A busy last week

After all the excitement of the past week, Sunday I gave myself a well earned lie in before getting on with chores and shopping. But before that I must first say a huge thank you to Peter & Wendy who cooked us dinners and lunches over the past few days and generally made our lives so much easier whilst Roy was being sorted. We can’t thank you both enough for your hospitality, generosity and kindness, it is extremely humbling.

Wendy & Peter celebrating with us.

Monday, Roy had a visit to the ear clinic then Tuesday morning he was supposed to get grommets put in both ears. This will hopefully sort out the hassles he had on our last trip in 2022 which wasn’t resolved until we had returned. You can recap that adventure here. But in what seems to be the norm for us at the moment there was a change of plan. The specialist was unavailable so it was postponed until Wednesday, which meant we had a quick rethink and replan. Instead we decided to pack up and move over to Ardmore on the south side of Auckland for a night. We would be closer to the specialist, also around the corner from Antony and we could drop off our luggage, after packing it of course, and then deliver the van to the workshop on Wednesday afternoon.

We quickly packed up, said hooray to Peter & Wendy although we shall see them again when we deliver the van back in a few days, and headed off across Auckland.

Once at Ardmore we started packing our bags, there is so much to think about what to pack for five and a half months away. But we soon had most of it done and we delivered the bags to Antony’s.

Wednesday morning we were off again across the city to the ENT specialist. He was fitting Roy in between surgery and other appointments so we had a little wait. Roy was soon in the chair and discussing the options. Two different types of grommets (who knew) were finally decided upon, one type in one ear, the other in the other ear.

In one ear

Then the other….you can see right through now 😜

We returned to Ardmore and packed up the last of the essentials plus we attended to the emptying out of the cupboards as well as the fridge and freezer. We delivered all of that to Antony’s then it was back to Ardmore to take the van to the mechanics workshop but not before emptying the waste tanks along the way.

With the van safely delivered we are now guests at Antony’s for the next few days, I’m sure he’s delighted! At least he gets his dinner cooked, his washing done and his house tidied. We are repacking the bags, taking out unnecessary items and trying to minimise what we take. Although one bag is full of goodies that have been requested for delivery so we shall have one empty bag soon after we arrive!!

The final countdown is on, as of now, just two more sleeps until we step on the plane. See you soon London and London family.

Heart stoppingly lucky!

Have I mentioned before that we are off to the UK shortly? Yes, we are on the countdown, making lists, packing necessities, sorting out all sorts of stuff as we won’t be back until mid October. The days are whizzing by with many things to sort out and it is keeping us very busy. But sometimes things happen that you aren’t expecting which result in a whole lot of changes in plans.

Monday 29 April: Roy had an email from his cardiologist reminding him that he’s due for a checkup. Hmm, shall we see if we can get in before we go away or wait until we get back? We ring to see if we can get an appointment before departure day, yes, tomorrow morning at 8am is the only available time! We will be there.

Tuesday 30th April: We join the throng on the Auckland motorway to get to Ascot in Greenlane. Roy has his checkup, but, oh no, things aren’t all that they are supposed to be, his heart is not working properly when he was on the treadmill. This needs to be checked out pronto. The upshot is that on Thursday morning he will be going in for an angioplasty/angiogram and if required stents will be put in. As you can imagine, that put us into a bit of a spin, with many things to organise and sort. Just as well we have medical insurance albeit just to 80% of the cost of procedures, the bank balance is taking a hammering but better than the alternative.

Things are having to be rescheduled, the first being that he was supposed to be having grommets put in his ears on Thursday morning so we had to cancel that appointment and try to reschedule. Meanwhile the audiology centre rang to say that they wouldn’t be able to take Roy this afternoon for earwax removal as their audiologist was unwell. Many phone calls to and fro, we have a new appointment for the ear wax removal for next Monday but the grommet procedure cannot be rescheduled as the surgeon is fully booked. We get back to the van and have a bit a regroup. It never rains but it pours!!

Wednesday 1 May: The ENT specialist rang to say they are going to squeeze him in on Friday 10th May as they knew the main reason for having the grommets put in was for flying, so phew, we can get that done. Meanwhile Garry called in on us to see if we could look after his ute for him for a couple of days and pick him up on Friday when he returns from delivering a truck to Rotorua for a family member, no problems with that, and yes Peter & Wendy kindly said it was OK to have his vehicle at their place.

Thursday 2 May: We arrive at Ascot Hospital ready for his 6:45am procedure. At least the traffic isn’t such a problem at that hour of the morning.

Waiting for the surgeon.

I am allowed to wait in his room for his return from the angiogram where they inject dye and follow it on the scan. The nurse comes tell me that yes, they are definitely putting in a stent, but he will be back to his room in a short while. He is soon returned with the procedure all done in under an hour. Isn’t it amazing what they can do and all through a small incision in his wrist?

There was major narrowing of an artery, down to 0.1mm we are told, with the stent in situ, the opening is now 4.1mm

Scan of the before and after procedure with the narrowing highlighted.

We cannot believe how incredibly fortunate we are that this is discovered and sorted now, he was a walking timebomb.

All done and dusted, colour back in his cheeks, coming round from the “happy meds”.

Once he was settled back into his room, he was allowed breakfast. We could peruse the menu and order whatever he wanted, once it was ordered I took the opportunity to make a quick trip out to Beachlands to meet up with John’s partner Jude as she had brought some honey up from Opotiki for us to take to the UK. The weather was pretty rubbish but the drive wasn’t too bad and before long I was back at the hospital ready to play the waiting game.

We had to wait until the incision wound stopped bleeding, as Roy is on blood thinners, this took a little longer than usual. Then we had to wait for Mr Jaffe to come in and check on him, give him some new medications and instructions before we were allowed to leave. Meanwhile the ENT specialist rang again to reschedule his grommet procedure which will now take place next Tuesday, which then meant we had to cancel his appointment at the Skin Clinic. Why oh why are all these appointments happening in the last two weeks before we leave? Note to self, get all these appointments out of the way well before travel! By 4:30pm we were back on the road with most of Auckland for the slow drive home.

I don’t think it has really sunk in yet as to how fortunate we have been for this to have all fallen into place, I mean how canny that the email came thru and we decided to act on it straight away? But also that it was picked up and sorted before it caused a heart attack.

We are off to buy a lotto ticket now!

13 years on the road

Waaaay back in March 2011 we bought this van/RV/motorhome (I never know what to call it, apart from home) and set off on what we envisaged being a one or two year trip discovering the high ways and by ways of New Zealand whilst checking out where we may want to one day settle. Fast forward 13 years and we are still travelling, still haven’t found exactly where we may like to settle one day, but why stop when you just love living this carefree life.

What would I do differently or tell someone who is contemplating hitting the road? First and foremost, make sure that you and your partner are on the same page and that you actually like each other! We’ve seen a few people hit the road with all good intentions but then discover that they either can’t get on in a confined space or don’t have a good enough relationship to be able to do their own thing when they want to. You each have to be comfortable in your own skin.

Secondly, slow down and take your time. We started with a hiss and a roar, moving every other day and rushing around to fit lots in. Why? Take your time, enjoy where you are, explore, talk to people, do new things, see what’s around you. It takes a while to slow down and smell the roses and enjoy your surroundings, in the end it’s worth it.

Next, make sure your accommodation suits both of your needs. Is it big enough? Do you want to make up a bed every day or do you want a permanently set up bed? Does it have enough storage space? Does it have enough load capacity i.e. what weight you can legally carry in your vehicle. Can you both drive it/tow it? You never know when there may be an emergency. Do you want a separate vehicle ie. a tow behind or a vehicle you tow your caravan/5th wheel? Do you want a car or a 4WD? Do you want to go off-roading or just use it for shopping or small trips? Or are you happy using your motorhome/van or maybe biking for those every day chores. That’s the next thing, do you want a bike and is your vehicle able to store or have the ability to have a safely and securely mounted bike rack? Do you want ebikes and can you recharge them easily?

We love living in our tiny home on wheels, we’ve done the big houses and property thing and quite frankly we don’t want to do any of that any more.

We’ve covered the country from Cape Reinga to Bluff, more than once, and yes we do revisit favourite places but we also like to explore new-to-us places and yes there are still plenty of places to explore and discover.

Someone once said that you retire so that you can have the time to keep all the medical appointments that suddenly seem to creep up on you, and sure, we have had our fair share of appointments, surgeries and checkup but we still want to carry on as long as we can.

Another wise person told us that as you get older your circle of friends tend to shrink, and you can become quite insular particularly if you don’t take up opportunities as they arise. One of the best things about living this lifestyle is that we are constantly meeting lots and lots of new people, some you instantly click with and you become great friends, others you may share an interest, others you meet up with occasionally as your paths cross. But there is a definite community of fellow full timers (and part timers) whom are welcoming and helpful, probably more so than when living in ‘sticksnbricks’, people are willing to stop, chat, say gidday, or conversely leave you alone when you want to be left alone to enjoy a bit of solitude. We definitely would not have met some of the folk whom we now consider very good friends had we not been on the road.

We would encourage you to shop local, especially in the smaller centres, you will find all sorts of wee gems out there of people doing amazing things wether it be food, art, mechanical repairs and many other things. That also goes for visiting local museums, galleries, or even libraries, it’s amazing what you will find.

We have been very fortunate to not only be able to travel around NZ but we’ve also managed to fit in quite a number of trips overseas. Each of our trips have been very different but all have been for 4-6 months at a time; from travelling around Europe in a motorhome, lots of train travel especially around Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and England. Narrowboating in England (thanks Marilyn & David), barging in France (thanks Ruth & Roger) and a Baltic Cruise plus of course plane travel, bus and car hire.

Before you ask what are your long term plans? The short answer is that we don’t have too many. The last 4 years in particular have demonstrated how quickly life, the world and our environment can change. We don’t know what is ahead of us but we are making the most of what we have, the time, the places and people we care about. Ask anyone who has faced their own mortality for whatever reason – money, property, cars and other trappings of modern life’s “status symbols” are not what is important, it’s about living life, exploring, creating memories and relationships and making the world a better place.

Reflecting on the last 13 years of travelling is there anything I would change? Apart from doing it earlier? then no, not a lot.

First visitors

Our dear friends Wade & Lindsay came to stay for a few nights with us at Whakapirau. They have stayed with us previously here but had their stay cut short due to a tragic event when Lindsay received the news that her brother has died suddenly and unexpectedly in France, you can read about that here. So it was with some trepidation that they returned. But this time things went off without a hitch, we did very little, relaxed, read, cooked, ate, played games and talked and talked.

We had to watch the All Blacks play against South Africa, although it wasn’t such a pleasurable watching experience.

Wade, Roy & Lindsay watching the lacklustre game unfold

Walks were frequent, followed by appropriate relaxation and reading a book or two were completed. Although sometimes the eyelids had to have a rest whilst reading.

The reading gave way to napping

Many games of Rummikub were played, the competitive streak was apparent in some of us more than others, but it was all good fun. We had forgotten to bring 5 Crowns with us but that has now been rectified and we have a pack with us for future use.

It’s so lovely to catch up with good friends in such a beautiful location where the greatest excitement of the day is watching the boats turn with the change in tides! The weather has been favourable too with lovely fine days and with daylight hours stretching out giving us stunning sunsets to sit back and watch. Life is good.

Later Lindsay wrote :
It was a special healing time for me…. I doubt I’ll ever fully recover from Bruce’s death but returning to Kaipara was unexpectedly healing from many perspectives and put life into perspective.

More drama & some house sitting

Another couple of incidents happened before we left South Auckland. They both occurred the following weekend from the excitement at the Papakura Club. The first was when I went to get a few groceries at the local New World supermarket, just as I entered the store through the gates with my trolley, alarms bells and sirens were set off and staff were running towards me from all directions. Goodness, did I set off the alarms at the entrance somehow? but no, just outside the door a kerfuffle had erupted with lots of shouting and what looked like fighting. I took off to the rear of the store to get away from it all, I figured there were enough people to sort out whatever it was. It later transpired a female had tried to shoplift some wine bottles, on being stopped by staff outside she then proceeded to attack them with the bottles, shouting profanities, and basically fighting her way out. Did I mention before that I’m sensitive to noise? I particularly don’t like people shouting and yelling, it’s such a horrid thing to do.

The very next day I went to the laundromat. I had loaded up the machine and went back to the car which was just outside the door to wait for the wash to finish. Next minute a car pulled up behind me, a female who was outside the car was yelling at the male driver, through his open window, she was attempting to punch the man through the window, he was shouting, she was yelling and children who were in the rear of the car started crying. Obviously a domestic dispute in progress, the car started slowly driving off but the female continued walking alongside shouting and yelling profanities. Thankfully the car drive off and peace resumed.

What is with people? Why air your grievances in public? I had written a whole paragraph about my theories on why people behave in such a manner blaming everything from Covid, to the cost of living, to climate change, to social media and everything in between but decided I didn’t need to. Please people, think about what you air, wether it be written (txt, email, social media), video, verbal or by your actions as it’s out there in cyber world forever! Rant over.

Now onto much nicer things. We met Peter & Wendy on our travels around NZ, they own an American Holiday Rambler RV like the one that Keith used to own, in fact it’s through Keith that we met Peter & Wendy. Over the years we have met up at various places throughout the north and they have stayed at Shakespear with us numerous times. Peter also has an AeroKontiki drone for fishing.

At their last visit to Shakespear, they mentioned that they were heading overseas for a few weeks and asked would we like to housesit for them. It wouldn’t be an onerous task they said, no animals to care for, no lawns to mow, just somewhere to safely park and enjoy the surrounds. Make use of the house, man shed, shower, washing machine and the hot tub they said. How could we refuse? They live on 5 acres just out of Albany, north Auckland.

We are where the blue dot is located on the map.

So it’s time to move on. We headed off across the city on a very grey, wet, miserable day, we had woken to thunderstorms and torrential rain but by mid morning the skies had started to clear. With the break in the weather we decided it was time to go, first to the dump station, then to the fuel station. Ask Roy about why we had to borrow a petrol can and put 10 litres of fuel in the tank before we could head off 🫤. The traffic was light (especially for Auckland) and we were soon arriving at Wendy & Peter’s to park up for the next few weeks.

Parked up safely at the rear of the drive

We spent a couple of days just relaxing and getting ourselves oriented with the property before Peter & Wendy were off on their travels. We have plenty to keep us occupied plus we may even do a bit of exploring around this area as it has been a few years (think decades) since we have been in this neck of the woods. Now all we need is some decent weather 🫤.

Lockdown

Can we go now? How about now? What about now? Yep, it’s Covid hump day. I really, really, want to get moving again, get underway, have a change of scenery….anything! Let me outta here!

I know that I shouldn’t complain as we are really fortunate to have been so long without constant lockdowns, and I know I will just have to have a serious word or two with myself, take a concrete pill and just get on with things. Humphfff.

So we manage to fill our days doing odd jobs, fixes and maintenance as well as the usual cooking, baking of bread (yes, I have plenty of flour thanks), and the odd bit of knitting is also done. This lockdown is very very different to our other experiences of level 4 lockdown which was at the start of the pandemic in NZ in March 2020. The major change from last time is the change in attitude to those over 70, as most if not all would be fully vaccinated this time round therefore the call for over 70’s to stay at home is lacking. The other lockdowns have been short sharp and over with quickly however I fear this delta variant will extend our inability to be mobile.

We just have to look across the Tasman to Australia and to our Pacific neighbours in Fiji to see what a devastating effect the lack of lockdowns can have on the population.

Level 4 lockdown is extended until Tuesday August 31st at midnight then we will move to level 3 apart from Auckland and Northland who will remain in level 4.

What does that mean for us? Well, nothing really, we are still unable to move out of the region but we may be able to visit the drive through takeaways…whoopdedooo, not something that is high on our list of things to do.

A change in lockdown levels.

We’ve just been told that we will be at alert level 3 for a further week (until September 7), and Auckland for a further 2 weeks. What that means for us is that we should be able to move in a weeks time, however, we will not be able to move through the Auckland region so plan C will be worked on over the next few days to see where we end up.

Meanwhile, I did make the new lockdown food trend of Ham, Cheese, Chilli and cream cheese scrolls…

Delicious scrolls

Update: This is the second day at level 3 please note that we did NOT race out to frequent takeaway venues as seems to be the want of many, instead we did our usual thing. The sun is shining, there’s not a cloud in the sky, it’s a tad windy but it’s the official start of spring so plenty to be positive about. Only another week to go.

Oh, and I need a haircut too!

Wellington-Waikanae and a Covid update.

A busy few days in and around Wellington was on the cards and after a few phone calls plans were put in place. We popped up to Waikanae to see Marilyn & David whom you may recall we first met up with them here on their narrowboat in the UK. After a pleasant couple of hours chatting, out came the cards to play 5 crowns before dinner. Marilyn had prepared a lovely meal for us and we even came away with left overs with a promise to return her container on Sunday on our way heading north.

Much hilarity ensued during the evening, especially when Marilyn was trying to negotiate the new NZMCA App…as well as much colourful language.

Top left: Marilyn pointing the finger & name calling! whilst Roy watches on Bottom left) David gathering video evidence Right: Marilyn expressing her frustration

I would have posted the video David took of the tirade however it would have been one loooooonnnnnng series of bleeps!!

The following day Roy visited with his cousin, Dr Antonia Davin, to catch up on genealogical matters whilst I attended to more domestic duties. I understand that they had a good time catching up on news and family history.

Later that afternoon we headed off to find a laundromat and ended up at Cannons Creek, a suburb not far from Plimmerton. Whilst at the laundromat we noticed that there was a Covid testing facility across the road so I wandered over to ask if they knew of a vaccination centre nearby, and if they took in walk-ins. Sure he said, the centre is just around the corner, go and ask them. So I did. And they did take in walk-ins. They were extremely friendly, accommodating, and welcoming with the place decked out with colourful leis and the staff were all wearing brightly coloured shirts.

Flowery leis decorated all the screens.

I was taken straight in, asked for my details, given my jab, and then taken to the waiting area for the mandatory 20minute wait where not only tea and coffee was on offer, as well, cheese scones, biscuits, slices and even lollipops were available. Well done Canons Creek community.

The following day we were meeting up with my niece Natalie and her daughters Renee & Michelle and going out for lunch. Her husband Richard surprised us by coming around in the morning and taking us out for breakfast/morning tea as he wouldn’t be able to join us later in the day.

Michelle, Natalie & Renee

We met up with Natalie & the girls for lunch in Titahi Bay then they came back to the van for a while. Another lovely day was spent catching up on everyone’s news as well as eating some nice food.

Our last night in Wellington, time to move on again, as yes, it’s another one day fine weather window. We left Wellington and headed to Waikanae to David & Marilyn’s for a cuppa and Marilyn’s famous cheese scones.

On the road out of Wellington

We were returning Marilyn’s container from the other night and also to collect some Kefir grains as they make water kefir and I was keen to give it a go. I’d had milk based kefir before but I’d never had water kefir. Marilyn makes it with ginger so it tastes almost like ginger beer and I really enjoyed it. We were farewelled with some extra scones and the jar of kefir grains along with the instructions on how to make it. Watch this space!

Update: Covid has scuppered what sketchy plans we had in place, it’s just as well we are adaptable and can go with the flow. Instead of making a hurried exit to who knows where (the weather has been atrocious to be on the roads with strong winds and heavy rain interspersed with patches of sunshine) we opted to stay put in relative peace and quiet of small town NZ.

Thank you to all who have rung, text, messaged and emailed us to see if we are ok. Rest assured we are just fine and happy in our bubble of two although I am very pleased I got my first dose of the vaccine. Stay safe people.

Kaikoura to Parnassus

Not a very long drive today, just 52minutes so Mr Google tells me but then Mr Google forgot to tell us about the holdups for major road works along the way and nor did he account for the hills to go up and down and the twisty roads to go around nor the fact that we regularly pull over to let any traffic behind us pass.

Before leaving Kaikoura there was the usual chores to attend to like disposing of the rubbish, emptying the waste tanks at the on-site dump station and filling up the water tanks however we were soon on our way heading south out of town.

Overlooking South Bay heading out of Kaikoura

The road continues to hug the coastline and is very picturesque. There are plenty of pull off areas which people were utilising to view the numerous seals that live all along the rocky coastline. We saw plenty of seals basking in the sunshine on the rocks and even more frolicking in rock pools, oh and we could also smell them!

The road hugs the coastline

We hadn’t travelled too far when we were brought to a halt. It seems there are major roadworks underway, Rockfall protection we are told. The truck driver in front of us got out of his cab and did a walk around his truck and trailer checking tyres and other things so we figured we would be sitting here for a while. However we couldn’t really complain with this view.

Looking back to Kaikoura from our temporary stop. Not a bad view!

Once we did get underway again we could see what amazing work these guys were doing.

The cause of the holdup, building overhead rockfall nets.

Impressive abseiling workers

We continued south with a few tunnels to go through. one way each tunnel and one for trains.

Tunnels up ahead, one for each direction of traffic and one for the train

And a tunnel right on a corner, taking it slowly.

Tunnel

We were soon climbing slowly away from the coastline through the Hunderlees Hills before reaching Parnassus where we shall be staying for the night.

Parked at Parnassus

This is another NZMCA park, it’s an old school grounds, with beautiful large oak trees in the grounds and plenty of place to park. And that 52minute drive? Well, it took us 1hour and 45minutes. Just as well we are not in any hurry to get anywhere!

The route today

To the South Island

We’ve arrived!

After a very smooth and uneventful crossing on the Bluebridge ferry we docked in Picton at 6am Friday morning. We were quickly unloaded and soon we were on the short drive to Koromiko where there is a wonderful large parking area on grass. We arrived just before 7am. As it was still dark we were mindful of not making too much noise so as not to wake others who were parked here it was out with the torches to find a suitable spot to park, quickly set ourselves up, make a cuppa before heading straight to bed for a couple of hours.

The large park with us parked up in the middle, this is about half of the parking area

One member of the touring party managed to have a good four or five hours sleep whereas I only managed a couple of hours before waking up. I’m sure I’ll crash early.

That afternoon, Friday, Marilyn & David called in for a quick visit along with their friends Salvi & Ann and arranged for us to meet them all the next day in Waikawa not too far from Picton where they were staying.

It’s Saturday and we’re going in to Picton to get the laundry done, check out the surrounds before going to meet up with Marilyn et al for a game of cards. But before we head on out Roy had a repair job to do on the passenger seat in the van as it decided it was going to become difficult to swivel. After a short period of time and only turning the air slightly blue, the job was completed and we could get on our way.

Oh so that is what the ferry looks like in the light of day

Marilyn & David were staying in a camp ground in Waikawa. Regular readers will recognise Marilyn & David as those we met when last in the Uk and we stayed with them on their barrow boat. You can read about that here.

We played 5 crowns, women vs men and of course the women reigned supreme! It’s the first time any of us had played the 6 handed version and it worked really well.

Top: L-R Roy Marilyn and Salvi, below: Ann and David

Soon it was time for us to head back to our van, grab a bite to eat before heading off to bed for another early night. However, the wind scuppered those plans as we were being buffeted by some very strong gusts of wind which kept this member of the touring party awake for some time before the land of nod beckoned.

Parked in splendid peace and quiet

The parking areas has a book exchange set in an old fridge, someone obviously has a good sense of humour with the fridge plugged in to the electric tree!

Book exchange

Sunday is a day of rest, the weather is a bit dull but we have plenty to keep us occupied, like plan where we head to next. With Easter looming next weekend we probably need to get ourselves sorted somewhere before the crowds arrive.

Roy headed off into Blenheim to check out the museum looking for some of his family history. Roy’s father was born in Blenheim (in 1897) and his grandparents were married there as well, living for some time in the Kenepuru Sounds so there is a bit of family history here in the region.

Time to continue our travels, but we aren’t moving vast distances, it’s now time to travel at a slower pace taking time to explore and enjoy.

In and around Auckland

On our way to Auckland the previous week for Judy’s funeral, we heard from Matt at AutoTech that our van would be ready to pick up that night.  We had already planned to stay with Antony for the night so we said we would return to Kopu onFriday  morning to pick it up which is exactly what we did.  It was just a short drive to the Thames Golf course to park up for the night as it seemed a good idea to go to the Thames market on Saturday morning, which we did…….in the pouring rain!

After breakfast in town, we were soon back at the van.  We decided that although the weather forecast was for gale force winds, rain, thunder and lightening, whilst the weather was reasonably ok we thought that to heck with it, we would make a dash for Auckland.  The drive was totally uneventful and we arrived at the Papakura Club and had just settled in when the heavens opened, the wind blew and the skies were lit with lightening and the roll of thunder.  

We have been attending to the more mundane chores of life since we have been here in Papakura.  But of course it also means we get to spend time with Antony whilst we are here.  We had originally planned to be here until Thursday before heading north but in the usual Vannini fashion, plans change, not just once,  but many times.  I think we are now onto version 2.4. but we will get there eventually.  

Doctors checkups and flu jabs  have been completed, mail collected and sorted, I even managed to get a haircut. Shopping has been done, laundry caught up with but best of all the biggest job sorted, that being having our large inbuilt LPG tank re-certified.  It has been a real problem trying to find and organise this to be completed.  Oh, we could find a business that would re certify the tank, but no, they do not remove them from the vehicle but we locked a business locally and the process will commence on Wednesday.  

Meanwhile we have managed to catch up with friends and family, firstly with Bill & Linda, Bill & Estelle and Ron & Jan who all came to the club for dinner last week. We again caught up with Bill & Linda on Friday night at the club, and Jan called in a couple of days throughout the week for coffee and great conversation.  

This weekend in Queens Birthday weekend which means Monday is a holiday for those who work, Saturday we attended to chores with Antony. Sunday we managed to rack up a few kms, first of al heading over the bridge to Torbay to catch up with brother Steve & wife Leslie then later in the afternoon with their eldest daughter Sarahw & Shaun  and their three boys. Then it was back over the bridge, drop Antony off in Papakura, then head out to Paparimu for a lovely dinner and evening with Ron & Jan before back to the van for the night. As per usual I did not take a single photo. 

But I did take a photo of my ‘loving mother’ chores this afternoon

Ironing shirts….haven’t done many of them for a while now!  
 We are now at Ardmore for a few nights before we make our way north.