Monthly Archives: December 2013

Felix and I had brunch at The Pavillion. Meanwhile Karola had taken Barney’s medicine in from Days Bay to Bridget’s place in Khandallah and also booked us all for a meal at a pub near Bridget’s.

Karola came back to Days Bay and Felix went kayaking off the beach below us. Bridget went off late afternoon and picked up Anna & Dave from the airport; they’d flown back from Nelson – the end of their South Island holiday together.

Back into town for the pub meal, including Annemarie who drove in from Upper Hutt for the occasion.

Returning to Days Bay for the night, Felix and I watched episodes of old “Callan” TV series, in black and white. The TV itself no longer gets any programmes because New Zealand has recently changed over fully to digital TV.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—27℃ no rain [?]

Barney is unwell and, after late night “facetime” calls to both his parents – Anna in the South Island and Marc in Norway for Christmas – Karola took him to the doctor in Hastings. He was prescribed medicines, one of which would not be available until 4:30pm.

Barney organised the final few table tennis matches to complete the Karamu tournament.

Bridget slaved away turning the very disorganised and chaotic homestead back into a tidy, civilised house again.

Mid morning Chris and his mother, Annemarie, left for Wellington in his car.

Mid afternoon Bridget took off in her car with Natalie, lex, and Barney.

Mid evening we left in our car with Felix. We didn’t get to Wellington – well Days Bay – until nearly midnight and Anna called us a few times from the South Island to make sure we were still safe and on the way.

Oak Avenue Weather:9℃—27℃ no rain [?]

It was raining gently and we all went off to Napier – Arahuri – and fished off the jetty there. Herring in abundance and Natalie actually caught one which was consumed as part of the evening meal.

More matches in the Karamu table tennis tournament organised by Barney.

Karola and I went up to ex-Touchwood Boooks on the Taihape road and collected Bramble after her short stay there. Bramble was happy and very spoiled we think.

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—21℃ 3.6mm rain [?]

We all went up to Mountain Valley Lodge again, this time for a horse ride and archery. It turned out that the ride was a bit tame but the archery was more fun.

In the evening Henare and Scott hosted the grandchildren at Meeanee community hall for an evening of badminton coaching.

Karola

Barney

Felix

Bridget

Natalie

Alex and Natalie On The Lodge Tractor

Oak Avenue Weather:16℃—22℃ 1.0mm rain [?]

Breakfast at the “Coffee Club” in Stortford Lodge

Graham, Tracey, and Graham’s son came round to pick up Bramble. To assuage Alex’s phobia we’re banishing Bramble to them for a few days.

Bridget, Annemarie, Chris, and the four grandchildren went off for another day at Waimarama

Barney organised a table tennis competition and we had the first few rounds of that.

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—24℃ 5.1mm rain [83.3]

Anna and Dave went off to Christchurch on the flight from Napier at 2:10pm after the group had a meal at a very busy Divine cafe in Napier. I stayed at home with Bramble who is to be banished again – this time to Tracey and Graham up at what was Touchwood Books up the Taihape road.

Bridget took the children to Splash Planet again; Chris went looking for Boxing Day bargains; Karola and Annemarie went to museum in Napier

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—21℃ 5.4mm rain [84.0]

Presents in the morning. A stupendous big mid-day dinner mid afternoon – Anna, Bridget, Dave, Karola and Annemarie all contributing cooks, but mainly Anna and Bridget.

Table Tennis for working off the excess.

In the afternoon, while Bridget looked after the children, Karola and I and Annemarie, Dave and Anna and Bramble went for a very pleasant walk across the Pakowhai Country Park and along the stop bank and under the express-way to Ormond Road. Bridget picked us up there and ferried us home for dinner.

Henare and Scott dropped in late afternoon. Scott played Barney at table tennis (and won). Scott is tall, Barney is not; David and Goliath. Henare introduced Felix to badminton and eventually had Alex, Natalie, Barney and Felix all practicing.

One of the best Christmas days in memory.

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—26℃ no rain [84.0]

Karola and Annemarie went to the supermarket for food and presents; a second wave comprising Bridget, Anna, and Alex went later in the morning.

In the afternoon Anna, Dave and I went for a cycle ride along the Napier foreshore – about 16km there and back. Meanwhile the rest of the group went to Splash Planet in Hastings.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—21℃ 0.1mm rain [83.5]

SwimGym

Bramble was rescued from her first stint at the kennels and so far no major repercussions – we’re keeping Bramble well away from Alex who actually seems more tolerant of her than in the past.

About an hour up the Napier-Taupo road is the Mountain Valley Lodge which provides accommodation, horse trekking, kayaking and rafting. Bridget booked us a bespoke 3 hour raft trip for the family. Annemarie and Karola came to the lodge to see us off and then galavanted round the countryside in search of afternoon tea. I took the first half of the trip and hitched a ride back with another rafting group that had a shorter trip beginning at the same time. Karola, Annemarie and I then went back to Karamu and prepared dinner. The rest of the party returned as dark fell, exhausted, happy, and hungry.

Three Wise Men – Chris, Dave, Ian

Barney, Natalie, And Alex

Nice Man With Anna

Back Into The Raft

Off On The Second Leg

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—21℃ no rain [83.3]

In the morning we all went to the Farmers Market at the show-grounds in Hastings – sampling coffee, meats, and other nibbles.

Afterwards Anne-Marie, Karola amd I went back to Karolamu while the others went for another go-karting experience and some baseball practice – both located alongside the show-grounds.

I mowed the cottage lawn but other Sunday tasks were deferred.

In the evening Karola and Anne-marie babysat Natalie and Alex while the others went to the cinema in Napier – to The Hunger Games #2.

Barnaby & Bramble

Felix & Bramble

Karola, Dave, Bridget & Ian

Natalie, Barnaby & Alex

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—18℃ no rain [84.2]

A lie-in and listening to the Farming Programme then, after leisurely breakfast, the whole team went off to Waimarama beach for the day.

Togs and paddling and swimming and picnic lunch. No major hiccups except that I listened to a programme on my iPhone connected to Karola’s car radio and accidentally flattened the battery. Bridget luckily found a lifeguard with jump leads and we were soon on our way again.

Watched “I Robot” on DVD in the evening.

We’ve received some excellent photos of Ben’s gardening at 66 Seatoun Heights Road, Seatoun, Wellington and I’ve pasted them here.

Ben’s Gardening

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—30℃ no rain [84.2]

The youngsters went out and about in the morning and we regrouped for a session at the Go-Kart track just before lunch. Dave and I, Barney and Felix, Natalie and Alex all got in their go-karts and whizzed round the track for 15 minutes. Dave went round fastest and was the outright winner, followed by Felix in hot pursuit. Alex pottered round in a special slightly slower kart. Natalie, Barney and I lapped and were lapped in turn. A good time was had by all.

After lunch the children played on the lawn and throughout the afternoon had a treasure hunt prepared by Bridget.

Mid afternoon we were visited by Gill and Ben and Peter and Charlotte for a leisurely afternoon tea.

Felix & Natalie

Alex

Ian

Dave, Alex, & Barnaby

Natalie

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—22℃ no rain [83.9]

Anna, Barney, Dave and I went off to buy the christmas tree in the morning. Took the landrover and its trailer. Barney chose the tree – about 2 metres tall – and we also got a sturdy plastic stand for it.

In the afternoon Dave and had another go at fixing the lawn mower. Dave determined that the dislodged cable was well and truely broken and would need replacing. We then almost got the mower back together.

Bridget and her girls arrived mid evening and we had fish-n-chips and ice cream as planned.

Dave & Ian Working On The Lawn Mower

Oak Avenue Weather:6℃—22℃ 0.3mm rain [84.1]

Skipped SwimGym today – back still a bit of a problem. Karola and I took the Landrover and its trailer for a WOF at Tamatea Automotive, about 20 mins away.

We all went out for a cycle ride – well Karola and Bramble were in the car – from Hamoana along to the Clifton Cafe where you can see Cape Kidnappers and have a relaxing meal outside. I rode Karola’s trail bike; Felix rode my bike and we rented for Dave, Anna, and Barney. As we set off Karola dove to Clifton Cafe and then took Bramble for a 20 minute walk along the stoney beach. As we only had one car Anna and Bramble were both squeezed into the boot. We used our two-bike holder for my and Karola’s bikes – it fastens to the tow-bar.

After lunch Karola took me to pick up the Landrover while the others rode back to Hamoana whence they regrouped, dropped off the hired bikes and returned home.

Felix and Dave have been taking many photos; Anna and Barney a few too.

Late afternoon Anna and I and Felix and Barney played Sequence – which the boys won 2:1.

Anna and Dave went to Elephant Hill for Dave’s birthday meal. I chauffeured them there – getting lost so a 20 minute journey took 40 minutes on the way there, arriving at 7:48pm. I was summoned at 9:00pm and picked them up around 10:00pm for a rather quicker return journey.

Meanwhile the two boys had Angus pure beef hamburgers made by Karola from what should have been Bramble’s next week’s meat. I heard no complaints from the boys.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—22℃ no rain [83.7]

The visitors were up early today – still acclimatising to New Zealand time zone.

Hot, sunny spells interlaced with thunder and lightning, rain squalls and some hail.

Builder Paul and painter Jeff came mid-morning and the summer house door was hung. Jeff expects to just finish painting the door and a few other spots tomorrow.

An engineer, Jules, from Airnet came and swapped the internet connection modem. Some hassles about the bespoke configuration I have but it now seems to be back to normal. Jacob back at the workshop coordinated the software updates.

The visitors spent the morning in Napier – swimming and clock golf and art deco. Karola went off to town.

We regrouped for an after-lunch ice-cream at Rush Monro’s in Hastings then relaxed until our dinner assignation at Pipi’s in Havelock North for Felix’ birthday meal. Very very noisy, even though we’d gone early to miss the main congestion, but the food was reasonable and the boys behaved tolerably well – a big improvement over previous birthday occasions.

After dinner we ascended Te Mata Peak as the sun set.

Dave, Anna, Karola & Ian

Grandma and Birthday Boy, Felix

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—28℃ 5.6mm rain [83.6]

No SwimGym today as suddenly last night my back became very tender – better today as the day progressed.

We met the incoming party with two vehicles and ferried them back to Karamu. No-one was ill and they were in good spirits given the length of the trip.

First encounters with Bramble were positive; Felix and especially Barney took to her, and Dave and Anna were unfazed by Bramble’s irrational exuberance.
Meal of take-aways and then people stumbled off to sleep.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—27℃ no rain [83.4]

Shane came a day early and mowed the lawns – he said he’s got a busy week ahead with his bees. Anyway, lawns looking good now – and I mowed the cottage lawn to match.

I put the ram and accompanying two wether lambs into the yards and determined that the wether lambs were #309 and #324 – so it was runty #310 that went to the works last month.

Bit of chainsawing of logs Karola wants out of the way.

Karola let her sheep onto the orchard drive for an hour for a bit of variety.

Tried to fix the excellent old Honda lawn mower. Failed to fix and can’t put it back together either. (sigh).

“JB” John Bostock dropped in with Christmas gifts and had a cup of tea. Mutual admirations all round. We are lucky to have him as Karola’s orchard leasee and he seems pleased with how his turning it into an organic apple orchard is going.

Muggy day but nice evening.

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—27℃ no rain [83.4]

Saturday – quite warm and muggy. Karola out most of the day. Painter Jeff says he and painter Paul will come on Monday and put the door on the Summer House.

Oh, and we went over to the Nelson’s – the hay people – on Middle Road I think it is – and got 14 bales of pea hay for Karola’s sheep – got there just in time before they closed for the weekend at 10:00am.

After dinner we sawed up an old rhododendron trunk as part of the tidying up for Anna’s visit. Proved that the chainsaw is now working properly.

Pea Hay On-Board

“JB” Bostock Squash – Looking South

“JB” Bostock Squash – Looking North

The Coral Tree In Bloom

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—25℃ no rain [83.4]

SwimGym

Painter Jeff came and has almost finished the summer house – just the door to do I think.

Karola was out all morning; I skulked and read computer manuals – it was hot and muggy. A tiny bit of rain mid evening.

There have been lots of pairs of Californian Quail here for weeks and every morning I see them just outside on the gravel drive and parading along the top rail of the cottage fence. I enjoy their call – they and kingfishers have the bird calls that remind me of my summer youth in Nelson.

The Summer House (aka The Old Wash House)

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—25℃ 0.4mm rain [83.0]

A hot day; Karola continued with tidying and weeding and so on and got extremely hot and exhausted.

No painter again today – I hope his food poisoning hasn’t become a long term problem for him. Mind you, the summer house looks pretty good with just the undercoat on.

ChemWash came as planned at lunchtime and pressure washed the outside of the cottage so that it now matches the newly painted Summer House and is ready for Anna’s visitation next week.

I did a quick shop in the morning: Mitre-10, New World, Office Max, and the dry-cleaners and home in less than an hour.

Recent Photo Of Bramble Next To A Hole She Didn’t Dig

Oak Avenue Weather:14℃—24℃ 0.6mm rain [82.8]

SwimGym

My highlight for the day was a haircut which, like most everything else on the agenda this week, is in preparation for Anna’s visit.

Karola put up electric fence for the final two swathes of grass in the Front paddock and let her flock into the first of these.

Builder Paul dropped by to see how the painting of the summer house was progressing; he’d just finished a job down at the Yules’ place further down Ormond Road.

Bay Beds delivered the mattress and bed frame Karola had ordered, so now a small army could bed down in comfort in the homestead.

Janet Scott called in for a chat and left us a bag of tangelos from her daughter’s prized tangelo tree.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—25℃ no rain [83.4]

Jeff the painter got the undercoat on the roof, walls, and door of the summer house.

I mowed the cottage lawn hoping it would remain neat until Anna’s visit.

Karola attacked the store-room and garage hopng to clear enough space to play table-tennis if it rained.

I escorted Karola to a carol service in the chapel at her school Woodford House in Havelock North. Afterwards we did a trial run evening meal at Pipi, a pizza place also in Havelock North. Maybe Felix will choose that restaurant for his birthday meal on 17th December. Our trial run was successful.

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—23℃ no rain [83.9]

SwimGym despite being somewhat weary from the quick trip to Wellington over the weekend.

Jeff Rencontre, the painter, did not paint the summer house over the weekend – he got food poisoning. But he did come today and ha made a good start.

Meticulous Maids came for another clean of the homestead this afternoon – ready for the UK invasion on Monday.

I shopped in the morning, slept in the afternoon. Karola pottered, mainly last minute things in the homestead.

Oak Avenue Weather:13℃—23℃ 4.3mm rain [82.7]

Breakfast at The Pavilion and then off to Karori where Karola was attending the birthday party of a 1-year old, Mahey, son of Julia Fletcher, daughter of Tony Fletcher – Tony and Anne (deceased) are friends of ours from way back – and Karola’s mother knew Tony’s mother. Bramble went along the road to Makara for a bit and she slept and I listened to another hour of the latest audible Anthony Price spy novel. We’d started listening to it many weeks ago on a trip to Wellington. Meanwhile Karola read the paperback and we listened (re-listened) to a couple of hours of it coming down in the car.

After the mid-day party we went and saw Mary for a while and then dropped in briefly on Bridget before heading for home. We had dinner at “Latitude 40 South” in Waipukurau, delicious.

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—27℃ no rain [?]

We packed and set off mid morning for Wellington via Feilding. We took with us a spade and two heavy metal bending devices – for bending reinforcing steel – that Francis had bought on Trade-Me. Yvonne gave us a cup of coffee and Bramble played with her dog, Magic the fox terrier, and off-loaded Francis purchases.

Brief stop to unload at the Days Bay flat and then we went round to Felicity and Geoff Rashbrooke’s place in York Bay for a meal and a natter. Wind was blowing in gale-sized gusts but it was warm if overcast.

Quick walk with Bramble along the beach in the dark, wind gusting, sea breakers crashing.

Oak Avenue Weather:10℃—27℃ no rain [?]

SwimGym

Quite warm all day. Painter Jeff Rencontre dropped by – he plans to come and paint the summer house tomorrow and Sunday morning.

I popped into town; Karola moved some sheep fence and got exhausted in the heat.

We’re getting ready for a quick trip down to Wellington tomorrow.

Landrover and trailer booked in for WOF on 18th Dec.

Oak Avenue Weather:15℃—30℃ no rain [82.8]

Bramble and I spent much of the day lounging about. We did spend a while picking up a trailer load of firewood hidden in the grass near the English Beech and an elderly cherry. The English Beech is almost two metres thick and a large branch came off it some yeas ago and I had the lawn mower man, Shane, saw it up into firewood lengths last year. There’s a hole into the trunk – the reason it broke off no doubt – and you can see inside that there’s a hollow maybe 600mm (2 feet) across going as far up and down as you can see. Ideal for a possum – in fact a whole family.

Oak Avenue Weather:17℃—22℃ 12.9mm rain [83.7]

SwimGym

Jeff Rencontre came in the morning and primed the summer house window frames and sills, and mended a large nail hole in the roof. Builder Paul then came and measured up the windows, went off and got the glass cut. When the primer was dry he put in the glass. Jeff and Paul went off late morning. Jeff came back for half an hour in the afternoon and water blasted the walls ready for painting tomorrow.

Karola went out for the morning but in the afternoon she started clearing away the rubbish left behind where the wash house was. Karola had bought me a small pipe stopper and I stopped up the water pipe that used to feed the wash house and tank so that it can be buried safely below the hard stand that we hope to create on that spot. Then. as Karola required, I moved the old decorative logs from under the Canary Island Pine and tractored them down to the stump dump.

Philip’s Californian Quail Cock

Oak Avenue Weather:17℃—22℃ 2.1mm rain [83.8]

What with the electricity going off and us not knowing whether its one of the elderly hot water cylinders, or the stove Karola was given for free, or a light with faulty wiring or …. that was all very exciting.

Felicity made us a splendid roast chicken meal last night, as I said, and this morning the whole troupe set off in good time to get to their flight back to Australia late afternoon – except for Philip who is staying with Bridget and going on a ferry to Picton on his way to see his sister’s nanny down near Christchurch.

The Baganel vist was great fun, if tumultuous, and we’ll need some time to recover.

Shane came and mowed the lawns today

Oak Avenue Weather:12℃—23℃ no rain [83.3]

SwimGym

Then I took Philip round the place while Karola and Felicity went shopping for tonight’s meal and the Stoddards went to Napier to see the sights – well Napier historical jail, Te Mata peak, Mission and Black Barn wineries etc.

Karola and Felicity came back; Karola stayed to oversee Meticulous Maids clening of the cottage while Felicity, Philip and I went to lunch at Pernels Fruit World. After lunch we regrouped at Karamu and Karola drove Felicity and Philip off for a tour of the sights of Napier.

In the evening Felicity, aided by Karola, made a nourishing organic roast chicken evening meal. Everyone retired exhausted and replete.

Philip Bagenal Astride the Massey Ferguson MF35 c. 1962

Oak Avenue Weather:11℃—21℃ no rain [83.0]

After a leisurely morning we all, Felicity & Philip Bagenal, Issy and David Stoddard, Karola and I, went off to ClearView for lunch, joined by Peter and Charlotte Offenberger.

After lunch we all went for a stroll along the embankment at the seaward end of Clive after which David and Issy and I went to Rush Munro’s Ice Cream Parlour, consuming and then taking out ice cream for the others.

A very pleasant day.

Gill’s Gravid Skink Called Lizzy

Sunday Lunch At Clearview On The Pacific Coast

Oak Avenue Weather:7℃—24℃ no rain [83.3]