, but a tired and weary Marilyn may not quite agree 😜.
The Vanninis' Manoeuvres 