Update from the soggy south.

It's been a bit since the last update, out lack of enthusiasm for posting is likely due to the weather.  This week is looking especially grim, but we have enough sunshine stored up from our trip last week that we should be able to carry through August and on to Spring with it.  But I want to start this post back on the 11th of July, we decided that we needed to get out of the house and the weather cooperated nicely. 

We took a short drive up to Te Puna Quarry Park.  It is an old Quarry that has been converted in to a garden, picnic area.

 It was a great outing with some great trails to walk and flowers to see, not to mention the great views of Tauranga.  We will be going back here to see the changes on the gardens throughout the year.



After a lot more rain, we decided to head back to Ohope to the Condo of a friend for some much needed dryness.  You've heard the complaints about the house before, so I'll skip that part.....for now. 
 

Ohope was a bit of a sanctuary because the building was constructed only about 7 years ago.  It is well insulated and retains heat well.  We were able to walk on the beach a few times, but not into the forest reserve as we had planned. Someone forgot his shoes even though I asked him several times to pack them, I am sure my mother is laughing at this right now.  I will not single the poor lad out, but his first name rhymes with "laden" and he is more forgetful that Forgetty Fogetison. But we had good walks regardless of the footwear, it simply means that we have to take another trip to Ohope, and I am sure there will be more than a few. While walking the beach we came across these birds sleeping on the beach.





The birds tried to ignore us, but eventually they either hopped on one foot away to a safe distance, or if the kids were moving too fast they dropped the other foot and ran for it.






The kids discovered a Zip line at a park located at the end of the town of Ohope.  They had a great time ridding the zip, we pondered the chances of one of these being built in Canada....not likely.  There are too many "do-gooders" out there that would block something like this due to safety issues.  Much like the vocal minority that got a perfectly functional wooden play ground removed from our Charleswood neighbourhood due to safety.  Well they got it replaced, with a playground area surrounded by an 18" concreted curb that tripped little kids and cause far more injuries than the wooden structure.  But I digress...having made my point.  It was a long walk back in the rain to the Condo, but we were warm and dry shortly after getting back.  As were our clothes, thankfully there is an actual dryer in the Condo!  It was a very dry warm relaxing weekend.














One last trip to the hot tub before our trip to Samoa, brought about a new feature of the cat we are looking after.  Her name is Tabatha, and she likes to sit on the edge of the hot tub for a visit while we soak.   She likes to do a few inspection laps around the edge before settling down to soak up the heat.  I have seen her lounging on the cover on cold rainy days as well.

Well next up, the trip to Samoa.  Our flight left Auckland at 6am, so we went in the night before and stayed at a cheap motel close to the airport.  We arose at 3:45am and started the journey with a groggy, but not unpleasant pair of children. With a quick stop at duty free for supply top up, we were off.  The airline was one owned by Virgin, and as a budget airline we were not provided with even a pack of nuts for our 3 hour flight.  No water, coffee, tea.....nada!  But we knew that going in and brought our own snacks and water.  It was 10am when we arrived over the date line, so we were an hour and a day ahead of NZT.  Which is a pretty easy transition really.  It was already approaching 30 degrees and fortunately the resort was only five minutes away so we could change our of our "winter" clothes.

The Room was nicely decorated with fresh flowers on towels.  It was a large room with an ample balcony overlooking the ocean, in fact all the rooms in the resort face the ocean.  there were about 5 blocks of rooms joined by covered walkways, which surprisingly makes a huge difference while walking throughout the resort. It was quite easy to avoid long walks in the sun.

The kids were taken care of by the "Dolphin club"  which was a little hut on the the landward side of the complex, air conditioned and equipped with free arcade style games, videos, pool table and board games.  They were taken out every morning for an activity such as fish feeding, crab hunting, treasure hunt...etc. While in the afternoon heat they were kept in the club to enjoy the indoor electronic utopia.  While we were free to go snorkeling, sailing, etc on our own.  It was a great system and after the first couple of days we really settled in and began to relax.

 


My favorite activities were snorkeling and sailing. The snorkeling took place a mere 5 minute boat ride from the resort, straight out to the reef.  Which was a natural barrier for the beach, creating a perfect sailing environment for the small catamaran-like boats.  I took Victoria out 2 times with me, and each of the kids out once for short trips.  Then on the last day I went out again by myself.

Interstingly enough the day before while sitting on the balcony we were discussing the possiblity of one of the sailboats flipping over.  I pondered the sequence of events that would make it possible.  Well wouldn't you know I was correct with the sequence of events, and I reproduced them to perfection on my solo sail.  Now, I have been sailing with a competent sailor, one that even built his own sailboats.  However this was about 15 years ago and I was a little rusty at the start of the week, but by Friday...well I was a professional don't you know.  So there I was legs nicely tucked under the straps which allow you to cantlever your weight over the edge of the boat, thus allowing for more speed without...you guessed it....tipping over.  I think I hovered on the brink for approximately 5 seconds once again pondering the situation but with an odd detached sensation.  I recall thinking something like how do I make this thing go down when one of the 2 rudders is 12 feet in the air.  So as i contemplated my choices the boat decided that it had had enough of my shinanigans and uncerimoniously dumped me in to the bright blue sea.  Now as I was falling I recalled that the rudder system (2 rudders, one attached to each pontoon, joined by a handle to synchronize steering them)  had fallen off while the guys were launching my sailboat.  At the time of launching, whilst they were re-attaching it, I thought, "That's not good I'll have to watch that"  So now I had a death grip on the handle knowing that the rudders would pop off and likely sink, or at the very least float way on the waves.  The water was warm and the hardest part of the procedure what keeping a hold on the boat and the rudder while trying to climb onto the pontoon. So my mind was now processing a much faster rate, I hooked the one rudder overmy hip hauled myself onto the pontoon and began to tie the rudder to the boat using the loose end of the sail line.  Having accomplished that I  now turn my attention to righting my trusty vessel.  After a few unsuccessfuly attempts at hauling on the rope that dangled from the bottom of the skyward pontoon, I assume it is there for just such an occaision,  I determined that 2 more things had to happen, first I needed to turn the boat so that the wind would help me flip it, and second  I would have to lower the sail as it was full of water and thus thwarting my attempts.   So having decided this I looked toward shore to see the speed boat bouncing over the waves coming to my rescue.  So by this time I was a little tired and decided to wait and allow the professionals to correct my predicament.

Well the plan I had would have worked, as that is exactly what the young gentleman did, much quicker than I could have admittedly.  So back upright and with a new found respect for the "perfect storm"  of events that I knew I could reproduce in a heartbeat, I carried on for a further half hour of uneventful sailing.  So no harm done, save a few bumps and bruises.   Upon my return to shore I was expecting a round of applause or some comments from anyone that might have seen my adventure.  Yet I was able to land the boat without a sole in sight, actually it would have been nice for some help hauling that sucker up on to the beach, and march anonymously away from my last sail of the trip.

 We did lots of swimming it the pool with the kids, and drinks on the balcony, as they average price for one cocktail was $20 NZD.

The kids learned how to husk coconuts while in the kids club and took us to the husking spot to show off their skills.

It was a great week in beautiful scenery and weather to die for, it already seems long ago for as I sit writing this the rain is pouring down outside and I think I need to get the fire going so I can dry some of the mounds of laundry that we have.   Reality is harshing my tropical buzz!   ciao