tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56834460640545695232024-03-14T04:38:19.009+13:00Little notes from Heather and MartinThings we're thinking, things that make us smileHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.comBlogger423125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-51567163431469007172024-02-26T19:10:00.003+13:002024-02-26T19:16:02.816+13:00Concussion reflections<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Life's continuing to be challenging at the moment, and I've found myself often feeling trapped. With the concussion, I can't walk far without nausea and I certainly can't ride my bike or swim; I'm also basically not seeing anyone. I'm trying to put into practise what I've been learning about 'active recovery' from concussion, but it's hard as my CFS-related limits have all been disrupted, and figuring out how to do what's needed for the concussion without over-doing it from a CFS perspective is hard.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Yesterday I decided to go to a close friend's 50th birthday afternoon tea. I knew I'd pay for it, but if felt important.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Today has been a real struggle, with lancing pain through my head and eyes through much of the day; although I did manage a 15 minute walk with minimal nausea, which was lovely.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">And I've been mulling over two thoughts through the day:</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I haven't 'given up' anything for Lent this year. Life feels challenging enough! But I realised I have given something up after all: capability. I realised when fasting earlier this year, that so much of my 'being a nice person' is dependent on having a full tummy. And that's been a good thing to bring back to God in prayer. So today, I've been praying that God would teach me through this experience of 'giving up capability'.</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> I've realised I'm part of God's creation, which is groaning as it longs for Jesus to come back and set everything to rights (rough paraphrase from the book of Romans in the Bible). I don't usually see myself as part of God's creation - I put humans in a different 'box' - and I've been mulling over what it means to be more part of the broken world.</span></li></ol><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apologies for anything that doesn't make sense, and for the lack of links - I'm very much minimising computer time at the moment!</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcUSchH4msUFUvw_JnQLlm2DmupHLPgQND6xAE73mqG08eQlP-LXheLPU7s3aBBAYyqe-zD036Q8JPCM8VtrKg_FXmz8GF1M84ESEQDYHGF9t3T93Z1vxIYO2m5hJmEGR4Sg3r1MOkpXzs0zDlb79PGpzWAdbfSrrkFzJVhC3m-cAlIjdGHNLftTVxCY/s4000/20240216_213258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcUSchH4msUFUvw_JnQLlm2DmupHLPgQND6xAE73mqG08eQlP-LXheLPU7s3aBBAYyqe-zD036Q8JPCM8VtrKg_FXmz8GF1M84ESEQDYHGF9t3T93Z1vxIYO2m5hJmEGR4Sg3r1MOkpXzs0zDlb79PGpzWAdbfSrrkFzJVhC3m-cAlIjdGHNLftTVxCY/s320/20240216_213258.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple of other recent challenges are seen in this photo! For the last few weeks I've been sleeping with my arm immobilised due to an inflamed ulnar nerve (although we're now strapping it slightly bent, should anyone who knows about these things realise we weren't doing it right!), and for a few days Martin and I were wearing masks almost 24 hours of the day due to a significant Covid exposure (so if one of us had already caught it we wouldn't infect the other).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">PS I do now have a referral to a concussion service, although it's a while since my GP has had a concussion patient so she has no idea what the wait time will be like.</span></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-10360029543048793412024-01-28T18:13:00.003+13:002024-01-28T18:24:37.419+13:00I have concussion :-(<p>I fell out of bed on the night of January 16th - or rather, forcefully shoved myself out of bed, as I was was trying to move up higher in the bed but misjudged the direction and moved out of it instead. I fell on my back, hitting my head and upper back hard.<br /><br />Initially I thought all I had was a scraped and swollen ankle, as well as a sore right side to my body; it wasn't till later that I started to wonder about concussion.<br /><br />The first thing was a couple of bouts of intense nausea and blotchy/blurry vision - that happened on the Wednesday when I was getting ready to go camping, and again on Thursday en route to <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2024/01/back-at-ambury-park.html">camping</a>. I initially put it down to a migraine aura, but eventually realised the visual disturbance was quite different.<br /><br />I wondered about trying to see a doctor in Māngere Bridge, but nothing seemed seriously wrong and, with my complex medical history, waiting till I could see my own GP seemed better. We Googled concussion and found that the main treatment seems to be rest, which we were doing anyway :-)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvofKGf9c7Klq_ErkjVgT0RJaBqfEXfQyTlFL4YiDh6y6tsAQC2EH_jOyVee9l3ZysZ8cKZPEEEm1B6ZPnuCag4DNGKuxGY2g-KQ2-PdnGNe7eIxs1Vs7phSt2jsJq6Anh9FZoJqkjWyshNEOEKuWgAqHZwDsSmkSV333XNy0fdUf1IP7zmEcdbvrIqY/s634/Screenshot%20from%202024-01-28%2018-00-17.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="634" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvofKGf9c7Klq_ErkjVgT0RJaBqfEXfQyTlFL4YiDh6y6tsAQC2EH_jOyVee9l3ZysZ8cKZPEEEm1B6ZPnuCag4DNGKuxGY2g-KQ2-PdnGNe7eIxs1Vs7phSt2jsJq6Anh9FZoJqkjWyshNEOEKuWgAqHZwDsSmkSV333XNy0fdUf1IP7zmEcdbvrIqY/s320/Screenshot%20from%202024-01-28%2018-00-17.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image credit: <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/symptoms-causes/syc-20355594">Mayo clinic</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">I was also basically fine - I had a few specific symptoms, but biked home from Ambury Park comfortably; I was also able to bike to Blockhouse Bay on Thursday and swim for 45 minutes with no problems.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I saw my GP last Friday. The symptoms I reported were:<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> dropping things a lot</li><li>trouble with various 'figuring out' tasks (like setting a date for the Just Kai picnic)</li><li>constant mild headache</li></ul><p style="text-align: left;">My GP confirmed concussion and asked me to come back in a week if things weren't settled - and to go to A&E if I started vomitting, having serious headaches etc. In the meantime I was to lay off anything that made my symptoms worse, rest when I needed. However, biking and swimming were fine if I felt find doing them :-)<br /><br />I since realised I have one other potential symptom: a mild tremor that comes and goes, but shows up most days. I'd initially put it down to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypoglycemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373685">hypoglycemia</a>, but have since realised it seems quite unrelated to when I've eaten, so is presumably something different.<br /><br />Friday after I got home from the GP I became really tired - but I had had a long day on Thursday (including a lovely swim!) so wasn't particularly concerned.<br /><br />Yesterday morning when I was pottering in the kitchen I suddenly became tired, nauseous and generally unwell. I left what I was doing and went straight to bed. For the rest of the day I found myself becoming unwell if I was up for more than 30 minutes or so. All up, I was only out of bed 2h45 that day - far less than my usual 7-ish hours. I also found the computer screen brought on an instant headache, plus I couldn't concentrate on an audiobook for very long, a combination which made for a pretty boring day! I did eventually realise I could tolerate the computer better at very low brightness, which meant I was able to note down a few bits and pieces and choose stuff to listen to without too much discomfort.<br /></p><p>Today I've been pretty tired and still feel a bit dizzy and ill, but I have been tolerating the (very dim) computer screen a bit better and did manage to write most of this in one hit. I've also got a few small bits and pieces done (including sowing a bunch more salad greens for the garden - something I've been trying to fit in since we got back from <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2024/01/back-at-ambury-park.html">Ambury Park</a> a week ago), but I didn't make it to church and have mostly been resting.</p><p>It does feel like I've been dealing with an awful lot of health stuff recently. As well as the <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2024/01/a-covidian-christmas.html">Covid</a> before Christmas and a sprained rib I got from my fall out of bed, in recent months I've been doing heaps of physio exercises for strained tendons in my knee and elbow. One of those exercises appears to have given me an inflamed nerve in the other elbow... sigh... Between two sore elbows and a sprained rib, moving around in the bed has been challenging in recent day! Thankfully the rib, at least, is definitely on the improve!</p><p>I'm hoping rigorous resting will turn things around for the concussion at least, but would appreciate your prayers over the next wee while. It sounds like there is a concussion clinic I can go to if things don't resolve quickly, but I'd love to avoid that as my time and energy is already so limited by the CFS!<br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-33374112113266893562024-01-23T18:12:00.002+13:002024-01-23T19:43:59.839+13:00Back at Ambury Park<p>Last April <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2023/04/camping-at-ambury-park.html">Martin and I camped at Ambury Park</a>, the only council campsite we can get to solely by bike :-) We'd thought it'd be a good place to bring people who hadn't been camping before: it's a fairly flat site, has non-smelly toilets and even hot showers(!), is pretty affordable, and is only a 20 minute drive from where we live, so very accessible for many of our friends.<br /></p><p>We tried to get a group from church to join us camping there this past weekend. Various things came up that meant we ended up camping on our own, but friends from church came out to join us on both the Friday and Saturday mornings :-) </p><p>Bird-watching walk with our Saturday visitors:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlpVCO8lb0IdBT6XkNs5Lw89tXGQrgNBaTg52Yjsn0FFLpsN2RXiXPouivs3rEu6QLTRI7zfkYKeF9zc5c-EKN4d4y_JolbFn3Qvx3AhVFWEFDykZ9eGvV1aqtlFsTpo8oqYackyv2OKFMHZIzMBgYJF1b-1N7Wlw0MPGScrztwrms-HIubvi89y_j-4/s4080/20240120_120609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlpVCO8lb0IdBT6XkNs5Lw89tXGQrgNBaTg52Yjsn0FFLpsN2RXiXPouivs3rEu6QLTRI7zfkYKeF9zc5c-EKN4d4y_JolbFn3Qvx3AhVFWEFDykZ9eGvV1aqtlFsTpo8oqYackyv2OKFMHZIzMBgYJF1b-1N7Wlw0MPGScrztwrms-HIubvi89y_j-4/s320/20240120_120609.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSO3yISEq0m5Bgx6xAy72GwvaW48945uIjUa9LTMy-htCdUAefV6rAQLBuLAcXeq5CggdOXix_SlN9Zx0KVZWHCMqR1nolkF37CosPVM-ThGu3mvIoodC43xNX9m1xkMNOPJ3rh43TWMN-XcJSNDU9A2BK6cz7oAKIURTjja8R5GVgBaeuEKdP7RWdDM/s4080/20240120_123212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSO3yISEq0m5Bgx6xAy72GwvaW48945uIjUa9LTMy-htCdUAefV6rAQLBuLAcXeq5CggdOXix_SlN9Zx0KVZWHCMqR1nolkF37CosPVM-ThGu3mvIoodC43xNX9m1xkMNOPJ3rh43TWMN-XcJSNDU9A2BK6cz7oAKIURTjja8R5GVgBaeuEKdP7RWdDM/s320/20240120_123212.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>On the Sunday we weren't sure if we were expecting visitors or not, but decided to head out for a bit of a bike ride along the foreshore towards the sewage works. The tide was well out so we didn't see many birds (although I did enjoy watching some delightfully elegant pied stilts hanging out near a little stream), but it was interesting all the same.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirthsznNHt40tEu105Dw0xnSJ1PCCJmPpiBZf2naSF7GHOI_kFm2RN5G6yCRgE_zj2u7vXSf3A6-Kn1cOw7tbHuIKnRR3aPTgGOBybkmtz8kdrysRYz9jBe-Ji6c84_lHlLnBzZ0i6-IDPVVBZ4vVAi8NNZbqFqVuBjVO5Jzq3rInXlIueYGhyphenhyphenllbnJI4/s4080/20240121_130131.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirthsznNHt40tEu105Dw0xnSJ1PCCJmPpiBZf2naSF7GHOI_kFm2RN5G6yCRgE_zj2u7vXSf3A6-Kn1cOw7tbHuIKnRR3aPTgGOBybkmtz8kdrysRYz9jBe-Ji6c84_lHlLnBzZ0i6-IDPVVBZ4vVAi8NNZbqFqVuBjVO5Jzq3rInXlIueYGhyphenhyphenllbnJI4/s320/20240121_130131.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lunchtime :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVIZAJuzBcoAHJ4QdArKTnHXlu_LYNekt_wpQyjqlVo7ac244a1iGK5bw47ddMMgB0iveCIaso6T8ITF_v2wfAiK2EOyg_B2GMB2-4tTmo0VEMjHkd57OWZJY3saGX4boUmHD2CHD9D7yrCP0At6eXPFGjxzjq3gJX5q7P_fcB8_8njXFCz7Nsb7ls_g/s4080/20240121_133452.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVIZAJuzBcoAHJ4QdArKTnHXlu_LYNekt_wpQyjqlVo7ac244a1iGK5bw47ddMMgB0iveCIaso6T8ITF_v2wfAiK2EOyg_B2GMB2-4tTmo0VEMjHkd57OWZJY3saGX4boUmHD2CHD9D7yrCP0At6eXPFGjxzjq3gJX5q7P_fcB8_8njXFCz7Nsb7ls_g/s320/20240121_133452.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking across towards the sewage works and reminiscing on the hugely interesting day I spent there for <i><a href="https://www.nzic.org.nz/unsecure_files/book/13C.pdf">Chemical Processes in New Zealand</a></i> back when I was at university.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This time camping we had a few new pieces of kit. In the photo below
you can see our new primus pot set (ordinarily we just take a saucepan
from home - now, for less space and weight, we have two pots instead of
one). Attached to the pole at the left you can see our new astonishingly effective camping towel (it's smaller than
most of our handtowels - and much thinner - but easily dries a whole
person, and it dries out startlingly quickly). </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yFDBY8UxX2Xk0EHh9vzfIIFFCMDSjDS6eJzs5pOTElIoxOZG3f-aPRXu0uNM4J7MXPt0QWs-15LwkWN3v5fPU1NbWn1-sGsXc1mEbQe4-_ebbKosh55Awpo-7EqI_BRsoxVwkFegdEY5FWGnqDqk1x3I_J7ZYPZquI7fOmdMAVJWwXKtAJEeFKIoMug/s4080/20240118_180736.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yFDBY8UxX2Xk0EHh9vzfIIFFCMDSjDS6eJzs5pOTElIoxOZG3f-aPRXu0uNM4J7MXPt0QWs-15LwkWN3v5fPU1NbWn1-sGsXc1mEbQe4-_ebbKosh55Awpo-7EqI_BRsoxVwkFegdEY5FWGnqDqk1x3I_J7ZYPZquI7fOmdMAVJWwXKtAJEeFKIoMug/s320/20240118_180736.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was pretty windy, so the tarp came in handy a number of times :-)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Those were both Christmas presents, as was a 20L dry bag (not really needed on this trip!) and the cool little <a href="https://mpowerd.com/products/luci-lux-f2017">solar-powered lantern</a> that you can see glowing in the back of the photo below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc-1EbBdIOCcpV6btiE4NwazDBT5TvwJNX7L2BhaLji4Ic2G_V9LPFuZ5mBBk8Sn4x98UIlj6qtxiORCJzL7PLAe7p2b_rpMCaUlbnj-6OLB5W5MurCcITAn9FMnoibgw46UoywD_LTFnZgrN4jgSTitZSfHMAgLqNn_UDw_DXVQPxv5mNVofZJIE3ko/s4080/20240121_211228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc-1EbBdIOCcpV6btiE4NwazDBT5TvwJNX7L2BhaLji4Ic2G_V9LPFuZ5mBBk8Sn4x98UIlj6qtxiORCJzL7PLAe7p2b_rpMCaUlbnj-6OLB5W5MurCcITAn9FMnoibgw46UoywD_LTFnZgrN4jgSTitZSfHMAgLqNn_UDw_DXVQPxv5mNVofZJIE3ko/s320/20240121_211228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It starts out as a little disc, but you inflate it like a beach ball to form a little cylindrical lantern. 7 hours of full sun should power it for 24 hours. It was nice having a bit of gentle light in the evenings - especially as our tent was uncommonly dark this time (a side-effect of the cooling we were using).<br /></p><p>The idea for how to cool the tent was triggered in November, when I got a delivery of chocolate for Just Kai. The box arrived wrapped in silver-coated bubble wrap - a thing I'd not known existed, but which I quickly realised might be the clue to solving a long-standing problem. In the summer, our tent is unbearably hot for most of the day. We usually abandon it and hang out under a tarp instead, hopefully somewhere where there's a bit of a breeze. But could silver-coated bubble wrap change that? We'd previously thought that a silver tarp over the tent might solve our problem, but hadn't managed to find anything sufficiently light. We'd also wondered about those silver car windscreen shades, but buying enough to cover the tent would be surprisingly expensive. But what about silver bubble wrap?</p><p>I found <a href="https://www.silverback.co.nz/Insulated-Metalised-foil-bubble-1-5-x-5m-roll-p/15231a.htm">a place in Grey Lynn</a> that sold it by the metre, and last week Martin picked up a piece 1.5m x 3m. It cost $23, weighed next to nothing, and rolled up reasonably compactly on the bike: <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_AOUESJ-U4Sh48i1Eh7dIMucAUQX1ujmz3rvN_CcZs2EMVCdF_8bVk3dilebhxVezj08utce7A4dOte0xJvhOBAK5KdMQtp82zJSnQxfUmRtcEQhCIfGFtpSjX2x5ElwTmHfWJpxGzdXzQonW131PkoRaySQA7ljGc0gwOj80J2Xznaz_aBNwDZZ8TY/s4000/20240118_102706.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_AOUESJ-U4Sh48i1Eh7dIMucAUQX1ujmz3rvN_CcZs2EMVCdF_8bVk3dilebhxVezj08utce7A4dOte0xJvhOBAK5KdMQtp82zJSnQxfUmRtcEQhCIfGFtpSjX2x5ElwTmHfWJpxGzdXzQonW131PkoRaySQA7ljGc0gwOj80J2Xznaz_aBNwDZZ8TY/s320/20240118_102706.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>We initially tried putting it over the top of the tent, but weren't sure how to fasten it on - plus turning our entire tent into a giant reflector felt a bit anti-social ;-) So we duct-taped in a couple of pleats then simply tucked it between the fly and the tent inner: <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGCw8I7ZPF6Awm1Zil5W6ksVTPQ2R3_k6Y4P3274PfraAulBeRNoLR4HUObVvbnL5Nr3WdlTWxlSbraopBEzX8lq-5I1CrGC7Eku7z2W3UirpSN2w64dEEUx5V4jVqpBeDdS9Eux-BWGDC0jCEuIj4XDbl3hVokDFJa791Db4BtzNwFh7wyJkM7RzlnE/s4080/20240119_083304.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGCw8I7ZPF6Awm1Zil5W6ksVTPQ2R3_k6Y4P3274PfraAulBeRNoLR4HUObVvbnL5Nr3WdlTWxlSbraopBEzX8lq-5I1CrGC7Eku7z2W3UirpSN2w64dEEUx5V4jVqpBeDdS9Eux-BWGDC0jCEuIj4XDbl3hVokDFJa791Db4BtzNwFh7wyJkM7RzlnE/s320/20240119_083304.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>It proved super-effective. It was still a bit warmer than ideal in the tent, but I was able to rest there comfortably whenever I wanted right through the day :-)</p><p>I didn't take any photos, but we also brought along the original piece of silver bubble wrap that started it all. I ended up wrapping our food in it to protect that from the sun, which worked very well. Re-wrapping it each time we wanted to access something was a pain, though; I may end up taping it into a pouch or something for next time.</p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9F1NkTkq0wku7CdyPR-rP3KOnrbrmanWNg9qEGcFB2w16vrqaE-ovixkjEHvGiA8uWwcOc0zobAe-34zBtBkQZ8etG1dq4_2d4kQCXurQLnNVUw9ygnSWjwDLcKc4QXeIdym96Vmsh1ir5RUuHDOtA7M8ghYmQUXPmICokKP_LhJW3OSXd8Tdaw90UI/s4080/20240119_075616.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9F1NkTkq0wku7CdyPR-rP3KOnrbrmanWNg9qEGcFB2w16vrqaE-ovixkjEHvGiA8uWwcOc0zobAe-34zBtBkQZ8etG1dq4_2d4kQCXurQLnNVUw9ygnSWjwDLcKc4QXeIdym96Vmsh1ir5RUuHDOtA7M8ghYmQUXPmICokKP_LhJW3OSXd8Tdaw90UI/s320/20240119_075616.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tarp covering the picnic table we commandeered - handy for both rain and bird protection!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNxhKEbZyQeRgDANlBdGcefDux6ea_dew663YGhUqWpgiEZh1lq0t4maMTb4cfR3HqGYp2XlzwLH22P9guqzNf0FrndFz3CWpNJJTLEZCxgwsCZbhYtfsij9wl9kE8qwB9hS7b6GAPNWdsr2FgxjLHbM-M8t4SPxedOjSh6rM2tGa_UJo7vani3kscqo/s4000/20240118_194912.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNxhKEbZyQeRgDANlBdGcefDux6ea_dew663YGhUqWpgiEZh1lq0t4maMTb4cfR3HqGYp2XlzwLH22P9guqzNf0FrndFz3CWpNJJTLEZCxgwsCZbhYtfsij9wl9kE8qwB9hS7b6GAPNWdsr2FgxjLHbM-M8t4SPxedOjSh6rM2tGa_UJo7vani3kscqo/s320/20240118_194912.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaking of bird protection, I tossed this carrot across to the front of the tent so I could take it inside and snack on it later. By the time I got back to it an enterprising bird had eaten about a quarter of it!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We didn't see all that many shore birds on this trip (although Ambury Park is famous for them), but the campsite was well-provided with pukeko and chooks, many in family groups. They were pretty loud, but fun to watch!</p><p>I also kept hearing a bird that sounded a lot like a yowling cat. I finally discovered it was a peacock that seems to have taken up residence. So beautiful :-)<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKHHtmu179mWMntD6GepQ7UtkeLQwVat4mQUCXuZ4L4mmK8xUzC6qZitensyTnP6BYWXtvW2Obn6u1G_Srr49OUNuTl40ZXXSq9zUtEHkVaS-SJ5tpWAz-_-AgnxHNUaC2knzIza5z-MFp_-HCCsBeXsoaT5G1GL523P7YfQ7dP3x11eJLMM0b32wFds/s4000/20240122_094142.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKHHtmu179mWMntD6GepQ7UtkeLQwVat4mQUCXuZ4L4mmK8xUzC6qZitensyTnP6BYWXtvW2Obn6u1G_Srr49OUNuTl40ZXXSq9zUtEHkVaS-SJ5tpWAz-_-AgnxHNUaC2knzIza5z-MFp_-HCCsBeXsoaT5G1GL523P7YfQ7dP3x11eJLMM0b32wFds/s320/20240122_094142.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was as I was resting while Martin packed up on Monday morning. I hadn't spotted the peacock when this photo was taken<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYUTLSMQRDOszc-I0hGshbpcRzfW80npzoz0UX9v5TmW_U2YjRAAhpu-0K5xWQw_Qjw7LKEg95Ge2vyV5U2TPKgPSQLUXaAlRFG7hDAQsx4oac3EV0b6xFXoIJo6lIuK8MMEM7H61SUJIc-eM78pfkfBjqfJPM4OU6tNZtOK0_lVbyXDuqNUPnDQRl1g/s4080/20240122_094204.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYUTLSMQRDOszc-I0hGshbpcRzfW80npzoz0UX9v5TmW_U2YjRAAhpu-0K5xWQw_Qjw7LKEg95Ge2vyV5U2TPKgPSQLUXaAlRFG7hDAQsx4oac3EV0b6xFXoIJo6lIuK8MMEM7H61SUJIc-eM78pfkfBjqfJPM4OU6tNZtOK0_lVbyXDuqNUPnDQRl1g/s320/20240122_094204.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and my view when I realised it was there - it's neck was so velvety.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Right by our tent site there was some kind of pittosporum bush, covered in teeny tiny flowers. I'd never noticed one flowering before.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNuYiw7wX-a3lAnfQOg0FP_kzfZ7A4hwXfAXMo6COs12cIpIkeksDoeqPamWVfbchMZxGMu6VHI0IvXKxq8V7tDc-EqjAU-znPCZfBVTkiHmTnM71g47-Lq2X-NdPz8J8upF-nWyqvJNxGUhs4Mhivb7K1wuIQw3M8v5wYoYJVfyRZYv2b3gzjJa96S8/s1600/20240119_182508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNuYiw7wX-a3lAnfQOg0FP_kzfZ7A4hwXfAXMo6COs12cIpIkeksDoeqPamWVfbchMZxGMu6VHI0IvXKxq8V7tDc-EqjAU-znPCZfBVTkiHmTnM71g47-Lq2X-NdPz8J8upF-nWyqvJNxGUhs4Mhivb7K1wuIQw3M8v5wYoYJVfyRZYv2b3gzjJa96S8/s320/20240119_182508.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eEFUIu-fGZtKqKtQbx3Z3gCZEITFirrTI2yG90BOBGoH0Ca9x6hG3wgh0Kpb4uRoT3SRlAicHjLwMVVoxVx0KOAja_PL1VouSpkarnomzRwpMIgVltK-YflyypkWnOsloOU5uw8gKTWJR7PZd4R2oqtwoR4lmfJ7HS6BquyfWmxBTyJhXcFrtPa9yc4/s4080/20240119_182526.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eEFUIu-fGZtKqKtQbx3Z3gCZEITFirrTI2yG90BOBGoH0Ca9x6hG3wgh0Kpb4uRoT3SRlAicHjLwMVVoxVx0KOAja_PL1VouSpkarnomzRwpMIgVltK-YflyypkWnOsloOU5uw8gKTWJR7PZd4R2oqtwoR4lmfJ7HS6BquyfWmxBTyJhXcFrtPa9yc4/s320/20240119_182526.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the bush as a whole<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYEBBeDM2T8onF9yQk4UcySeCpcdr_sjUy4dBA3fAl1skhXLUkZ0BfNPYhzImXJQEOrj00t28IDpoMd-mkaYgSdGzqMb7aCYM0dRWlrTBfLLsV40C6ULUWHwUPJJostDor__BUrNTjwuqCr9xqObnxy08FEcC8YLWJs37F1-cY3LdhAV42KbGAUX8e0k/s4080/20240120_124958.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYEBBeDM2T8onF9yQk4UcySeCpcdr_sjUy4dBA3fAl1skhXLUkZ0BfNPYhzImXJQEOrj00t28IDpoMd-mkaYgSdGzqMb7aCYM0dRWlrTBfLLsV40C6ULUWHwUPJJostDor__BUrNTjwuqCr9xqObnxy08FEcC8YLWJs37F1-cY3LdhAV42KbGAUX8e0k/s320/20240120_124958.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cool fungus spotted on one of our walks<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXZXRMDxMMgHop_9K-Dqlk0D37qLQ4AWrsy9aeE6i3bM87pKoYcvCyG3nxpgeMoy1ViHJ2Ifdus5QpMBZ896RGiW99uOuOUrizMKj_zauAebGcnuA2UNrUJZdS29VZmxR-rB1-vY7cW8SQNeFD-qxyj_-JwmGT4x2XTg7ySBkUF5KrfQ-6iNj_8_hTUk/s1600/20240120_125926.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXZXRMDxMMgHop_9K-Dqlk0D37qLQ4AWrsy9aeE6i3bM87pKoYcvCyG3nxpgeMoy1ViHJ2Ifdus5QpMBZ896RGiW99uOuOUrizMKj_zauAebGcnuA2UNrUJZdS29VZmxR-rB1-vY7cW8SQNeFD-qxyj_-JwmGT4x2XTg7ySBkUF5KrfQ-6iNj_8_hTUk/s320/20240120_125926.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is a native orchid - also seen on a walk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>The weather was pretty dry and clear most of the time we were there, and the skies in the evenings were stunning.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMrfBEVJ4nBqeswd3vqo4kKDfLcZRr7nyjsU73mNs3dHG9W2xXcEyoap3hIc4SkuovteLw8uoMHVZjWFUgCjFJeAqnXsP2pYhBKe0wZQCDlFJDxP1kwqzqMIJDLnQodEmKUlDSI_8f5jP9FyMVzRGsqGE8_kTDrydFz4F45Pd4GccJjkp3bcb-LWk8Tw/s4080/20240121_211246.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMrfBEVJ4nBqeswd3vqo4kKDfLcZRr7nyjsU73mNs3dHG9W2xXcEyoap3hIc4SkuovteLw8uoMHVZjWFUgCjFJeAqnXsP2pYhBKe0wZQCDlFJDxP1kwqzqMIJDLnQodEmKUlDSI_8f5jP9FyMVzRGsqGE8_kTDrydFz4F45Pd4GccJjkp3bcb-LWk8Tw/s320/20240121_211246.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIHwUun7TYZhTK0CWYJOSa_5sdtnFArt34iLofwSamEp6TBSu6ZTesO-4OxahsJZHhdL1ksgXAUQM6NVW0pdBaZJEL65rud-KpFKGcAImWDELBOCbaqZLL0YboNyHM5Cq9vUhbrC4kxV8wL61lqkHBHtcpdRePY_1xY36I6ylOFoj2zQcTJulNgRXb3s/s4080/20240121_211354.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIHwUun7TYZhTK0CWYJOSa_5sdtnFArt34iLofwSamEp6TBSu6ZTesO-4OxahsJZHhdL1ksgXAUQM6NVW0pdBaZJEL65rud-KpFKGcAImWDELBOCbaqZLL0YboNyHM5Cq9vUhbrC4kxV8wL61lqkHBHtcpdRePY_1xY36I6ylOFoj2zQcTJulNgRXb3s/s320/20240121_211354.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhPRyOoAX-ITRfhQ-lr7nwpBg3iEWxvht2EXvoEoYgxxjNR3bFfUwyWSlKQ-KpgeWVzdYkdDBKMNg9pBPELstZTGdtErJql-9kDyJawB_UpQOPUE_XxEy0rEXEPDAGUNmBLNQVRzhHXJVH7NjFOOW8Eue-DSNo1YyG-hK2TNh2LIPluhFCWO4bMO4mAA/s4000/20240121_211716.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhPRyOoAX-ITRfhQ-lr7nwpBg3iEWxvht2EXvoEoYgxxjNR3bFfUwyWSlKQ-KpgeWVzdYkdDBKMNg9pBPELstZTGdtErJql-9kDyJawB_UpQOPUE_XxEy0rEXEPDAGUNmBLNQVRzhHXJVH7NjFOOW8Eue-DSNo1YyG-hK2TNh2LIPluhFCWO4bMO4mAA/s320/20240121_211716.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the clouds passing across the moon on the Sunday night were creating a nifty rainbow halo around the moon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>There's something pretty magic about being able to get on our bikes and travel to a different world - and even I can cover quite surprising distances on a bike. Including a detour to the supermarket, we traveled there in 1h13 (actual cycling time - a bit more when you include breaks). Going home (which included a detour to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Restaurant_Review-g255106-d12415814-Reviews-Ollies_Ice_Cream_Parlour-Auckland_Central_North_Island.html">Ollies ice cream parlour</a> for ice cream sodas) took 1h31, and was a kilometer longer as we went through Onehunga to avoid climbing the big hill to Hillsborough.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJHybNnRsW-eCwZXYQTSdeXqseyPykBlKEVZ_Rs9Ocn1S8GSn_SyKOuhvLEC1Yra1doigG7wXZORYchrRJIJte8xv3uTrlvAt4pAJwzI58duEbyt5KsnP9Rc4H1xxQQHJsdFlZX0GTOyvFQORQvSx1AyIEcM1Sew4Z6QvVCZxwXYOI5JtuSjgf9TLE7g/s3264/20240122_114805.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJHybNnRsW-eCwZXYQTSdeXqseyPykBlKEVZ_Rs9Ocn1S8GSn_SyKOuhvLEC1Yra1doigG7wXZORYchrRJIJte8xv3uTrlvAt4pAJwzI58duEbyt5KsnP9Rc4H1xxQQHJsdFlZX0GTOyvFQORQvSx1AyIEcM1Sew4Z6QvVCZxwXYOI5JtuSjgf9TLE7g/s320/20240122_114805.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Monte Cecilia Park at almost the highest point of the return journey, looking back towards where we'd come from.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We've both come back a bit less rested than hoped, I think because of all the people contact over the weekend - both church friends and fellow campers. We'd hoped to have some time 'just us' beforehand, but <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2024/01/a-covidian-christmas.html">our Covidian Christmas</a> scuppered that plan. It was still a lovely place to be - and remarkably affordable, both financially and from a carbon perspective (the four nights cost us just under $250, and was responsible for the emission of about 28kg CO2e). We're keen to go back next summer if we can get together a group from church to go with us, but this experience has shown us we'll definitely need a quiet break for just the two of us either before or after if we do that :-)</p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-25325526341480848902024-01-17T18:07:00.008+13:002024-01-18T09:23:09.103+13:00A Covidian Christmas<p>On the Tuesday before Christmas I was a bit congested in the evening and had a sore throat - both things that often happen when I'm a bit run down. However, in the morning I woke up noticeably worse, so did a Covid test.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kGfen5kSG_1CIwZ77ByCdqpGHdTrORPwdjPmvO3aZB7CvW0r4OfWsngzhegwi1Y3b1Vtyd2FMJh62UfrndIwfkIZR1YT-lGdfllM5tQ4nqBijYyUkG0oZG5AKfEb3iFUp7QYMcWTHCWLir6GVtZivC2c5NxLuGKf1R4Scht0s5haefs7VTdYQDziMXQ/s4080/20231220_105231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kGfen5kSG_1CIwZ77ByCdqpGHdTrORPwdjPmvO3aZB7CvW0r4OfWsngzhegwi1Y3b1Vtyd2FMJh62UfrndIwfkIZR1YT-lGdfllM5tQ4nqBijYyUkG0oZG5AKfEb3iFUp7QYMcWTHCWLir6GVtZivC2c5NxLuGKf1R4Scht0s5haefs7VTdYQDziMXQ/s320/20231220_105231.jpg" width="180" /></a></p><p>I initially thought: "gosh, that control line came up fast", before realising it was no control line... So I cancelled my plans for the day, told Martin and Sarah, and went straight to bed.<br /></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>In the evening I was surprised to get a call from my GP offering me Paxlovid (the anti-viral medication). I hadn't thought I was eligible, but was very grateful for the offer and started taking it the next morning. In addition to that I did everything I knew of to help my body heal:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>resting</li><li>taking z<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">inc/vitamin C/vitamin D tablets (things the immune system needs to work)</span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">doing sinus rinses and saline gargles twice daily until that all seemed clear (to physically flush out as much virus as possible)</span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">blowing balloons twice daily and lying on my stomach as much as possible (to help keep my lungs open) </span> </li></ul>(those ideas mostly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZoBb-ngk5k&list=PLbRIplvnFEb1Rrx851mB6UJRymkJyQ7aX">came from GP</a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZoBb-ngk5k&list=PLbRIplvnFEb1Rrx851mB6UJRymkJyQ7aX"> Sandhya Ramanathan</a> who has produced a number of useful Covid-related videos) </span><p>On the second morning Martin also tested positive for Covid. It's the first time we've had Covid transmission in the house (although not the first time someone's been infected) - probably because I hadn't tested at the first sign of symptoms. However, in the end it was a bit of a blessing that Martin caught it, as that second day I became very weak in the afternoon. I was struggling to open my eyes, struggling to swallow (although diligently doing my best to drink! My GP had been keen for me to understand that keeping well hydrated was very important...) and certainly wouldn't have had the energy to phone Martin to let him know something was wrong if he'd still been isolating in the spare room. And, fortunately, he wasn't very sick with it this time round.<br /></p><p>That afternoon Martin spent some time on the phone to the Covid health line, trying to get advice on whether I should go to hospital. I don't think they really picked up on how weak I'd become, but they were concerned about some other symptoms and eventually decided I should go in to be assessed in person. However, by that time I was already a bit stronger (although still unable to walk or hold cutlery to eat) and we decided I should stay home and see how I was in the morning. The last place you want to be when you're that sick is a noisy hospital!</p><p>From then on I gradually improved, although I was still noticeably 'under the weather' for about two and a half weeks. I seem to be fully back to normal now, although it's a bit hard to tell between the muggy weather and other bits and pieces that have been going on - at the very least, I haven't badly declined as I thought I might :-)<br /></p><p>By Christmas Day I'd completed the government-recommended 5 days of isolation, but still had a faint positive on a RAT test. Not long after RATs first became available, as a household we'd decided to isolate from each other (and from the wider world) until we got a negative RAT. It seems that's a much better indication of infectiousness than symptoms or number of days, and as we're all in the fortunate position to be able to isolate as long as needed we're all keen not to risk infecting others unnecessarily. So I stayed home with Martin and watched our church's Christmas Day service online, before enjoying a yummy lunch delivered by my mum!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyr2UzcjD8FRPghNW8w3WWZAUU7GqheXEVsSe3WCAIOfsSYd_kf4SoW0XvsTNTQtn7F5EQlHcQHuNkTN1jpNss2DyasgjjrMvdo28A78MtD2Axf-05wIp-hhJy_0jaYH3EYHhwijI_-Nsstaa9-sZFoKKFy4QddreLGGQorE3aR8j4rfHomcYmGhGoZI/s4080/20231225_122158.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyr2UzcjD8FRPghNW8w3WWZAUU7GqheXEVsSe3WCAIOfsSYd_kf4SoW0XvsTNTQtn7F5EQlHcQHuNkTN1jpNss2DyasgjjrMvdo28A78MtD2Axf-05wIp-hhJy_0jaYH3EYHhwijI_-Nsstaa9-sZFoKKFy4QddreLGGQorE3aR8j4rfHomcYmGhGoZI/s320/20231225_122158.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9TQIEGf7s3V_LrBlNTNJLdkwEi37FYfWBeoJoPO0PBczj_3NQnLrvFm8N-gDj7pR1l0wU0q3_83qVRTQYjpMNpd-7sBxA-Ddg-wWV4-d9cmOYIGojYRxzquUTPJmozlKBDu5ybXVz4Rn7K9XKmU8zLHtWe0V2c62ri4LscD8vk5Hi1P32nkLx2wWpso/s4080/20231225_122125.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9TQIEGf7s3V_LrBlNTNJLdkwEi37FYfWBeoJoPO0PBczj_3NQnLrvFm8N-gDj7pR1l0wU0q3_83qVRTQYjpMNpd-7sBxA-Ddg-wWV4-d9cmOYIGojYRxzquUTPJmozlKBDu5ybXVz4Rn7K9XKmU8zLHtWe0V2c62ri4LscD8vk5Hi1P32nkLx2wWpso/s320/20231225_122125.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p>She delivered everything we could have wished for - not just roast lamb and veg but even mini pavlovas, Christmas mince pies, chocolates and more! <br /></p><p>In the afternoon we listened to a recording of <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-QV_I-xseA">The Messiah</a>, </i>through the day we chatted to family on the phone, and in the evening we lit our last Advent candle and sung carols together. All in all a lovely day!<br /></p><p>We had intended to spend Christmas in Whangārei with Martin's family, but in the end were there for New Year's instead. It took Martin around 9 days to test negative, which meant we missed his niece who had to leave before we got there, but we still had a lovely time. Highlights included a walk with Martin's Thai sister pi-Nok:<br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6Fw5ixrMNAaP-M7xJpOdqTnX2otNjz0rMt48T20ZqIgZfBOZEOfWIR_hRgAhp-EchXwzEhNB3Tm_aGhsKdV4KRUtaNJBkpHHnjHkV0xCe0fpL5U2LxmzDQbw6ruo8hyxgRNF7rx3j3FUKfQAgNOdec826pntYRke0lxJAyLySliKJeFmYDrVuT5FxTE/s2048/20240103_113538.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6Fw5ixrMNAaP-M7xJpOdqTnX2otNjz0rMt48T20ZqIgZfBOZEOfWIR_hRgAhp-EchXwzEhNB3Tm_aGhsKdV4KRUtaNJBkpHHnjHkV0xCe0fpL5U2LxmzDQbw6ruo8hyxgRNF7rx3j3FUKfQAgNOdec826pntYRke0lxJAyLySliKJeFmYDrVuT5FxTE/s320/20240103_113538.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxpCZYad5HvY-uXKUbhuyZDVxEyWdfI2Sh9PQzW2d2K_WR9CMWwFYErHnPrMzZCyDYQSOPjYwRZrgBu1bgdogVM4zC1uc1SNVYRZs1I849pJ-T-UdqDhtype4qd1bruyreXlzhocgRfy30WpQw-2XH2nU7uUMV1gTJxcWtzmghfumrqYAZveLZhyIW4I/s4080/20240103_112800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxpCZYad5HvY-uXKUbhuyZDVxEyWdfI2Sh9PQzW2d2K_WR9CMWwFYErHnPrMzZCyDYQSOPjYwRZrgBu1bgdogVM4zC1uc1SNVYRZs1I849pJ-T-UdqDhtype4qd1bruyreXlzhocgRfy30WpQw-2XH2nU7uUMV1gTJxcWtzmghfumrqYAZveLZhyIW4I/s320/20240103_112800.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta5o1mteVWM7v6rPrKuMHagyoI-jHxqz9eAZmMG9SyM7TImgOUiRyeqCzhJTESDtp4huWc-_mQoH1lJFJEk5Ee3iSvNLATeNSyWouxMjqycJNydZKgM7U5QboYc0wXGMXHUY8IXByH8hoteyH9lbTvg4NBR5IhcC-ZzQencqRFJdJfSd3CsxZMbctHVg/s4080/20240103_132807.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta5o1mteVWM7v6rPrKuMHagyoI-jHxqz9eAZmMG9SyM7TImgOUiRyeqCzhJTESDtp4huWc-_mQoH1lJFJEk5Ee3iSvNLATeNSyWouxMjqycJNydZKgM7U5QboYc0wXGMXHUY8IXByH8hoteyH9lbTvg4NBR5IhcC-ZzQencqRFJdJfSd3CsxZMbctHVg/s320/20240103_132807.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fish and chips after the walk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And seeing Sandra's (his other sister) house up there now it's all set up:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5twz1tRQAThLbFxdGhDmQ9LvDbtToxmkrJIbYu6pXcEYDXQ9AzAPNVcNVgbTf_lvYrj6StG9e-ThjEHTvJYbzNdrpScfKgGEn5FRXS4ZfBCDMcjuWLAO52KjjyolnOHv2oYskdDGnF3uF9MhvOfWbowzcyoTD9tBEULJEpfwE5yClDYGxGmaXZf6oADo/s4080/20240101_155847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5twz1tRQAThLbFxdGhDmQ9LvDbtToxmkrJIbYu6pXcEYDXQ9AzAPNVcNVgbTf_lvYrj6StG9e-ThjEHTvJYbzNdrpScfKgGEn5FRXS4ZfBCDMcjuWLAO52KjjyolnOHv2oYskdDGnF3uF9MhvOfWbowzcyoTD9tBEULJEpfwE5yClDYGxGmaXZf6oADo/s320/20240101_155847.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWX3cD0SYsq7W8JNjRHSv_hG2DHtY4PUi18MpACz9mT8i3fjpg6HDgTsODgLqG2pIS81El1I3bWb3vFQjUcdW-iUG14dhofWz1hadVJEuhX9LPio9nAxnHNRxsU0QzvTa_dSS7tcHIUap7DwX1H8qTVkUWckA_IagdA_5PomxlA_EQVi7YDJ70ByqwqM/s3264/20240101_122303.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWX3cD0SYsq7W8JNjRHSv_hG2DHtY4PUi18MpACz9mT8i3fjpg6HDgTsODgLqG2pIS81El1I3bWb3vFQjUcdW-iUG14dhofWz1hadVJEuhX9LPio9nAxnHNRxsU0QzvTa_dSS7tcHIUap7DwX1H8qTVkUWckA_IagdA_5PomxlA_EQVi7YDJ70ByqwqM/s320/20240101_122303.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It's lovely. And, at the time, had her impressive nativity scene collection on display. These are my favourites:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkfgzRtDed_HsOf6EqvFfwNR_NVnzH6nYuaLjr-Ec6vm5KNbmvPIVRUgVHL1uMAFAScGjbGi-2bbfKkh6gAlA3kua9dIaHY8wDacFuNAK5l32k8Gjcu-xluxIKM9LPJ16EH03z5CYECPwFbEcvcU2z3u_je5APjm3CHpoiG5hJZFyIo9cjF6pKopDvxk/s4080/20240101_160010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkfgzRtDed_HsOf6EqvFfwNR_NVnzH6nYuaLjr-Ec6vm5KNbmvPIVRUgVHL1uMAFAScGjbGi-2bbfKkh6gAlA3kua9dIaHY8wDacFuNAK5l32k8Gjcu-xluxIKM9LPJ16EH03z5CYECPwFbEcvcU2z3u_je5APjm3CHpoiG5hJZFyIo9cjF6pKopDvxk/s320/20240101_160010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFiD6SCbEU8IySmbcYDEwH1EZ6VIOrFq8Fq9hc15YXBAnVIY4Ug4GaJXhaVelb7kvg0bp5VC6GKDyXtYph_hWr-lX4ukWpRH8kiFxFUarUGsWr5HEGhwIDrc_vtm-XSM179lO8ZfMve58wwL2wzkk7RLV9KyUFemzXOgaHn6Urt9KIkk3wvMkU-kRqXI/s4080/20240101_155919.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFiD6SCbEU8IySmbcYDEwH1EZ6VIOrFq8Fq9hc15YXBAnVIY4Ug4GaJXhaVelb7kvg0bp5VC6GKDyXtYph_hWr-lX4ukWpRH8kiFxFUarUGsWr5HEGhwIDrc_vtm-XSM179lO8ZfMve58wwL2wzkk7RLV9KyUFemzXOgaHn6Urt9KIkk3wvMkU-kRqXI/s320/20240101_155919.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMyp-SKfo72n1kGilNrzpCmU3j3ESc_UYWG0-La2F93ygowzl6QGxV_d1xpCMLab1VOimg4iH2J0ugu7GkJQQ6YqABnqbWwZxm0VcSmst3cditHdIVN2Iai8Vn9h7zEwc-Y9VUwjQrKOIwxIY_XZ3_og8A3NIWIi38pqnzB60RsnbxR9D0lDTmh_BybQ/s4080/20240101_155902.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMyp-SKfo72n1kGilNrzpCmU3j3ESc_UYWG0-La2F93ygowzl6QGxV_d1xpCMLab1VOimg4iH2J0ugu7GkJQQ6YqABnqbWwZxm0VcSmst3cditHdIVN2Iai8Vn9h7zEwc-Y9VUwjQrKOIwxIY_XZ3_og8A3NIWIi38pqnzB60RsnbxR9D0lDTmh_BybQ/s320/20240101_155902.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>While we were there I was doing daily RAT tests (which I was heartily sick of by the end!). It seems that about one person in 5 who takes Paxlovid becomes infectious again during the 8 days after they first tested negative - and you can only be sure that's happened if you do a RAT test, as you don't always have symptoms. Fortunately that didn't happen to me so I was able to hang out with the family every day we were in Whangārei :-)</p><p>Since the infection I've been taking 75mg of aspirin every day, and expect to do so for the next 6 months (although I'll double-check that with my GP when I see her in a few weeks). It seems that blood clots (causing strokes, deep vein thrombosis etc.) are much more common than usual after a Covid infection, even if you weren't all that sick. They're still rare (just less rare than usual), but the consequences of getting them can be pretty severe.</p><p>It's not yet known whether low-dose aspirin reduces this risk (although it's well-known to do so in other circumstances), but I'd heard of people taking it in the hope it does and wanted to look into it. It seems that the risks of long-term aspirin use in the under-60s are very low, so I've decided to take it for the next six months in the hope it helps. After that my clot risk should have gone back to normal :-)<br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-57412502101724712382024-01-14T17:01:00.005+13:002024-01-17T18:07:37.135+13:00New Year's Examen<p>At New Year's we're often encouraged to make resolutions - to look to the year ahead and think about what we'd like to do differently. However, inspired by the daily "<a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2023/08/praying-ignatian-examen.html">Examen</a>" (a Jesuit practise of praying about/reflecting on your day) which I've found so helpful this year, last week I decided to follow a similar process to reflect on the past year instead.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWhoXbwqDJmzRdnn6Ljek7iXmrGV9hGI4cM5VJNif3Ia9DdavEsO5zbCib8zsqHKjWHhM7deSmFixTNhfBSpvqzBpt7ZayugagdRgzishEykZ2N5bbQw_6an9u9AblTnEuJs0dbH8YZgdECL4zd4SCs-okWCqBSF5evSR0yxczeisPhHe7LAg-VBSvHM/s4080/20231106_102724.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWhoXbwqDJmzRdnn6Ljek7iXmrGV9hGI4cM5VJNif3Ia9DdavEsO5zbCib8zsqHKjWHhM7deSmFixTNhfBSpvqzBpt7ZayugagdRgzishEykZ2N5bbQw_6an9u9AblTnEuJs0dbH8YZgdECL4zd4SCs-okWCqBSF5evSR0yxczeisPhHe7LAg-VBSvHM/s320/20231106_102724.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the beach where I often go when I want to take time and reflect<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Guided by <a href="https://www.lynnebaab.com/blog/prayer-as-listening-to-god-looking-back-">these thoughts and questions</a> I prayed about the good things that had happened this year and where I'd seen God in those. That included:<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2023/06/moving-away-from-budgeting.html">moving away from detailed budgeting</a> - which I think of now as God calling us away from something that had been a means of grace but had become a burden;</li><li>God showing me that Just Kai's growth and profile was His responsibility rather than mine (which happened most particularly back at Easter, when I'd been working hard trying to get various newspapers etc. interested in our Easter recommendations, all to no avail, and then TV1 called me out of the blue and asked me to talk on Breakfast!);</li><li>the Examen itself, which I feel God has used to grow me in patience and detachment this year.</li></ul><p>I then also prayed about the hard things and where I'd seen God in those, too. That included:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>seeing my parents ageing;</li><li>Martin's work taking a lot of his attention as he learned a new role;</li><li>so often feeling like there are so many important things that I'm not doing, as my energy continues to be so limited.</li></ul><p>And yet, in each of those I also saw ways in which God was acting through those things, both supporting me in them and challenging me through them.</p><p>Thank you, God, for your great kindness to me!</p><p>After that, the notes I was following also encouraged me to reflect on where I had resisted God and gone against Him in this past year. For me, that is so often resisting my conscience: feeling a strong sense that I shouldn't say something (nearly always it's about words, for me, rather than actions) and saying it anyway. Because that's what I wanted to do, even though I knew God was saying not to.</p><p>Lord, please give me strength to respond more to those prompts this year!</p><p>And then, right now, our church is in the middle of two weeks of prayer and fasting (where fasting can mean a variety of things, depending on what works for each individual). I have been fasting from food for a chunk of the day - and the main thing I've learned is how far I have to go when it comes to the patience and detachment I'd been celebrating in the examen! It turns out I'm a lot less patient, generous and kind when I'm hungry.... So that's something I've been praying about the past few days - that I will lean more on God and draw strength from Him, rather than my strength coming so much from a full tummy!<br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-526942254736872392023-10-05T17:05:00.005+13:002023-10-05T17:06:42.143+13:00Camping at Pae o te Rangi<p>Last weekend, Martin and I had a 5-day break at the <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/stay-at-park/Pages/accommodation-details.aspx?itemID=19">Pae o te Rangi campground</a> in the Cascades area of the Waitakere Ranges, near-ish to Te Henga/Bethell's Beach.</p><p>We caught the train to Swanson then got on our bikes - as you can see, it had some steep bits! <br /></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QrSV6caemUXorX_7mwCFubRip6fbc5SsFp7DS5XAfywIrx18sUSPKBCW7jKcQXMdfmF-5iktXeHYXj0UfOmVojEQMA7WaIedXV_xXso9HbJ0R8U9bsmNuDjxWL4Zi02OvFo3tG17b8q_AhVCqFaQJex50h51fXWh5peJH23aFhLYLoxMfA8CSCeIa2Y/s4000/IMG_20230928_113702.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QrSV6caemUXorX_7mwCFubRip6fbc5SsFp7DS5XAfywIrx18sUSPKBCW7jKcQXMdfmF-5iktXeHYXj0UfOmVojEQMA7WaIedXV_xXso9HbJ0R8U9bsmNuDjxWL4Zi02OvFo3tG17b8q_AhVCqFaQJex50h51fXWh5peJH23aFhLYLoxMfA8CSCeIa2Y/s320/IMG_20230928_113702.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking up the first steep bit, to Waitakere township. I forgot to take my asthma inhaler when I first got on the train (it takes 30 minutes or so to kick in), so I was struggling with asthma up this bit and Martin had to take over my bike a little before the top.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaCrzcAXyl2vUlz8FZ9IjiiAopOZGXNGCb1G3OYqj9gLLG32v9fX8JRwfFQXh2IJ7ta0qEsWes8Z5Q_dZ11XfZYwkp5Gyp5IVDzxhVWM6hDzbLo4qymtLu2B1wsAG_Q54UqcUlCeVp-t5g35mnetAYNr4_5MEvgxjwLCAPac1Qrgj3UVZ9J-mVtISdpQ/s390/Screenshot%20from%202023-10-05%2016-01-14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="132" data-original-width="390" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaCrzcAXyl2vUlz8FZ9IjiiAopOZGXNGCb1G3OYqj9gLLG32v9fX8JRwfFQXh2IJ7ta0qEsWes8Z5Q_dZ11XfZYwkp5Gyp5IVDzxhVWM6hDzbLo4qymtLu2B1wsAG_Q54UqcUlCeVp-t5g35mnetAYNr4_5MEvgxjwLCAPac1Qrgj3UVZ9J-mVtISdpQ/s320/Screenshot%20from%202023-10-05%2016-01-14.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the gradient of the route as a whole<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>We'd chosen <a href="https://www.google.co.nz/maps/dir/Swanson/Pae+o+te+Rangi+Disc+Golf+course,+Te+Henga+Road,+Wait%C4%81kere,+Auckland/@-36.8794632,174.4989015,13z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x6d0d6af0f1fad7c7:0x4f93b34189a27597!2m2!1d174.5762789!2d-36.8660569!3m4!1m2!1d174.5425641!2d-36.8504293!3s0x6d0d6b6aa9b4819d:0x6489ba40b388bad8!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d0d6c8bb576e06d:0xac77f92ee3901720!2m2!1d174.5051254!2d-36.8674981!3e1?authuser=1&entry=ttu">this route in</a> (rather than the <a href="https://www.google.co.nz/maps/dir/Swanson/Pae+O+Te+Rangi+Campsite,+Wait%C4%81kere,+Auckland/@-36.8721857,174.4969184,13z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x6d0d6af0f1fad7c7:0x4f93b34189a27597!2m2!1d174.5762789!2d-36.8660569!3m4!1m2!1d174.5438121!2d-36.8519673!3s0x6d0d6b15377ad77f:0xa165c58920cbf252!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d0d6c66343186bd:0x32726428986bd0ae!2m2!1d174.504144!2d-36.879862!3e1?authuser=1&entry=ttu">default route</a> on Google maps, which is via. Long Rd) as that way had a very steep climb right at the end. Instead, we were entering off Te Henga Rd, which would give us 1.3km of gradually rising gravel road across the Pae o te Rangi farm. This turned out to likely not have been a good choice! It took us about an hour and a half to get to the farm gate, followed by another hour and a half across the farm to the campsite!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ke9ajtREKrl4DFPrbrKC-KvhBLrNbRTPi4YwkRC7gnw1MNpDwD-mBaXuzmAumtwGOsxc7qgyHKCx00591P7CF66o4Vbm8r8S_-d3ZaHHox2hPCfM-F0TOsxEljQDQDPFdlz050kVQooOB1rtyQa3I7FVLDUIzMBo5YuOopzYHOl3jLl9I9iBWNE7B3U/s4080/IMG_20230928_125353.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ke9ajtREKrl4DFPrbrKC-KvhBLrNbRTPi4YwkRC7gnw1MNpDwD-mBaXuzmAumtwGOsxc7qgyHKCx00591P7CF66o4Vbm8r8S_-d3ZaHHox2hPCfM-F0TOsxEljQDQDPFdlz050kVQooOB1rtyQa3I7FVLDUIzMBo5YuOopzYHOl3jLl9I9iBWNE7B3U/s320/IMG_20230928_125353.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gate at the farm entrance wasn't really set up for bikes!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMU2gGGMDn8Yl_WjEsFpRGyfopLWMDBwoGp5XAPasnE0V1grqujWQ6TT3YMagPNCGaUhXBYKWvObdgqomQ9IfQ3vyW4g5gYqMe3h97memHNOARJls93FJJZxriDSDXCIHcdXDGwIuQVGCO9JZKrpKhPCVN4kLbmTFweCrlmSBxiSaIltvm9sFHOG19UE/s4000/IMG_20230928_134634.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMU2gGGMDn8Yl_WjEsFpRGyfopLWMDBwoGp5XAPasnE0V1grqujWQ6TT3YMagPNCGaUhXBYKWvObdgqomQ9IfQ3vyW4g5gYqMe3h97memHNOARJls93FJJZxriDSDXCIHcdXDGwIuQVGCO9JZKrpKhPCVN4kLbmTFweCrlmSBxiSaIltvm9sFHOG19UE/s320/IMG_20230928_134634.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The path was occasionally gravel, but mostly just muddy ruts across the farm. We rode hardly any of it, and eventually I couldn't even push my bike and left it to Martin to do both :-(<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fovoSizQ9oVvB8HToEMyNjogZKhiaxMZ9wnajm1WK1H2dz1WExMBP3hGfepwP-WbRrbJNKenM0O3QWAgWxDDwzFbMsN09OdYZAn8YzdLkPA2CRw6jqiFsJp9ZjWb59rtE1WlLD7DPjOjzBZ5GgN5v010RF4E8wF6-2Ajbg8_bFUNjly-8vBoQgvDmfY/s4000/IMG_20230928_135853.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fovoSizQ9oVvB8HToEMyNjogZKhiaxMZ9wnajm1WK1H2dz1WExMBP3hGfepwP-WbRrbJNKenM0O3QWAgWxDDwzFbMsN09OdYZAn8YzdLkPA2CRw6jqiFsJp9ZjWb59rtE1WlLD7DPjOjzBZ5GgN5v010RF4E8wF6-2Ajbg8_bFUNjly-8vBoQgvDmfY/s320/IMG_20230928_135853.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gravel bit! But around this area there was also one super-inquisitive cattlebeast that kept wanting to rub its face on our panniers, which wasn't ideal.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNUvQnzZMl78muJrjCCe9WD6bKgv6qsBHg7uGek5ZYeAmyB-H5E0etVqSeOb_4smojeTWfNMcGUFVJ7TbvLwVkU52KV3h_C0iBog7B_nl13lBNYzlEZCnYs6jA0NgQ8tG0BwMHCwQXcD678VqshPMCOhomSvNcrJHpFo2gJ2Oh8aqS6-SZ7jB8pXUlcw/s4000/IMG_20231001_161609.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNUvQnzZMl78muJrjCCe9WD6bKgv6qsBHg7uGek5ZYeAmyB-H5E0etVqSeOb_4smojeTWfNMcGUFVJ7TbvLwVkU52KV3h_C0iBog7B_nl13lBNYzlEZCnYs6jA0NgQ8tG0BwMHCwQXcD678VqshPMCOhomSvNcrJHpFo2gJ2Oh8aqS6-SZ7jB8pXUlcw/s320/IMG_20231001_161609.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken on a walk later in the weekend, this shows a lot of the route across the farm. The campsite is still a little behind/above us at this point; our starting point was on the road where you can see the greyish stand of poplars in the centre of the image.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHs8NMSleVzk345-1R3jaBM-dS7rPI0DEUdi8Cv9GdWQFf0DH85Z-3rWDCo8Xi5sVm3J49WxfbDdsvcJggCdUwZFmerjJm-RJ_DcIeEqinK4NIdQI1X4iGKB4a4jdeE2Xjgdeo58IX91QQMJ1i74rKqLXCoYfR0U6e0dqWFwpQ1PGTSvAR_C-qRxa9U7k/s3600/IMG_20230928_180531.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2336" data-original-width="3600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHs8NMSleVzk345-1R3jaBM-dS7rPI0DEUdi8Cv9GdWQFf0DH85Z-3rWDCo8Xi5sVm3J49WxfbDdsvcJggCdUwZFmerjJm-RJ_DcIeEqinK4NIdQI1X4iGKB4a4jdeE2Xjgdeo58IX91QQMJ1i74rKqLXCoYfR0U6e0dqWFwpQ1PGTSvAR_C-qRxa9U7k/s320/IMG_20230928_180531.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally there! It was a pretty cold and windy weekend (hence the raincoat and double beanie), but it was so good to get away!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJMS6lNKs8THjFO1EwoiW1bXwXs5jSvkyZBDEBELnN0uL80fHbVRBmDVSDXHt8zhEgF8nCD6NmrmprqBry6WXYA2Yj-sLCbH805NuPZf2kAJb3UOJuDsNG7H4DDUqmMEevfqdWFjIGj64FW4te-keuNdYSs8r16nqtie76s_m0Qvn7g55VmrtBq63LUM/s4080/IMG_20230930_085413.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJMS6lNKs8THjFO1EwoiW1bXwXs5jSvkyZBDEBELnN0uL80fHbVRBmDVSDXHt8zhEgF8nCD6NmrmprqBry6WXYA2Yj-sLCbH805NuPZf2kAJb3UOJuDsNG7H4DDUqmMEevfqdWFjIGj64FW4te-keuNdYSs8r16nqtie76s_m0Qvn7g55VmrtBq63LUM/s320/IMG_20230930_085413.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our wee set-up. The picnic table is on a concrete pad, which was nice. It kept the mud down, and was also a good place to put the gas cooker out of the wind.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmEu2Vb8NztsQHrRRqQAg_hFd-KLpIdE8GRMPiD9D9QD30dJWSTtqYp9S19dOwrmM-p0ZJFgOF2lFPCbM2zVEjiAOZ_rY4zmb8YVTTxfb2eRA55da944Zfdaqa6cqUXOO2kaq0DS98D8TQE6O5seO9qvifZiHuXr2GIDncQue0F9eQlwL5GUxH9_cOfw/s4080/IMG_20230930_085421.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmEu2Vb8NztsQHrRRqQAg_hFd-KLpIdE8GRMPiD9D9QD30dJWSTtqYp9S19dOwrmM-p0ZJFgOF2lFPCbM2zVEjiAOZ_rY4zmb8YVTTxfb2eRA55da944Zfdaqa6cqUXOO2kaq0DS98D8TQE6O5seO9qvifZiHuXr2GIDncQue0F9eQlwL5GUxH9_cOfw/s320/IMG_20230930_085421.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up towards the toilet. We reckon we could put a couple of hammocks in these trees if we came back in the summer :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aTBXdP8Sy77FdoHSZ9lQipkfM9w_A06RCqo_tavmCrW3CY7UuAMl4piNTJ40IQFDYyyKhOn9-uvYahdxyP6D25YYpsP5A2voUw9Lvm0HPLuP4byqPhZEWo2ROZcpmiRFFz-_mYlAQm311OThXj4MqmQCKd0WGw1qtNVdhNTsj_iVj-7Qz6K_OxuMTGE/s4080/IMG_20230930_085440.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aTBXdP8Sy77FdoHSZ9lQipkfM9w_A06RCqo_tavmCrW3CY7UuAMl4piNTJ40IQFDYyyKhOn9-uvYahdxyP6D25YYpsP5A2voUw9Lvm0HPLuP4byqPhZEWo2ROZcpmiRFFz-_mYlAQm311OThXj4MqmQCKd0WGw1qtNVdhNTsj_iVj-7Qz6K_OxuMTGE/s320/IMG_20230930_085440.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the campsite<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnMSZC_LktPhTkRaCchHswCd3oKBAqiyvBtKQZ0kpiP7835PMmxG-ZyLxf3X7bdqqJTKv0eXoK4tUZA8wOP84_wFnclmH8lV9EqV5TLZfY4Kx-N-5RIwv4DepvJD-k0OVq_4ALqQqQshEzR-631yOLoGJyWlkVYCckxHGMU8hRjIpjiCIfjMuyAF9kPI/s4080/IMG_20230930_085638.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnMSZC_LktPhTkRaCchHswCd3oKBAqiyvBtKQZ0kpiP7835PMmxG-ZyLxf3X7bdqqJTKv0eXoK4tUZA8wOP84_wFnclmH8lV9EqV5TLZfY4Kx-N-5RIwv4DepvJD-k0OVq_4ALqQqQshEzR-631yOLoGJyWlkVYCckxHGMU8hRjIpjiCIfjMuyAF9kPI/s320/IMG_20230930_085638.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite view from the campsite, looking back towards Te Henga Rd.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a really good weekend away. We had the campsite completely to ourselves most of the time. On the Sunday morning we saw a couple of guys doing the <a href="https://udisc.com/courses/pae-o-te-rangi-RFdS">Pae o te Rangi disc golf course</a> (which goes all over the farm the campsite is in, including looping around the campsite itself). It was impressive how far they could throw the discs! We'd earlier found a few discs people had lost around the perimeter of the campsite and had fun throwing them to each other, but these people were throwing with their whole bodies and got much more impressive results! Other than them the only other people we saw the whole weekend were a man and his young son who stayed at the campsite on the Sunday night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had thought to bike to Te Henga/Bethell's Beach on the Saturday (maybe around 45 minutes each way), but instead we stayed holed up in the tent listening to an audio book. It was super windy!<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz4ipXz6wjZlo-XGVjAZk2jVG7CcY-ungydNIhKnu9csXUSBtt-KRRysu2dtFZfu7f2Zc6YxC4UKOUC7Cvgag' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>It was remarkable how well our flimsy tent blocked the wind, though. So
long as everything was well battened down there was next to no draught
inside.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17lbUvG-o3znMBHxXfrug_3peBaK8s1pfWYRK5QCRF4uZeqVG-NBAtU3CaO_b2TXyBkvQTDJlekH5Ld53-kRFz9kReR4H1Nvwy9r-dzMoBZB51ZGL1YsWCIWbXW5B7dlLi6Lr5zRWfvIxx9vTK_7pnom_iqcCw5ntq3-Lhkrztt0jEnikwRrnjim3Z_I/s4000/IMG_20230930_191819.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17lbUvG-o3znMBHxXfrug_3peBaK8s1pfWYRK5QCRF4uZeqVG-NBAtU3CaO_b2TXyBkvQTDJlekH5Ld53-kRFz9kReR4H1Nvwy9r-dzMoBZB51ZGL1YsWCIWbXW5B7dlLi6Lr5zRWfvIxx9vTK_7pnom_iqcCw5ntq3-Lhkrztt0jEnikwRrnjim3Z_I/s320/IMG_20230930_191819.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday's glorious sunset :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>On the Sunday morning we sung some hymns together, accompanied by Martin's tiny plastic ukelele (which was a bit of a challenge to play - he's also got a larger and less plastic one that he's much more used to now).<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5UFboTu8E9L01Bque2bZwItxfdua7JXeO8M062uh9Ji3GH-3xS1GGIr7990sfG_mmMAXjUHwgCYWu8l-intLLnA2vo8SQLb1SOru_YsSUeMo20schmW0IapZYvfy56kqpzIzzPgFzc4lGFS0Xllq5skQ1YyUPdlZYa2LqQOLRm0DJQm0_PbtHRUmmKE/s4080/IMG_20231001_095944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5UFboTu8E9L01Bque2bZwItxfdua7JXeO8M062uh9Ji3GH-3xS1GGIr7990sfG_mmMAXjUHwgCYWu8l-intLLnA2vo8SQLb1SOru_YsSUeMo20schmW0IapZYvfy56kqpzIzzPgFzc4lGFS0Xllq5skQ1YyUPdlZYa2LqQOLRm0DJQm0_PbtHRUmmKE/s320/IMG_20231001_095944.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>Later in the day we went for a wander around the farm.</p><p>I'd been surprised to find that the disc golf course was a lot like a regular golf course - complete with 'tees' of fake grass on concrete.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYdDWR1-2Z2lvguomA1FsOvyjWb-5YFOBIAvdTvlgRG6Nnt1sTH2HU2ZRxCFJvNc9jayigtn_0yf4jWg_-y6l-T0Zy9-yrjtxeBuQ1JbUxcepJDQmCEz2Isw0NEHmWcdOW-YgXN4mT21E6yrkqBzDSePS1lFLJqao4E2Tg_zEdPgBVbUppBRIF3oHvis/s1044/IMG_20230930_085709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1044" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYdDWR1-2Z2lvguomA1FsOvyjWb-5YFOBIAvdTvlgRG6Nnt1sTH2HU2ZRxCFJvNc9jayigtn_0yf4jWg_-y6l-T0Zy9-yrjtxeBuQ1JbUxcepJDQmCEz2Isw0NEHmWcdOW-YgXN4mT21E6yrkqBzDSePS1lFLJqao4E2Tg_zEdPgBVbUppBRIF3oHvis/s320/IMG_20230930_085709.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>The goals were baskets with a bunch of chains dangling above them - presumably to absorb the momentum as the disc hits into them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_QFZ7o6piLhJhXoSUtr9Tt36oAZdbtFsrwyLf3bBPbaBRqabPWHmLyCkg1uEZWi2i5oCyuBTzwZEPRk4jKvOkplobX9248N0m4E4IdI5fTNRJLvOXlNJhrV2frVE0V_CviBepE80mAbTEYt7HH8-3NbPz_0kT7IkrmVXiVYb5axPtnhb4NHC5F0eZPA/s4080/IMG_20231001_155545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_QFZ7o6piLhJhXoSUtr9Tt36oAZdbtFsrwyLf3bBPbaBRqabPWHmLyCkg1uEZWi2i5oCyuBTzwZEPRk4jKvOkplobX9248N0m4E4IdI5fTNRJLvOXlNJhrV2frVE0V_CviBepE80mAbTEYt7HH8-3NbPz_0kT7IkrmVXiVYb5axPtnhb4NHC5F0eZPA/s320/IMG_20231001_155545.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxr8YvDJtZ-bbhZKEq-gLrkPBqoKkRkacQtZPxtKNA_eZQe_XwXkrZAJq0L7O5krcgX0l9iY3Wt6SO_A9KS4edad6tBrVgwrv9YKMt8PrO9zd2XAh-HojY22KriNg42WiiRxi_bTqpVt7-wYIeM585Xy-sYBo81l0PeH5I8Lambg-UvxU0Ggl4fW2Ek8/s1768/IMG_20231001_155805_crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1768" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxr8YvDJtZ-bbhZKEq-gLrkPBqoKkRkacQtZPxtKNA_eZQe_XwXkrZAJq0L7O5krcgX0l9iY3Wt6SO_A9KS4edad6tBrVgwrv9YKMt8PrO9zd2XAh-HojY22KriNg42WiiRxi_bTqpVt7-wYIeM585Xy-sYBo81l0PeH5I8Lambg-UvxU0Ggl4fW2Ek8/s320/IMG_20231001_155805_crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JUhmZliJifeljlBqqqeGoG3X8q9ZJi0KwIESgc36KWiE39-uUW_pZJ0knRD6krueLRk7ci3C2qbcRV6SpHr4A-JnRl02tEikHAWZrh83z2mIxx5XRFm8by5vSBcu0iFMBQPED_50dMNxPwJ-BiPZXLA8-tbIdrj1LgyWJnT_oqcQgyqBJGSC3Dxs-30/s4080/IMG_20231001_155834.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JUhmZliJifeljlBqqqeGoG3X8q9ZJi0KwIESgc36KWiE39-uUW_pZJ0knRD6krueLRk7ci3C2qbcRV6SpHr4A-JnRl02tEikHAWZrh83z2mIxx5XRFm8by5vSBcu0iFMBQPED_50dMNxPwJ-BiPZXLA8-tbIdrj1LgyWJnT_oqcQgyqBJGSC3Dxs-30/s320/IMG_20231001_155834.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>It was my birthday on the Friday, so we brought some sparklers to celebrate with - although it wasn't until Sunday that the wind calmed down enough that it felt like it might be nice to be 'out' after dark :-)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzyzFcXLWaKhC2rU_lYtMyPbJuSpdL00L6_lMUICaR2I8B2M0iQW3xPLFSGzRkamJC3RSHPHkj1U7ucPrOd8ywAymZ_Z7rqsovk8P2x_2kPXQTsaPFcVuDY1rW_r2hm6tBQ3mdr_IeKSirSMvyFVi6AuiZztnXnb2m8B5ER2U1LxsyknFsdyyxNC-xz4/s4000/IMG_20231001_201157.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzyzFcXLWaKhC2rU_lYtMyPbJuSpdL00L6_lMUICaR2I8B2M0iQW3xPLFSGzRkamJC3RSHPHkj1U7ucPrOd8ywAymZ_Z7rqsovk8P2x_2kPXQTsaPFcVuDY1rW_r2hm6tBQ3mdr_IeKSirSMvyFVi6AuiZztnXnb2m8B5ER2U1LxsyknFsdyyxNC-xz4/s320/IMG_20231001_201157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>And then on the Monday it was off home. This time we walked across the farm to the end of Long Road, which took about 25 minutes. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc72UOTO3x1Q_hcLjiHLhPVXywNProna6FImxwFRnTBCAam3bHfCh3-L_ryq87OBAIsDtYXZOlwhjSskVLHtp-OJ0hEWK70NVJtbkDIxyPTkcAuvaXLZAwUUpifVoVEMvHDTJ0WZud5vvqFr6ClsYvIDECEsX_08FQ4CzkNngEsWFuWJrxS4NBHOtD0Cg/s4000/IMG_20231002_093217.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc72UOTO3x1Q_hcLjiHLhPVXywNProna6FImxwFRnTBCAam3bHfCh3-L_ryq87OBAIsDtYXZOlwhjSskVLHtp-OJ0hEWK70NVJtbkDIxyPTkcAuvaXLZAwUUpifVoVEMvHDTJ0WZud5vvqFr6ClsYvIDECEsX_08FQ4CzkNngEsWFuWJrxS4NBHOtD0Cg/s320/IMG_20231002_093217.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although shorter, this route also included walking up some steep muddy bits before we got to the road!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2REUcCneUUlVdYJw22byMpNLOIU_Pc0mgvEcs1XTX_MvW2zF6MV6zFutI8hEGJH_26M4hhEHfkroUVM73W6BymmLefP6sqtQtsI7V-Up_e-Jsj4i56Lm85mjOUqwZLLVdYs4J8QA3bAuF0Z0cnCJpJSnin8NRb3MRVqMB7kICc2oWSrNLkxNnOAjMR8/s4000/IMG_20231002_095413.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2REUcCneUUlVdYJw22byMpNLOIU_Pc0mgvEcs1XTX_MvW2zF6MV6zFutI8hEGJH_26M4hhEHfkroUVM73W6BymmLefP6sqtQtsI7V-Up_e-Jsj4i56Lm85mjOUqwZLLVdYs4J8QA3bAuF0Z0cnCJpJSnin8NRb3MRVqMB7kICc2oWSrNLkxNnOAjMR8/s320/IMG_20231002_095413.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from more-or-less the highest point, just before we headed <a href="https://www.google.co.nz/maps/dir/Pae+O+Te+Rangi+Campsite,+Wait%C4%81kere,+Auckland/Swanson/@-36.8721857,174.4969184,13z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x6d0d6c66343186bd:0x32726428986bd0ae!2m2!1d174.504144!2d-36.879862!3m4!1m2!1d174.5418712!2d-36.8509164!3s0x6d0d6b6a9f6a132b:0xb1a74575b14ab7b8!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d0d6af0f1fad7c7:0x4f93b34189a27597!2m2!1d174.5762789!2d-36.8660569!3e1?authuser=1&entry=ttu">along and down Long Rd towards Swanson</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFsEWwmC7I3O1Zl4xkxGuqbeDXCmnj44aKqEQNrmTZATsikElkNaNLl_Am38b8T59OO5VvwbIBzhg8kje67aHhN9LDje0XLP2Cbjvq6EMZx8J5Xj8ZgZxLuLbrg0Im4suDkKe9oGjxvBCsUsb2fyx4mdlUhCHrvWzZ-RywZqhYKG6IVBs_WIJK8fQ4gE/s403/Screenshot%20from%202023-10-05%2016-01-57.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="139" data-original-width="403" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFsEWwmC7I3O1Zl4xkxGuqbeDXCmnj44aKqEQNrmTZATsikElkNaNLl_Am38b8T59OO5VvwbIBzhg8kje67aHhN9LDje0XLP2Cbjvq6EMZx8J5Xj8ZgZxLuLbrg0Im4suDkKe9oGjxvBCsUsb2fyx4mdlUhCHrvWzZ-RywZqhYKG6IVBs_WIJK8fQ4gE/s320/Screenshot%20from%202023-10-05%2016-01-57.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p> The initial drop (the climb I'd been trying to avoid on the Thursday) was fun :-)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>That was followed by a long and steep climb. I made it up the whole way myself, but only by taking maybe 4-5 'breathers' along the way :-) While resting one time, I realised that the gravelly verge of the road had a remarkable groundcover: a tough mat of tiny flat circular leaves, each probably 8mm or so across. Google searching now, I think they might be <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hrichardellis/13626711965/">the male reproductive structures of a liverwort</a>.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZqckBm_-Manf-T61As3tcslG_Nd0f4v4M2NQC33JnOwAnyzURHPz7CmDdb1icgCKUkzVagbQOvrVCbHXg15BNhxnOxuM4-PRsOAVqv_0Ahy6quS-qSoz-M4dFM6mvxiKTvZHrem66HApST89bysRl5itWfKA3N2rm6g0Oq8cOdJ-mAAOQWkIoDir5uQ/s1600/IMG_20231002_105643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZqckBm_-Manf-T61As3tcslG_Nd0f4v4M2NQC33JnOwAnyzURHPz7CmDdb1icgCKUkzVagbQOvrVCbHXg15BNhxnOxuM4-PRsOAVqv_0Ahy6quS-qSoz-M4dFM6mvxiKTvZHrem66HApST89bysRl5itWfKA3N2rm6g0Oq8cOdJ-mAAOQWkIoDir5uQ/s320/IMG_20231002_105643.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>We also saw around 4 kererū swooping across the road as we went up :-)</p><p>Then it was down the other side to Waitakere township, where we stopped for lunch.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBRWyW93DlPLmvLKRxIPft7nr40gU3Rs0my12SnkSqK5LE1Kme-A-bvxRhcIVh-VDqZUDDMx97n3aKIXllvycsY5NJtSc1tnPeUOY0DmHLO1mQfyuNnM2I1V-8MUP3279VXbOAYbmFgzmmHu_fehjOYGKkoMvNEvuZ8gUwMlIgGsSO34jLUmvMGGkUYk/s4000/IMG_20231002_112446.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBRWyW93DlPLmvLKRxIPft7nr40gU3Rs0my12SnkSqK5LE1Kme-A-bvxRhcIVh-VDqZUDDMx97n3aKIXllvycsY5NJtSc1tnPeUOY0DmHLO1mQfyuNnM2I1V-8MUP3279VXbOAYbmFgzmmHu_fehjOYGKkoMvNEvuZ8gUwMlIgGsSO34jLUmvMGGkUYk/s320/IMG_20231002_112446.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yay for Kāpiti ice creams - all made with Rainforest Alliance certified slave-free cocoa :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I came very close to making it to the top of the final climb in one go, but had to stop for a breather just before I got there. Then it was a short swoop down the other side, onto the train (which we got onto just before it was leaving) and back home.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCPAdJfGBoEc972dbTlODjIjRtM0lSqPsVmFRdeoP-HMt3uquufgARrTKDb95_6BzmcbLwnLqJDR3pnpMPb0l6cJvIu7g6lLRZq9GrQ4tzbBRua-Gdd2_8c6t-OQeQYnRVTp_FPtM38PnD-lxnV0ts3q5USl7kCBzMEv1Ud2ihgjdMFnnjF_0P3bZp-A/s4000/IMG_20231002_125816.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCPAdJfGBoEc972dbTlODjIjRtM0lSqPsVmFRdeoP-HMt3uquufgARrTKDb95_6BzmcbLwnLqJDR3pnpMPb0l6cJvIu7g6lLRZq9GrQ4tzbBRua-Gdd2_8c6t-OQeQYnRVTp_FPtM38PnD-lxnV0ts3q5USl7kCBzMEv1Ud2ihgjdMFnnjF_0P3bZp-A/s320/IMG_20231002_125816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">muddy bikes back in our carport<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeZA3kzBctKkYD3RIowOLafREy2Q1uXtFaMUS5sjNp_P_RKVci5sSGW7sJIPudz4p91btaaogYAuEhbXMN3CLCts5HNS4tDUuzKgoLnjWe_zTQ8kJQjCx3Epdn6iDctuCsEZCE2hOpLZHvxoksFF_cg4IA2Ojm2SRwkXBnooTpOMoupEaX05rpyW1wXg/s4080/IMG_20231002_125914.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeZA3kzBctKkYD3RIowOLafREy2Q1uXtFaMUS5sjNp_P_RKVci5sSGW7sJIPudz4p91btaaogYAuEhbXMN3CLCts5HNS4tDUuzKgoLnjWe_zTQ8kJQjCx3Epdn6iDctuCsEZCE2hOpLZHvxoksFF_cg4IA2Ojm2SRwkXBnooTpOMoupEaX05rpyW1wXg/s320/IMG_20231002_125914.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was delighted to see our bluebells had just started to flower while we were away :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I'm not sure if we'll be back. It was pretty physically taxing to get there, although I think it'd be a bit easier if we went via. Long Rd in both directions - and there aren't all that many campsites that stay open during the winter season, either. But it was definitely a really good break - mud and wind and all! And traveling by train and bike made it a remarkably low-carbon break - only around 30kg CO2e across the two of us (about half what we were responsible for when we <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2021/04/camping-on-waiheke.html">caught the ferry to Waiheke</a>)<br /></p><div><p></p></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-56331321030356604912023-08-18T19:18:00.010+12:002023-08-18T20:10:50.171+12:00Waiheke with Anna<p>Last week I spent five days on Waiheke with my friend Anna. It was fantastic to have extended time together, especially in such a lovely location :-)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPrU3GW9pnEYUdVIDbD_lDgfDw_bbDeJ0VXvvlTOBn5qCBh27ZCzwnbqDM_mZQU3UefJRShH9bXenWzhlxel_jUXdir4lFP_m04id7C1LsJJtjEu2aea0hwbSQt6J1cOgRYNnIuiDIhC5jyDJiVhdQgBuRf6JkvTTC7HdjLzYI6VedmvC9-wcb4tZwRE/s3264/20230813_110339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPrU3GW9pnEYUdVIDbD_lDgfDw_bbDeJ0VXvvlTOBn5qCBh27ZCzwnbqDM_mZQU3UefJRShH9bXenWzhlxel_jUXdir4lFP_m04id7C1LsJJtjEu2aea0hwbSQt6J1cOgRYNnIuiDIhC5jyDJiVhdQgBuRf6JkvTTC7HdjLzYI6VedmvC9-wcb4tZwRE/s320/20230813_110339.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I was pretty nervous beforehand. Normally when I go away with Martin, he carries well over half the luggage, as well as doing all the cooking. This time, Anna and I split the cooking, and I needed to carry all my stuff. Would I manage?!</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I did :-) With some careful thought, I came up with meals that I could do without too much stress; and, even though I decided to carry all my food from home (so I could rest when we arrived, rather than popping out to shop), I managed to fit everything in. <br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XbRYzX1F0gGbuNoAnHc_uyfgftPKQlfjnD89XREnTbvIhc9AL5aXKOmDgceZjIRHLRExd1vajUQ9byVgVoEoS-1yq0wtjakDV8x7-TEJMlf4oomHPZOh8wg0bfW0jkwUr8ZxPPxSOOp2Ka1NVvDQpeutQ_Iyl1JOLicuE3rQlL2rFO6gpLvF7w79g5g/s4080/20230809_101515.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XbRYzX1F0gGbuNoAnHc_uyfgftPKQlfjnD89XREnTbvIhc9AL5aXKOmDgceZjIRHLRExd1vajUQ9byVgVoEoS-1yq0wtjakDV8x7-TEJMlf4oomHPZOh8wg0bfW0jkwUr8ZxPPxSOOp2Ka1NVvDQpeutQ_Iyl1JOLicuE3rQlL2rFO6gpLvF7w79g5g/s320/20230809_101515.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had a pretty full daypack as well, but here's my main pack on the bus. It was pretty heavy, and my shoulders were a bit tender for the next few days, but I managed :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsY2hkDA_SUQzXyfm-KO6QtpX_OHL0A9Gfm-ihkNwkAeNMOOY5VGUbsSbMn998UeqvSDEJJf3E_FMJVc-f26wMKgIaVzX0gG8XFhb0YveECBFwo75hJICOdEs1U7-iLQupSGjYSKycihjS-wqI6N3Qt7AVs8GViM8KMabQDQkYCoJ2WP3RVyAyB_sZic/s4080/20230810_112858.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsY2hkDA_SUQzXyfm-KO6QtpX_OHL0A9Gfm-ihkNwkAeNMOOY5VGUbsSbMn998UeqvSDEJJf3E_FMJVc-f26wMKgIaVzX0gG8XFhb0YveECBFwo75hJICOdEs1U7-iLQupSGjYSKycihjS-wqI6N3Qt7AVs8GViM8KMabQDQkYCoJ2WP3RVyAyB_sZic/s320/20230810_112858.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the nearest beach to our accommodation - Palm Beach<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNlrIguFdTEJaSIjAvJGUJFRmHA0nPfnoVjNZ9mYd2iQAq8_9B88Ekji1gg3IwuH5IUg--L2dNKyaTw4K62mlWzvZBAiykAv4vD_k08u4DzT4eyNz5c1-L-gOv5NzDuU3VgXVGw2_wmnQQRlntdN0bTN3nL7DWplYatrUxOVwF0EylfNHx8p5y8D7uGA/s2560/20230810_113951.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNlrIguFdTEJaSIjAvJGUJFRmHA0nPfnoVjNZ9mYd2iQAq8_9B88Ekji1gg3IwuH5IUg--L2dNKyaTw4K62mlWzvZBAiykAv4vD_k08u4DzT4eyNz5c1-L-gOv5NzDuU3VgXVGw2_wmnQQRlntdN0bTN3nL7DWplYatrUxOVwF0EylfNHx8p5y8D7uGA/s320/20230810_113951.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many pohutukawa clinging to the rocks - and many of the banks of rock were in very distinct layers as this one is.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyHrL-Tmf7qakeMPyPwrsYtcPAkNbN6KJjzJZ2AjYyT-COixrlE7sTDO8-cg7PgfTK-WHe0sksq-VO9YyzLfp9gpJ23WUozjEK0p-_yhZcBDtb3NLq7oOs8NKG4jsssQZGLya2hxrQKvmyRFdPWH4ILc6OsmUGrSrGkNnt6NmiyMdjXT27zEIQlmMgpI/s4080/20230810_114643.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyHrL-Tmf7qakeMPyPwrsYtcPAkNbN6KJjzJZ2AjYyT-COixrlE7sTDO8-cg7PgfTK-WHe0sksq-VO9YyzLfp9gpJ23WUozjEK0p-_yhZcBDtb3NLq7oOs8NKG4jsssQZGLya2hxrQKvmyRFdPWH4ILc6OsmUGrSrGkNnt6NmiyMdjXT27zEIQlmMgpI/s320/20230810_114643.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some local kids had decorated the palings protecting this area of dune :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I was fascinated by the range of scenery we saw in a fairly small area. Palm Beach had (mild) surf and the beach itself was fine white sand. On the middle day, we caught the bus to Ōmiha/Rocky Bay - which very much lived up to its name! I don't seem to have taken any pictures of the beach itself, but it was all large-ish pebbles in orangey and bluey colours, and there were craggy rocks at either end.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JH6b8oC4jc0ay_8y4TQ_AeJKhQUllkjQcc5YSRTdGZ3w_HYOadlggbi8501LmFzlTSp0MjQzFECfW6NQin50ZHNQpZY0BM0-C5wcNJSP56EIshzzSVXRj7MRFVXG4pGqXeb6vOaDefMlS0I8kiItgGDwonTW8Lps1w8fmFaaBtW4Ct4s8Nb62OaW7eM/s4080/20230811_104227.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JH6b8oC4jc0ay_8y4TQ_AeJKhQUllkjQcc5YSRTdGZ3w_HYOadlggbi8501LmFzlTSp0MjQzFECfW6NQin50ZHNQpZY0BM0-C5wcNJSP56EIshzzSVXRj7MRFVXG4pGqXeb6vOaDefMlS0I8kiItgGDwonTW8Lps1w8fmFaaBtW4Ct4s8Nb62OaW7eM/s320/20230811_104227.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't the sea a gorgeous colour?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALd-pWQzI2c_8fLPK3dwoyPK8bld8Yva88-ic72yiYjiMvsfp1Dbx56nqVHr3LQuoElXRl9IpKIgRcN4ranwxl5cWwCXgMba4FQzSh0n0Ri9uy_eRQQ8UJi0I2dm7KdOYmozpwT45Ng2xLOM279SnJW4lGd1esatfk3gsNxMMEEWwjjXEq3hZJgX9Co4/s4080/20230811_104429.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALd-pWQzI2c_8fLPK3dwoyPK8bld8Yva88-ic72yiYjiMvsfp1Dbx56nqVHr3LQuoElXRl9IpKIgRcN4ranwxl5cWwCXgMba4FQzSh0n0Ri9uy_eRQQ8UJi0I2dm7KdOYmozpwT45Ng2xLOM279SnJW4lGd1esatfk3gsNxMMEEWwjjXEq3hZJgX9Co4/s320/20230811_104429.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd wondered about trying to walk around to the <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/stay-at-park/Pages/accommodation-details.aspx?itemID=98">Poukaraka Flats</a> campground where Martin and I have stayed a <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2022/05/resting-on-waiheke-and-at-home.html">couple</a> of <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2021/04/camping-on-waiheke.html">times</a>, but we quickly got to some very steep rocks that I couldn't see an easy way to pass.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Instead, we walked back to the sunny end of the beach for a picnic lunch :-)</p><p>We ate on the boat ramp below this structure. Does anyone know what it is? It had a hefty looking winch right at the base of the cliff, and what looked like a cradle for holding a boat, but if that's what it is then it's a cradle thaw would hold the boat was at a right angle to the water. So presumably not something for getting boats in and out of the water - maybe something to do with repairing boats?<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWEsflZ-kKvlOXN_643Y5v-yBVo7gzO0ExxCVHEnKUe3HsBTddSupwsLLYqMwRMY7kPuPyMmivw_bzwImQ8WocCnvfhEGtrXOl9GgUthsvsOI9AhF86M4--kqzhWbFFVCBBwkDCD9qPzDaDJOoK8axObnWe2uWyY4LrJb2oqDd1P3oGtX63v5vNqLnkU/s4080/20230811_121447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWEsflZ-kKvlOXN_643Y5v-yBVo7gzO0ExxCVHEnKUe3HsBTddSupwsLLYqMwRMY7kPuPyMmivw_bzwImQ8WocCnvfhEGtrXOl9GgUthsvsOI9AhF86M4--kqzhWbFFVCBBwkDCD9qPzDaDJOoK8axObnWe2uWyY4LrJb2oqDd1P3oGtX63v5vNqLnkU/s320/20230811_121447.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZwJR9hxJ8xw3vUDtTOIUoiIXKDUBKm7wo4vNTGU0IxQxyCM726a-yYcM9FSPKXWKWaYTH4yGQ2wLHcHlnEcvS7Gq43nsk4CxJ_zmE4UpPC-w4wjFIYEXMcLtWBknRRnihsdyfG5TES8Bx1I0y-Hv2HyHukIpTa0MUxwpNhf_FNI9V4c-MW-B-bqql98/s4080/20230811_122145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZwJR9hxJ8xw3vUDtTOIUoiIXKDUBKm7wo4vNTGU0IxQxyCM726a-yYcM9FSPKXWKWaYTH4yGQ2wLHcHlnEcvS7Gq43nsk4CxJ_zmE4UpPC-w4wjFIYEXMcLtWBknRRnihsdyfG5TES8Bx1I0y-Hv2HyHukIpTa0MUxwpNhf_FNI9V4c-MW-B-bqql98/s320/20230811_122145.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a gorgeous day! This is just a wee bit back up from the beach.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>It turned out Anna had previously walked to the Poukaraka Flats campground from somewhere she was fairly sure was near where we were. A bit of poking around, and we found our way to a delightful walk through the bush around to the next beach.</p><p>There are no photos from that, simply because we were having far too much fun to stop for photos! Anna and I got to know each other tramping together at university - and did quite a few tramps together before I went overseas and then got sick. It was absolutely magic to be tramping together again, even for such a simple day walk :-)<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqAfzNh4ceHY8gtuiQPfheXthF_VYeFzK0Y9cQAn2hsLR5vtuvFxN6t8KONtEo4Y8bgItjtKI2tf5Blb9L73DHJk1yh5vL1RN9b8n74AqY1s4bBWaV2TG0bmgadHo0Q25kX_zrPIYa7zxxcGPfys-a3gsSsTkh8GXYAQgnmrGM8Vd3ANFUDx1tpiMck0/s4080/20230811_124219.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqAfzNh4ceHY8gtuiQPfheXthF_VYeFzK0Y9cQAn2hsLR5vtuvFxN6t8KONtEo4Y8bgItjtKI2tf5Blb9L73DHJk1yh5vL1RN9b8n74AqY1s4bBWaV2TG0bmgadHo0Q25kX_zrPIYa7zxxcGPfys-a3gsSsTkh8GXYAQgnmrGM8Vd3ANFUDx1tpiMck0/s320/20230811_124219.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach where we came out of the bush. Another pebbly one, but quite different coloured pebbles from the first beach.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMWbhRRs5El1N_3eOx1WJuidKGvDl4mj4PdYEKcaOgkpcBgMej33g2OeVmcSikLrNMNS9I4_KzZxhyH-X1FyRjOCAD40Mf4ET5jF8AWhUvXrvBq3jq2A6CSMkvQbUsYY13EsgmV42J9Q-qBuqZEngsFAlf1dShe9aQdOuavfZyU2aWJGyAQUBCC96gNg/s4080/20230811_125137.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMWbhRRs5El1N_3eOx1WJuidKGvDl4mj4PdYEKcaOgkpcBgMej33g2OeVmcSikLrNMNS9I4_KzZxhyH-X1FyRjOCAD40Mf4ET5jF8AWhUvXrvBq3jq2A6CSMkvQbUsYY13EsgmV42J9Q-qBuqZEngsFAlf1dShe9aQdOuavfZyU2aWJGyAQUBCC96gNg/s320/20230811_125137.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We then walked parallel to the beach, going through amazingly tall kānuka forest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kS_pau6_UKtrHRqm8A3vT5yVeRDp7-DahXT-Dno5O_zIMp2rudAo0tNGLtUu_fk2gt6yn2x6rbnZvWqeEbkw1sv3aVGOIQcomuhK3454RcP23uQWInooxnqDCHOhE6hlc03a4jHhoIJ7NCb82n4y1Rc7ieB_xu4Jf3I2daAjXLOILEVuEfd3hFp6wRA/s4080/20230811_130352.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kS_pau6_UKtrHRqm8A3vT5yVeRDp7-DahXT-Dno5O_zIMp2rudAo0tNGLtUu_fk2gt6yn2x6rbnZvWqeEbkw1sv3aVGOIQcomuhK3454RcP23uQWInooxnqDCHOhE6hlc03a4jHhoIJ7NCb82n4y1Rc7ieB_xu4Jf3I2daAjXLOILEVuEfd3hFp6wRA/s320/20230811_130352.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And eventually popped out at the 'far' end of the 'dotterel beach' I've visited when camping with Martin. You can see lots of poles along the beach - they're supporting netting that keeps you out of an area where endangered dotterels nest. And, below the grassy slope you can see on the hills (which is actually a vineyard - this is Waiheke, after all!), is the Poukaraka Flats campground! It was probably about an hour of very leisurely walking to go from the bus stop to here.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcpB9jyh_ADIVPsw87eBwHmISwkalJdaTzmoLZWoKlpxV39_6w8FuihI9zP9fB7RnNlhwoVfL5kTuubezhHZcPjQ_1CHRcV-L64FQ8u4XLqzFvORcZku7IZ5khcILO5tNTGjWiwxBY2Ekzskl4Bu2o3FT2Xc3-ZXIq6zmZ5nKJmdGWPEkPi5gXboBP9M/s4080/20230811_135817.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcpB9jyh_ADIVPsw87eBwHmISwkalJdaTzmoLZWoKlpxV39_6w8FuihI9zP9fB7RnNlhwoVfL5kTuubezhHZcPjQ_1CHRcV-L64FQ8u4XLqzFvORcZku7IZ5khcILO5tNTGjWiwxBY2Ekzskl4Bu2o3FT2Xc3-ZXIq6zmZ5nKJmdGWPEkPi5gXboBP9M/s320/20230811_135817.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A grassy spot a bit back from the beach where I lay down for a rest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcVoUmScRu_GpnYpOAbqaJ9BUlLBEa6KDRrs67V5kCB6vn4sMM5N19fvFihvu5mGENZpSph95a70dEVsmkDuuf1i5GDc323r-wJtp-RhadbY8SKfzkjU7A_DnjfieoX5FWbpqNvN3PECaR5wOdFlVv2agcgPNZ-CeUEZFskEbRs8OjdQz7V3lW993Ahk/s320/20230811_135823.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So good to spend time together :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcVoUmScRu_GpnYpOAbqaJ9BUlLBEa6KDRrs67V5kCB6vn4sMM5N19fvFihvu5mGENZpSph95a70dEVsmkDuuf1i5GDc323r-wJtp-RhadbY8SKfzkjU7A_DnjfieoX5FWbpqNvN3PECaR5wOdFlVv2agcgPNZ-CeUEZFskEbRs8OjdQz7V3lW993Ahk/s4080/20230811_135823.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That was the main outing we did - otherwise we mostly hung around the bach we were staying at. I rested a lot, Anna got through a bunch of homework for a course she's doing, and we chatted :-)</div><p>Waiheke's all pretty steep - it reminded me a lot of around where our friend Beth lived in Aro Valley in Wellington, although no one on Waiheke appears to have an actual <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2018/01/holiday-in-wellington.html">cable car</a> to their house. There were, however, plenty of wooden platforms to make flat spaces for car parks - and, just down from where we were staying, I was amused to see a similar platform for a couple of rubbish bins :-)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiF2yVfwhFORo9SmaV6geROHEEAT_4ECm9ongbdQfbmdsRTFbQ-d4BXoUMVxlxI9uWkC8S56n9shUgXgE0UTU_t1iabSU-NG5PoUyqSKU5s0rZE2Yn2kd_HheGlIH6rr0ix3kEYn5nXzwj8qdy10_3KSP5kStpVVbKj9O9lMoDYoEkgweIQTiRLwvDjY/s4080/20230812_131938.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiF2yVfwhFORo9SmaV6geROHEEAT_4ECm9ongbdQfbmdsRTFbQ-d4BXoUMVxlxI9uWkC8S56n9shUgXgE0UTU_t1iabSU-NG5PoUyqSKU5s0rZE2Yn2kd_HheGlIH6rr0ix3kEYn5nXzwj8qdy10_3KSP5kStpVVbKj9O9lMoDYoEkgweIQTiRLwvDjY/s320/20230812_131938.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p>And this is the view from the deck of the place where we were staying. Great for the birds - we saw zillions - but so steep!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OMVtz_Sy3ARp_e_HeYkI_ievNvoAN9oGMrv5-vv7w3izPrWGBdnQ4tf1jkQX7On6vp5qUQOnke_GsPkPVACRZVECvsGNpzszchXeTn_05Ox3ejvKC2wpgRdNVSj6llsry_3f3PN3Sfhx518E3PL1LY4eGZ0zmn40y-yIqkchoIuLOeSZAwioqyeo59E/s4080/20230812_153956.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OMVtz_Sy3ARp_e_HeYkI_ievNvoAN9oGMrv5-vv7w3izPrWGBdnQ4tf1jkQX7On6vp5qUQOnke_GsPkPVACRZVECvsGNpzszchXeTn_05Ox3ejvKC2wpgRdNVSj6llsry_3f3PN3Sfhx518E3PL1LY4eGZ0zmn40y-yIqkchoIuLOeSZAwioqyeo59E/s320/20230812_153956.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p>The place where we were staying had lots of well-filled bookshelves. On the second-to-last day, I was startled to suddenly notice something immensely familiar: <i>Cup and Saucer Chemistry</i>!!!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxzXAOrOR45228AEhgdT55n-YfHpWgXjx8l3kon0CnOy3jWshB1Xr1ZDOzqbxyPZa7jeaZsUbVzABbFIywHnlTgH9rxococpwo9LACGqLUX89d0fG1AcJqhRGa9HcZLRs2VCNU5AIERWb-n6v6Dlnq8AQzHa-9koixzLB8IpshMJKljPYky0FwePJBbI/s4080/20230813_082624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxzXAOrOR45228AEhgdT55n-YfHpWgXjx8l3kon0CnOy3jWshB1Xr1ZDOzqbxyPZa7jeaZsUbVzABbFIywHnlTgH9rxococpwo9LACGqLUX89d0fG1AcJqhRGa9HcZLRs2VCNU5AIERWb-n6v6Dlnq8AQzHa-9koixzLB8IpshMJKljPYky0FwePJBbI/s320/20230813_082624.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p>I grew up with this book, but my parents' copy has long since disappeared - presumably passed on to another family when Keith and I outgrew it. It was a pretty big part of my early childhood, full of experiments you can do with everyday household items. It was neat to see it again.</p><p>It was interesting reading it as an adult, and noticing how well it not only encourages kids to observe scientific phenomena, but also teaches scientific thinking.</p><p>I was also surprised how little I recognised of the book itself. Many of the experiments were familiar, but I think I mostly did them when I was too young to read (or read well), so my dad was the one who mostly dealt with the actual book.</p><p>I was a bit surprised to find experiments using phenolphthalein, though, in a book where you're supposed to be able to do everything with normal household items. <br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRz9oI0gTjsJy718E-kgE9Z8Q1dgwook4cFktjkOUAGAyEbQsyrwbHIbzX8NZvXo3oHo4e9sGmA58yKQ1m5AEzxLTnPLuga6X_cuhHCCROosO0b5TBr4ORYeTh6cinEz9Rv5iXbhGIA3C9kfo_uofy6xUAhH_YNUjAr6OC_SfD37YiuDfqL1ACsSFBak/s4080/20230813_082616.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRz9oI0gTjsJy718E-kgE9Z8Q1dgwook4cFktjkOUAGAyEbQsyrwbHIbzX8NZvXo3oHo4e9sGmA58yKQ1m5AEzxLTnPLuga6X_cuhHCCROosO0b5TBr4ORYeTh6cinEz9Rv5iXbhGIA3C9kfo_uofy6xUAhH_YNUjAr6OC_SfD37YiuDfqL1ACsSFBak/s320/20230813_082616.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>It turns out the phenolphthalein's a laxative, which was certainly news to me! I only know it as a reagent. However, the FDA banned it for over the counter sale in the US back in 1999, due to concerns about cancer risks, so it's presumably not found in many houses these days.<br /></p><p>All in all a delightful break :-)<br /></p><p></p><p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-66704400530244262622023-08-13T17:05:00.017+12:002023-08-14T15:24:41.749+12:00Praying the Ignatian Examen<p>Recently our church had two weeks of prayer and fasting, where we were encouraged to spend time in repentance and in doing things that helped us grow closer to God.</p><p>I've been working through a book called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jesuit-Guide-Almost-Everything-Spirituality/dp/0061432695"><i>The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything</i></a> off and on for about two years now, and have been taken by the idea of doing the daily Examen the Jesuits do. So I decided this was a good time to give it a go!</p><p>It's basically a set of five questions to help you reflect on your day. The questions are summarised in the image below.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtBVolobnjbh12dYyXLtCec-llawtSz5vqwIkevO0aLbc7OzLXnat13aQvTIGAfyb3M91oEWRHcjfz0lGZhA0lRYhr2jUzJ7UgO3hEZ4peqs8tSuiyaHsbY1A59yp_IHrCG7PY0iE-AfJw86W3DxdWdpADRktXAr7OoXlHs_AvJPgnBcDx8b98Rs3JFY/s675/Ignatian%20Examen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="675" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtBVolobnjbh12dYyXLtCec-llawtSz5vqwIkevO0aLbc7OzLXnat13aQvTIGAfyb3M91oEWRHcjfz0lGZhA0lRYhr2jUzJ7UgO3hEZ4peqs8tSuiyaHsbY1A59yp_IHrCG7PY0iE-AfJw86W3DxdWdpADRktXAr7OoXlHs_AvJPgnBcDx8b98Rs3JFY/s320/Ignatian%20Examen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/the-examen-helps-one-blogger-sleep-better/">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p>To help me understand what the process is getting at I used <a href=" https://manresa-canada.ca/blog/2019/07/02/a-method-of-making-the-general-examen/">this article</a>, which had the five questions written out, and followed each with a few paragraphs reflecting on how you might go about answering the questions.</p><p>I've found it really helpful. The first part of the examen, where you're encouraged to
think of things to thank God for, has also been really positive. As a
result of the practise I've been much more aware of the many gifts there
are in every day. The gift I've found I've been grateful for most often is one I don't often think about, but which is really huge: the simple ability to talk to God. That's quite amazing!<br /></p><p>When it came to the third question, which is the heart of the process, I altered it in one important respect. For this, you're encouraged to mentally go through your whole day, thinking about what you did and why, and asking God to help you identify where those actions/thoughts/intentions were sinful. For myself, I found it more fruitful to think through my day until I came across something sinful (especially something that I hadn't previously thought of that way) and take a decent amount of time thinking about what had led to that thing, rather than trying to catalogue everything.<br /></p><p></p><p>One big thing that came out of the process for me, was realising how often I think negatively of other people. Stuff like, when I'm telling a story, how often I'll illustrate it with something someone else did badly. Or, if I'm noting something someone did well, I'll often note how good that is, because this other time they'd done something much less well.... and that second part rarely adds anything useful :-(</p><p>That third question also led to me noticing how often I engage in deficit-based thinking when I think about others.</p><p>I first came across the idea of deficit-based thinking from <a href="https://inspiringcommunities.org.nz/">Inspiring Communities</a>, where they're talking about it in a development context. They advocate, for example, thinking of a community as one where people are rich in time, rather than seeing it as a community with high unemployment. For me it comes out when I really focus on what my friend is struggling with and how I can help them with that, rather than noticing what they do well and thinking about how I can learn from that. It's a way of thinking about people that likely leaves us both the poorer.</p><p>These two related 'noticings' have been really helpful. In particular, as I became more aware of the ways I was tending to think and act, it became easier to recognise where I was heading before I got there. I felt my behaviour and thinking noticeably changing over those two weeks.</p><p>So it's been a very fruitful process! I'm not currently thinking to carry it on daily, but I'm probably going to add it into my weekly <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2019/11/sabbath-keeping-and-care-casting.html">Sabbath</a> observance.</p><p>If you'd like to give it a go, there are a bunch of other resources to get you started <a href="The Daily Examen - IgnatianSpirituality.com">here</a>.
</p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-53015360368896104562023-07-24T19:57:00.009+12:002023-07-24T20:17:37.725+12:00Aged chickpea cheese<p>Back in the day when my niece went vegan I had a go at making vegan cheese. I ended up with a nice savoury spread (mostly made of cashews and nutritional yeast), but it wasn't much like cheese! I never tried it again as it didn't seem hugely worthwhile.</p><p></p><p>However, I've recently seen that people are now making vegan cheese that's:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> made from vegan milks (rather than from ground nuts), so is more likely to have a cheesey texture</li><li>uses probiotics (so it's actually fermented and is more likely to taste right)</li><li>AND some of them are using affordable ingredients for the base (like sunflower seeds or chickpeas) rather than cashews (which are pretty expensive - especially if you choose the ones produced <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/research/nuts-coconuts-rice/#cashews">without child labour and with decent health and safety provisions for the workers</a>).</li></ul><p></p>It looked like an approach that was far more likely to 'work' (texture- and flavour-wise), and was much more affordable, too.<p></p>I'm not vegan, but I love experimenting with new recipes (especially fermented ones!), I enjoy surprising vegan friends with quality home-made vegan food, and I'm generally keen to <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2016/09/reducing-our-climate-impact-by-eating_6.html">limit the amount of dairy</a> in my diet due to its high climate-change impact. <p></p><p>So in late April I started my first batch of <a href="https://avegtastefromatoz.com/age<p></p>d-chickpea-cheese/#recipe">chickpea aged cheese</a> (i.e. fermented like dairy cheese, but vegan), and 9 weeks later (!) I had my first cheese.</p><p>I followed the recipe, which called for shea butter as one of the ingredients. I've decided I don't like the shea butter taste that is still very present in the final product, but on the whole I'm pleased with the result. On it's own I find the shea taste too strong, but it worked well on ratatouille :-)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoaAm_dMVFMy-X-iQR7xEd_xj6JitDlmn8y7aF1TOr1mKbg_-6-D5CmLRcmPFXiyaMzP48NVkcnY9Arb3rio_HvadthmQ0sY-fm9qvupd4n9lPl6MnyAsb2sN-hR9yxbIqlgpeZrOqu-4ZOnwjkbqQlB173P4eY8HGDlKOVfZ-qwTr3ykIMCr-KT4hw0/s4080/20230724_185422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoaAm_dMVFMy-X-iQR7xEd_xj6JitDlmn8y7aF1TOr1mKbg_-6-D5CmLRcmPFXiyaMzP48NVkcnY9Arb3rio_HvadthmQ0sY-fm9qvupd4n9lPl6MnyAsb2sN-hR9yxbIqlgpeZrOqu-4ZOnwjkbqQlB173P4eY8HGDlKOVfZ-qwTr3ykIMCr-KT4hw0/s320/20230724_185422.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R8uv_KA2eo-mx5bkOSinvjFnZ7LRWc0O5cVtTGbBEC_l-EGDWLyrkQ3AZIxwf-kOSVQapK42qRbUXGD18o_696tVW4ik1QdaO7DdJIvSNzCgtl1d-AKheHocxWGaooUHst6JY2wWtTiJOaRbvnQjMF_ZrugmXG9JuOb-XqZzuYLob_IbYKKO4kxMuUs/s4080/20230724_185442.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R8uv_KA2eo-mx5bkOSinvjFnZ7LRWc0O5cVtTGbBEC_l-EGDWLyrkQ3AZIxwf-kOSVQapK42qRbUXGD18o_696tVW4ik1QdaO7DdJIvSNzCgtl1d-AKheHocxWGaooUHst6JY2wWtTiJOaRbvnQjMF_ZrugmXG9JuOb-XqZzuYLob_IbYKKO4kxMuUs/s320/20230724_185442.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I've got another batch that I need to start checking on from tomorrow. That one's made with refined coconut oil and olive oil, rather than shea and canola, and also uses a different ratio of firm and liquid fats from that in the original recipe (both changes designed to <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2018/08/making-ice-cream-recipe-vegan.html">better match</a> the kinds of fats present in dairy). After I see how that's turned out I want to start a new batch - likely using the ratio of firm:liquid fats in the original recipe, but using the types of fats I used in the second batch.<p></p><p>In the meantime I've tried making a <a href="https://wildveganflower.com/cultured-sunflower-cheese">strained yoghurt cheese</a> (like quark or labneh) from sunflower seed milk. It came out surprisingly similar to dairy yoghurt cheese, and has encouraged me to try making fermented cheese from plant-based milk (the current one doesn't start from chickpea milk, but from whole cooked chickpeas). I'm thinking to use chickpea milk, and try curdling it with gypsum (as I've used that to curdle soy milk in the past). However, at least with soy, the milk needs to be boiling for it to curdle. My fermenting bugs won't survive those temperatures, meaning I can't add them to the milk at the start as you do for dairy cheese - I'm hoping just blending them into the curds instead will work OK. I can't find any recipes on the internet for what I'm trying to do next, so I'll just be winging it :-)</p><p>Here's some more pictures of the aged chickpea cheese process:</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgJixX0qOK8_uPX70jSSoTZnso2d78i-dnTyCMgcVz_kw1K1OJi5oyOfXQOBlA_58SZXM3pHWE1Tc3y55yql8JhtEebykcrtp6phVAm9Ryjxssr3pQRZudRY7wwuGclunePacl0TwV7HEoNGHrZfUl7X0Mcuz8s6kHmmJqTmYhDZHKXj6lZ22nABPSzA/s4080/20230427_081514.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgJixX0qOK8_uPX70jSSoTZnso2d78i-dnTyCMgcVz_kw1K1OJi5oyOfXQOBlA_58SZXM3pHWE1Tc3y55yql8JhtEebykcrtp6phVAm9Ryjxssr3pQRZudRY7wwuGclunePacl0TwV7HEoNGHrZfUl7X0Mcuz8s6kHmmJqTmYhDZHKXj6lZ22nABPSzA/s320/20230427_081514.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients - for both aged chickpea cheese and sunflower seed labneh<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fGbkag4qMdhk_8UcQY6exP2PYbBciYM32oIowXW6TpHIB_ww5Oq9qedqFFe09RhdvDy-DRbKf_bnfxM5OTxsmt8y4ILc0v64OlzLeYa9iL8mOdIUBK1By_MOtx3GfLb4_s4K_ey3k6gfqQBNhyDDTIXnGZqMUN00x-8lHYJRiDwZwUAoMxPP-CYYePA/s4080/20230427_125924.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fGbkag4qMdhk_8UcQY6exP2PYbBciYM32oIowXW6TpHIB_ww5Oq9qedqFFe09RhdvDy-DRbKf_bnfxM5OTxsmt8y4ILc0v64OlzLeYa9iL8mOdIUBK1By_MOtx3GfLb4_s4K_ey3k6gfqQBNhyDDTIXnGZqMUN00x-8lHYJRiDwZwUAoMxPP-CYYePA/s320/20230427_125924.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chickpea cheese mix ready to start its curing process<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ3B4wWxpjzOznu9Tc8nSmRjTgsTBimxeWvVMUVAvoXq9iUjxmya9PluEl1vLeNrIYJI4mZ1DD7_tqCxSa05UXlW2TGGWydzQzndB3BUCHZnf2ihUBjsmiVa6zVhm1n9HP2snwfroaogBgPEu2vQmj3MIjSF6rsKQ77MOFHBuerMmUGFCYOQHb2OkvRc/s4080/20230428_121307.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ3B4wWxpjzOznu9Tc8nSmRjTgsTBimxeWvVMUVAvoXq9iUjxmya9PluEl1vLeNrIYJI4mZ1DD7_tqCxSa05UXlW2TGGWydzQzndB3BUCHZnf2ihUBjsmiVa6zVhm1n9HP2snwfroaogBgPEu2vQmj3MIjSF6rsKQ77MOFHBuerMmUGFCYOQHb2OkvRc/s320/20230428_121307.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In its ricotta mould to dry out for a couple of days<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6QGntCqMFaHKmi_3Sb5LKIcWu2J_q-Rst9VCXaDzo8GzBrbXfAiVgvxD3zbuA5cqa94TTUmcT4-RJKQubhmSHwn2xJOWK102ThMo305oRr-HHRXDTdcrhI_CI_3kWM_whGrfkYQ2lslxruwTQoIY_f7EAyM2ZhG0YoiPPvYP-e4Y7_8hzPVI0gBSye4/s4080/20230501_094313.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6QGntCqMFaHKmi_3Sb5LKIcWu2J_q-Rst9VCXaDzo8GzBrbXfAiVgvxD3zbuA5cqa94TTUmcT4-RJKQubhmSHwn2xJOWK102ThMo305oRr-HHRXDTdcrhI_CI_3kWM_whGrfkYQ2lslxruwTQoIY_f7EAyM2ZhG0YoiPPvYP-e4Y7_8hzPVI0gBSye4/s320/20230501_094313.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking more solid now - after this it was turned daily (in the fridge) for about a fortnight<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5d1kRvm_tlnKZolB9wfgPOp_DqZewSaAN5DxXuE6FhPRyB7OhD63f8ftzJ7n7pwqqNd-bAfdlVycYwVIQrAm2ZNp0d3xqDcgU5ToER8RF161RBjdBOdEMa9BDctkihVFAZpSfvPyxalCmlQLT6lCefCY2nysrR6mMcrfBDY1I7vSdRKIGZ24hHmsDg-s/s4080/20230515_160543.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5d1kRvm_tlnKZolB9wfgPOp_DqZewSaAN5DxXuE6FhPRyB7OhD63f8ftzJ7n7pwqqNd-bAfdlVycYwVIQrAm2ZNp0d3xqDcgU5ToER8RF161RBjdBOdEMa9BDctkihVFAZpSfvPyxalCmlQLT6lCefCY2nysrR6mMcrfBDY1I7vSdRKIGZ24hHmsDg-s/s320/20230515_160543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to be wrapped in cheese cloth (i.e. mesh from our old tent) and left in the back of the fridge to cure.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6lrNAPMw0VgIxsI6bYOppXIoWaqlCbIMFHDGnq3Uzw8qAqbXldcRY1p5cDIvLyuPAjg8gIsJhhU6zjB7ZIq2eAt1GMZfFWjxta1s4pjeRS-SevtznmkhymW2Rt_HKrDlARPIyGMinUraH_fMdX7VQimVNDp34eSkBetzPXHZxX5TmTvx5oJDTY28-Sw/s4080/20230515_160637.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6lrNAPMw0VgIxsI6bYOppXIoWaqlCbIMFHDGnq3Uzw8qAqbXldcRY1p5cDIvLyuPAjg8gIsJhhU6zjB7ZIq2eAt1GMZfFWjxta1s4pjeRS-SevtznmkhymW2Rt_HKrDlARPIyGMinUraH_fMdX7VQimVNDp34eSkBetzPXHZxX5TmTvx5oJDTY28-Sw/s320/20230515_160637.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was rather pleased with how well I wrapped it - the second one wasn't half so tidy!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYM6hniiF0SC2cDJMiiHkwRdYXZyFgsyzZJUe8ZJLmgTWUywpMIJ9S2F9VfPfWVMNt1fUG3A7g4W9ig9_5riuaqDZBrQ-pY086CqSNhR9olwLVU0Kg7pUaJBklWE42tiSwkvgcV_LB4Gc9RQvRyee9TzGXDeRmVVJ6Fy_4Yj6B0vzUsl3bnoBp3ciAak/s4000/20230629_085748.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYM6hniiF0SC2cDJMiiHkwRdYXZyFgsyzZJUe8ZJLmgTWUywpMIJ9S2F9VfPfWVMNt1fUG3A7g4W9ig9_5riuaqDZBrQ-pY086CqSNhR9olwLVU0Kg7pUaJBklWE42tiSwkvgcV_LB4Gc9RQvRyee9TzGXDeRmVVJ6Fy_4Yj6B0vzUsl3bnoBp3ciAak/s320/20230629_085748.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So different after 8-ish weeks curing!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEo7pMBsSNZzTQ4btJpOweCL2BNYmSnbqOENaM7Hj3BzirZQKwYj6IlDiXovxBFr2YfUjWlYh4hMxhhlKUavV4pt4u2tbv_NFBcI4hmK23p2i_Wovq-OgTeICZZ3-QsfWzNewYaTZw4jbhmUaxCQLSNrTITxOTGVB04jGwp6og3MOhSBMPzhTiko4H0wA/s4000/20230629_085829.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEo7pMBsSNZzTQ4btJpOweCL2BNYmSnbqOENaM7Hj3BzirZQKwYj6IlDiXovxBFr2YfUjWlYh4hMxhhlKUavV4pt4u2tbv_NFBcI4hmK23p2i_Wovq-OgTeICZZ3-QsfWzNewYaTZw4jbhmUaxCQLSNrTITxOTGVB04jGwp6og3MOhSBMPzhTiko4H0wA/s320/20230629_085829.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It has a distinct 'rind' and centre (with the rind being noticeably stronger in flavour), and is quite crumbly but grates OK.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-39242917857314580672023-06-26T18:21:00.006+12:002023-06-26T21:21:14.304+12:00Moving away from budgeting<p>When we first got married, Martin and I decided to budget our expenses. I don't remember the reasoning at the time, but it became a really powerful tool to help us live our values.</p><p>We started with simply keeping all our receipts for 3 months, and from that worked out reasonable budget categories and amounts. After a couple of years we moved from a physical ledger to the <a href="https://www.gnucash.org/">GNUCash</a> accounting programme (a shift for which I took a lot of persuading!), which enabled our system to become more powerful. By 2023 we had over 60 expense categories (many of them sub-catergories or sub-sub-categories off primary categories) and a really good overview of our financial situation. Over the last 15 years we know where all but about $700 of our money has gone....</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CD2x_MPGy9y4FZzoZ7vO0hb7YZfc404lL9j541Fug505IZNMvMTwRJ6Mp3xpQMIioGPHh4G_yhIfTmFPDLPv0tDJ9Chl8AhUhpUktcsP764gj2K4Aw0MJXgUY2cn8BIPvdRjZrQTAbscbwMaGXAHikf9It-yV2NvARZA9WpCdAs6cBbxy9d3DBBGQVg/s4000/IMG_20230513_094702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CD2x_MPGy9y4FZzoZ7vO0hb7YZfc404lL9j541Fug505IZNMvMTwRJ6Mp3xpQMIioGPHh4G_yhIfTmFPDLPv0tDJ9Chl8AhUhpUktcsP764gj2K4Aw0MJXgUY2cn8BIPvdRjZrQTAbscbwMaGXAHikf9It-yV2NvARZA9WpCdAs6cBbxy9d3DBBGQVg/s320/IMG_20230513_094702.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>But over the past six months or so, I became increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. On the one hand, a practical consideration. <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/">Just Kai</a> has been growing; our accounts were taking around an hour every week - sometimes more, rarely less - and that was time I'd much rather give to Just Kai. On the other, more of a theological one.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Some years back I was very struck when Martin and I read Luke's account of Jesus' life and ministry in the Bible. I'd always been a bit puzzled as to what Jesus meant, in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2020:20-26&version=NIRV">Luke 20:25</a> when Jesus told his disciples to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. But, reading that text straight after reading all the other bits of Luke that led up to it, it felt really clear. I think what Jesus was saying was something like: "If Caesar wants some silly unimportant money, just give it to him; but remember that everything belongs to God." I <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2011/12/render-unto-caesar.html">wrote more about that</a> at the time but, in brief, it seemed to me that one of the themes in Luke is that money just isn't that important.<p></p><p>And I began to feel that our accounting system - taking so much care with it, putting a big chunk of time into it - was making money far more important than it should be.</p><p>So, in early May we ditched our long-standing system and replaced it with something much simpler.</p><p>Martin's salary now goes into a bank account labelled 'Donations'. At the beginning of each month, 90% of the amount of money we would receive if we were on NZ Super* automatically transfers across to a bank account called 'Spending'; another chunk transfers across into retirements savings.</p><p>In the accounts system I have a handful of sub-accounts to Spending (big irregular things we want to make sure we have funds for, like Christmas spending, as well as things like our individual discretionary spending money), plus some money also automatically transfers out of Spending into separate accounts for savings for various big expenses like house maintenance. All income we receive beyond the "90% of Super" and what we are saving for retirement stays in Donations and is expected to be given away.</p><p>Our previous budget was shaped around the same spending targets (90% of Super for all spending on our current lives, retirement savings to self-fund a similar lifestyle, everything else for donations), but achieved it through detailed tracking of many expenses. Now we're achieving it by simply making 90% of Super being all that is readily available to us.<br /></p><p><i>*In recent years we have budgeted to spend 90% of what we would spend if we received Super. That's seemed like a good 'frugal but not too tough' goal for rich people such as ourselves - after all, Super is a sum that the government considers a reasonable base-level long-term income and, if we were really living on Super, we expect we would want to donate 10%-ish of that money.</i></p><p>Changing across was logistically complicated (zeroing things, setting up APs for the new accounts etc.) and took ages, but now we have a system that takes 10-15 minutes to reconcile each week, and a smidge more at the end of each month.</p><p>But what's been most interesting is how I've felt about it. In short: very insecure.</p><p>I used to make all manner of decisions based on whether or not we had sufficient money for that thing in the budget. <i>Presents budget running low... it's worth waiting for a really good deal on TradeMe... presents budget unusually flush... let's just by this thing I found - they'll really like it. </i> That's a thought-process I was going through remarkably often.</p><p>And now I'm a bit at sea: how do I know what's a reasonable way to spend?</p><p>And that, I've come to think, confirms that my hunch that things were well out of perspective was very right.</p><p>I've often pondered one of the strong themes I feel runs through the Old Testament of the Bible. The people of Israel get nervous that maybe God won't look after them or help them, so they turn to worshiping other gods and/or they do deals with nearby countries so they will look after them. And then God gets angry and reminds them that if they want Him then He's the only God they get, and they repent and God goes back to looking after them. And then the cycle repeats.</p><p>I've realised that my budgeting has become a 'god'. I have come to believe, if I follow this system, I will be safe - we will have the money we need for our daily living, as well as money to provide for fun stuff and for emergencies that come up. And I know I'm safe, because GNUCash tells me so.</p><p>Without that, I've been surprised how nervous I've been about it all.</p><p>I've definitely considered going back, but I'm loving the simplicity of how things are now. And I'm also appreciating the value of a new discipline I'm having to follow.</p><p>If something unexpected comes up (such as a wanting to give someone a present for an occasion we hadn't known was coming up), I can't go to GNUCash and ask it how much to spend. Instead, Martin and I talk about it and pray about it and then make a decision in faith - without knowing exactly what consequences that decision will have.</p><p>And I do think that that's a more Christian way for me to live than where I was a few months' back.</p><p>Which is not to say that Christians shouldn't budget. Our budget has been immensely powerful for us. The budget made us really think about our spending, and about what priorities we should have, as very wealthy people who also follow Jesus (if you'd like to know more about that, read <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sbhZ1MZRtzx6gA4yYVO7-PAC3vE-gCiPJRt5H7NOi4w/edit?usp=sharing">what I wrote in March 2019</a> for a friend's blog). But it's very much outlasted it's usefulness and I'm (mostly) relieved to see it go - and expectant to see what God will teach us in this new season. And I also remain both nervous and insecure - but that mostly just confirms to me that this was a decision we needed to make!</p><p>And for those who've read this far, I realise it's ages since last I blogged! Here are a few photos from some recent adventures :-)</p><p>Our friend from church, Lagi, graduated from Laidlaw :-) Here she is at the reception at our church hall after.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUpgSck472nxGDRSolxnzzW-LXUW69OE-XGnhE_EUyb86WSwVgiWurkBUqA1ScZnoD22U1Q6PcVxNeGt7FO3vcgyOeQcSyKZLfhWY-WNea63lyh8zjVdHKdllPBgKs1Udd7M9fxU46jWLBfgwZe3GO0gODKiJAKw43ZWt5AafAoWe1uuqS_2Y0uhhQ6s/s4000/IMG_20230610_172627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUpgSck472nxGDRSolxnzzW-LXUW69OE-XGnhE_EUyb86WSwVgiWurkBUqA1ScZnoD22U1Q6PcVxNeGt7FO3vcgyOeQcSyKZLfhWY-WNea63lyh8zjVdHKdllPBgKs1Udd7M9fxU46jWLBfgwZe3GO0gODKiJAKw43ZWt5AafAoWe1uuqS_2Y0uhhQ6s/s320/IMG_20230610_172627.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>It was a much grander event than we'd expected, and it was an honour to be part of it.<br /></p><p>After maybe 20 years, I finally went back to the Kauaeranga Valley Christian Camp (my second-home through my teenage years) and got to see lots of familiar places - and some familiar faces, too, as friends from across the years gathered to celebrate John Edwards' 70th birthday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBarUxtHbsfAmyMv_i9naG5s3lVVu4317MMT2aTG1Kg0d6jJlZA68POPuT2bQKBoIO-4S68SuZDHXI7hN-gkk5tQTJm_MUzl1Gq7DAqm60od_AE-OZRm_LihFQLxTdxQmlYeOeUm4bSnPkNU2U7mbKHjci-T3Stgmhl6sAvKjd1igrcvlsMQWkKZ3yk5A/s4000/IMG_20230527_124708.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBarUxtHbsfAmyMv_i9naG5s3lVVu4317MMT2aTG1Kg0d6jJlZA68POPuT2bQKBoIO-4S68SuZDHXI7hN-gkk5tQTJm_MUzl1Gq7DAqm60od_AE-OZRm_LihFQLxTdxQmlYeOeUm4bSnPkNU2U7mbKHjci-T3Stgmhl6sAvKjd1igrcvlsMQWkKZ3yk5A/s320/IMG_20230527_124708.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt26LnBnzyotWXzqIzUf58wG5K9eB7Qsx7WPGbA6lFM7Fg1IFaHUfmIVyMRCexxyoqSfZkyXrPQO_Fy-yzwKZghwURiJZOq_c16Lqj6y9h1bXtNCXrpCG4dvzCoW5jgR5beUs81A1Nd4Js23A15q6p3aoCHNDfmATClTc3PTjUepjEPskhlZeruvK6ihY/s4000/IMG_20230527_125047.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt26LnBnzyotWXzqIzUf58wG5K9eB7Qsx7WPGbA6lFM7Fg1IFaHUfmIVyMRCexxyoqSfZkyXrPQO_Fy-yzwKZghwURiJZOq_c16Lqj6y9h1bXtNCXrpCG4dvzCoW5jgR5beUs81A1Nd4Js23A15q6p3aoCHNDfmATClTc3PTjUepjEPskhlZeruvK6ihY/s320/IMG_20230527_125047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SGWdjloqPSVR9y-YyA7mg0G1xAueNtfHn9wLD3QbgkgA3U_qeuZ5RYJLfzIrbSa0JkcOwqM0pmXgf-rfDPeMmPRBLYTNtO-ZA_YuyiYnjJqgb_xz8iZSDvACh6bP29f9RC_oLAOvHtd4ozBVL5STJRRR6Bz2lxRm5K-Tof7428iKB42DyDNalf2H-n4/s4000/IMG_20230527_125110.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SGWdjloqPSVR9y-YyA7mg0G1xAueNtfHn9wLD3QbgkgA3U_qeuZ5RYJLfzIrbSa0JkcOwqM0pmXgf-rfDPeMmPRBLYTNtO-ZA_YuyiYnjJqgb_xz8iZSDvACh6bP29f9RC_oLAOvHtd4ozBVL5STJRRR6Bz2lxRm5K-Tof7428iKB42DyDNalf2H-n4/s320/IMG_20230527_125110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old BMX track and confidence course is now a space where they can host a second camp.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCun1ny0sT4GueamBsjt4EZZVBJzxsOjdPQiM8chxW8fgU4WtTkOw7TT7GP7YjNWKgybLUyJXZ8rZ2MEthgj83S6YI7OJXOGR3RdmA4Wir0HIlVVRosTlZIF_yPtDjbwOUSbTphyPdA50j_Zz7pgCK6lkHfrK18QI24YQHjregduqDwaSmzDgTzgReFk/s4080/IMG_20230527_151920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCun1ny0sT4GueamBsjt4EZZVBJzxsOjdPQiM8chxW8fgU4WtTkOw7TT7GP7YjNWKgybLUyJXZ8rZ2MEthgj83S6YI7OJXOGR3RdmA4Wir0HIlVVRosTlZIF_yPtDjbwOUSbTphyPdA50j_Zz7pgCK6lkHfrK18QI24YQHjregduqDwaSmzDgTzgReFk/s320/IMG_20230527_151920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bYaI-kMAOQU_uZJzFak9WgYm43kYCVzeXe7vDwESKhePZG8UJ7zvidJEDrc_KCFRR2PdxU3rhH17QbQGggMQvsM7ZxgeOLLKUYQToLqJbm6G5BeYjK0oyqvPVKOGKLJdW997Hu1QPJkKs0n8Fb7-oee9KpNLUrI2Loas5cM3X8uyVxu7lqu8_mhvpbM/s1004/IMG_20230527_155011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bYaI-kMAOQU_uZJzFak9WgYm43kYCVzeXe7vDwESKhePZG8UJ7zvidJEDrc_KCFRR2PdxU3rhH17QbQGggMQvsM7ZxgeOLLKUYQToLqJbm6G5BeYjK0oyqvPVKOGKLJdW997Hu1QPJkKs0n8Fb7-oee9KpNLUrI2Loas5cM3X8uyVxu7lqu8_mhvpbM/s320/IMG_20230527_155011.jpg" width="161" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was particularly pleased to catch up with Mary Popping. She worked at the camp during the second half of my association with it, and was the only person there who took the trouble to really understand why I was studying chemistry and what it meant to me. I was immensely grateful for the way she took such an interest in my other life, and was glad to have the opportunity to thank her for it :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And here's a couple of pics from John's 40th, also at camp - it was a Medieval-themed party, and we were provided hessian and newspaper to make costumes. I'm pictured with the 'team' of kids I was responsible for during the day, and John and Rose are with their daughter Anna, now a mum herself :-)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKl9NHaM9aq9sBBDHECK7_kir5dgvJq6A0vm0M2Dn19JegAF6U0Fi7DB7eRVkoyk-pln7xyYErIQJ7dIK2EhTxjcZNFIbH7mllbK_MLSAdlwF7oYoeedt3SY7aux_4svUoMmKb7EDwx-QawxV67PwgydYZIU2KeRfupAviNZW-lqTKUTZBp4KPqx9xd7w/s2939/H02-013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2020" data-original-width="2939" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKl9NHaM9aq9sBBDHECK7_kir5dgvJq6A0vm0M2Dn19JegAF6U0Fi7DB7eRVkoyk-pln7xyYErIQJ7dIK2EhTxjcZNFIbH7mllbK_MLSAdlwF7oYoeedt3SY7aux_4svUoMmKb7EDwx-QawxV67PwgydYZIU2KeRfupAviNZW-lqTKUTZBp4KPqx9xd7w/s320/H02-013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb7IGLJsK3WdxVg97gkMc7yMkznUR6Fp03Q40h8xwG0Hj3tF_uq5hfCL3SmYwZ0YrNqFZj4ZauscNLKt4qNmbYnuXf4qYIZBZ_xLC7yU92NOphVI9_1SZ7N-qguDU3gSoVcACUdhUjwZ19h3gVxfciFG8Y4ZLtf52HR7ttHtUTk2F_WQX0R3WbUEMnVw/s2937/H02-015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="2018" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb7IGLJsK3WdxVg97gkMc7yMkznUR6Fp03Q40h8xwG0Hj3tF_uq5hfCL3SmYwZ0YrNqFZj4ZauscNLKt4qNmbYnuXf4qYIZBZ_xLC7yU92NOphVI9_1SZ7N-qguDU3gSoVcACUdhUjwZ19h3gVxfciFG8Y4ZLtf52HR7ttHtUTk2F_WQX0R3WbUEMnVw/s320/H02-015.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><p>It was too hard for me to travel down and back in one day, so we stayed at one of the DOC campsites up the Valley for two nights. We stayed in two tents, as there was a small chance one or other of us might have had Covid at the time - and we stayed outside at the party as much as possible for the same reason.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI-lhnaJYXW6xO1PYC2tY67p582Y8qTFwn87qDutXVnwINpou2zdBjUaSO_MF1QwblUBktMAQDW2qrfo4yZB3kwyAj5iroeAvXVWU5p3d1UAU10_-UmU1QEXIwAKvNeGKcbyoCw2qGGwl8GXT7X0-BEuxJ-6d7rSF-NLfcCBQTGbokJ9hKA4G_S_qvYI/s4000/IMG_20230528_085017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI-lhnaJYXW6xO1PYC2tY67p582Y8qTFwn87qDutXVnwINpou2zdBjUaSO_MF1QwblUBktMAQDW2qrfo4yZB3kwyAj5iroeAvXVWU5p3d1UAU10_-UmU1QEXIwAKvNeGKcbyoCw2qGGwl8GXT7X0-BEuxJ-6d7rSF-NLfcCBQTGbokJ9hKA4G_S_qvYI/s320/IMG_20230528_085017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our setup - with thanks to Allan for the loan of the car and Anna for the loan of the second tent.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4ja2ETL2tuMyhLbZm-S8_lHHXg6FXBu7E-KwRpOiSTxVF2aFdVRi0yTvc5ySR1kM-_m7oiLhAK-hvdFD6_G30CPHX8vEO69ezWjFV9dKZh8OlQWiVMWo6qqP0325FrXIJkFpl35Os0mr_CzyBC1BXKwFdWcXOf-qoUBhONApOe3gTgLb1rhrXy0yWnw/s4080/IMG_20230527_092331.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4ja2ETL2tuMyhLbZm-S8_lHHXg6FXBu7E-KwRpOiSTxVF2aFdVRi0yTvc5ySR1kM-_m7oiLhAK-hvdFD6_G30CPHX8vEO69ezWjFV9dKZh8OlQWiVMWo6qqP0325FrXIJkFpl35Os0mr_CzyBC1BXKwFdWcXOf-qoUBhONApOe3gTgLb1rhrXy0yWnw/s320/IMG_20230527_092331.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walk to get to the loo was delightful :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIr_cGMJmee2tlyafQ4bJxtmLLG_IIRq7IDRz5CdukgjfYwIDM-SsGVFPQTg727D9skKujUoyn6MRSsTRyH-vBQq8J93eVzGxABEkAOaP951guSwenLa-wY-uPdp2nydgE-UP8xnA9TvFY3snbuM5950Sx2XMfCP_9YX-pSe2weEaXmgJK_xQd0kDrXzw/s4080/IMG_20230528_092324.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIr_cGMJmee2tlyafQ4bJxtmLLG_IIRq7IDRz5CdukgjfYwIDM-SsGVFPQTg727D9skKujUoyn6MRSsTRyH-vBQq8J93eVzGxABEkAOaP951guSwenLa-wY-uPdp2nydgE-UP8xnA9TvFY3snbuM5950Sx2XMfCP_9YX-pSe2weEaXmgJK_xQd0kDrXzw/s320/IMG_20230528_092324.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went for a wander before we left, and appear to have located DOC's rat trap mother lode!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiH0sWy90NfPhuiAmEiprA8Wr9Oh-vOWf-LrGvRbf0QMTvYC8XexKQJBmQ5-4Ix4E_T0BDG_Znh5d6HkVJRuhFuUKBsmdhi_G33xQsQa9Eh-5zJS2GB286iLdws4BSdOEg7d6Glyl60hQVAqt3rVcpicShxRSWyH6EZhvU7wSSJWZsN1hEOuQH9mJPM9g/s4080/IMG_20230528_093552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiH0sWy90NfPhuiAmEiprA8Wr9Oh-vOWf-LrGvRbf0QMTvYC8XexKQJBmQ5-4Ix4E_T0BDG_Znh5d6HkVJRuhFuUKBsmdhi_G33xQsQa9Eh-5zJS2GB286iLdws4BSdOEg7d6Glyl60hQVAqt3rVcpicShxRSWyH6EZhvU7wSSJWZsN1hEOuQH9mJPM9g/s320/IMG_20230528_093552.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>:-)<br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-11586900892309789082023-05-07T16:58:00.005+12:002023-05-07T20:45:23.575+12:00Learning to let go<p>'Letting go' seems to be a bit of a theme in my life right now.</p><p>When we went <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2023/04/camping-at-ambury-park.html">camping</a> the other week, I'd mentioned that we ended up coming home a day earlier than planned. I said I'd done a pretty good job at staying in 'holiday mode' back home, but that's not the whole story :-) <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0B0R35XlYP9VDJz5flj8YgXzl5AYXW82arzcZM4CxAI2Yd3iJFmnClY1qyiBIg1TKdohuOnOejZ5kyaR53RSYEvAXMtS4AMedg6VdsVli4E_KdW38-Oed6LQartnBUHFRBsfhGGn-Z-nXAfKykcn0r414gjobmCiixjXsj4a7nCn-xiaq7ClETW-l/s4000/IMG_20230422_094937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0B0R35XlYP9VDJz5flj8YgXzl5AYXW82arzcZM4CxAI2Yd3iJFmnClY1qyiBIg1TKdohuOnOejZ5kyaR53RSYEvAXMtS4AMedg6VdsVli4E_KdW38-Oed6LQartnBUHFRBsfhGGn-Z-nXAfKykcn0r414gjobmCiixjXsj4a7nCn-xiaq7ClETW-l/s320/IMG_20230422_094937.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>We got home mid-afternoon on the Monday and, whilst I stayed away from the internet until late Tuesday, as soon as we got home I started writing lists. Lists of what I needed to change on our notes about camping supplies, lists of what I needed to do that week, probably other lists, too! Even though I wasn't 'doing' anything, I instantly became stressed.<p></p><p>On the Tuesday morning, I woke up early-ish, took up a cup of tea and went to sit on the back step to enjoy the morning.</p><p>Almost immediately, I noticed our bean plants, and went to check if they had beans that needed picking. I went back to sit, but then found myself checking the fig and feijoa for fruit that had ripened while we were away. Getting frustrated with myself, I went to sit again, but then noticed our last pumpkin vine had finally died, so I went to pick its last pumpkin and then pulled out the vine and popped it in the compost...</p><p>I just couldn't be still now I was back at home :-(</p><p>Eventually, I went and got my journal and started trying to process what was going on.</p><p>I feel like everything is my responsibility, and that it's super-important to be 'responsible' at all times. I can't let food go to waste in our garden. I can't not have an optimal packing list for next time we go camping. Everything is my responsibility, and the world will fall over if I'm not responsible.</p><p>Which is, of course, ludicrous.</p><p>I feel like I should do everything perfectly - and that I should make sure everything <i>full stop</i> is perfect.</p><p>It makes me so tired. And it makes me cross with other people when I see them taking rest or letting things slide, too.</p><p>There's a bit in the Bible where Paul is writing to Jewish Christians, where he talks about how Christians can expect to enter the 'Sabbath rest of the people of God' (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+4%3A1-11&version=NRSV">Hebrews 4:1-11</a>). Whilst that's mostly about what happens after you die, I think it's also about now. And I was saying to God that I long to enter that rest <i>now</i> - to not be so burdened all the time. I shouldn't be stressed the instant I enter my home!</p><p>So I told God that I wanted to rest. That I know that the whole world isn't my responsibility, and could He please help me to let go. To trust Him, and to trust that whatever He allows to happen will be OK. And, especially as I returned to the working world, could He please help me to keep on trusting - to rest when I was tired, to be diverted when something interesting came up. To let others be imperfect; to let myself be imperfect. And to take delight in God and in those I share my life with - rather than just focus on work!</p>
<hr /><p>
That was nearly two weeks ago, and it's been a good two weeks. I've found I've continued in a much more restful vein and:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I've stopped working when I was tired. A number of days that's meant I haven't been active for a full six hours that day (normally I aim to be 'up' for six hours between breakfast and dinner each day).</li><li>I've found I hardly been playing Solitaire in my 'down' times at all. Normally I play Solitaire a lot in my rest times (whilst listening to the radio etc.), as I find it stops me from browsing the internet or doing other things that drain even more energy. But it's a mixed blessing: it's better than browsing the internet, but it definitely drains energy, too. These past two weeks I've mostly been able to simply rest, and haven't needed that distraction. I've only turned to it when I got overtired, or when I was upset about something.</li><li>I've been able to make more time for people. I've been able to stop and properly listen on several occasions when either Martin or Sarah were up for a chat, and last Sunday I was even able to invite someone home for lunch after church - something I normally can't ever do!</li></ul><p>It's not like the whole world's changed (and today I'm actually fairly out-of-sorts after getting exhausted when our church service went on uncommonly long), but I do feel like it's been a significant breakthrough.</p><p>Learning to rest definitely seems to be a bit of a theme for me right now (I wrote about it in both <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2022/05/resting-on-waiheke-and-at-home.html">May</a> and <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2022/08/letting-gods-work-be-gods-work.html">August</a> last year, too). I'm encouraged by how God continues to work on this in me, and also by how I do seem to be making progress - even though there's plenty more to go!<br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-20387357904536886212023-04-26T18:21:00.004+12:002023-04-26T21:02:53.113+12:00Camping at Ambury Park<p>Martin and I are just back from a long weekend camping at <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/Pages/park-details.aspx?Location=202">Ambury Park</a>. It's the only Auckland Council campground that's comfortably within my biking range, so no public transport was involved. There was something magic about getting on our bikes outside our house, and riding off to a different world :-) <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDG8o38-z0VykCSEAXfe8TrPyut_f7BL1ZvN9HzhdRF2sY9ENRvBVLfNeID2YYEmkEE68fQkMyMpMdY4-Cv4nYsENDgBa_Ie12frpmcTIOO1PUKxo6BWdQz8Fx00nNUtHMh8NPN4K-8PW_BxBoW-ZJuUPMfICYBL7neoIK6CrZblb4lkaKkhSY-4uc/s4000/IMG_20230421_112139.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDG8o38-z0VykCSEAXfe8TrPyut_f7BL1ZvN9HzhdRF2sY9ENRvBVLfNeID2YYEmkEE68fQkMyMpMdY4-Cv4nYsENDgBa_Ie12frpmcTIOO1PUKxo6BWdQz8Fx00nNUtHMh8NPN4K-8PW_BxBoW-ZJuUPMfICYBL7neoIK6CrZblb4lkaKkhSY-4uc/s320/IMG_20230421_112139.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me heading off. We started on the road but joined the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waikaraka_Cycleway">cycleway</a> at Bollard Ave and took that all the way to Māngere Bridge :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofVp7tNd5NIY0RMCvow9P7o5RQciOS1LbhZBOE0hiHbUuNpN7Ysgb4b4eSvtVDbgEn5A-tLPHgbZwo91Lq-E50R2I013mQl_U3YnNnvg3_Sx__IWQdCgHs8W4Ag4j1FnOOXm0XU-FFXPbDtX8lvpSypRtWC2kSauXiwuJbJmc3LKBXkJz3iL2rI_4/s4000/IMG_20230421_120055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofVp7tNd5NIY0RMCvow9P7o5RQciOS1LbhZBOE0hiHbUuNpN7Ysgb4b4eSvtVDbgEn5A-tLPHgbZwo91Lq-E50R2I013mQl_U3YnNnvg3_Sx__IWQdCgHs8W4Ag4j1FnOOXm0XU-FFXPbDtX8lvpSypRtWC2kSauXiwuJbJmc3LKBXkJz3iL2rI_4/s320/IMG_20230421_120055.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us at the highest point of our journey (at Hillsborough) - photo courtesy of some road construction workers :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAIXh0pDVwOv4o312n41rViaKGX-3usKGu-uKPK3YKtw8VuVnBOd2FCgR3m8O1awLamczjEZ3m807LBBqilViPvotafhZa6L9ts7bbLMU2To3lNYbLNqofpCYC2ck6rJHfNJaH2ayb4wl1vzEeFUhxkw6O4hZUaD4P26Z7ialAToE64v7-6ZrBBvt/s4080/IMG_20230421_121437.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAIXh0pDVwOv4o312n41rViaKGX-3usKGu-uKPK3YKtw8VuVnBOd2FCgR3m8O1awLamczjEZ3m807LBBqilViPvotafhZa6L9ts7bbLMU2To3lNYbLNqofpCYC2ck6rJHfNJaH2ayb4wl1vzEeFUhxkw6O4hZUaD4P26Z7ialAToE64v7-6ZrBBvt/s320/IMG_20230421_121437.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin at a rest stop in Onehunga - there are a bunch of very pretty artificial beaches along here.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7_P3zqW_aiJYiirBu-5fuPMEd5ZgkjOfqZxGR8K2BOP2dm7aYMuNeLQRS0MeLGYqfwFvd27db03RL3NvfpCsxpZM1UaM6byNYLTVQAEXw55vgAOEPyIleX0B1hojK5IhNu70HpCbciyEhr2NW06x-oHP9-TnJh0lX8z8MAttJYIXpMuteBS-K1e5/s4000/IMG_20230421_123134.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7_P3zqW_aiJYiirBu-5fuPMEd5ZgkjOfqZxGR8K2BOP2dm7aYMuNeLQRS0MeLGYqfwFvd27db03RL3NvfpCsxpZM1UaM6byNYLTVQAEXw55vgAOEPyIleX0B1hojK5IhNu70HpCbciyEhr2NW06x-oHP9-TnJh0lX8z8MAttJYIXpMuteBS-K1e5/s320/IMG_20230421_123134.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Māngere pedestrian/cycling bridge. It's so pretty, painted in suitably marine shades of pink/blue/green/grey. On the way back it was quite windy, and the palings made a lovely singing noise :-) It also looks well-used (despite the empty photo!), especially by people fishing on the Māngere side.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3X1MMpnGJ1F2bs9XAl7aDtUy3ItQGVgZLm9NiSu-bhV3rkES7YQnlS3JyvpFIP1ruC_MW3Yq9TrZMtalFyVjzPXy2X_uA5Ne22lBQ_RmbL9fZnR3hbmXn3dRRP20d8dNZsz2SVvp1RN4BM1kiuMjAGsbrIbDl24NZsjltS2XYe1-m3nFIa7dUiuO/s4000/IMG_20230421_123124.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3X1MMpnGJ1F2bs9XAl7aDtUy3ItQGVgZLm9NiSu-bhV3rkES7YQnlS3JyvpFIP1ruC_MW3Yq9TrZMtalFyVjzPXy2X_uA5Ne22lBQ_RmbL9fZnR3hbmXn3dRRP20d8dNZsz2SVvp1RN4BM1kiuMjAGsbrIbDl24NZsjltS2XYe1-m3nFIa7dUiuO/s320/IMG_20230421_123124.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on the bridge with all our stuff :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8RzBH43eErE8DUzl042deUxneUqoO5swX-pY-9NEwmhP1BFwwj0Oktjp7K2CPIjHkj9S-I3YyaIkdUGLEDcyGjByUOxXjElcijxij0d_jfVr7knmUkgK_CdJpVfigMC9cuz7HcVfSjZsEUg3Ske_XpMIsuyrxRWjN6hVXzl2TplqSkYmam9xIkGw/s4080/IMG_20230421_132537.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8RzBH43eErE8DUzl042deUxneUqoO5swX-pY-9NEwmhP1BFwwj0Oktjp7K2CPIjHkj9S-I3YyaIkdUGLEDcyGjByUOxXjElcijxij0d_jfVr7knmUkgK_CdJpVfigMC9cuz7HcVfSjZsEUg3Ske_XpMIsuyrxRWjN6hVXzl2TplqSkYmam9xIkGw/s320/IMG_20230421_132537.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stopped for lunch on the Māngere foreshore. The spot was largely chosen for its reasonable shelter - it was very windy!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXdXV8cSxB1S09x5jKkHzzbgSgBibxxbbJHcs99MjqNlC2uXTHlouPawOy1gqRJZZuYWma-RLGEV7hLz0xjq1GaLtWRHYO5e6lV0PbHC5RcjHpShe-_jWP1PQciplygQM2UF-5CUaHyjth1J4Sjd76ao6F2qw9-sk8OFXMBddhfilc21a0pFQKc4y/s4000/IMG_20230421_163903.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXdXV8cSxB1S09x5jKkHzzbgSgBibxxbbJHcs99MjqNlC2uXTHlouPawOy1gqRJZZuYWma-RLGEV7hLz0xjq1GaLtWRHYO5e6lV0PbHC5RcjHpShe-_jWP1PQciplygQM2UF-5CUaHyjth1J4Sjd76ao6F2qw9-sk8OFXMBddhfilc21a0pFQKc4y/s320/IMG_20230421_163903.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After we set up camp we went back to Māngere Bridge township for groceries. Martin stopped outside the library to use their wifi, and I was delighted by this sign :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZ_ZFYhvQ-uhr0XD5dYZsJBU9YtPS-ir-vLaH4yrIb11rjBHY8LGZOEmpwFTfhzeONyhue-EHhlFbBQxJwusvhEowKQPVPwq38AYd2RQSoi1fax-I5QmR8XMmboouDJUPrHgjVCHQfShdPC_a3dWvg6J9FMW-bFSK78_GcLHucOGzW4wbzqmYlXLW/s4000/IMG_20230421_184614.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZ_ZFYhvQ-uhr0XD5dYZsJBU9YtPS-ir-vLaH4yrIb11rjBHY8LGZOEmpwFTfhzeONyhue-EHhlFbBQxJwusvhEowKQPVPwq38AYd2RQSoi1fax-I5QmR8XMmboouDJUPrHgjVCHQfShdPC_a3dWvg6J9FMW-bFSK78_GcLHucOGzW4wbzqmYlXLW/s320/IMG_20230421_184614.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our setup. Our tent has lost its waterproofing tape, hence the tarp. Hopefully some waterproofing tape will arrive in the post in the next week or two. But the tent was comfortably weatherproof like this :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZXvm0EMEGIHIbOncROsmBXLr7Te9Mn_vVdaOefHg5Mbrvw4V6w8u-bQtSUTwhbj6Z9YpwukszmbRM6P1Lngm-zfT1rOWsiJs70Lw5d2K6cO8BszlnyWOPZwTophlKzTLDMw7TI7lJt6cI-GuQ3lI00IeN_XVwSmYTfmajVZi6Lkd_KUoItRvzGKq/s4080/IMG_20230421_190351.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZXvm0EMEGIHIbOncROsmBXLr7Te9Mn_vVdaOefHg5Mbrvw4V6w8u-bQtSUTwhbj6Z9YpwukszmbRM6P1Lngm-zfT1rOWsiJs70Lw5d2K6cO8BszlnyWOPZwTophlKzTLDMw7TI7lJt6cI-GuQ3lI00IeN_XVwSmYTfmajVZi6Lkd_KUoItRvzGKq/s320/IMG_20230421_190351.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were very glad of the wind-shelter for our cooker!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1IXShV3WoKYYP24z4AygdunyWHO8PUw4okc4c9OE_oHLWNwa5PfESRv936iIjc4RWKfb17UAEWnjJka36fFaUrs4Ahg2mCEe0omVk9S7xEUA227LtZC0_6K-Lv8G-OM5gh9hJlsvcqCI155Y_0xXI5pO66e-wjep8ORjCG0ng_0UN9_9kysaKqOd/s1248/IMG_20230421_203605.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1IXShV3WoKYYP24z4AygdunyWHO8PUw4okc4c9OE_oHLWNwa5PfESRv936iIjc4RWKfb17UAEWnjJka36fFaUrs4Ahg2mCEe0omVk9S7xEUA227LtZC0_6K-Lv8G-OM5gh9hJlsvcqCI155Y_0xXI5pO66e-wjep8ORjCG0ng_0UN9_9kysaKqOd/s320/IMG_20230421_203605.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ambury Park clearly sees far more visitors than most places we go to - one consequence of that was the ample signage. I particularly enjoyed the tone of this one :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtG5R8QF4b5DHzdF6p2uEcWHnT-IgvYa2t_cvHpZf5dGsanySJaWeKBKlyN8hThPmfhUiFpccP4U3yLGuRrBS_mqVoub4_sK-_b9FTpEstKoiutKw_OvLj1h2oFgYP8IbRlC1J700XzM1imvRdUJqX70KRu2vLhKK47yx2E8KsWCKLAKrmTKIdCKTq/s4080/IMG_20230421_222636.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtG5R8QF4b5DHzdF6p2uEcWHnT-IgvYa2t_cvHpZf5dGsanySJaWeKBKlyN8hThPmfhUiFpccP4U3yLGuRrBS_mqVoub4_sK-_b9FTpEstKoiutKw_OvLj1h2oFgYP8IbRlC1J700XzM1imvRdUJqX70KRu2vLhKK47yx2E8KsWCKLAKrmTKIdCKTq/s320/IMG_20230421_222636.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And that was a sign I wasn't expecting!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We rested a lot of the time (often listening to an audiobook together - the final in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time">Wheel of Time</a> saga), but we did do a few excursions. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDc8mGhi6uaBofbjkq4QQ2-PvWHDaXZS6y_EqYxg_hV693Pa1LwUQGmfwC83KiZZTgYQKGcBhnldPO7CX0-tXDCfiaxW662nXPV5glY8XUj3Y_iHShXtY2chwqS-wO2USsKnsW5I2siqU3DaWEFNhlp7kg5Et21u51ixNv3EgNIt67VyeczsYwMyG/s9680/IMG_20230422_094846.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="9680" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDc8mGhi6uaBofbjkq4QQ2-PvWHDaXZS6y_EqYxg_hV693Pa1LwUQGmfwC83KiZZTgYQKGcBhnldPO7CX0-tXDCfiaxW662nXPV5glY8XUj3Y_iHShXtY2chwqS-wO2USsKnsW5I2siqU3DaWEFNhlp7kg5Et21u51ixNv3EgNIt67VyeczsYwMyG/s320/IMG_20230422_094846.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From our first excursion, which took us to the foreshore - such a beautiful and peaceful spot.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgi5FJTDcEr20K1ooHzjmWNLvsLWlow0WeaHnRt07xXumSSdye2O6RHPzFIatDFDtfjpZsEjueb3aGBDB8M6a7b3yqGTzo2HJpRsh40eXtFl51yV4Mt804smi9R6o-DMNlJhmtMaE0XwnbeaQ7PETqHJPxA-dAyatpXgz0qg1-6-5DFagJ8QRVs22R/s4000/IMG_20230422_094937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgi5FJTDcEr20K1ooHzjmWNLvsLWlow0WeaHnRt07xXumSSdye2O6RHPzFIatDFDtfjpZsEjueb3aGBDB8M6a7b3yqGTzo2HJpRsh40eXtFl51yV4Mt804smi9R6o-DMNlJhmtMaE0XwnbeaQ7PETqHJPxA-dAyatpXgz0qg1-6-5DFagJ8QRVs22R/s320/IMG_20230422_094937.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30z7EmahuzcNHHSKAow79WwOC5rCalGDZldvLVu2F2zKPk3tR_GIw1HeZEiNo-slzRhkUxF7xTNxu9PY646uqWSq4bcVry-ysbOTAsMmzML_cCvUsLsmmWBN8kMeHRmjiXflYR_zxxTafSVM4AcUkHJcNfS3BXZekI30pMBI-9eh8l7e6DcxWB-Ye/s4000/IMG_20230422_153734.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30z7EmahuzcNHHSKAow79WwOC5rCalGDZldvLVu2F2zKPk3tR_GIw1HeZEiNo-slzRhkUxF7xTNxu9PY646uqWSq4bcVry-ysbOTAsMmzML_cCvUsLsmmWBN8kMeHRmjiXflYR_zxxTafSVM4AcUkHJcNfS3BXZekI30pMBI-9eh8l7e6DcxWB-Ye/s320/IMG_20230422_153734.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drying our bike gloves and caps on a handy fence :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ttyMYoyxXCTFAV-M95hFeb-mtRlj2viRu2os3iZA836aCkJAZ3_hoZeynncs98TLlu__pZfrsxE1hhsi9nEEOEDc3kv19sOMjCWw1hv0sMI-IplNTBtg0qFvmvV7rIbZBngJP6xi8_NMjOl2GXJlQPoIKRlAU5K9M5PK2E8QhCdOcFmSE3fyj9rD/s4080/IMG_20230422_154611.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ttyMYoyxXCTFAV-M95hFeb-mtRlj2viRu2os3iZA836aCkJAZ3_hoZeynncs98TLlu__pZfrsxE1hhsi9nEEOEDc3kv19sOMjCWw1hv0sMI-IplNTBtg0qFvmvV7rIbZBngJP6xi8_NMjOl2GXJlQPoIKRlAU5K9M5PK2E8QhCdOcFmSE3fyj9rD/s320/IMG_20230422_154611.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>On Sunday we biked 20 minutes to Māngere Mountain - which came to us highly recommended as a good walking spot. It did not disappoint! It has several peaks (rather than the usual single peak) and lots of great places to scramble around.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkLqQcueTpMLbUgdA7e_Bnerq8dvTdnzlB96IBKhR12O9DjzHGUMYxvut28BinOIkmbRf2uQJuZ06WBpI6jmVjIk19-4w1BqiD9dIHD8_QyHvT1RfaYnFWBZvrUTFkGfTebOwW1HSiM4KM_lxGS-23zKuJLi7kcWMbUNMZlcvVnAOFLKnsp3Q3l_u/s4080/IMG_20230423_123208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkLqQcueTpMLbUgdA7e_Bnerq8dvTdnzlB96IBKhR12O9DjzHGUMYxvut28BinOIkmbRf2uQJuZ06WBpI6jmVjIk19-4w1BqiD9dIHD8_QyHvT1RfaYnFWBZvrUTFkGfTebOwW1HSiM4KM_lxGS-23zKuJLi7kcWMbUNMZlcvVnAOFLKnsp3Q3l_u/s320/IMG_20230423_123208.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNeL5J_9xgTwJgx1bNkY5jX7jlF9J9Bodgm9HlJM8hLumYnDGpDCBT-S-Z5m_eQfWzieVJKFthWZ9UbBc-dUhpXIUudaqdcLrjsVNtuLXtdJtpr8G-j2HsUgfb7GeoN7TceltVyOwbha72znod_SH8_uo9Ue8ZqLuoW8Y0y_DvoJUPUKayb4MhreW/s4080/IMG_20230423_123341.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNeL5J_9xgTwJgx1bNkY5jX7jlF9J9Bodgm9HlJM8hLumYnDGpDCBT-S-Z5m_eQfWzieVJKFthWZ9UbBc-dUhpXIUudaqdcLrjsVNtuLXtdJtpr8G-j2HsUgfb7GeoN7TceltVyOwbha72znod_SH8_uo9Ue8ZqLuoW8Y0y_DvoJUPUKayb4MhreW/s320/IMG_20230423_123341.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back towards Mt. Wellington where I grew up.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpE77_3y-_U1QLkUYZJg7fwT_TlSbQqVOs0gFxeO_uEgtHzn7sYCo49iPy2lGSaT_Emg_WHbqbQcPw1KGghS_sc2n_0AqBlOCHFVaKUa2j7vIgPfGAATx_2XbPgKafzvD0xBLTC_KitSe7K3r3pfIkrVUhiqb1G6icwuAhMz57wEu4Axa5WHj1IN-/s4080/IMG_20230423_123507.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpE77_3y-_U1QLkUYZJg7fwT_TlSbQqVOs0gFxeO_uEgtHzn7sYCo49iPy2lGSaT_Emg_WHbqbQcPw1KGghS_sc2n_0AqBlOCHFVaKUa2j7vIgPfGAATx_2XbPgKafzvD0xBLTC_KitSe7K3r3pfIkrVUhiqb1G6icwuAhMz57wEu4Axa5WHj1IN-/s320/IMG_20230423_123507.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on the Māngere footbridge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbAr_XYNHiR83lwocwyVqyDfGY_gjctW6jqEeyIIjC0H8P9YM42D7NkBFBWRMwoxbXMZYPD2lRztMfhhehgSX1q34PcAjHZFfjn1K2_yRlH6YypoWBYZUXkQcXQ5YcO5rY8SR9XOUUCAlQOKxAK1qNXu3jA5dQSl7Lv7ZzSK-VmSDFeO-QVaO8HVU/s4080/IMG_20230423_124522.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbAr_XYNHiR83lwocwyVqyDfGY_gjctW6jqEeyIIjC0H8P9YM42D7NkBFBWRMwoxbXMZYPD2lRztMfhhehgSX1q34PcAjHZFfjn1K2_yRlH6YypoWBYZUXkQcXQ5YcO5rY8SR9XOUUCAlQOKxAK1qNXu3jA5dQSl7Lv7ZzSK-VmSDFeO-QVaO8HVU/s320/IMG_20230423_124522.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our campsite is back around to the left of this picture<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6ZJY9dELPHS1SiJfLdXBpOnyqyKkN79A2-kJ7ToLUZtuzENyuvwfi_xTdGHoYzOvpUwprCEmvgQG2G-Mrpy_VyPipBRyB1MkXPbeJkYTWVdgTt4-nJDurP-eoWi-6x2SdezSQjFfp13nTRZo54t70RZZV5QRVPaLAP0C9bNIe7pZ5RPU4K70fC7D/s4080/IMG_20230423_132149.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6ZJY9dELPHS1SiJfLdXBpOnyqyKkN79A2-kJ7ToLUZtuzENyuvwfi_xTdGHoYzOvpUwprCEmvgQG2G-Mrpy_VyPipBRyB1MkXPbeJkYTWVdgTt4-nJDurP-eoWi-6x2SdezSQjFfp13nTRZo54t70RZZV5QRVPaLAP0C9bNIe7pZ5RPU4K70fC7D/s320/IMG_20230423_132149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8q0m8aPJIpwJbFupGD7s71sTfGWTYiVokfI6jx1a2Pa0Ub7vllwGJ2j_SUZ_XWTR2dqL9BL38ah8pvzp2v4RSEdEKb8cv_80vb2KJ1_On32GknhWhxLM_OxgkNz1yZ-F0ZFMkZCLOI5MJ1z3KuDbjwl1LV4NQ98upROcWaj1_V96kp9jzSLBXLxb/s3264/IMG_20230423_133255.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8q0m8aPJIpwJbFupGD7s71sTfGWTYiVokfI6jx1a2Pa0Ub7vllwGJ2j_SUZ_XWTR2dqL9BL38ah8pvzp2v4RSEdEKb8cv_80vb2KJ1_On32GknhWhxLM_OxgkNz1yZ-F0ZFMkZCLOI5MJ1z3KuDbjwl1LV4NQ98upROcWaj1_V96kp9jzSLBXLxb/s320/IMG_20230423_133255.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2v9uhTfPbbJAVnSYlxziXuLkc2LDz_IOH5ZuDx3esu6jrQepfxkgJ9MKxq85YlmLEEqyTqiWO-YCrtboG9z-3nyMCPolGnCaZbaelPtMePgan4NhxQkjn0H6dMFpDfrkFR25p6-IFeH0aC-zyfSC0R_iRIirSWAjximKHEq30iwPjJQ_FYt7wzPzP/s2288/IMG_20230423_134608.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="1816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2v9uhTfPbbJAVnSYlxziXuLkc2LDz_IOH5ZuDx3esu6jrQepfxkgJ9MKxq85YlmLEEqyTqiWO-YCrtboG9z-3nyMCPolGnCaZbaelPtMePgan4NhxQkjn0H6dMFpDfrkFR25p6-IFeH0aC-zyfSC0R_iRIirSWAjximKHEq30iwPjJQ_FYt7wzPzP/s320/IMG_20230423_134608.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin spotted these lizards sunning themselves as we walked down.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoArbIbt9ehhFBilDTUQHTJYtJjobwS8Rf3ISQvoyh_E81KbQcqVUv_77fUJEq1LfS5t2Gnn1VWg2oz0OuT9aP6jySydLUyKss9Li4CJhqvFkgFijqFmvI5n-6LGpo9ZuBtb7saClNhtRKuc7Es9pOcBjvhTwKCKOTpWeB0qYf6Jb9F21oIZly8_5N/s4080/IMG_20230423_140943.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoArbIbt9ehhFBilDTUQHTJYtJjobwS8Rf3ISQvoyh_E81KbQcqVUv_77fUJEq1LfS5t2Gnn1VWg2oz0OuT9aP6jySydLUyKss9Li4CJhqvFkgFijqFmvI5n-6LGpo9ZuBtb7saClNhtRKuc7Es9pOcBjvhTwKCKOTpWeB0qYf6Jb9F21oIZly8_5N/s320/IMG_20230423_140943.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lovely (and well-patronised) Māori-themed playground<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zlZGx-LLdBPeBuLJyTscUu2wzG-STumiCj6Toz3QELv-5ePjpo4tL6d6nkG9KwVxPIasFVfFy8b904JlUFO5xhr1ZPMYWob1lL8XnduEth4nciMi8uz1lzKpAazd4jh5bHgsU4wanUn7ED2b2is1JxRLL-ob65q95Pln2XODtb0o1rtzby1giMHq/s4080/IMG_20230423_141020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zlZGx-LLdBPeBuLJyTscUu2wzG-STumiCj6Toz3QELv-5ePjpo4tL6d6nkG9KwVxPIasFVfFy8b904JlUFO5xhr1ZPMYWob1lL8XnduEth4nciMi8uz1lzKpAazd4jh5bHgsU4wanUn7ED2b2is1JxRLL-ob65q95Pln2XODtb0o1rtzby1giMHq/s320/IMG_20230423_141020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more of the playground<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnE23-js5uPKdSTOcLi1Mdo8ZZuLzB6WMQ7K6QS5Oqo-TZr-6bitsrL9XLjkxzODAItjvLlKIEcIGCgu_VHDFg8gQWP4-vWgMNeHsdOVJ2GfOqY1lsnfIHTTnQb1u8mvKTIckKNN_ALT-n6aE5qN1noFGNlvh_HNyJqrxMVWsumVDeD8IQvccVEr6l/s4080/IMG_20230423_152557.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnE23-js5uPKdSTOcLi1Mdo8ZZuLzB6WMQ7K6QS5Oqo-TZr-6bitsrL9XLjkxzODAItjvLlKIEcIGCgu_VHDFg8gQWP4-vWgMNeHsdOVJ2GfOqY1lsnfIHTTnQb1u8mvKTIckKNN_ALT-n6aE5qN1noFGNlvh_HNyJqrxMVWsumVDeD8IQvccVEr6l/s320/IMG_20230423_152557.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back at the mountain from the campsite<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49dgYLPPeb78AoPx6wbJ5DTGpGNKSVtB8N2LQc7mhsQnIL0i9m6Dx1zN15KLd7UPhp3O-ikHiJxyzbdHvqqDDhKJUSsAx2amQkWLnkKj2Jl29qcQ0ptixo8-r7lMcLAuhdUTPiFpzXCYA2eKOv8a2UD9cLRXN5ISYjCnn-UWB9KSo8CBCWCdu5TME/s4000/IMG_20230424_032505.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49dgYLPPeb78AoPx6wbJ5DTGpGNKSVtB8N2LQc7mhsQnIL0i9m6Dx1zN15KLd7UPhp3O-ikHiJxyzbdHvqqDDhKJUSsAx2amQkWLnkKj2Jl29qcQ0ptixo8-r7lMcLAuhdUTPiFpzXCYA2eKOv8a2UD9cLRXN5ISYjCnn-UWB9KSo8CBCWCdu5TME/s320/IMG_20230424_032505.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the last night I got cold and couldn't sleep. As Martin was heating water for a hot water bottle, this cat came over for a cuddle! Presumably from a neighbouring house? Not really what you want to see in an area renowned for bird-watching, though!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3Nzxd6HxmpnjohEFY8eT5atWhdqRY7HnfbVQ1KbUGbXYxj2vqdKVS3eNZEozjlY4k8Qtl3mhWaamjmRVT8W9d26mLZqdnoP45vrxJauuNgIL9bXlDbxSHrXoaZ-t2U4yb1F7Zmj8uvFDBFAbQw-5JiCsrlgye67m3DAuJ4KxAF7hHddFTHs0izLn/s4000/IMG_20230424_101933.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3Nzxd6HxmpnjohEFY8eT5atWhdqRY7HnfbVQ1KbUGbXYxj2vqdKVS3eNZEozjlY4k8Qtl3mhWaamjmRVT8W9d26mLZqdnoP45vrxJauuNgIL9bXlDbxSHrXoaZ-t2U4yb1F7Zmj8uvFDBFAbQw-5JiCsrlgye67m3DAuJ4KxAF7hHddFTHs0izLn/s320/IMG_20230424_101933.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me resting under the tarp while Martin packed everything up on the final morning. Note the chicken at the left - there were loud and well-fed chickens roaming the campsite pretty much all the time!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmZPraaqWXXUwf2hx2hVT6IYfwNWfObhPc2jSByRh5cm-wt1t848kFGNTzvQ2bywj56hvrdPPDLqoG55GH-Lz-JUn0-D6OhDR8unDAbRDjOrcnjAnEy3b5TMibqPAJoo_eHib2wZUJvG7EGCAJN87V9B44A7w3031Tf97dqMtDkB5m9K1e_pFEuPV/s4000/IMG_20230424_112514.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmZPraaqWXXUwf2hx2hVT6IYfwNWfObhPc2jSByRh5cm-wt1t848kFGNTzvQ2bywj56hvrdPPDLqoG55GH-Lz-JUn0-D6OhDR8unDAbRDjOrcnjAnEy3b5TMibqPAJoo_eHib2wZUJvG7EGCAJN87V9B44A7w3031Tf97dqMtDkB5m9K1e_pFEuPV/s320/IMG_20230424_112514.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOIjpq467QZGQFWvyQEhFzt9FIJiB7WXy47v2odXb0qtx8WVvhc7Zdze2eksZanLpNeqlfJny9UGsPSY7SKUhc5DrBSs7k4Emcchg-SfazdLT99Qr0zcytFuvlwjBpPQsIcqWnCVWuLVd40F3tcRPVTnQktSqNz5a5F4uuj4JHjR_uBCrQD_U8uat/s4000/IMG_20230424_122914.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOIjpq467QZGQFWvyQEhFzt9FIJiB7WXy47v2odXb0qtx8WVvhc7Zdze2eksZanLpNeqlfJny9UGsPSY7SKUhc5DrBSs7k4Emcchg-SfazdLT99Qr0zcytFuvlwjBpPQsIcqWnCVWuLVd40F3tcRPVTnQktSqNz5a5F4uuj4JHjR_uBCrQD_U8uat/s320/IMG_20230424_122914.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lunchtime view (from the edge of <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/Pages/park-details.aspx?Location=3059">Monte Cecilia Park</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Life's been pretty full-on recently, and it was so good to get away. The weather was pretty wet the first couple of days (and pretty windy the rest of the time) but that didn't stop us from resting deeply - we've both come back refreshed. And I was stoked to bike the whole way both ways :-) It took 1h33 to get there, and 1h25 to get back (not including the time spent at rest stops). Getting back was supposed to be harder, but the wind helped us a lot at the beginning! To get home we went up Onehunga Mall, along Trafalgar St to Herd Rd then across the motorway on Hillsborough Rd to rejoin the cycle path.</p><p>Also, biking around the Māngere Bridge area was an unexpected delight. Every time we wanted to turn across a stream of traffic (or anything like that), pretty much the very first car would stop and blink its lights at us to let us through :-) A friend who works in South Auckland has commented on how courteous everyone there is to one another (in a way that's unheard of in the rest of Auckland) and that was certainly the case for us on this trip.<br /></p><p>In the end we only camped for 3 nights (not the 4 we'd hoped, due to a block booking at the campsite for Monday), but we did a pretty good job of staying 'on holiday' at home on Tuesday as well, and I didn't reconnect to the internet until this morning. All in all a really good holiday - and biking the whole made it our lowest-carbon holiday yet, at only <b>26kg CO2e</b> :-)* We'll definitely be back!</p><p> *<i>For comparison, 20kg CO2e is about what the planet can absorb for 2 people over three days - not bad for a pretty special 3 days!!</i></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-5057514332205477502023-03-28T19:13:00.003+13:002023-03-28T19:13:35.588+13:00Two local adventures<p>The other week Martin and I walked another section of the Manukau Coastal Walkway (at this point also called the Waikowhai Walkway) - catching the bus past Blockhouse Bay to the top of Gilletta Rd, walking down to Lynfield Cove and then through bush and suburban streets to Wattle Bay before catching the bus home from Canberra Rd. There were some stunning views!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8b3Jc3SYo_SGPNlDncS01d01N6-Smrs9Dc-WeOcj9bDra8aWF8HicofGewqJOpjGAith5ebxjVc88-_IQukHuI6pBfD8ntUBOXLJIE0dl2IuH4NHVv_H9rT5qromTIW1BPGUykt7VwrNe0YPfQzOOCTeG0XV0YbORokPS3LxG_4rtQsfsRva1Khg/s12944/PANO_20230316_103900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3616" data-original-width="12944" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8b3Jc3SYo_SGPNlDncS01d01N6-Smrs9Dc-WeOcj9bDra8aWF8HicofGewqJOpjGAith5ebxjVc88-_IQukHuI6pBfD8ntUBOXLJIE0dl2IuH4NHVv_H9rT5qromTIW1BPGUykt7VwrNe0YPfQzOOCTeG0XV0YbORokPS3LxG_4rtQsfsRva1Khg/s320/PANO_20230316_103900.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Here's the route. We came out the path that runs through the middle of Wattle Bay Reserve at the right. This section is the beginning of the Waikowhai walkway.<br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLprhZath7v2FgLjBqkIyQBkMuRYg55ENr_dQUmaT7xh8bKOu55xJK0PdPpAtAsuyiYuE-lGBZLTcT-SkNLZS8u6xCzrBhazPQAfjpRoSXisgz8fFNO2rfdeVToG94PQ8ZBVS5s6oqU6bjxWukDudmbRCEYG5Z0SIFEu1Lk-R4SvXK5bZqPJsSwhAk/s697/Screenshot%20from%202023-03-16%2017-02-13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="697" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLprhZath7v2FgLjBqkIyQBkMuRYg55ENr_dQUmaT7xh8bKOu55xJK0PdPpAtAsuyiYuE-lGBZLTcT-SkNLZS8u6xCzrBhazPQAfjpRoSXisgz8fFNO2rfdeVToG94PQ8ZBVS5s6oqU6bjxWukDudmbRCEYG5Z0SIFEu1Lk-R4SvXK5bZqPJsSwhAk/s320/Screenshot%20from%202023-03-16%2017-02-13.png" width="320" /></a></p><p>Here you can clearly see a massive sandbank (the whitish section) moderately out into the Manukau Harbour.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbQENV6RZOyHRVL-spBWCgZ9xsS24phDy3foK-3zW1fyzKRwg1WFEoN40DyDpYR9uvgt9-kyyKo-oaQtcKQ6pjFy8eISzGameDtbi4JKjOpOxN-qNbnaRAdjlOWXxUnRiFNHE2Y3ak6QlH8VgZPldIEnwfKBm68Yl4fx9U57uZNSfhJAipKqVz-uj/s4080/20230316_103930.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbQENV6RZOyHRVL-spBWCgZ9xsS24phDy3foK-3zW1fyzKRwg1WFEoN40DyDpYR9uvgt9-kyyKo-oaQtcKQ6pjFy8eISzGameDtbi4JKjOpOxN-qNbnaRAdjlOWXxUnRiFNHE2Y3ak6QlH8VgZPldIEnwfKBm68Yl4fx9U57uZNSfhJAipKqVz-uj/s320/20230316_103930.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>If you zoom right in below, you might see a ute on the mudflats a fair ways out from the point in the middle of the photo.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xX0wZ2Za19u33O5h30T-q15MXZKCN7SfV6xOnlK-bSY10NsAQKjL-BgSL7MOfE6qxzUtEbW8Z80lbvZe3k59ETxUViUUFIK0q0x21R-coBNfr98AOk_r1P_w7Y6hWI0l8KfPTgq0jHyPVsl4T6Yoj54DLGWeA21dSEZPmfrIE4Sc3ILzGkIUZAEy/s4080/20230316_104003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xX0wZ2Za19u33O5h30T-q15MXZKCN7SfV6xOnlK-bSY10NsAQKjL-BgSL7MOfE6qxzUtEbW8Z80lbvZe3k59ETxUViUUFIK0q0x21R-coBNfr98AOk_r1P_w7Y6hWI0l8KfPTgq0jHyPVsl4T6Yoj54DLGWeA21dSEZPmfrIE4Sc3ILzGkIUZAEy/s320/20230316_104003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>According to the local Facebook page, it belongs to the local business where we buy our <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/blog/2020-05-16-koko-samoa/">koko Samoa</a>, and had been there more than a week :-( <br /></p><p>We'd wondered how passable the path would be, after the storms 4-6 weeks earlier. The initial section was fine, but we were a bit surprised to encounter a moderate slip right across the path. All around Oakley Creek there are signs warning of slips and saying you can't enter, but we hadn't seen any of that here.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AlXRnffeGmbsqo2l9G2BGLvj-qcsxVH4yrYRSc11s5rzCYuood3v8GIVQASqbz4FEspYNhJagjqvX_2SMOT4oMTYGmibOHhiKekhsc47PMBmtZhO269bsO5rDcj2OtLKKiX7KbV0yfzCOcSnbCeElMjT4zHbgLVd4F6vG89Mf2DQl2AxnH9v1eBC/s4000/IMG_20230316_102454.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AlXRnffeGmbsqo2l9G2BGLvj-qcsxVH4yrYRSc11s5rzCYuood3v8GIVQASqbz4FEspYNhJagjqvX_2SMOT4oMTYGmibOHhiKekhsc47PMBmtZhO269bsO5rDcj2OtLKKiX7KbV0yfzCOcSnbCeElMjT4zHbgLVd4F6vG89Mf2DQl2AxnH9v1eBC/s320/IMG_20230316_102454.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p>The people near the slip have part of their porch no longer attached to the ground - you can see a concrete piling free-hanging beneath it:<br /></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYQh8Y0ZPfK_kaa8UUHusR0wquPGADsLb40kfH5YAT3ImJh2wDuPXS6fSjhK-K_qtIVYdddGMZBpu_VDmyzGxaaeH1AJWhC4ONqH09Ma8BJ0xN90zRWjSrd4BRQCOfSj-AOnXB65rvJMigzH5LqcQCamrlR-edbXkdzm6_w9HkKXFaG5XII7S3tnC/s4000/IMG_20230316_102637.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYQh8Y0ZPfK_kaa8UUHusR0wquPGADsLb40kfH5YAT3ImJh2wDuPXS6fSjhK-K_qtIVYdddGMZBpu_VDmyzGxaaeH1AJWhC4ONqH09Ma8BJ0xN90zRWjSrd4BRQCOfSj-AOnXB65rvJMigzH5LqcQCamrlR-edbXkdzm6_w9HkKXFaG5XII7S3tnC/s320/IMG_20230316_102637.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /></p><p>We did encounter one blocked-off bit, but fortunately we didn't want to go there anyway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGWIm_oja4wL4d2IpBAyYRq62t0LyEb-FlcFSIUAEs6Xfedk6p9JlYPJUlAkpl5Fr_kV54MU9kEyGzltF2ve_cjYfIAQKNrOmWnT9wXwTlwcHNtHNYrCHdpFHV1iKbKae442d1l72v64eLHpeOW0dfXsBs-8NnhmOemRYVPawTuYQkpnkLqHiVUfn/s4080/20230316_110937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGWIm_oja4wL4d2IpBAyYRq62t0LyEb-FlcFSIUAEs6Xfedk6p9JlYPJUlAkpl5Fr_kV54MU9kEyGzltF2ve_cjYfIAQKNrOmWnT9wXwTlwcHNtHNYrCHdpFHV1iKbKae442d1l72v64eLHpeOW0dfXsBs-8NnhmOemRYVPawTuYQkpnkLqHiVUfn/s320/20230316_110937.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br />It's such a lovely area :-)<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfbgAswr1CMDJVlahTtQhDMJZ_qW_M0dhcDp_DrgvMxRdHh4f8vW0DuCy0EPTq16KD41faF8fh5ZZrQ3NI8BOWs2vEQUujwSa4aR0axTpKNcKdcqvI5ltS5zDFWboejtFuzN2CQ348QZwdEklKNfmSawY0e22MNGG4foRAcfYywZX6NHkClGVR8r1/s4000/IMG_20230316_104013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfbgAswr1CMDJVlahTtQhDMJZ_qW_M0dhcDp_DrgvMxRdHh4f8vW0DuCy0EPTq16KD41faF8fh5ZZrQ3NI8BOWs2vEQUujwSa4aR0axTpKNcKdcqvI5ltS5zDFWboejtFuzN2CQ348QZwdEklKNfmSawY0e22MNGG4foRAcfYywZX6NHkClGVR8r1/s320/IMG_20230316_104013.jpg" width="320" /></a> </p><p style="text-align: left;">The path down to Wattle Bay went through a surprisingly large area of bush.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngVNgGplqJYEsrlizVd_t2kwuJf66G0GM-nTYAsZD_qm-Zi8hv6UJDNtc-LNQwYBNW9Ij9104OVWYHN4dsn5nbYa78JKEaFp6NVevDkNzC2iY0FwQv5KOrRh_xrKPi2_LzJU2_tGwtTsc_yiGT76oFPEV8ltSiWs1qYAAiF0qKNyYwMvaO2rJvSXD/s4080/20230316_111132.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngVNgGplqJYEsrlizVd_t2kwuJf66G0GM-nTYAsZD_qm-Zi8hv6UJDNtc-LNQwYBNW9Ij9104OVWYHN4dsn5nbYa78JKEaFp6NVevDkNzC2iY0FwQv5KOrRh_xrKPi2_LzJU2_tGwtTsc_yiGT76oFPEV8ltSiWs1qYAAiF0qKNyYwMvaO2rJvSXD/s320/20230316_111132.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br />The end of the road (at least from this direction). We'd expected to check out the beach, but it was blocked off.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNchayp0AKpE7lcR0bT7YpoUIA4yPZiSVlay0kPy5zrgOQnTK3yTGzOS-ZU1Euc0PeyBSDvAcI9coT0DRJW_F5_nEKVw2b2lbXI1WsoIDqEighJG4rJ-ZPKYhyZkk5OGEySbYBtWA-HJVjyeFRcBmxxGuVqhqOlfZ9wFIugT0WkXgq3w2oYe7Qgik/s4000/IMG_20230316_111858.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNchayp0AKpE7lcR0bT7YpoUIA4yPZiSVlay0kPy5zrgOQnTK3yTGzOS-ZU1Euc0PeyBSDvAcI9coT0DRJW_F5_nEKVw2b2lbXI1WsoIDqEighJG4rJ-ZPKYhyZkk5OGEySbYBtWA-HJVjyeFRcBmxxGuVqhqOlfZ9wFIugT0WkXgq3w2oYe7Qgik/s320/IMG_20230316_111858.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>And the path back up from Wattle Bay was surprisingly damaged.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZaYLdvGeOEFxUi6qu3z_usKi2LkWW-NsHQyVnS5cvCq33NErZzinsKdEmDxsNYKgbZbuWlCglDHhxfQtXgQA3TrltRs7XreJGgk3HJpfIoijRNU_KZxESzkmUT5IjaKctzs5jC9FUWAEegf_MZ2eNfrsRFu7eALJKMGqpl6SS1dTeHFD0j7pMNuL/s4000/IMG_20230316_111825.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZaYLdvGeOEFxUi6qu3z_usKi2LkWW-NsHQyVnS5cvCq33NErZzinsKdEmDxsNYKgbZbuWlCglDHhxfQtXgQA3TrltRs7XreJGgk3HJpfIoijRNU_KZxESzkmUT5IjaKctzs5jC9FUWAEegf_MZ2eNfrsRFu7eALJKMGqpl6SS1dTeHFD0j7pMNuL/s320/IMG_20230316_111825.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5O9KKSr8Vy5tP65ohE-qvHs8ScksfyZ06ReKYIpeymzuTrAZYeu6Xa5j30G9kCs1izpDLqjToznW_6z-eE4J6cMIc10g6XkiKjZV5hgEqVBeiDghQq9Xx_6ztOXsmLBqHA_Xv8_y3-uejPF4ONwKdgga6ekHXlqfL3fsIviZ2df-rjijhTUoXUt9/s4080/20230316_114012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5O9KKSr8Vy5tP65ohE-qvHs8ScksfyZ06ReKYIpeymzuTrAZYeu6Xa5j30G9kCs1izpDLqjToznW_6z-eE4J6cMIc10g6XkiKjZV5hgEqVBeiDghQq9Xx_6ztOXsmLBqHA_Xv8_y3-uejPF4ONwKdgga6ekHXlqfL3fsIviZ2df-rjijhTUoXUt9/s320/20230316_114012.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtbm0_fllhkgNJ1pitz5_HIfE7ZQYU1EX78KXT-4LAMT9eJc0ex1j4csO_4uFEMmVZyQOKI7shrso_Rw4QJV7l5NKFQUGo3qR55Uiz3zYlmKSXMNKByOpp3zLSKs9h-tHaKhpY5ucIO16_5LM9PnPl_5b3o5qH8QcCzYm58t34b5MHwDeGnTaszxf/s2560/20230316_114119.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtbm0_fllhkgNJ1pitz5_HIfE7ZQYU1EX78KXT-4LAMT9eJc0ex1j4csO_4uFEMmVZyQOKI7shrso_Rw4QJV7l5NKFQUGo3qR55Uiz3zYlmKSXMNKByOpp3zLSKs9h-tHaKhpY5ucIO16_5LM9PnPl_5b3o5qH8QcCzYm58t34b5MHwDeGnTaszxf/s320/20230316_114119.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWea7mr9iMfkC93OTgGd49QtQIOL1mz7ZvSiyDrRuWTNc7OTZQaOJnu6XUeozsR3Q9oQ0gu5NhLnD6gBZUCvUZnWzdtn-c_T3dlEEdsNRehDZ2WEPH7YEkB3SrFx1dL3CWN_1759yp4yEsJaD4CRKYnyVkMf9mjkXvE1m57xheq3x3c9CNnOap1q2h/s2560/20230316_114602.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWea7mr9iMfkC93OTgGd49QtQIOL1mz7ZvSiyDrRuWTNc7OTZQaOJnu6XUeozsR3Q9oQ0gu5NhLnD6gBZUCvUZnWzdtn-c_T3dlEEdsNRehDZ2WEPH7YEkB3SrFx1dL3CWN_1759yp4yEsJaD4CRKYnyVkMf9mjkXvE1m57xheq3x3c9CNnOap1q2h/s320/20230316_114602.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>One clearly recent slip did at least result in a fantastic view out to sea!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkb7pxsuQsyxo6H_7C0yx7TK_bJ8YaJIZIKTy0lUsb_9Fo_ie4liP_hyOsevlWq5oihnsxH-IvvFdn8j_l-gkwfBLC33chUUUX64rpyZag5KLpeLOijYJ_EjaU5dYhgIHK4qhIksu7tv5DN9_wrqRFQiResP9ulnI15gUVapR3sKaQpOJ2u5phadfi/s2560/20230316_114614.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkb7pxsuQsyxo6H_7C0yx7TK_bJ8YaJIZIKTy0lUsb_9Fo_ie4liP_hyOsevlWq5oihnsxH-IvvFdn8j_l-gkwfBLC33chUUUX64rpyZag5KLpeLOijYJ_EjaU5dYhgIHK4qhIksu7tv5DN9_wrqRFQiResP9ulnI15gUVapR3sKaQpOJ2u5phadfi/s320/20230316_114614.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKEzoWsoQpCTvJBa9JLBeq5rndXg62IY56k6sfDqMUcHSiLQ4PX8fpT2ix7aU25w1Pm9zEXrK4II1x8kSZoLMvRQIraZ2XKFC50ubwXMHYcqNvswO4yk10pfYstFO9aSQ3lA2yoHeiDklWAEjccSEOA18x0JYc8RiWQ8whk2MrdnxtWUQOVtmmaNs/s4000/IMG_20230316_114318.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKEzoWsoQpCTvJBa9JLBeq5rndXg62IY56k6sfDqMUcHSiLQ4PX8fpT2ix7aU25w1Pm9zEXrK4II1x8kSZoLMvRQIraZ2XKFC50ubwXMHYcqNvswO4yk10pfYstFO9aSQ3lA2yoHeiDklWAEjccSEOA18x0JYc8RiWQ8whk2MrdnxtWUQOVtmmaNs/s320/IMG_20230316_114318.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVVYBmvSygItR4wRPQFIDmB8cG1JQAIj8eoR_vylsZZfYaQGLdzDKgSEN9i7gLFV4vvwDshx6FyM9g3yiaRLH4irlqXunGPYSrGYT8bzEi-aY9QIjnUKrXis-E3rUt4oUCNMqtjCMMsx69tikPHiLSQ-6iURksp5kLez7RIaPiQUjUoyP3zc4u6B6/s4000/IMG_20230316_114528.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVVYBmvSygItR4wRPQFIDmB8cG1JQAIj8eoR_vylsZZfYaQGLdzDKgSEN9i7gLFV4vvwDshx6FyM9g3yiaRLH4irlqXunGPYSrGYT8bzEi-aY9QIjnUKrXis-E3rUt4oUCNMqtjCMMsx69tikPHiLSQ-6iURksp5kLez7RIaPiQUjUoyP3zc4u6B6/s320/IMG_20230316_114528.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>And this was the point at which we realised why such a damaged path was still open: it wasn't. At the top there was a substantial fence right across the path. We couldn't separate the sections to slip between them (and I really wasn't looking forward to walking all the way down and back up somewhere else to get out), but I realised you could squeeze past the end to escape :-) <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs68uh0anssJ3ydPOF0wlTN69o5FhKaVJvHyZnYDvRchlDrQZ3usqt9kty2zJqFL2i7cjEKTre_bLwXb7UdUCt1mx2rTjUBxaOZcO_UJbGMFJvcut5se9vd-SCwhNLGdPDF1HU3XdhIg7HKGO2cM0TFRQWeY-WdLDMUah0y3ezXFfch4AbcZHgnKI/s4000/IMG_20230316_114822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs68uh0anssJ3ydPOF0wlTN69o5FhKaVJvHyZnYDvRchlDrQZ3usqt9kty2zJqFL2i7cjEKTre_bLwXb7UdUCt1mx2rTjUBxaOZcO_UJbGMFJvcut5se9vd-SCwhNLGdPDF1HU3XdhIg7HKGO2cM0TFRQWeY-WdLDMUah0y3ezXFfch4AbcZHgnKI/s320/IMG_20230316_114822.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Martin taking a break and looking into public transport options at the carpark on the other side of the fence. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXy-DZlzZ72LjJy_KztEKF5WBUgY-g6jj62QIeYw2Z1Mi1QnD5vu-qMAhyolX1-fq5s06UFl-YVyGwiWulwqtzy4kEl2MM0Ljzg7O_LO6XydQU3BO0NCOK3_GuO0r5Ci64z_zd0WbIuifmdV-FkMup3u3hyyrE5OItRi1eWtZTgXJQjKrTautiMvvx/s4080/20230316_114952.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXy-DZlzZ72LjJy_KztEKF5WBUgY-g6jj62QIeYw2Z1Mi1QnD5vu-qMAhyolX1-fq5s06UFl-YVyGwiWulwqtzy4kEl2MM0Ljzg7O_LO6XydQU3BO0NCOK3_GuO0r5Ci64z_zd0WbIuifmdV-FkMup3u3hyyrE5OItRi1eWtZTgXJQjKrTautiMvvx/s320/20230316_114952.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I now suspect the path to the beach itself wasn't shut off because you weren't supposed to go to the beach, but rather because you weren't supposed to get onto the path we were on - but the side path we entered from was completely open. And, despite significant damage, on a fine day with good light we never felt remotely unsafe on it.</p><p>------------------------------</p><p>And then today I had another adventure - a meandery exploratory local bike ride that eventually ended up at a park I had no idea existed: Avondale West Reserve.</p><p>It has power pylon in one corner - I forget how massive they are!</p><p>I rather liked the way the string of power pylons marched off to the distance: as kids, Keith and I always thought they looked like robots.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqLcxMfp003zCQBrdUJxIoJqmWhJzmIRzvUitfHNrCumx-O20Aarxwnd5SdVd-fYEoJkUa1ff1NIIE6A24YR8d7JLzUDcuWQxy9vyqtV_imJ6SCyJ3ncxyUIFj7yuMybMWS2Xa8TJfh3eS1BVG8FWOBuC6L6z_v81-3TM59wBCYEos5OJAkbYiPKe/s682/20230328_163526_crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqLcxMfp003zCQBrdUJxIoJqmWhJzmIRzvUitfHNrCumx-O20Aarxwnd5SdVd-fYEoJkUa1ff1NIIE6A24YR8d7JLzUDcuWQxy9vyqtV_imJ6SCyJ3ncxyUIFj7yuMybMWS2Xa8TJfh3eS1BVG8FWOBuC6L6z_v81-3TM59wBCYEos5OJAkbYiPKe/s320/20230328_163526_crop.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><p>A lovely view over the Whau:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9MWSHZLPZCNtjFNM5HEPIUU709MOzBQTgg-HGJxPW_NtwhhRKfhUtTDFpEJhOUmsc524OhJ7laW0EUHFoSCI_51dRUu2JPqXenVh6f43jBGc9rxIcc7A52qZm1jFpcbK_Wqce4qnJJ0o0jN24lqZHCfnJ4ADVglCeLzu9_QVEnDROiJSP5Q-ptfj/s4080/20230328_163532.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9MWSHZLPZCNtjFNM5HEPIUU709MOzBQTgg-HGJxPW_NtwhhRKfhUtTDFpEJhOUmsc524OhJ7laW0EUHFoSCI_51dRUu2JPqXenVh6f43jBGc9rxIcc7A52qZm1jFpcbK_Wqce4qnJJ0o0jN24lqZHCfnJ4ADVglCeLzu9_QVEnDROiJSP5Q-ptfj/s320/20230328_163532.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I wandered a bit further down, and found myself right at the shore - there's even a boat ramp there.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8eZYsvzXLzsoAIk71dV5Ln-2k4IzKoYxJr7dFl_GLkVfGJTSv17UE3MwsKm6f6sgUaOS8FQrA0iBfd2aI64aNwZ6d17iI2xnQTAq7-FVsOvZ8KaYlQCs26wcd-2lN39PskkzPSPvwLR9nMA4OAjoTHIF7rWGKx_mPo5T7B2R_0B7suXWePpFMMZ3/s4080/20230328_163711.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8eZYsvzXLzsoAIk71dV5Ln-2k4IzKoYxJr7dFl_GLkVfGJTSv17UE3MwsKm6f6sgUaOS8FQrA0iBfd2aI64aNwZ6d17iI2xnQTAq7-FVsOvZ8KaYlQCs26wcd-2lN39PskkzPSPvwLR9nMA4OAjoTHIF7rWGKx_mPo5T7B2R_0B7suXWePpFMMZ3/s320/20230328_163711.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>The beach was covered in broken up terracotta pipe - no idea why, but very striking.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6XOMjZz9v0vTdEYyXfw18XjHfjUjsEIMw39aEKxOETH09vj4gm4zCRdsrPbiGB4hYkC9ehYkIVao9b5Vn1DgT6rbh162dpZxsQ7lPtuTheZ_FBBN5w1XgiIIOejHGmMsii4mFtF2YCkQZeSdM7RnOkXmARhj1LBh-oEw8WkHULK6XhFXETB2j2s-/s4080/20230328_163724.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6XOMjZz9v0vTdEYyXfw18XjHfjUjsEIMw39aEKxOETH09vj4gm4zCRdsrPbiGB4hYkC9ehYkIVao9b5Vn1DgT6rbh162dpZxsQ7lPtuTheZ_FBBN5w1XgiIIOejHGmMsii4mFtF2YCkQZeSdM7RnOkXmARhj1LBh-oEw8WkHULK6XhFXETB2j2s-/s320/20230328_163724.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Also striking was this truly massive bone - left from someone's dog perhaps?<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvzGJuKQk4sLu9ftjsPsghVsn_a3dtfU0VcodhdctLWeRT-5gVA6RGEwzzZT99ljpW4_0DjMyoMyFSEKtwXQiqqOQ8Y28DIUAnRdktxp7IsoPGKFzPj36ZgJhiqoyA4HpkLyqCtHPm_qAfg2a7vZPL79fVrTjMi75LywLk6V5p4UWL1x2MW7BbpGb/s4080/20230328_164344.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvzGJuKQk4sLu9ftjsPsghVsn_a3dtfU0VcodhdctLWeRT-5gVA6RGEwzzZT99ljpW4_0DjMyoMyFSEKtwXQiqqOQ8Y28DIUAnRdktxp7IsoPGKFzPj36ZgJhiqoyA4HpkLyqCtHPm_qAfg2a7vZPL79fVrTjMi75LywLk6V5p4UWL1x2MW7BbpGb/s320/20230328_164344.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I sat drinking my tea, sitting on the edge of the boat ramp watching the crabs go about their businesses. There were zillions of tiny mud crabs, all of which skedaddled when I arrived, but I found if I kept my legs still I could drink my tea without affected my shadow, and gradually they ventured out - one claw at a time. They're so small - maybe 2cm across? - and it was neat watching them emerge.</p><p>The landscape when I got up close to it looked so alien - it made me think of a moonscape, although of course there aren't weird little trees on the moon!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQqAVAamKI2cGPv6AQ1hH9rsEPRIcPDfHqE3psdcXLU6o4RZ8QCxh0mS3t5x1h2aLFKFYqwxpFHak3g4dJ5h_zs0dZkTS9hHQVuDhzluAHLrTyOw_iApw1VNPI9VYYug7anA4xL3xPkGf9qPCRBkfon7B4sJFbMBwOIz0wZg2UMdvw4T40zZ35IZd/s4080/20230328_164631.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQqAVAamKI2cGPv6AQ1hH9rsEPRIcPDfHqE3psdcXLU6o4RZ8QCxh0mS3t5x1h2aLFKFYqwxpFHak3g4dJ5h_zs0dZkTS9hHQVuDhzluAHLrTyOw_iApw1VNPI9VYYug7anA4xL3xPkGf9qPCRBkfon7B4sJFbMBwOIz0wZg2UMdvw4T40zZ35IZd/s320/20230328_164631.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Looking across the water towards New Lynn.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQuvW4-pUntFUXZ6CGJgsNws0l5Z5PxQwjGTiBNsXfWH_oxyM80KZbjnT0UwAelY47PVnAKEp6mkRWHsmocMw5FYKY8xLOzBDI_KX0J0ocYFCDEaEL-qMMKYCeAW2o3qo0wXRVVBgqi61meYqDnCVLGTLGhqsezYrVOs5oLRdZsJ9gd7AlbuTwx8S/s4080/20230328_165412.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQuvW4-pUntFUXZ6CGJgsNws0l5Z5PxQwjGTiBNsXfWH_oxyM80KZbjnT0UwAelY47PVnAKEp6mkRWHsmocMw5FYKY8xLOzBDI_KX0J0ocYFCDEaEL-qMMKYCeAW2o3qo0wXRVVBgqi61meYqDnCVLGTLGhqsezYrVOs5oLRdZsJ9gd7AlbuTwx8S/s320/20230328_165412.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Lots of new mangroves trying to spread further into the Whau:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtPFgFEhp2P3yHnCysoF8XLMZkKERAd_sHatyEEzcout5xEt42hJEv22BCUIkJa-0Rc7tuCpZn8wOtBnIEL_Kxy_z4zn0FpjwN_lwHggv3flneIHPlA450bOLP9n9GFnXlTaYrY4prHIG0-9I0eIX1KbGRXelkzmdLLaKyIg0omSCxbX_vasWMeds/s4080/20230328_165741.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtPFgFEhp2P3yHnCysoF8XLMZkKERAd_sHatyEEzcout5xEt42hJEv22BCUIkJa-0Rc7tuCpZn8wOtBnIEL_Kxy_z4zn0FpjwN_lwHggv3flneIHPlA450bOLP9n9GFnXlTaYrY4prHIG0-9I0eIX1KbGRXelkzmdLLaKyIg0omSCxbX_vasWMeds/s320/20230328_165741.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I've been really sad that Oakley Creek is shut (because of slips) and I don't have an easy place to go for beautiful walks any more. But this was an excellent alternative - just heading out on my bike and heading down all the side roads and dead ends and seeing what was there. And I was delighted to discover this little corner of the Whau at the end :-)<br /></p><p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-82651701379369645802023-02-22T16:09:00.005+13:002023-02-22T18:10:43.537+13:00Ash Wednesday 2023<p>Today is the first day of Lent for the Western church (the various Orthodox churches - have a different calendar and start a bit later). It's not something Baptists tend to observe, and it's not something I grew up with, but I've come to really value it. It's 40 days (excluding Sundays) in the lead-up to Easter when we are encouraged to 'purify' ourselves. It starts with Ash Wednesday, where you can get an ash cross inscribed on your forehead. In the past I've done this at an Anglican church, where they say something like "Dust you are and to dust you will return" - a reminder of our mortality. Today I went to our local Catholic church (mostly because I'd been hoping to go with a Catholic friend, but in the end I went on my own), and there they said "Turn away from sin and live out the gospel".<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufXWdQWFD4MYxhNUeV-RChiXhIUk4elOCcV1eUS2DFGWCpRcYWcf2q8m3foyv5u9BGZl0b__SSx-uv_MReYsPK4j9ZnjnBXBkh_ydkHE2laiMS4qia7MFVAhzyNeQk0UnGCSmv15eL6jHsAl-Cyw_MKHS7R6pMqEjDqDilPxo6ZRs8qWvu6eDjXqk/s2640/20230222_100345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2640" data-original-width="1980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufXWdQWFD4MYxhNUeV-RChiXhIUk4elOCcV1eUS2DFGWCpRcYWcf2q8m3foyv5u9BGZl0b__SSx-uv_MReYsPK4j9ZnjnBXBkh_ydkHE2laiMS4qia7MFVAhzyNeQk0UnGCSmv15eL6jHsAl-Cyw_MKHS7R6pMqEjDqDilPxo6ZRs8qWvu6eDjXqk/s320/20230222_100345.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p>The ashes survived the bike ride home pretty well!<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Like most Catholic churches this one has a primary school attached, and the whole school was in attendance at the service. I liked the way the priest included the children in the service - and it was helpful for me, too, as he brought in simple explanations of the 'why' of things they were doing. He described Lent as a time of prayer, fasting and generosity. I've been pondering that all day: I have things in mind for prayer and fasting, but I hadn't been thinking about generosity as I thought how to mark Lent this year.</p><p>To support prayer, I've set up a wee prayer station in our bedroom - something new for this year. It has the daily reflection I've been using for some years, as well as a picture a friend gave me years ago. It was painted by a German nun called Beate Heinen in 1986 and is called <i><a href="https://www.elukifa.de/gw/gbrief/img/200612.jpg">Kreuz und Krippe</a> </i>(cross and nativity).<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y8IHPxaPtEp4VAvPMCUwNIQYTZP2DcfLzV2ty9mGGsxdPVpXLLVVQnNt4fXZRwwDmU-gXwL5JvoKN2KdpS9T0GDAgRR4mqmwVo28wqB4VuSfBs_m-kFz8YAWy3OrX1_VeyRvXa2WzF7ZcqXyeGYlg6AedRxJppGJXFEXViDrjUP4971mM5u8ab2C/s4080/20230222_151247.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y8IHPxaPtEp4VAvPMCUwNIQYTZP2DcfLzV2ty9mGGsxdPVpXLLVVQnNt4fXZRwwDmU-gXwL5JvoKN2KdpS9T0GDAgRR4mqmwVo28wqB4VuSfBs_m-kFz8YAWy3OrX1_VeyRvXa2WzF7ZcqXyeGYlg6AedRxJppGJXFEXViDrjUP4971mM5u8ab2C/s320/20230222_151247.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p>Here's the text, blown up a bit (if you click on it it should go bigger still):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYeUInwwjlGNpJJ2cRQJwRkqmgVOLBq8RM4DHE1dmiWciMmsSb-fI_30Xz9pc8IGrWZ6QvnHqHTvOMpLzqDsmasRysJRl8eQF-Z6ZtZWNtS8Wfi5sjY3fE_2gyNdsA36E74_7iE_jTLAxVeKDHT99l2Qp_HvsHgGgbvKMn2KKcbHtbL8HfgXZaMB3/s1096/20230222_151247_crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYeUInwwjlGNpJJ2cRQJwRkqmgVOLBq8RM4DHE1dmiWciMmsSb-fI_30Xz9pc8IGrWZ6QvnHqHTvOMpLzqDsmasRysJRl8eQF-Z6ZtZWNtS8Wfi5sjY3fE_2gyNdsA36E74_7iE_jTLAxVeKDHT99l2Qp_HvsHgGgbvKMn2KKcbHtbL8HfgXZaMB3/s320/20230222_151247_crop.jpg" width="187" /></a></div><p>I've also changed the cloths on the table and the china cabinet to purple, the traditional colour of Lent - to help remind me of the season.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN16Gr4W8DhDioVS6m-S0du9F6LhHuNkNI80AvV9nrnn2Nkodw7tmCIztkWqLEYCeG0qGyb91wE0UCzcesSslO2-e_h1toZWPa4E1EBp2jpQrLfmSHdqg9c96Mbbuylx-aQ4gG8PsswTnI8nLNij84NclCFMwIE-q1WraW4CnUflrJqpH-skoBPAv1/s4080/20230222_153745.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN16Gr4W8DhDioVS6m-S0du9F6LhHuNkNI80AvV9nrnn2Nkodw7tmCIztkWqLEYCeG0qGyb91wE0UCzcesSslO2-e_h1toZWPa4E1EBp2jpQrLfmSHdqg9c96Mbbuylx-aQ4gG8PsswTnI8nLNij84NclCFMwIE-q1WraW4CnUflrJqpH-skoBPAv1/s320/20230222_153745.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>And I've made treats! Lent is 40 days <i>excluding Sundays</i> - because Sundays are a day of celebration. I usually make something special to enjoy then. This year it's ice cream jelly tip slices.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uxeDLFr7Rfbv66GeJ647II5QdKuGLIERWVT0038Gs56sDcF8aqR1x1SIcjrM4jiB-9aEwiWp_QfVyxm-dMdecAwUK3B_O9ucwJESMzj0GnNamIHKG1G2eqz8xY454erBDKu2jFgAGTjOtk6ZGc9VefGLfDkpOcwPI7khv9LYwKXCm3iAkfuCeehD/s4080/20230222_154655.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uxeDLFr7Rfbv66GeJ647II5QdKuGLIERWVT0038Gs56sDcF8aqR1x1SIcjrM4jiB-9aEwiWp_QfVyxm-dMdecAwUK3B_O9ucwJESMzj0GnNamIHKG1G2eqz8xY454erBDKu2jFgAGTjOtk6ZGc9VefGLfDkpOcwPI7khv9LYwKXCm3iAkfuCeehD/s320/20230222_154655.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>I like the marbled effect they inadvertently ended up with :-)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCgSqbL-aXAIfqInNL279YtF4xZvw8ZAnE9mzXdqIl_2D8soGc9KsUcXX87G-zDjgJZCv4XBAbkaTL17WgVV_Lid61ePPrIQg8q0r_yQAYIWbaToaroYf0GELjv4GXncxw1VcfPkWaQvmgxeo3pKOpdnHImWFYlto19AckAU99m8I1eXi9KH6m83o/s4080/20230222_154647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCgSqbL-aXAIfqInNL279YtF4xZvw8ZAnE9mzXdqIl_2D8soGc9KsUcXX87G-zDjgJZCv4XBAbkaTL17WgVV_Lid61ePPrIQg8q0r_yQAYIWbaToaroYf0GELjv4GXncxw1VcfPkWaQvmgxeo3pKOpdnHImWFYlto19AckAU99m8I1eXi9KH6m83o/s320/20230222_154647.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I used a 2L box of vanilla ice cream for the ice cream, rather than making my own. The slices took half the box - the other is now in cookies and cream ice cream :-) <br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO1_m4glyEVy6HTtP3O_7Bz_q7SNws_3nrf_vXf3C0la22ZWa_Dnc3kRFZORxXk8bUbFBWfPHu55e_Td7LSce2qEItArdvESjFe5YOQrhSdMJhNkAeO5T5CAk1eXSgTGgOLX-jMOxpEQFEAVmycTGEvGerOYix1aMWj330DKCTAN1Lgrl4f0MErvs/s4080/20230222_153543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO1_m4glyEVy6HTtP3O_7Bz_q7SNws_3nrf_vXf3C0la22ZWa_Dnc3kRFZORxXk8bUbFBWfPHu55e_Td7LSce2qEItArdvESjFe5YOQrhSdMJhNkAeO5T5CAk1eXSgTGgOLX-jMOxpEQFEAVmycTGEvGerOYix1aMWj330DKCTAN1Lgrl4f0MErvs/s320/20230222_153543.jpg" width="320" /></a> </p><p style="text-align: left;">Yum!<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-32794667086120956792023-02-08T12:28:00.008+13:002023-02-08T14:51:01.279+13:00Neighbourhood gardening update<p>In <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2022/12/neighbourhood-gardening.html">December</a> I wrote about some gardening I'd done in my local area - here's a bit of an update.</p><p>This morning I buzzed out to Heron Park on my bike. There's a surprisingly substantial wee orchard there: <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphKiijo1KsmVl5p-d5twIpo70q31VdK9R5uE51bAQc-AdgeZKwMRYV7h_UAWNE5TOTVshOLesRPnGT-LDpUuZ8h4RpsjcSwczLjT1myVcwN84R0_r7TaB4fajKH3L77scbaflo19b_-YbmqQtb9Ya6lnrI1wEccQOv-iE58iPiBYu2uOjYm8J9_9C/s4080/20230208_092344.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphKiijo1KsmVl5p-d5twIpo70q31VdK9R5uE51bAQc-AdgeZKwMRYV7h_UAWNE5TOTVshOLesRPnGT-LDpUuZ8h4RpsjcSwczLjT1myVcwN84R0_r7TaB4fajKH3L77scbaflo19b_-YbmqQtb9Ya6lnrI1wEccQOv-iE58iPiBYu2uOjYm8J9_9C/s320/20230208_092344.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I gave a decent dose of blood and bone fertiliser to all the trees that had set fruit - 4-5 apple trees, a pear tree and my key goal - the quince tree :-)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5CVIjg6v9vLpyjYQ9gufZnoxRrUKAGfZR5RIWVZbTM2xMeMyEtenMimF2jPuFHN3e3uZR4U3LCG3pvd0vu0EJw0wjhzkMqR4WDk-2snOmuKDDyYBKxifcOm1J3miFNm-z9BD-GEhEi1laxwSH2RdKypVTKcK0LMxlZPBSs4FdoqTPrgEc3-jPDqi/s4080/20230208_092356.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5CVIjg6v9vLpyjYQ9gufZnoxRrUKAGfZR5RIWVZbTM2xMeMyEtenMimF2jPuFHN3e3uZR4U3LCG3pvd0vu0EJw0wjhzkMqR4WDk-2snOmuKDDyYBKxifcOm1J3miFNm-z9BD-GEhEi1laxwSH2RdKypVTKcK0LMxlZPBSs4FdoqTPrgEc3-jPDqi/s320/20230208_092356.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the quince is covered in fruit - click on the photo to see it better.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwy1q9KzKLVoS6r5btoCjIh9AkTFfPZ6ItcV85oyb-CRWp0ST5Mzh-l9WKx1x3cqUQVFuQ75gCGUULjUHtPkRxK_wiote34fUqiw3Jcw_Ze0CzjLT4XsWCvxhsHeJ-hincTjPAWGADPmxVDRVlx-LcZ-l5kpimGdDIsXYeBD6oSyUfCrSIq_u48bR/s4080/20230208_092412.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwy1q9KzKLVoS6r5btoCjIh9AkTFfPZ6ItcV85oyb-CRWp0ST5Mzh-l9WKx1x3cqUQVFuQ75gCGUULjUHtPkRxK_wiote34fUqiw3Jcw_Ze0CzjLT4XsWCvxhsHeJ-hincTjPAWGADPmxVDRVlx-LcZ-l5kpimGdDIsXYeBD6oSyUfCrSIq_u48bR/s320/20230208_092412.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so much fruit! Puts our quince tree to shame. It's not much smaller, but has only set 3 fruit on the entire tree :-( Most of our garden gets no light...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I then biked on to Rosebank Road, along to Patiki Road and back home along the Northwestern cycle way. It was such a lovely day for a ride and it was such a happy thing to do :-) There was absolutely no debris on the path, which was nice - maybe the storm didn't deposit any there, but more likely someone's done a decent job cleaning it all up :-) <br /></p><p>Back home, I took a few more photos. Firstly, the rose I transplanted back in <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2022/12/neighbourhood-gardening.html">December</a> is doing so well - it's had near-continuous flowers for weeks now :-)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr1mjgBp09yFiQ0gbFepS80uvrefyvqcih2zeu60_RTfFqJKouTWzfFUkqkSJUIVFPrHJlw9kMEB3ygGhYst3vcEsr7dwigA_odSxlv577VPmekXpVx1g-rCfVucrzPuL-tqIJq6bO0jYuoc739kvuWoP_afFdT0esOjfzbQKPXnrscLn1-5xbklV/s4080/20230208_101122.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr1mjgBp09yFiQ0gbFepS80uvrefyvqcih2zeu60_RTfFqJKouTWzfFUkqkSJUIVFPrHJlw9kMEB3ygGhYst3vcEsr7dwigA_odSxlv577VPmekXpVx1g-rCfVucrzPuL-tqIJq6bO0jYuoc739kvuWoP_afFdT0esOjfzbQKPXnrscLn1-5xbklV/s320/20230208_101122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb24OYeE-8UCnWuBPfzRav707jsqlVWKzU4Cq0YwCMKkNkJfYQ3s1ytrWVKbCJiiThsIfakGEHCg12t9WBOzQaiQJiEbq2DbO5AuUXGGFF628essJQo5e_K5cpE2Wtf2-aYCQYDZUjYJzeehQP_S0VeYceHPLtC_ErCucg_jVLFGfkBCppZU-CrkmB/s1600/20230208_101138.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb24OYeE-8UCnWuBPfzRav707jsqlVWKzU4Cq0YwCMKkNkJfYQ3s1ytrWVKbCJiiThsIfakGEHCg12t9WBOzQaiQJiEbq2DbO5AuUXGGFF628essJQo5e_K5cpE2Wtf2-aYCQYDZUjYJzeehQP_S0VeYceHPLtC_ErCucg_jVLFGfkBCppZU-CrkmB/s320/20230208_101138.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's such a pretty rose!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>At the same time I'd also transplanted (and divided) a clump of what I think is a <a href="https://www.nurseriesonline.com.au/plant-index/australian-native-plants/thelionema/">tufted granite lily</a> - an Australian native. After transplanting, all the flowers died and lots of the leaves went black - but now all the plants are showing fresh green leaves, so hopefully they'll survive :-)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmaZJK6I-ThpY0ZcrbRH8HuO_mzWMaFYow9ns6unI_2CYOOmCESxFvhKfmh7EiMcMLSCuCFFjNQq4Dv13uXu3dXYw606Vna3bV5jkY6UiyQTZJaR5enV6CjFowUrotre9r4c1fLOwpsXWNHcX335gpWRbKn_QNdQm3KVkZjA6oqK-bGKepf1BcR-t/s4080/20230208_101205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmaZJK6I-ThpY0ZcrbRH8HuO_mzWMaFYow9ns6unI_2CYOOmCESxFvhKfmh7EiMcMLSCuCFFjNQq4Dv13uXu3dXYw606Vna3bV5jkY6UiyQTZJaR5enV6CjFowUrotre9r4c1fLOwpsXWNHcX335gpWRbKn_QNdQm3KVkZjA6oqK-bGKepf1BcR-t/s320/20230208_101205.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /> Hurrah!<p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-84482862250635665492023-01-17T18:03:00.002+13:002023-01-17T19:08:28.739+13:00Making do<p>The day before <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2023/01/christmas-2022-and-new-year-2023.html">we went to Napier and Hastings</a>, our oven broke. It now doesn't heat at all, and (presumably relatedly), the temperature control can now wind round and round continuously, rather than stopping at the 'max' position. Martin's checked everything he can check without success, so now we need to get an electrician in. We're going away again on Friday, so won't have time to start that happening till after we're back.</p><p>I use the oven rather a lot, so was initially a bit thrown. However, I've been pleased with how well we've done without it :-)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxolxLGebT3NDY6dRRh1SuhuIG_YL0Lsp_CxSHDRKScPJaVdvIOVaquO9FBRL_TIO0Sp9MXJZqrDA8iJUIa2o2nWnY9_DLni7pNxFqDD4lJp85QgNawVMTqhi_paf4DLRsi-sCk49nN5QJ7bd_yFm9cs4kJE9uevJKWbm6J1CpM1MhuuGxZf76nMl/s4080/20230113_160549.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxolxLGebT3NDY6dRRh1SuhuIG_YL0Lsp_CxSHDRKScPJaVdvIOVaquO9FBRL_TIO0Sp9MXJZqrDA8iJUIa2o2nWnY9_DLni7pNxFqDD4lJp85QgNawVMTqhi_paf4DLRsi-sCk49nN5QJ7bd_yFm9cs4kJE9uevJKWbm6J1CpM1MhuuGxZf76nMl/s320/20230113_160549.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a fruit cake for friends' 10th wedding anniversary - made in the crockpot<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUxXd51hmIgZLL2wNMKQRIWQ9tUmP7xIEN0kxrHxQULTjtClScxZfi1bSihP6ZnrU6cVQSyYmLNQFHbNaNUIf9DiRzVIt6gTELIxhTbJhXhKoouYUtstBKDr8YBzHarcckP2OYQczdw8L5OGgqVgJ18TsiMhMnpikOq4lkaC-X0YbAg9ai3AnfcVN/s4080/20230112_152635.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUxXd51hmIgZLL2wNMKQRIWQ9tUmP7xIEN0kxrHxQULTjtClScxZfi1bSihP6ZnrU6cVQSyYmLNQFHbNaNUIf9DiRzVIt6gTELIxhTbJhXhKoouYUtstBKDr8YBzHarcckP2OYQczdw8L5OGgqVgJ18TsiMhMnpikOq4lkaC-X0YbAg9ai3AnfcVN/s320/20230112_152635.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">inspired by the success of the fruit cake, a carrot cake for afternoon tea, also in the crockpot. I purchased oval cake tins for our oval crockpot years ago, and they're getting a lot of use right now!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBiBUGDl-jdMB-_Nzq2JSIkuc6w1X-MXzVpqGV0MS4uVFf_GixxM84GD7UbOj8UrWBfm8EcSUfRj4jklJ6Vf0SN-vERA3vSuRBSxtH2LNTtCCcRGELsV3tOF71eYTbTvIwm8Xd2GQ16LXD1izA3Y4-dtyo0cysMmgY3eKUDm7bNuVZiP-PmzRF66h/s4080/20230114_082000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBiBUGDl-jdMB-_Nzq2JSIkuc6w1X-MXzVpqGV0MS4uVFf_GixxM84GD7UbOj8UrWBfm8EcSUfRj4jklJ6Vf0SN-vERA3vSuRBSxtH2LNTtCCcRGELsV3tOF71eYTbTvIwm8Xd2GQ16LXD1izA3Y4-dtyo0cysMmgY3eKUDm7bNuVZiP-PmzRF66h/s320/20230114_082000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our niece stayed recently. Her last morning with us was also around the time Sarah returned from holiday, so we wanted to do a nice "Goodbye Aisha, Hello Sarah" breakfast. Pancakes for 4 take ages to cook, so normally with those numbers we do American-style biscuits and gravy instead. Usually the biscuits go in the oven, but they came out fine cooked in batches in the skillet on the stove - and were still a lot less hassle than pancakes :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWdoNtTOHFfdCQgImyFUkXMRd7dLIYvEMZOtYJkyZwDCxxiMXtqeZYD49STOs-ROQN68Kv5-9dFjRe4XbjE_KuG6UnmmYu4F9zbAJWnzNK6Ogh05DVoMaNrVzmdMyMLETEPAeqoWO1US-LNjP3WPriC8ev49eZW9WI_GiNMeTVqW7LcUiM0fbcQuh/s4080/20230117_163237.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWdoNtTOHFfdCQgImyFUkXMRd7dLIYvEMZOtYJkyZwDCxxiMXtqeZYD49STOs-ROQN68Kv5-9dFjRe4XbjE_KuG6UnmmYu4F9zbAJWnzNK6Ogh05DVoMaNrVzmdMyMLETEPAeqoWO1US-LNjP3WPriC8ev49eZW9WI_GiNMeTVqW7LcUiM0fbcQuh/s320/20230117_163237.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was also running low on the low-GI bread I make for myself. I remembered I used to make pseudo*-pumpernickel in the crockpot instead, so I made a couple of loaves of that instead. It's actually been really nice having it for a change :-)<br />*'pseudo' according to me - the recipe is for 'pumpernickel'. It's a nice bread, but really not much like what the Germans call Pumpernickel!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I've used our neighbour's oven once (to make crackers - there's no way they would work in the crockpot or skillet!) and will likely make more at her place later in the week. But other than that, I've got by OK. Still looking forward to having an oven again, though!<br /><p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-45387677011097728672023-01-09T17:32:00.008+13:002023-01-09T20:05:37.475+13:00Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggyJN-6L8riuVS0MOMXxBvzAizqSdCoxFu4o6YPlR-ZFNEtZ0roZ-6dfb3aFJNBsE97M-bLlHXtBANuR4cX69Znmj4zTncnoGwxISUtI6Dh5SodSEhOvUN7B8-0RLTvTXumMP51zO6-JDO26bTicRaSAlR3NIC6mZn5tFW77DCH3KYRIh8CYHBf6w/s4160/IMG_20221109_112810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggyJN-6L8riuVS0MOMXxBvzAizqSdCoxFu4o6YPlR-ZFNEtZ0roZ-6dfb3aFJNBsE97M-bLlHXtBANuR4cX69Znmj4zTncnoGwxISUtI6Dh5SodSEhOvUN7B8-0RLTvTXumMP51zO6-JDO26bTicRaSAlR3NIC6mZn5tFW77DCH3KYRIh8CYHBf6w/s320/IMG_20221109_112810.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Happy New Year!<p></p><p>I wanted to share a New Year's thing I did this morning, then share some photos of things I've been up to over the Christmas/New Year break. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>So, firstly the thing from this morning.</p><p>Today I've been taking my weekly <a href="http://www.lynnebaab.com/">Sabbath</a>, and in the morning I worked through <a href="https://godspacelight.com/2017/12/31/looking-back-at-2017-with-faith-love-and-joy/">this New Year's <i>Examen</i></a>. It's from <a href="http://www.lynnebaab.com/">Lynne Baab</a>, whose work I've often found helpful, and it's one I've done a few times before. Rather than looking to the year to come and making resolutions, it focuses on the year that's past and encourages to see where God has been present in your life and where you've resisted God, and to take time to process that.</p><p>It was really productive and helpful!</p><p>As I thought about where I've seen God in the year, and thought about what I was praying for early in 2022 and where those things are at, and also reflected on the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A22-23&version=NRSVUE">Fruit of the Spirit</a> and where I've seen them in others and myself, I realised three things:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>a situation that was really bothering me a year ago probably hasn't changed all that much, but I'm more accepting of it and less bothered by it :-)</li><li>in the latter part of the year I've been <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2022/08/letting-gods-work-be-gods-work.html">learning to take less responsibility for things that aren't my responsibility</a> - to do what I need to do and then leave them alone, without fretting so much. I realised this morning that one consequence that has had, is to let the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A22-23&version=NRSVUE">fruit of the Spirit</a> be more present in my life. I have a tendency to be anxious about things, and to respond to that by trying really hard to control things. As I've been able to let go of things more, there's been more space to be patient, to be kinder and gentler, to have more peace and to be more generous :-)</li><li>I saw again how loved I am. One thing I really struggle with, with my limited energy, is how rarely I see many people I really care about. And those people want to see me, too, which can feel a bit stressful and like I'm acting like they don't matter. I tend to see all that in terms of what I can't have and how hard that is, but sometimes this year I've also seen it differently: it's a consequence of being loved. Those people want to see me because they love me :-) Also, when Martin was sick with Covid in the US mid-year and then isolating in our spare room once he got home, I really saw that love. People came over to celebrate my birthday with me, and it was a good evening even though Martin couldn't be there; people at church prayed for me when I was so tired from all the stress and 'figuring out' and 'doing stuff' that it had all involved, and one gave me a picture she got from God that I think I've finally understood today; and I realised more deeply than I have before that Martin's family have 100% brought me into their family.</li></ol><p>And in the Examen of Conscience bit, where it encouraged me to think about where I've resisted God, I suddenly came to understand more <i>why </i>something I've done many times this year is a real issue. Something where, when I go to do it, I tend to feel a sense of caution like I should stop, but it hasn't felt that wrong so I've often done it anyway.</p><p>I'm so grateful for God's working in my life!</p><p>And, on to photos!</p><p>In the lead-up to Christmas I gathered vast quantities of pohutukawa flowers, spent a bit of time <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2021/12/drinking-summer.html">refining my recipe</a> then made nearly 5L of delicious (and gloriously red) pohutukawa cordial :-)<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YPQyIPy22xAHIX5B25bpf_Fn-iQsb4dlz0udg2qCK6kpZe-IlLV6_C1si6X4fgptq3EX_sumyJHrAvC6p9uci1GVHLPZkOXxOGzqfJ1UF-Wpbdo9P2W99LQZFz2_M4Ux1ADolZLS9tUWzT0OEQRYFXneo9jLVi_0uHGfLcr5d1k2nrxa4kPArqPk/s4080/20221215_140426.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YPQyIPy22xAHIX5B25bpf_Fn-iQsb4dlz0udg2qCK6kpZe-IlLV6_C1si6X4fgptq3EX_sumyJHrAvC6p9uci1GVHLPZkOXxOGzqfJ1UF-Wpbdo9P2W99LQZFz2_M4Ux1ADolZLS9tUWzT0OEQRYFXneo9jLVi_0uHGfLcr5d1k2nrxa4kPArqPk/s320/20221215_140426.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">probably my biggest single haul of flowers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExtgbV2kxAG50S8Lf8c3BS5lQa4sEGd2FfLgkuwSHwvW3GfJ4RZB7ph_YwzXX3wZIkkYiLz_Smn_NLjir7vgLIsP2YhLkS3EjWBtEobEyCxzJRS_n_l2s6XYCBV0yK2tDnUv9FtTPlv8TARflVFfC-q12cC_1gTv0fKZxEHJpk55Brgv4lKoC1VQr/s2640/20221215_141310.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="2640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExtgbV2kxAG50S8Lf8c3BS5lQa4sEGd2FfLgkuwSHwvW3GfJ4RZB7ph_YwzXX3wZIkkYiLz_Smn_NLjir7vgLIsP2YhLkS3EjWBtEobEyCxzJRS_n_l2s6XYCBV0yK2tDnUv9FtTPlv8TARflVFfC-q12cC_1gTv0fKZxEHJpk55Brgv4lKoC1VQr/s320/20221215_141310.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the stamens get everywhere when you pick the flowers!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9z4dg-Q9Y5iXAEjL9kWc8VoZkHfGjobKRBUihgiwJg04rhUrNXrciWvOjr3whbjFZzWlLqb0afVsH7nHDtdR2b7uWplhOpVE1vW-nQOZXwWj5JNdA5BkQvIJixt_rSXkYkK8UDF5-RqZ8OOZJIHNO5yemFeY_dUtJ7CmVqX8WPVsrzGGtrEYVmDh/s4080/20230109_170536.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="2296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9z4dg-Q9Y5iXAEjL9kWc8VoZkHfGjobKRBUihgiwJg04rhUrNXrciWvOjr3whbjFZzWlLqb0afVsH7nHDtdR2b7uWplhOpVE1vW-nQOZXwWj5JNdA5BkQvIJixt_rSXkYkK8UDF5-RqZ8OOZJIHNO5yemFeY_dUtJ7CmVqX8WPVsrzGGtrEYVmDh/s320/20230109_170536.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gloriously red yummyness<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucmQyIcwsTkz_gvHIETHDAExt0F1XKlUPChi0LS_Y0wsmpPKRvAnz3L1J59U4sqKkkw-75M91AtyPcTWTg7KGZFjyA70dmxKCu-_UrIaDFWGvzP3EPmzwTeXyDmPAQV30U4v7jZFVxgv7Ltz7vO3T3IVBfHVEQYE08ZCOKk2UxSWd2VQHMnluFQ1m/s4080/20230109_170637.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucmQyIcwsTkz_gvHIETHDAExt0F1XKlUPChi0LS_Y0wsmpPKRvAnz3L1J59U4sqKkkw-75M91AtyPcTWTg7KGZFjyA70dmxKCu-_UrIaDFWGvzP3EPmzwTeXyDmPAQV30U4v7jZFVxgv7Ltz7vO3T3IVBfHVEQYE08ZCOKk2UxSWd2VQHMnluFQ1m/s320/20230109_170637.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it makes pretty good gelato, too - just using 1:1 cordial:water<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The processing is mostly finished now, although I do have four cups of stamens in the freezer that I'm hoping to use to make a hydrosol (i,e, 'pohutukawa' water - like rose water or orange blossom water), as well as a few cups of dried stamens that I want to see if I can make cordial from. I tried using the dried stamens as a spice (which I've seen others do on the internet), but the flavour was much too mild to really work, in my opinion.</p><p>We had lunch on Christmas Day with my parents. We'd brought a fairly new person from church with us and they'd brought a long-term friend of theirs - both from Africa, but from different countries. It turned out they knew each other, which was a lovely surprise :-)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZIkbqc7uMxC0JGs3VD_TXJBiCREuTSN6-bM8N1L62hR83CDmScnGy0BfMIAWJ4Atqk1TU-S82rESTershUFwf1oz72I5XzEngzTz9gSjUhfxkWcpFmPOtL8nEAP7nCzOqDXyvQK5nm4sf2TbApGIED_KCj0cHakAqSZAksFPBXBssS4wTcfg0I8l/s4000/IMG_20221225_150411.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZIkbqc7uMxC0JGs3VD_TXJBiCREuTSN6-bM8N1L62hR83CDmScnGy0BfMIAWJ4Atqk1TU-S82rESTershUFwf1oz72I5XzEngzTz9gSjUhfxkWcpFmPOtL8nEAP7nCzOqDXyvQK5nm4sf2TbApGIED_KCj0cHakAqSZAksFPBXBssS4wTcfg0I8l/s320/IMG_20221225_150411.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtEHO0tAAcuiUB-AiC_jXfQUGKvZ_Iw52AxLWB75u6r5OFnqQU-NVZSv_fQ2dQfaEkXUuLmGyS_1tn9iiOL5TFt2TtoaIx5GqRXmOLqWoCL7zq1v6Qhaa0p1mDADvs13ACtdBjtWSQ5dYdEuldDhl3N-A5ZWvWktee6qpi9We9E8980FFWOfDGXoH/s4080/20221219_094340.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtEHO0tAAcuiUB-AiC_jXfQUGKvZ_Iw52AxLWB75u6r5OFnqQU-NVZSv_fQ2dQfaEkXUuLmGyS_1tn9iiOL5TFt2TtoaIx5GqRXmOLqWoCL7zq1v6Qhaa0p1mDADvs13ACtdBjtWSQ5dYdEuldDhl3N-A5ZWvWktee6qpi9We9E8980FFWOfDGXoH/s320/20221219_094340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did simple silver ball decorations on all the Christmas cakes we made this year. This was the one for Christmas day.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Between Christmas and New Year Martin got out our rarely-used charcoal brazier and made delicious BBQ chicken and BBQ sweetcorn, which we ate with sticky rice.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYqWcUyqfTmSpnMi-x9yXXW7LYupVKE-fVFogE4JQPcjYZMiPAZg-ZrOduTgmV7fCTR_xw2qTAry4mAcEp7wFcTbQcARRJV6If-MaAtiJXToWj1eQY_O2QsNsLZfP8OsNSobqNp2ERc0xMRnDZjGls2lWnETKpIxkd7kyH_SJ54aEe98CS3YCy1Uf/s4080/20221229_122453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYqWcUyqfTmSpnMi-x9yXXW7LYupVKE-fVFogE4JQPcjYZMiPAZg-ZrOduTgmV7fCTR_xw2qTAry4mAcEp7wFcTbQcARRJV6If-MaAtiJXToWj1eQY_O2QsNsLZfP8OsNSobqNp2ERc0xMRnDZjGls2lWnETKpIxkd7kyH_SJ54aEe98CS3YCy1Uf/s320/20221229_122453.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>On December 31st we headed down to Napier (in a car borrowed from my parents) to visit two lots of friends in Hawkes Bay. We mostly just hung out and chatted, but there's photos from the few outings we did do.</p><p>Firstly, with the Woods family we visited Marine Parade and a tiny bit of central Napier.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC-s2QXYe9YqFBzVJET4RkFcx2ZZx7Szq5QabrT09rVWXQSB7GKWre7LMtt_Gu2r9pS4YpQO33uoErae-RORa9-rNo9_UHC768iPJeWIsqD24dspwlpyZ_ff9ClEIGvbrItVIHxOJeVRUTXtfWLjf1IL8Ww_1JBAm3fDj7rYGDh1pUOYxvXYvEksV/s4080/20230102_150957.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC-s2QXYe9YqFBzVJET4RkFcx2ZZx7Szq5QabrT09rVWXQSB7GKWre7LMtt_Gu2r9pS4YpQO33uoErae-RORa9-rNo9_UHC768iPJeWIsqD24dspwlpyZ_ff9ClEIGvbrItVIHxOJeVRUTXtfWLjf1IL8Ww_1JBAm3fDj7rYGDh1pUOYxvXYvEksV/s320/20230102_150957.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking along the beach from the jetty. I went to a wedding reception in the building beside the beach there when last I was in Napier - maybe around 1999 or 2000...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhllw2U_tXSEBQxYctB1RmF5oxJ-bYj8i1ILSbV-Ph2vgPUBOjPiikkG3aph8fQFgGLQGGYr0V6RpLS_HROYXAS-0mAFPm39W60gzLGe9l3sCb3h4KZt3IDT3qXm474DlbUzEFtUB802tcTCfVggkuUOM5DvXdsNZPEhlLLGqGKbSkYOeqsltyoNrM/s4080/20230102_151014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhllw2U_tXSEBQxYctB1RmF5oxJ-bYj8i1ILSbV-Ph2vgPUBOjPiikkG3aph8fQFgGLQGGYr0V6RpLS_HROYXAS-0mAFPm39W60gzLGe9l3sCb3h4KZt3IDT3qXm474DlbUzEFtUB802tcTCfVggkuUOM5DvXdsNZPEhlLLGqGKbSkYOeqsltyoNrM/s320/20230102_151014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hosts :-) So good to spend time with them!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJG6rhzzeCPm6TiMGAWVxOmVKhRVl9eTlfIjtJ6HalfSGHJT03MGoeLhN7Ts3ZCxEdvekgOW72nP_H0SeckDP6v-0uHhMSgu6BfELUE6WAYaHtP5JXjm80egrIJEhPdxuLUIvTcwqKmrjiOezaVovlpfPrqvHON_Ia9b_8OB2INd4m32XQqv23VdpL/s4080/20230102_155546.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJG6rhzzeCPm6TiMGAWVxOmVKhRVl9eTlfIjtJ6HalfSGHJT03MGoeLhN7Ts3ZCxEdvekgOW72nP_H0SeckDP6v-0uHhMSgu6BfELUE6WAYaHtP5JXjm80egrIJEhPdxuLUIvTcwqKmrjiOezaVovlpfPrqvHON_Ia9b_8OB2INd4m32XQqv23VdpL/s320/20230102_155546.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A decidedly odd sculpture in some lovely sunken gardens<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM0Ob-Lct8XLo5BX1YnUjCLe5dav3ctGQ5B6UqLXXhrcWCz-IFlaTL47sH9-63tUSwOH_WgH1vz91EtDEVbYzNnc4Ujcf4Aa_x_ZX7jEral8NpO0gEM-Cz9ZNQ4arJfvHH1qshNviUgozu5RGngSbWsuf-kjlRG4HMCjD9AkBwVyGGLXCSuVXfGbg/s4000/IMG_20230102_153936.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM0Ob-Lct8XLo5BX1YnUjCLe5dav3ctGQ5B6UqLXXhrcWCz-IFlaTL47sH9-63tUSwOH_WgH1vz91EtDEVbYzNnc4Ujcf4Aa_x_ZX7jEral8NpO0gEM-Cz9ZNQ4arJfvHH1qshNviUgozu5RGngSbWsuf-kjlRG4HMCjD9AkBwVyGGLXCSuVXfGbg/s320/IMG_20230102_153936.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we had ice creams in the gardens. I'm so pleased you can now buy ice creams made with certified child-labour free cocoa at pretty much any dairy in the country (more on that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm7eKMEBa1d/">here</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>We also went to a local beach one day to lift up rocks and see what creatures were lurking beneath :-)<br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtpYyZx5oN-wvxvmJ59Zip3hmVm0dgDVCV0_KPDxfz6rDr4btgFvxwEAsyORVQvL2sOvNMlVeZeG9IiYZ3z4R5v2yskYE6iOkp7qZYQsO6HkDtJmtihFJMHgKJWUuSJ4Z-YhxJq_iNSDLrwRr13e_Usbbezf70H5nT6J_gZhuK7lAyWJA6rR4-TEe/s4080/20230103_121814.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtpYyZx5oN-wvxvmJ59Zip3hmVm0dgDVCV0_KPDxfz6rDr4btgFvxwEAsyORVQvL2sOvNMlVeZeG9IiYZ3z4R5v2yskYE6iOkp7qZYQsO6HkDtJmtihFJMHgKJWUuSJ4Z-YhxJq_iNSDLrwRr13e_Usbbezf70H5nT6J_gZhuK7lAyWJA6rR4-TEe/s320/20230103_121814.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9i7M55D1yQ0Q4420QBagB3TwUEWVzQOvXgor0fnEUW0u0q36WJNG0HzmxbHptHD-hF6lQn03ceOvdocwv40JSvD6j-xVMH_elggQFTW8nTg2kfQv8OZpmrxgzyXPSEiKit3Z14IoyM0DreicLt2tNL6PUpkYgmVsvvquyu2dpPjZ220j5bijQFJgH/s1600/20230103_121942.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9i7M55D1yQ0Q4420QBagB3TwUEWVzQOvXgor0fnEUW0u0q36WJNG0HzmxbHptHD-hF6lQn03ceOvdocwv40JSvD6j-xVMH_elggQFTW8nTg2kfQv8OZpmrxgzyXPSEiKit3Z14IoyM0DreicLt2tNL6PUpkYgmVsvvquyu2dpPjZ220j5bijQFJgH/s320/20230103_121942.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not quite in focus, but I loved the weathering on the wooden posts - I think they're supports for a former pier/jetty<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuNtB1eNV-mcvY9VbVq4brKM4qhtfLdORVll6X_lruk0fSGUmOoB4_tFIORWKO6QUNt8d3IaWBXiacf1eZmxgUKQ7Y-y3FSq2eKiDbw6N-jluu0j6K50_TwXMJ6URfS8CNU-vkG7mYGhas39PdX1emoNOMOD0eiIqhZ9ZTZBdVS_WYm03HGVFLGJJ/s4080/20230103_122358.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuNtB1eNV-mcvY9VbVq4brKM4qhtfLdORVll6X_lruk0fSGUmOoB4_tFIORWKO6QUNt8d3IaWBXiacf1eZmxgUKQ7Y-y3FSq2eKiDbw6N-jluu0j6K50_TwXMJ6URfS8CNU-vkG7mYGhas39PdX1emoNOMOD0eiIqhZ9ZTZBdVS_WYm03HGVFLGJJ/s320/20230103_122358.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the rocks at the carpark end were pretty cool, too.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Mid-week we moved to Hastings to visit our friends the Curries. Again, we mostly just hung out and chatted, but they did take us up <a href="https://www.tematapark.co.nz/">Te Mata Peak</a> on our last day. It had amazingly striking scenery, even though the day was too grey for stunning views. I think it's all limestone - I found the overall 'look' of the place to be quite unlike anything I'm familiar with.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zUrlGX1vr2o_h32tFbjAB9PhCPFhrUGsgssPxfFbCh81not5JJqhqg4M-Pt-IlEcw_dP46t7F6cUaqYBh3QQkLUqrn53pGbkmkG7ghBj84zT2Rko_v0WWaLHfKt0606udMzS9ncRG7LphYArQ2KOjnGS_di2itsd26aNKJBj-mQmcM_85-PEykN_/s4080/20230106_143710.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zUrlGX1vr2o_h32tFbjAB9PhCPFhrUGsgssPxfFbCh81not5JJqhqg4M-Pt-IlEcw_dP46t7F6cUaqYBh3QQkLUqrn53pGbkmkG7ghBj84zT2Rko_v0WWaLHfKt0606udMzS9ncRG7LphYArQ2KOjnGS_di2itsd26aNKJBj-mQmcM_85-PEykN_/s320/20230106_143710.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSB5Sk2aGu7iMYfy8aj7qem8yAeCfz15aWAxzulJ-FOTZgsk7h-b_IAK2stAblUHi2oQpYEri3W5iQxyNvc1B6-wuOkAkA2-58W7SpKKRHnmJsf7I0JYrTDG-cPqJeTDsbKbQDWz0NPqERhXUHsi2mXESpGgNnf4S_w_NYnKFvDHmmZiPhNbgCGFm/s4080/20230106_144934.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="4080" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSB5Sk2aGu7iMYfy8aj7qem8yAeCfz15aWAxzulJ-FOTZgsk7h-b_IAK2stAblUHi2oQpYEri3W5iQxyNvc1B6-wuOkAkA2-58W7SpKKRHnmJsf7I0JYrTDG-cPqJeTDsbKbQDWz0NPqERhXUHsi2mXESpGgNnf4S_w_NYnKFvDHmmZiPhNbgCGFm/s320/20230106_144934.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the tree is a war memorial - grown from seed from the Lone Pine at (I think) Gallipoli<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJk-bjuIns_WxVpPQSFklXDMyG2imPtHnQtduVTnx0tRk5qpdNRq9BajgOHI32wLc-tw_F7hrgR3ljgJFGl-2suI2a1dZS8fG85P7hlL-tvQucUzmJDSGplqLndxxHRBA3HRFlfrZrDECTLFC4QQ2GzIUqn9ZLSIa3DoVoP4lb_bs20zNUyJDCcRw/s1088/20230106_143512.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1088" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJk-bjuIns_WxVpPQSFklXDMyG2imPtHnQtduVTnx0tRk5qpdNRq9BajgOHI32wLc-tw_F7hrgR3ljgJFGl-2suI2a1dZS8fG85P7hlL-tvQucUzmJDSGplqLndxxHRBA3HRFlfrZrDECTLFC4QQ2GzIUqn9ZLSIa3DoVoP4lb_bs20zNUyJDCcRw/s320/20230106_143512.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were quite a few of these birds running around the carpark and trig area - a similar size to sparrows, but with quite different markings. I think they're <a href="https://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/new-zealand-pipit">NZ pipits/pīhoihoi</a> - a new species for me.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Both lots of friends had swimming pools, which were great in the warm weather. Here I am trying to work out how deep the 'deep end' was in the Currie's pool - it was well over my head!</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1-9IX6JzgOh4yYFL39Jwybdq6_C2lxxTH7UwWYaTQFPAFj5O3Pro29bYAkrshtEEByNVa3E5CB67Xh5UpaLusXtX70ey-9A-vCdMs7UHk3SLFbBEEZnk8yPvQR24ISq7lmklmgb0ZHCEidgfumf5w4uwctqm74Dc27JLrAE9iQlJgibhHmvzWPrd/s4000/IMG_20230105_154831.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1-9IX6JzgOh4yYFL39Jwybdq6_C2lxxTH7UwWYaTQFPAFj5O3Pro29bYAkrshtEEByNVa3E5CB67Xh5UpaLusXtX70ey-9A-vCdMs7UHk3SLFbBEEZnk8yPvQR24ISq7lmklmgb0ZHCEidgfumf5w4uwctqm74Dc27JLrAE9iQlJgibhHmvzWPrd/s320/IMG_20230105_154831.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>And on our last night there, we marked Epiphany (the day when the church remembers the arrival of the Magi to give gifts to baby Jesus) with a traditional French Galette des rois - an almond tart/pie of which I am immensely fond.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-G4ft8NvNxK_5uWz8Zn51xQuB6Lz7KrY6lDZA9jBU5NNFzAWxYjA-Vri99_ZWi3yflqtW7NIgBoCtAR6F7YxXKIhdllwHaEwi4bEZBv06GRYzgFdSRFZH7eN97ID99EVfYqG_OVcgU2MRdcIjLym4hOUge-yOx9xH4f3Gwzcyw7LCX7MDbOpOHBWP/s4000/IMG_20230106_174341.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-G4ft8NvNxK_5uWz8Zn51xQuB6Lz7KrY6lDZA9jBU5NNFzAWxYjA-Vri99_ZWi3yflqtW7NIgBoCtAR6F7YxXKIhdllwHaEwi4bEZBv06GRYzgFdSRFZH7eN97ID99EVfYqG_OVcgU2MRdcIjLym4hOUge-yOx9xH4f3Gwzcyw7LCX7MDbOpOHBWP/s320/IMG_20230106_174341.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we had enough almonds for one and half galettes :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-24712091270756730342022-12-23T17:33:00.009+13:002022-12-24T09:08:00.401+13:00Advent 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-5zoz0tMUDFo7mGC-mRNnO_ewgeKIrS7Hvvu0mwhgFeXqMP4zmiqU1CTyoQt-MLEA3v7_Zxe0sqeC8YkRLsDiTRYXzUp9ka3cUYWbe4KGM-vE5VJUBor9BxLjhCGf7T6eCZkdJa3-pecBbbREHp6EG9KT3DQgsSlV3lnz4Txrx1KaVYn_-XYGi9b/s4080/20221223_192228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-5zoz0tMUDFo7mGC-mRNnO_ewgeKIrS7Hvvu0mwhgFeXqMP4zmiqU1CTyoQt-MLEA3v7_Zxe0sqeC8YkRLsDiTRYXzUp9ka3cUYWbe4KGM-vE5VJUBor9BxLjhCGf7T6eCZkdJa3-pecBbbREHp6EG9KT3DQgsSlV3lnz4Txrx1KaVYn_-XYGi9b/s320/20221223_192228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I've really appreciated Advent this year, and have been particularly reflecting on how, at Advent, we think towards the time when Jesus will come to Earth again. We remember those who were waiting for his first coming, and look to the second.</p><p>I grew up with my mum talking about how one day Jesus would come again, and there'd be a new heaven and new Earth, and there'd be no more sickness, or crying or pain. She'd have a body that worked properly again, after this one had been damaged by the polio she caught as a kid.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>When I was living overseas in my mid-20s, I reflected on how, in that future, I wouldn't always be far away from people I loved, and I'd be able to be at home.</p><p>When I became very ill myself, I <a href="https://puriri.nz/writings/walking_with_god">took strength</a> from the thought that one day all things would be made perfect, and I would be strong and healthy again.</p><p>In recent years, as I've become immersed in stories and statistics of slavery through <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/">Just Kai</a>, I've come to long for the judgement that day will bring, as well as the freedom.</p><p>This Advent, I've been listening to an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4105-cd4RA0&list=PLG0jGbwhZ3uqo_5NGPq5OC16ycZmNSWW1">Advent playlist</a> compiled by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BornAndRaisedForTheWorld">Born and Raised for the World</a> - an account I follow on Facebook, that helps families to follow the church year. Mostly it's been a background as I go through my day, and has helped orient my thinking. When Martin first asked me if I'd been particularly struck by any of them, I initially couldn't think of any, although on the second go-through <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Ej3dZMaLI">this song</a> stood out - especially the second half.</p><p>I've also been reading daily readings from both <a href="https://au.langham.org/advent-devotionals-from-the-global-church/">Langham Partnership</a> and <a href="https://www.arotahi.org.nz/">Arotahi</a> which, along with delightful daily Bible cards from our friends Barby and Paul, have helped me sink a bit into the Christmas story. And on Sundays we've been doing the readings prepared by <a href="https://www.laidlaw.ac.nz/the-centre-for-church-leadership/resources/advent-readings-2022/first-week-of-advent/">Laidlaw</a> and lighting our Advent candles (which also get lit a few times during the week, often accompanied by the singing of Advent songs).</p><p>It's been a good and reflective time, even though <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/">Just Kai</a> work pushed my Christmas preparation into a shorter-than-desirable timeframe, leaving me busier than would have been ideal.</p><p>Come, Lord Jesus! </p><p><i>PS, more of a Christmas thing than an Advent thing, but I've recently also stuck these little icons up around our bedroom, and am enjoying encountering them through the day. With thanks to Barby and Paul Windsor, who gave them to us last Christmas.</i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTS0JPcJiYIp2j8n5Riuig8nLwGYFRBjDOOhdKungdV2Zkpf92xwRruXQ8MmoznweHhHttkVVKbO8Fd_nlVQK43sr8nBuAehNdZrYhxDaLcrfkMJ4rYPhqBYYYHoGkLJdh2gDTJ_6UBpJWQvH9Aba1HgC6UJmSfQaFdCcGRbgSIvQPoStR5_YX_Tg/s4080/20221223_172833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTS0JPcJiYIp2j8n5Riuig8nLwGYFRBjDOOhdKungdV2Zkpf92xwRruXQ8MmoznweHhHttkVVKbO8Fd_nlVQK43sr8nBuAehNdZrYhxDaLcrfkMJ4rYPhqBYYYHoGkLJdh2gDTJ_6UBpJWQvH9Aba1HgC6UJmSfQaFdCcGRbgSIvQPoStR5_YX_Tg/s320/20221223_172833.jpg" width="240" /></a></i></div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib82mKei8gL3d8IiSslY-ujQRlpuoBAMETxrwwSPyuVHyEQbtpMIHC94j_SIkes-1wlf7eRtd4dGp3ebjc5PqDHGSiWo3AJbCp2RzA42Nk2JsvoKlfZth4VlnRAf0NMQIyQE0NoQaweOGd499dUKwKWvzoBhYSrQjXkHBAQCEL0QawNUslg1r9EM6T/s4080/20221223_172838.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib82mKei8gL3d8IiSslY-ujQRlpuoBAMETxrwwSPyuVHyEQbtpMIHC94j_SIkes-1wlf7eRtd4dGp3ebjc5PqDHGSiWo3AJbCp2RzA42Nk2JsvoKlfZth4VlnRAf0NMQIyQE0NoQaweOGd499dUKwKWvzoBhYSrQjXkHBAQCEL0QawNUslg1r9EM6T/s320/20221223_172838.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RXirE0ERHGrrU8yZb_TAOQMIYrAkiX4EvZc5pZY-FT4xzjIRliQ3TQyvujt-JVjQu15atIyYJjMqOTYDlM2L514h5kWeKiSsLvWzdb27ybrCZNGLNe9Ugk1VN0llK3-YT_6RWohdiK7e61kl9-39bW5ioHdd_3CIhjAqCtOlCZzvtmylzsYzeN_J/s4080/20221223_172845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RXirE0ERHGrrU8yZb_TAOQMIYrAkiX4EvZc5pZY-FT4xzjIRliQ3TQyvujt-JVjQu15atIyYJjMqOTYDlM2L514h5kWeKiSsLvWzdb27ybrCZNGLNe9Ugk1VN0llK3-YT_6RWohdiK7e61kl9-39bW5ioHdd_3CIhjAqCtOlCZzvtmylzsYzeN_J/s320/20221223_172845.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVjEI2piXfS0P5uvGcTrTjnvV3mzdDxdNQFgeY-HGS49LMhVAs71eY0qpnbVhxt-PsdsXuKCGvtaZycZi2YrDBsehNLl8pnbCSqHsAKn-wKwEQHRFhIH7kmfkgWS7rggVvucRQ2hX1GN81XDkkc8gU8MBHk6Oiiz3WnRjcMrEDfGbOEMELtIGzn9c/s4080/20221223_172911.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVjEI2piXfS0P5uvGcTrTjnvV3mzdDxdNQFgeY-HGS49LMhVAs71eY0qpnbVhxt-PsdsXuKCGvtaZycZi2YrDBsehNLl8pnbCSqHsAKn-wKwEQHRFhIH7kmfkgWS7rggVvucRQ2hX1GN81XDkkc8gU8MBHk6Oiiz3WnRjcMrEDfGbOEMELtIGzn9c/s320/20221223_172911.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOd1_fkyZZSnNdQtCS3pmipyOs4O1K7kR9d2vqcX8Fsl3IMV7snmdJjIabAr7MiPjibER6wSMq6jYyHIgBJuAeERUv1ISAzGOLQUaTxiKX8j9m0V4JEkXC0hzOFDTeoAYKiAfyk_0DrbkeYCLcfHRlv1ZUTYNQalhiEArnfpMc_DHJNfiUJ9rJKwQz/s4080/20221224_090513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOd1_fkyZZSnNdQtCS3pmipyOs4O1K7kR9d2vqcX8Fsl3IMV7snmdJjIabAr7MiPjibER6wSMq6jYyHIgBJuAeERUv1ISAzGOLQUaTxiKX8j9m0V4JEkXC0hzOFDTeoAYKiAfyk_0DrbkeYCLcfHRlv1ZUTYNQalhiEArnfpMc_DHJNfiUJ9rJKwQz/s320/20221224_090513.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></i><br /><p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-74609148703843813012022-12-14T09:06:00.003+13:002022-12-14T09:06:30.817+13:00Neighbourhood gardening :-)<p>I'm pretty tired, as I haven't managed a good rest since all the busyness of the Devonport Ethical Christmas Market that Just Kai was at 10 days ago. But, I did want to share one neat thing that's happened recently.</p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">There's
a vacant section on our street, where one day Kāinga Ora will build new
houses. The people who lived there before were great gardeners, and
a few weeks back I noticed a really pretty rose flowering in amongst all
the weeds. Others on the street have already taken plants from the site
(it's been vacant several years), so I was very surprised to see the
rose still there.</span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">I looked up how to transplant a rose when it's flowering (I didn't want to leave it - who knows when the land will finally be bulldozed!). Accordingly, I gave it some fertiliser and cut it well back, then made sure it was well-watered until I was ready to transplant it. The heavy showers we've had recently helped with that! </span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNK7IjOl2W18ljMd_8mv91UayuIwy144nO0A_sVkWFLNN13krCJUo4l5Ce4Nk_oMco4IJJYdGZr4B2Okzz_0uXUpi9VsgggNGdOrRcpkUBsAS5vdW7WEBFndYk8Diq7_TPu6I4E9mgfNwCco81qG3833BOLu_Xm8K-9xMx9VznR8wFsmAqRrJdPWBg/s4080/20221130_192625.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNK7IjOl2W18ljMd_8mv91UayuIwy144nO0A_sVkWFLNN13krCJUo4l5Ce4Nk_oMco4IJJYdGZr4B2Okzz_0uXUpi9VsgggNGdOrRcpkUBsAS5vdW7WEBFndYk8Diq7_TPu6I4E9mgfNwCco81qG3833BOLu_Xm8K-9xMx9VznR8wFsmAqRrJdPWBg/s320/20221130_192625.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25KsyZjHaWi0hF-03RjPnoJ87XBFipwO-nHOQNbUJZUjpWG4xj1Z3v7HaMQ3HOEYj1sumgEH3oHN75pZF0p4_HMSBMTz57LtDPB9s7qBaRtBEIVK3IQmRY2_KNgZ6gkCwKgvzFI-1lTxUdjLo075GT80lGSq1HMXOuTRBGbJbHVP2GpO3G4XsRua6/s4080/20221130_193651.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25KsyZjHaWi0hF-03RjPnoJ87XBFipwO-nHOQNbUJZUjpWG4xj1Z3v7HaMQ3HOEYj1sumgEH3oHN75pZF0p4_HMSBMTz57LtDPB9s7qBaRtBEIVK3IQmRY2_KNgZ6gkCwKgvzFI-1lTxUdjLo075GT80lGSq1HMXOuTRBGbJbHVP2GpO3G4XsRua6/s320/20221130_193651.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPrX39D6w_RBv1DkF7UrWswQU2Wvvhq6UqPDiBSaV6rPQ4QRgzcAlT55-J7BtB_2eRfWE7RWL2OaByqyhUH5kioAym3krq1wSSxsjx8DMG9EqarL1c3OEY0DdrWVGNNYmUBjinqnw55yVRVmNhuxdG7N_vl2WXmzBy6aRW3fAxrNGXIff_Ua31h70/s4080/20221130_193750.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPrX39D6w_RBv1DkF7UrWswQU2Wvvhq6UqPDiBSaV6rPQ4QRgzcAlT55-J7BtB_2eRfWE7RWL2OaByqyhUH5kioAym3krq1wSSxsjx8DMG9EqarL1c3OEY0DdrWVGNNYmUBjinqnw55yVRVmNhuxdG7N_vl2WXmzBy6aRW3fAxrNGXIff_Ua31h70/s320/20221130_193750.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">I took the flowers from the pruned bits and put them on my dresser, alongside some glorious oxeye daisies from a
berm in my street, and a lovely yellow kalanchoe given to me for Christmas a couple of years ago.</span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Yesterday I showed up at the vacant section with my wheelbarrow, gardening gloves and spade, only to be greeted by my friend who lives in the adjacent house. I told her I was there to steal a rose; she said 'go for it', and told me she's been wondering about scattering wildflower seed over the whole section to beautify it. I hope she does :-)</span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBmvlmjKxw74xdQtY7v1XGGo_leRMlamPmV3e8kz5Oau1H-BX87ekwfkIX_N_6h7j5F1T5LCI1LSJqle4Y9YzHvq08DFzrYlzLFsvY13MUNwdfd8uBuxBE_T9dcsUcLORn0reW7U9lU6q0kZKZyVKvy5qrgTnVtepAvP05Fua7kzgW-KQvNZF5kGX/s1600/20221214_085715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBmvlmjKxw74xdQtY7v1XGGo_leRMlamPmV3e8kz5Oau1H-BX87ekwfkIX_N_6h7j5F1T5LCI1LSJqle4Y9YzHvq08DFzrYlzLFsvY13MUNwdfd8uBuxBE_T9dcsUcLORn0reW7U9lU6q0kZKZyVKvy5qrgTnVtepAvP05Fua7kzgW-KQvNZF5kGX/s320/20221214_085715.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><br />It was pretty hard work to get the plant out of the heavy clay, but I got there in the end. As I was heading back towards home, I noticed some intense blue flowers. I don't know what they are - some kind of lily? There was a very tightly packed clump of them. On impulse, I dug that out, too, and took it home as well.</span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CW1ZRQcwzNtUVmRgJgZc4jVF_tWG38yr1cywJ_k55sjBj7AemetzokmkZGsKjtpC42krI1A4IPFTg1-Ig2SJZn-wp8gS9RJ4_aiOm3Jkp7MjaPOI-966SX_J1nx4iJthr92BK2XW1y0rRzLmZ6a3a8j2SkWmZVAelvzHNOKAN-UGbmqHMX1D1e9M/s4080/20221213_101725.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CW1ZRQcwzNtUVmRgJgZc4jVF_tWG38yr1cywJ_k55sjBj7AemetzokmkZGsKjtpC42krI1A4IPFTg1-Ig2SJZn-wp8gS9RJ4_aiOm3Jkp7MjaPOI-966SX_J1nx4iJthr92BK2XW1y0rRzLmZ6a3a8j2SkWmZVAelvzHNOKAN-UGbmqHMX1D1e9M/s320/20221213_101725.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the rose is the tiny patch of green at the centre of the picture - it doesn't look like much right now!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxh7dd_OVTNn30GNCVaMw6RnLwIqpVOc2GKo9sIYyHQCcXsJKzUjNdD38ZkV1rFr25InfCtzVBhgUFuBkEAX6H_8JL5xSOCJ73n68WEckWzTWsP3P3Mm81dXSVBM-DQp1RQtZrrRfa_pMe7RSgcKgIGZZf_MltAnDiHm79MteeN0AhnnZAbZDxb8E/s4080/20221213_101739.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxh7dd_OVTNn30GNCVaMw6RnLwIqpVOc2GKo9sIYyHQCcXsJKzUjNdD38ZkV1rFr25InfCtzVBhgUFuBkEAX6H_8JL5xSOCJ73n68WEckWzTWsP3P3Mm81dXSVBM-DQp1RQtZrrRfa_pMe7RSgcKgIGZZf_MltAnDiHm79MteeN0AhnnZAbZDxb8E/s320/20221213_101739.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the grassy new plants in their pots<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> </span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">I ended up dividing the clump into 6. If they all take, I'll probably just keep one or two and give the rest away.</span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">That done, I headed off on my bike to the Heron Park orchard, armed with a small pot of blood and bone. No one seems to be looking after the trees any more, and they're in pretty awful condition, but last year I got a couple of quinces off the quince tree and decided to try and give it some TLC in the hope of more fruit!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sE3cVBWNA6BxxyPgJvgtjZkrPrsZN3_p9rBvF6x32p-PvxuTCfu-buFiFyZzRCnBUPddnyIKCroJh0S_GdsuqCHQd9fQo_s5lZDtIjBsSe2lAzTN_baqlFIfMaah6If6hXrSPNpHtiVQModpn0v4gwdt9OzLywUE2KsSIdbdu4799Egj28tDUwyg/s4080/20221213_100644.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sE3cVBWNA6BxxyPgJvgtjZkrPrsZN3_p9rBvF6x32p-PvxuTCfu-buFiFyZzRCnBUPddnyIKCroJh0S_GdsuqCHQd9fQo_s5lZDtIjBsSe2lAzTN_baqlFIfMaah6If6hXrSPNpHtiVQModpn0v4gwdt9OzLywUE2KsSIdbdu4799Egj28tDUwyg/s320/20221213_100644.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">The quince was absolutely covered in small fruit. Hopefully the dose of fertiliser will help a bunch of them make maturity! I also mentioned on the local Facebook group that the trees could all do with a prune - maybe someone else will take that up?<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj792oxS6n_zY--uOuZ0U44L7Ad8RjmRgCQTYdYFYc0xh9FToavDMO_QTZwrq3m0INq5XUNBmsZpRfdm5WnllVbwxywbRd3CvI3n833AUnNRBdIzb-_yQvqh0N84alg4JGX9VaesYVWFmzgdvAudx3DgiCoSThNhtFBZBjfkoAx-Qk8oacEvyaKjycp/s4080/20221213_100649.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj792oxS6n_zY--uOuZ0U44L7Ad8RjmRgCQTYdYFYc0xh9FToavDMO_QTZwrq3m0INq5XUNBmsZpRfdm5WnllVbwxywbRd3CvI3n833AUnNRBdIzb-_yQvqh0N84alg4JGX9VaesYVWFmzgdvAudx3DgiCoSThNhtFBZBjfkoAx-Qk8oacEvyaKjycp/s320/20221213_100649.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiq_6L4XVExVrP0V6_Pw-ptuiy9-D46Xb3fhqKbweqm4yy_NF9yFUaYH8ex7IcC-NxjZ2gPFESIWO4Ke21J-XnyidKyTTDhihQDvPdcFfy0mZYtVBOo61bisX_1ZJfYE3hCYSPaKFmL0O7d8IWci4bTFyaHbXhD0UZbUS8a6nVvJIqQk1PNvpxImzE/s4080/20221213_100654.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiq_6L4XVExVrP0V6_Pw-ptuiy9-D46Xb3fhqKbweqm4yy_NF9yFUaYH8ex7IcC-NxjZ2gPFESIWO4Ke21J-XnyidKyTTDhihQDvPdcFfy0mZYtVBOo61bisX_1ZJfYE3hCYSPaKFmL0O7d8IWci4bTFyaHbXhD0UZbUS8a6nVvJIqQk1PNvpxImzE/s320/20221213_100654.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Looking around, I realised several of the apples had heaps of tiny fruit, too. I had a fair bit of fertiliser left, so spread that between 3-4 more trees. Maybe there'll be apples for the neighbourhood, too :-)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrideBRrG5mxroR-XIsdGdlPw4TXj_-uNLOvLniFF2PI2niB1smf7ykO6sRhAaX4qrt9WgIcq0kEOHALRdJRePJV0hwv1aGUVqx9uLFQgPQfAiFHsvJxR617IAD85lnVsY8Q2zs9qyQrX0JMB5AAybeNPWkbGY313SBVsZVsLyU052g_RflS4ZFPd/s4080/20221210_205025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrideBRrG5mxroR-XIsdGdlPw4TXj_-uNLOvLniFF2PI2niB1smf7ykO6sRhAaX4qrt9WgIcq0kEOHALRdJRePJV0hwv1aGUVqx9uLFQgPQfAiFHsvJxR617IAD85lnVsY8Q2zs9qyQrX0JMB5AAybeNPWkbGY313SBVsZVsLyU052g_RflS4ZFPd/s320/20221210_205025.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> <br /></span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x10flsy6 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x41vudc x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">And then, quite unrelatedly, I wanted to share the pictures I'm currently looking at when I'm in bed. The lithograph of the angels was made by my niece, Michaela :-)</span></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-48570751342668696412022-12-10T18:32:00.003+13:002022-12-10T18:32:08.718+13:00Camping at Wenderholm<p>Life's been a bit busy recently, but I've finally found time to share photos of a lovely holiday Martin and I had 4 weeks back, at <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/Pages/park-details.aspx?Location=3411">Wenderholm</a>. We'd originally intended to camp at Ambury Park (the only council campsite within accessible biking distance from our house), but it was solidly booked for the dates we had in mind. Various more-obvious alternatives also fell through and eventually we landed on the <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/stay-at-park/Pages/accommodation-details.aspx?itemID=93">Schischka campground</a>, a wee bit up the Puhoi River from Wenderholm beach.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbq7GhKhsKcw2qIHegOMDZptiv7mkI7skF6NCWYkNiU64aDZUTQUotCZMZTsooLrRmDGjhLL6jB5A3f6twxi0yBI5XzTWLZKUasPRDPM1ocAHvnM4tB1kPzFxY3H9b2uAFt6i0wIYtJ39rFEpWfyvix7vgYlRUpwgPAsgaA_qEm2ZC8t808xzvuIBP/s4160/IMG_20221112_120325.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbq7GhKhsKcw2qIHegOMDZptiv7mkI7skF6NCWYkNiU64aDZUTQUotCZMZTsooLrRmDGjhLL6jB5A3f6twxi0yBI5XzTWLZKUasPRDPM1ocAHvnM4tB1kPzFxY3H9b2uAFt6i0wIYtJ39rFEpWfyvix7vgYlRUpwgPAsgaA_qEm2ZC8t808xzvuIBP/s320/IMG_20221112_120325.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a neat detail in the posts at the Silverdale bus station<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>To get there we caught the bus into town, the bus up to Silverdale and the bus to Waiwera. I've never been to Waiwera for anything other than the (currently non-operational) hot pools - it turns out there's a rather lovely beach there :-)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwqQ_oeVKR3e1apy-Yw68NJ2uNM_JV_0v7oaad9dzVz45gFfDYwESFfSWeWyTSKsMguCVQFLPFrueDYHTrfMnu6KKilSG-FkRDWmczgAIVKtII7bMf0Sgc5JPdCI4PdcEBObSP0q05Qjuixh8ww86TZ-rot0l7VGV4hhCKvRTY0RB7C0vTDz230Au/s4000/IMG_20221112_130620.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwqQ_oeVKR3e1apy-Yw68NJ2uNM_JV_0v7oaad9dzVz45gFfDYwESFfSWeWyTSKsMguCVQFLPFrueDYHTrfMnu6KKilSG-FkRDWmczgAIVKtII7bMf0Sgc5JPdCI4PdcEBObSP0q05Qjuixh8ww86TZ-rot0l7VGV4hhCKvRTY0RB7C0vTDz230Au/s320/IMG_20221112_130620.jpg" width="240" /></a> <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9nPiElLHWur-346N5aGIl2lUTjq6MDG1O5AGVgneL8qpyPS7Fy8ipPpBEZxU5-a4MTCaNzQREyinJsLQJBFg4EHrHluiNOkgtZSFwYqJ5O1n4I3oh__xG-nWFV90eWCY88Jdza5DetyWwFaeOJaWdk3kiE9rS4Y4peYOVRU4-pgp9eYFdBLUHhGJG/s4000/IMG_20221112_130629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9nPiElLHWur-346N5aGIl2lUTjq6MDG1O5AGVgneL8qpyPS7Fy8ipPpBEZxU5-a4MTCaNzQREyinJsLQJBFg4EHrHluiNOkgtZSFwYqJ5O1n4I3oh__xG-nWFV90eWCY88Jdza5DetyWwFaeOJaWdk3kiE9rS4Y4peYOVRU4-pgp9eYFdBLUHhGJG/s320/IMG_20221112_130629.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p>After lunch at the beach we walked a small way up the main road then along part of the Wenderholm regional park perimeter track to our campground. We've never been camping together without our bikes. It took a bit of effort to get all our gear (and four days' food) into two packs, and we definitely felt it over the 40-ish minutes it took to carry all our stuff (approx 40kg!!) from Waiwera to the campsite, but it was nice to know we can do it. There aren't many campsites accessible by bike, train and ferry, so hopefully this will open up a few more car-free options for us!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO83_PHLXq6t5dqdP_TA8giX_DFj0Nua50o-DibnoTmTZBluB8m6_jeBzhbJ_LdPVwEvne34qt5x4C1OIUqXb0yeXEiLfWIalG4r_dA8HX8FAcLLZ_vS5p_1I8eTC0njRPYTl41A0OLEGRHM0uaQJWEqRN0zuLY3lwnAVKbiEW_gJl4baDxCpItTC/s4160/IMG_20221112_105650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO83_PHLXq6t5dqdP_TA8giX_DFj0Nua50o-DibnoTmTZBluB8m6_jeBzhbJ_LdPVwEvne34qt5x4C1OIUqXb0yeXEiLfWIalG4r_dA8HX8FAcLLZ_vS5p_1I8eTC0njRPYTl41A0OLEGRHM0uaQJWEqRN0zuLY3lwnAVKbiEW_gJl4baDxCpItTC/s320/IMG_20221112_105650.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our two big packs on the bus<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bXXuBc5lHLDxzhq11RwbKeFTXgyRhQaC6aGVIkhCYOtISxX6rZlbWeuzY7N1dCfyA2e4vFxLVyOzCIzcyaxpR59AErQS6szJesv66nGwCGIdYFPI5aGPLGQ_NnaQyJVeqjA0J7_gDfBjUl9hzv_5JNMnSs_CaI4XjwXbw2s0WbPBuoTyosrecc6f/s4000/IMG_20221112_163529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bXXuBc5lHLDxzhq11RwbKeFTXgyRhQaC6aGVIkhCYOtISxX6rZlbWeuzY7N1dCfyA2e4vFxLVyOzCIzcyaxpR59AErQS6szJesv66nGwCGIdYFPI5aGPLGQ_NnaQyJVeqjA0J7_gDfBjUl9hzv_5JNMnSs_CaI4XjwXbw2s0WbPBuoTyosrecc6f/s320/IMG_20221112_163529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all set up with our new tent. It doesn't have a vestibule, so we made one with the tarp.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbuWzLxFd77Nv0aYHypQNhep3I7EeU1sil0XvHGLZqDz0AkHWVtCBTyQtEb-bVLFIbwmQ4ETyqqJdf3BqchGDY7lr0USpftKqNkXMi_FOBihx-5msFVmZAOiOAltlaMfoeQexiz_8YS7XTGTep4PQ8vkSKIheAgOKXFJOg-3syGR_t3xHYtCElNCi/s4000/IMG_20221112_183900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbuWzLxFd77Nv0aYHypQNhep3I7EeU1sil0XvHGLZqDz0AkHWVtCBTyQtEb-bVLFIbwmQ4ETyqqJdf3BqchGDY7lr0USpftKqNkXMi_FOBihx-5msFVmZAOiOAltlaMfoeQexiz_8YS7XTGTep4PQ8vkSKIheAgOKXFJOg-3syGR_t3xHYtCElNCi/s320/IMG_20221112_183900.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">enjoying dinner the first night<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The campsite was a bit more basic than we were expecting. The council camp grounds have two different prices (either $8 or $16 a night). This was one of the more expensive ones, and the others of those that we've stayed at have had cold outdoor showers and picnic tables. This did have flush loos, but neither showers nor tables. I was grateful for the wee bollards near our tent site - sometimes to sit on, other times for back support.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN61xOsHt8gbGpYlYYAoknICNBRJ9cIV0iVuJP44VjWrqdeg0jMqYHv0L_glanQ2OU0tcz8Sy8ClPidmVyrdvZ-i6WqjB7n9-SBQvNDnuVA43H1J966BT8ph0-HlkdkLvj4qoLfmFacd9qTLAa8csF5fy0-FzD8LRzH2nElnkJtgBD3fuyAGTrsHlt/s4160/IMG_20221113_093703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN61xOsHt8gbGpYlYYAoknICNBRJ9cIV0iVuJP44VjWrqdeg0jMqYHv0L_glanQ2OU0tcz8Sy8ClPidmVyrdvZ-i6WqjB7n9-SBQvNDnuVA43H1J966BT8ph0-HlkdkLvj4qoLfmFacd9qTLAa8csF5fy0-FzD8LRzH2nElnkJtgBD3fuyAGTrsHlt/s320/IMG_20221113_093703.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking back to the campsite from the wide expanse of the Puhoi River. It's very much estuary at this point, and I was surprised that the water tasted distinctly salty, but didn't leave a salty residue on my skin like seawater does.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLukM55Zx7LzBEygJmVK0Y0JaB7KsuiZvT7h_7awOfA1TIQ4Tt1Cts_BorIbXOdkutjiiiO499ofrfdlhA8ht3gWi-LR9oqghqRKg-ycRm1FMAwbiFQ6bUciGHozQXmAXqMXWq1I8WxCxOz-mK9Ski8sv9Tf0V_n4gZpRxSLPcHQIiIAu00AG1u00/s4160/IMG_20221113_094106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLukM55Zx7LzBEygJmVK0Y0JaB7KsuiZvT7h_7awOfA1TIQ4Tt1Cts_BorIbXOdkutjiiiO499ofrfdlhA8ht3gWi-LR9oqghqRKg-ycRm1FMAwbiFQ6bUciGHozQXmAXqMXWq1I8WxCxOz-mK9Ski8sv9Tf0V_n4gZpRxSLPcHQIiIAu00AG1u00/s320/IMG_20221113_094106.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJAEi7ngjC4Z3xfpnFEfpTBEPooO3YAvKl9t3XPkuHq-2ue7NaF2vw6hYQqGXss6-88mNVZOXat55llEWlDT1QI0somQopj_zEi--2TO5Lm01rJLB5q3mxSLXLb-QPVRR_-NNkS4l60fEZOeSnLmi1QsHJLkL_AuMpZsMQyrioQHnLg_VoAZVSb97/s4160/IMG_20221113_095852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJAEi7ngjC4Z3xfpnFEfpTBEPooO3YAvKl9t3XPkuHq-2ue7NaF2vw6hYQqGXss6-88mNVZOXat55llEWlDT1QI0somQopj_zEi--2TO5Lm01rJLB5q3mxSLXLb-QPVRR_-NNkS4l60fEZOeSnLmi1QsHJLkL_AuMpZsMQyrioQHnLg_VoAZVSb97/s320/IMG_20221113_095852.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Unfortunately, partway through, Martin tore our 'new' tent whilst adjusting the fabric. I tried to patch it, and caused further rips with every stab of my needle. Presumably, whilst not heavily used, our new-to-us tent was fairly old, as the fabric was pretty brittle. Fortunately a re-arrangement of the tarp meant we were able to stay nice and dry! I'm now waiting for some rip-stop tape to arrive from China to mend it properly. Hopefully we'll still get some good use of it, now we know to be careful.<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mxxlh3RXt_8kHBJoq2rWM-3aLeEcCwUzaPkS4WUIcMENg4dLmCHBIaSoya5a5eFs4ftqMB9ZM0G6T65CC7z2H-E_FjvRNXe7Z73ri8o-hyWRak7BCzLDE33MddXCb_eqIkO8DXfVgdIctfbwkoVnBDKjRI3CIbbRGafuPOb3PO3KYGEzEWDj114q/s4000/IMG_20221113_171601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mxxlh3RXt_8kHBJoq2rWM-3aLeEcCwUzaPkS4WUIcMENg4dLmCHBIaSoya5a5eFs4ftqMB9ZM0G6T65CC7z2H-E_FjvRNXe7Z73ri8o-hyWRak7BCzLDE33MddXCb_eqIkO8DXfVgdIctfbwkoVnBDKjRI3CIbbRGafuPOb3PO3KYGEzEWDj114q/s320/IMG_20221113_171601.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTylbeYEvL6bF1yKpkpD3lII-lkoSXim4KAK9dBzS8h0iDr_OyLBOuWdYlSaMYDZpVQ-hqOe5SuMdfJqWF42bzSAqxKqWKhswTAEhGs3gLFmNzuzaJNNlPso26H-ZofXhF3QALGvcbYh4v9knk200EgSQIv5Nq92GoUN87cqbRjdDDGWNFBGK3_pp/s4000/IMG_20221113_184630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTylbeYEvL6bF1yKpkpD3lII-lkoSXim4KAK9dBzS8h0iDr_OyLBOuWdYlSaMYDZpVQ-hqOe5SuMdfJqWF42bzSAqxKqWKhswTAEhGs3gLFmNzuzaJNNlPso26H-ZofXhF3QALGvcbYh4v9knk200EgSQIv5Nq92GoUN87cqbRjdDDGWNFBGK3_pp/s320/IMG_20221113_184630.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FXx5iOkKbVTSkFxCZ3IFlENRwavi_p7dEJv4wqd3GpYUt_yN5FYO32GG1zRVVSQQg11p88EEJrprFhPixCRvRh_NlLCE7M2TJf6oZGlW_ypjIay3A9wUyZdCv6We4RvVt8zZqPJR56rM-qbxWdcb-MW1kn29vyUXBZvC9fthiezlxMsGlJm3MePz/s4160/IMG_20221115_095236.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FXx5iOkKbVTSkFxCZ3IFlENRwavi_p7dEJv4wqd3GpYUt_yN5FYO32GG1zRVVSQQg11p88EEJrprFhPixCRvRh_NlLCE7M2TJf6oZGlW_ypjIay3A9wUyZdCv6We4RvVt8zZqPJR56rM-qbxWdcb-MW1kn29vyUXBZvC9fthiezlxMsGlJm3MePz/s320/IMG_20221115_095236.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">resting in the cool under the tarp. Most days were sunny, and the tent itself got pretty hot.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p>Most of the time we spent lying around listening to an audio book together, between a few swims and short-distance wanders, but on the middle day we did the <a href="https://www.wildernessmag.co.nz/trip/maungatauhoro-te-hikoi-track-wenderholm-regional-park/">Maungatauhoro Te Hikoi track</a>.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALHPzC_QH6Q6h_vCUI4Inax40vyIR1Z0zojCTTOzBWjZNFmMFG2V5j2KV3p9J1YEr380JsoobDopnw8K2br_-ZNxUmQVThvkvzLBoJU168vgrZs5UMhY039NCQXEub0oXKXGoUBlF0UX-9KXrn4yFfcqc2phvVJa4DgyFpfL41iO3Zru8RO73YKaP/s4160/IMG_20221114_102356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALHPzC_QH6Q6h_vCUI4Inax40vyIR1Z0zojCTTOzBWjZNFmMFG2V5j2KV3p9J1YEr380JsoobDopnw8K2br_-ZNxUmQVThvkvzLBoJU168vgrZs5UMhY039NCQXEub0oXKXGoUBlF0UX-9KXrn4yFfcqc2phvVJa4DgyFpfL41iO3Zru8RO73YKaP/s320/IMG_20221114_102356.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it starts at the gorgeous avenue of plane trees at the main park entrance<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxmFOyhqoELkUq8u7Pozbhuo-bfgb08EVvOCgK66AN6vKvzQvlfRZcOa5jJqKzigS-HUrsfHAcEva4zufn1Fzbql7Atz38geDNWhW1hOxbYMiRJa6Os5uaCxhosGP8DhrdjOOGKm8m-YZlBNT6OsSReOuS1zr6xh3yaDcTbtE-YdLyn_u9WJrTYwo/s4160/IMG_20221114_104250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxmFOyhqoELkUq8u7Pozbhuo-bfgb08EVvOCgK66AN6vKvzQvlfRZcOa5jJqKzigS-HUrsfHAcEva4zufn1Fzbql7Atz38geDNWhW1hOxbYMiRJa6Os5uaCxhosGP8DhrdjOOGKm8m-YZlBNT6OsSReOuS1zr6xh3yaDcTbtE-YdLyn_u9WJrTYwo/s320/IMG_20221114_104250.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Puhoi river from one of the lookouts - our campsite is off to the left of the picture<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZMAOeyAuZvSjNLpKl5hqK8622kKcZOwgbacFGAYXXooXQp8E-tajjhXBCXpN6t1XNMKLHB46Q_1pc4G1wGsV1wz-I95Mlnf-F10oVWr45naDYs3SSEL5LPB6YBZO7IgUwIZvbDQDgWp6RWg-7b8LvZhlkhfxXzeqbEYXZaLtQ3JPS8gMHYHh1HIH/s4160/IMG_20221114_104611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZMAOeyAuZvSjNLpKl5hqK8622kKcZOwgbacFGAYXXooXQp8E-tajjhXBCXpN6t1XNMKLHB46Q_1pc4G1wGsV1wz-I95Mlnf-F10oVWr45naDYs3SSEL5LPB6YBZO7IgUwIZvbDQDgWp6RWg-7b8LvZhlkhfxXzeqbEYXZaLtQ3JPS8gMHYHh1HIH/s320/IMG_20221114_104611.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wenderholm beach is along the front edge of the peninsula that sticks into the mouth of the Puhoi river<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZ4eba9BaiwhEPWdvSVzhBsThivhQ17PHNSkLY7_F-kp5W1fREZm-anRVflckTICJwOPrHvKTsEMRnQ1F79ZWYbOo1qEjE17flSrwC9XQqk0llOpFNrMe60Ji8avZdcOdBarz_0dU1bYily4XKHtF5i5_p8WIhyC_GAcagiR4HEcH3NrB8iYURxGC/s4160/IMG_20221114_111949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZ4eba9BaiwhEPWdvSVzhBsThivhQ17PHNSkLY7_F-kp5W1fREZm-anRVflckTICJwOPrHvKTsEMRnQ1F79ZWYbOo1qEjE17flSrwC9XQqk0llOpFNrMe60Ji8avZdcOdBarz_0dU1bYily4XKHtF5i5_p8WIhyC_GAcagiR4HEcH3NrB8iYURxGC/s320/IMG_20221114_111949.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in a grassy patch I spotted these glorious intensely-blue flowers. I think they're <a href="https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/75428-Anagallis-monelli">flax-leaved blue pimpernell</a> - related to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anagallis_arvensis">scarlet pimpernell</a> we get in our own grass all the time, but not at all related to the <a href="https://www.juliasedibleweeds.com/edible-weeds-flowers/speedwell-pretty-blue-flowers/">speedwell</a> they made me think of.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivubjHGMbF03AM_6HbyBN8njhiq2D7hNcJGOFjQc_3dKktpdwOIUwhWATWclyjW9HStuNvbOcCYLPAYsU7aHoZdNXtFdto2n67ulmCDOb76CO9jt1iN2ShegEUnBdTiuyzPo8TPUEKOakaYYB4_ZTYHyW8HKdLeFPUAzlPJX0NkfeycRwYhOZq3ruN/s4000/IMG_20221114_112335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivubjHGMbF03AM_6HbyBN8njhiq2D7hNcJGOFjQc_3dKktpdwOIUwhWATWclyjW9HStuNvbOcCYLPAYsU7aHoZdNXtFdto2n67ulmCDOb76CO9jt1iN2ShegEUnBdTiuyzPo8TPUEKOakaYYB4_ZTYHyW8HKdLeFPUAzlPJX0NkfeycRwYhOZq3ruN/s320/IMG_20221114_112335.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy to be able to stride along in the bush!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSp2SzGqhj1W6mOEljRXcLiiLuVChLyotLRvcKzMfEjfO704FsbYx4ZZ9cwvcLxXaxjLFY0JAqFup6Qq7jRBkg4oRevIAbFIpWKnoMOuYJEc-3QNnqeJcmAh0awNBuTnIL3sxI0KWHI0r5q5u54GExFxa-wgWQIWvspUR6G1ja7a_ng_RDO15ejts3/s4160/IMG_20221114_114121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSp2SzGqhj1W6mOEljRXcLiiLuVChLyotLRvcKzMfEjfO704FsbYx4ZZ9cwvcLxXaxjLFY0JAqFup6Qq7jRBkg4oRevIAbFIpWKnoMOuYJEc-3QNnqeJcmAh0awNBuTnIL3sxI0KWHI0r5q5u54GExFxa-wgWQIWvspUR6G1ja7a_ng_RDO15ejts3/s320/IMG_20221114_114121.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was fascinated by how sheer all the land in the area was. One of these is the Mahurangi Peninsula; I can't remember what the others are.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2eG9_zIdRD6GBb2njac42PgBzuiNlapsNJ7ozo1aEXgT7UVAbWfkcWxtoxLiqnlO3K7fW0NwRNOP_HSiRuCzKAamPIjxj_6csPX0YZpx7GHDWdTW2Q-3xJoArYyhh3LSO4xWcfMuDxG3I_FjmmZs-yTBDbnHxbkgUoBHArBPbIvr22S6Z-yxwZ6d/s4160/IMG_20221114_122117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2eG9_zIdRD6GBb2njac42PgBzuiNlapsNJ7ozo1aEXgT7UVAbWfkcWxtoxLiqnlO3K7fW0NwRNOP_HSiRuCzKAamPIjxj_6csPX0YZpx7GHDWdTW2Q-3xJoArYyhh3LSO4xWcfMuDxG3I_FjmmZs-yTBDbnHxbkgUoBHArBPbIvr22S6Z-yxwZ6d/s320/IMG_20221114_122117.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picnic lunch at the beach after our walk. We went for a swim after this, and the beach was so beautiful, but I didn't take any photos. It was absolutely perfect weather.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgi5hSFEslsabQx96_8Qxek7ptbNiYdL4Emtlz7YzO9JPiqlWUq8Fej7j2iLQC-sQkXHw18BQe-Sa4huEKz75PoEmltZnVALR51ANhBv06_RGJ672B16WDz5nBW3EH_CzygYMYJViJUAEpTb6h5nh6ZY-x8VnEAc8fbbFpoRrCPqBHdtVIxt5Bem2/s4000/IMG_20221114_145553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgi5hSFEslsabQx96_8Qxek7ptbNiYdL4Emtlz7YzO9JPiqlWUq8Fej7j2iLQC-sQkXHw18BQe-Sa4huEKz75PoEmltZnVALR51ANhBv06_RGJ672B16WDz5nBW3EH_CzygYMYJViJUAEpTb6h5nh6ZY-x8VnEAc8fbbFpoRrCPqBHdtVIxt5Bem2/s320/IMG_20221114_145553.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me resting after the big walk. I wanted to be in the sun to warm up (I always get really cold after exertion, and there's no handy electric blanket when we're camping), but didn't want to get burned!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The next day we wandered a short distance along the river and spent some time sitting in gloriously gnarled pohutakawa.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfOgAGYNpMiHvWTmshntb0FwkFgditkHYf2dzbvSlQCXbight91JMr8eInSvdQ7fzhvGGof95iU4DnKMpqbDy3xSMM3GveypFA89dR0TZirqdpAJUc_jm_tqd2DEjs2yWXqDQ_Hze7P3jbkWx79zStkhPSEA93Uq4A0MRWFqidx7JBPkryOkeAZrH/s4000/IMG_20221115_140141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfOgAGYNpMiHvWTmshntb0FwkFgditkHYf2dzbvSlQCXbight91JMr8eInSvdQ7fzhvGGof95iU4DnKMpqbDy3xSMM3GveypFA89dR0TZirqdpAJUc_jm_tqd2DEjs2yWXqDQ_Hze7P3jbkWx79zStkhPSEA93Uq4A0MRWFqidx7JBPkryOkeAZrH/s320/IMG_20221115_140141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsYnovUMzOsEBbCLtefGgAmZQJn23A8uQ56fyHLpqd0RNeYT-k7Wj79OnKwRhFyY5mEQEAF82zJHAVAswuXeMtNeH3_Oo_g2_bQWANA1pBftOFFo_VHOiySt1HkcWHRUBQMb8gNcioQY34KBKocZjELE7lC7DvyUD7rrF_QHcvQEFid7BjW40VgMU/s4000/IMG_20221115_140155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsYnovUMzOsEBbCLtefGgAmZQJn23A8uQ56fyHLpqd0RNeYT-k7Wj79OnKwRhFyY5mEQEAF82zJHAVAswuXeMtNeH3_Oo_g2_bQWANA1pBftOFFo_VHOiySt1HkcWHRUBQMb8gNcioQY34KBKocZjELE7lC7DvyUD7rrF_QHcvQEFid7BjW40VgMU/s320/IMG_20221115_140155.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>And then it was time to pack up and go home. It's always astonishing to me, seeing a comfortable 'home' disappear into a few bags.</p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WJYijZbcL2H5e9r6zaPFgmtqfW9TZz51DeTmf-e6olyvDN1w9Ia6bI51QQWiDooiJBDRzLLj6Bn1tCSOhzqLE8FBOgGvYELt8-M7MEobTQ0bmzWJ6K6xkpU_z0-M1QrUqdUocPzzoX7hUe4RwJkuw42UzIWg1kMUr3rxV8SLB7IYcGYbmrjHXosu/s4160/IMG_20221116_101716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WJYijZbcL2H5e9r6zaPFgmtqfW9TZz51DeTmf-e6olyvDN1w9Ia6bI51QQWiDooiJBDRzLLj6Bn1tCSOhzqLE8FBOgGvYELt8-M7MEobTQ0bmzWJ6K6xkpU_z0-M1QrUqdUocPzzoX7hUe4RwJkuw42UzIWg1kMUr3rxV8SLB7IYcGYbmrjHXosu/s320/IMG_20221116_101716.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all that's left is some yellowed grass<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Coming home, we stopped for lunch in town and watched some guys fishing off the wharf, as well as having yummy ice creams. Civilisation has its benefits!<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHY3yCz-qK1kEQtEvZQvl81Lb9ub6OWw_t0_RY2FxBmCwK2C1wiwPOCsrTXMAZyKiVxNGIftpF-367ZNfJD0jvAodIxmFA5XQxXnWPIz3E4IPZdGa1TwL2pjt6AHR_syHLsp6hI2K0AwRzVvu_cZ-J2DKhqwMiar4TStYygSdGeTj9ioGEz1rLmAU/s4160/IMG_20221116_125047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHY3yCz-qK1kEQtEvZQvl81Lb9ub6OWw_t0_RY2FxBmCwK2C1wiwPOCsrTXMAZyKiVxNGIftpF-367ZNfJD0jvAodIxmFA5XQxXnWPIz3E4IPZdGa1TwL2pjt6AHR_syHLsp6hI2K0AwRzVvu_cZ-J2DKhqwMiar4TStYygSdGeTj9ioGEz1rLmAU/s320/IMG_20221116_125047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />It was such a good break, and good to do before Just Kai got super-busy in the run up to various Christmas-related commitments. And, it turns out that catching the bus rather than a ferry made for a very low-carbon holiday - only around 48kg CO2e, compared with 70kg CO2e when we went to <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2022/05/resting-on-waiheke-and-at-home.html">Waiheke</a> :-)<br /><p></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-70305300959839404242022-11-22T18:41:00.010+13:002022-11-22T19:14:58.469+13:00Some neat things from my life recently<p>It's been ages since I blogged, but I wanted to share some random neat things I've enjoyed recently :-)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SMAInKk6YRYsbvEQ7otUF5wsUe3so8oxlJJFpYiTEcZZBxpgHJHRutQuu8Ej6J1xvTIMACVbxI9QUoqLm9txnpvNgn99F54mnmqT21d_DE1NwrC949nOuz-7OW61me7d2Y85bWclQ7_7cQ1TcnjkcStTMGIFmJ8sOMGmcJVn_ZryA66Yf6OYBgnC/s4160/IMG_20221029_182711.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SMAInKk6YRYsbvEQ7otUF5wsUe3so8oxlJJFpYiTEcZZBxpgHJHRutQuu8Ej6J1xvTIMACVbxI9QUoqLm9txnpvNgn99F54mnmqT21d_DE1NwrC949nOuz-7OW61me7d2Y85bWclQ7_7cQ1TcnjkcStTMGIFmJ8sOMGmcJVn_ZryA66Yf6OYBgnC/s320/IMG_20221029_182711.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>Firstly, the <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2022/09/foraging-fun.html">jasmine cordial</a> I made that turned out to be really strong? I tried using it to flavour icing :-) It might be too strong for cordial, but it turns out to be a relatively weak essence! The cake is 18cm across, and I used 1/4 cup in the icing to give a fairly mild jasmine flavour. The underlying cake was a vanilla Victoria sponge (I think the first sponge of any kind I've made), and I decorated it with edible flowers - violas and borage from our garden, and jasmine from near where I swim. It was pretty and yum!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzR7H76NsW5-VFuuBXdS3XC00hensjT8v7ewUKLEdwo4IipCEqWvia4iz5UTnDRImns4l9rN3lVoP0zqSd1csiHs1HiM6BXGlpFr54rBKzjGta9OMrDsDWw6N1KYVaCK2a9nDiWD6E7Rf-f068afyEUe2RQaS-wm_V4RUr9Vhu_v2YROHw6Xf8Gee/s4160/IMG_20221108_122121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzR7H76NsW5-VFuuBXdS3XC00hensjT8v7ewUKLEdwo4IipCEqWvia4iz5UTnDRImns4l9rN3lVoP0zqSd1csiHs1HiM6BXGlpFr54rBKzjGta9OMrDsDWw6N1KYVaCK2a9nDiWD6E7Rf-f068afyEUe2RQaS-wm_V4RUr9Vhu_v2YROHw6Xf8Gee/s320/IMG_20221108_122121.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Encouraged by how well that turned out, I had another go. This is the same Victoria sponge recipe, but made with lemon icing and decorated with borage flowers. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQVHicKqSII-VP4SYeP_zABLgOSAPDe-zxxSokSUFzOlgdcpfY7FHdgYEGAWhxK2cQomYaBo1lqtLZreeFPGomfs3UqnW7a35ZYLJxvVTQX7hll8elD1yLZI2fDBrppB3rlsPxB2RsafkIawh0Ox2Aoir_LUhuj897DFbTdA5Az4dsyNs_ori7w8q/s3264/IMG_20221028_143534.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQVHicKqSII-VP4SYeP_zABLgOSAPDe-zxxSokSUFzOlgdcpfY7FHdgYEGAWhxK2cQomYaBo1lqtLZreeFPGomfs3UqnW7a35ZYLJxvVTQX7hll8elD1yLZI2fDBrppB3rlsPxB2RsafkIawh0Ox2Aoir_LUhuj897DFbTdA5Az4dsyNs_ori7w8q/s320/IMG_20221028_143534.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I'm continuing to enjoy swimming at Blockhouse Bay Beach - now generally staying in for an hour and swimming 1.2km. I'm expecting to go without my swim beanie next week - the water is distinctly warmer now. 18 degrees, according the <a href="https://www.safeswim.org.nz/">Safeswim</a> website (which also handily tells me when I shouldn't swim due to sewage in the water: Auckland's sewerage pipes generally overflow into the stormwater pipes after heavy rain, so it's good to know when that's forecast to happen and when it's forecast to have cleared!)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9WKHGBtZyJsQhxn3_HHV1Kro_UpXOc184r4PDMzfRHMgxnCVN19dtd40WcrmhOUvJKoUmnGwj3MwuSk7a41SXunZHYrlcZ3MEWiYmnYKgPXda3WYx7vMLVzDr_Ne5Lh-Ngj4xBW37BeRaIsSF0t2V0ioBNbvDcvNmeOzMdw8-1NN94S7D5bWxFOY/s4160/IMG_20221109_112810.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9WKHGBtZyJsQhxn3_HHV1Kro_UpXOc184r4PDMzfRHMgxnCVN19dtd40WcrmhOUvJKoUmnGwj3MwuSk7a41SXunZHYrlcZ3MEWiYmnYKgPXda3WYx7vMLVzDr_Ne5Lh-Ngj4xBW37BeRaIsSF0t2V0ioBNbvDcvNmeOzMdw8-1NN94S7D5bWxFOY/s320/IMG_20221109_112810.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>A few weeks' back I noticed the first pohutakawa had started to flower. After I swim I generally sit on the base of a particular pohutakawa or on a nearby seat - and that pohutakawa has had one 'zone' in flower for a few weeks now :-)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvHNv-R9HxYpdH_d6W7HRRUVhVd5GSVHhY81oUGyEJVcv8ONgt9n-K7UoTfSDZjtDMfYBySCcRNRMG8Z2ctAbv5VOrEfCrYOIGuNy2Py1nlH-MK3WPBBgXvjlHYy-E6EW3uatjj8xz3O0HzEePumBOYzGSpjT6lp9wEZLZyTKM27Txhf9iOmuAc4h/s4160/IMG_20221122_102833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvHNv-R9HxYpdH_d6W7HRRUVhVd5GSVHhY81oUGyEJVcv8ONgt9n-K7UoTfSDZjtDMfYBySCcRNRMG8Z2ctAbv5VOrEfCrYOIGuNy2Py1nlH-MK3WPBBgXvjlHYy-E6EW3uatjj8xz3O0HzEePumBOYzGSpjT6lp9wEZLZyTKM27Txhf9iOmuAc4h/s320/IMG_20221122_102833.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAJpDOIgoAN-rWQ64laZDp_iuChHrTTY9khOLg2IKAMPaaqVkqTEhCkkXkl1kUavh6NaHMxp7aQHTOLxd6Y_0TZxM5e3i9VMCVgHwA3TW-wIc_CRA3Py3uNjzojBOatCCTNcfdphRlJRxJRqvCF-BKHoYnMSpupTy5W0nEFYOHrNxyGHq2F4I4zcW/s4160/IMG_20221122_102839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAJpDOIgoAN-rWQ64laZDp_iuChHrTTY9khOLg2IKAMPaaqVkqTEhCkkXkl1kUavh6NaHMxp7aQHTOLxd6Y_0TZxM5e3i9VMCVgHwA3TW-wIc_CRA3Py3uNjzojBOatCCTNcfdphRlJRxJRqvCF-BKHoYnMSpupTy5W0nEFYOHrNxyGHq2F4I4zcW/s320/IMG_20221122_102839.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>By this morning it'd been flowering vigorously enough that there was a (sparse) carpet of pohutakawa stamens around the base of both 'my' tree and seat. I found stamens on me when I showered afterwards ;-)<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1_TUWzlmpuiX0WzwJ1Jq4F8wUvSrbq4Lwrv_b4zT2HFTSzKJAqgtQ2J4xAU7QljlDZzbN2c4t-DlN8ypQNy9y_fuNDL1cwwnKO_WIdiw3fTFaYr-PHcdGTPquc9KrW5iCjWvI4Nda08DTV40drOe_qDce4dcb5pAG00aXwn7NMLT8SBPgGsRRZcH/s4160/IMG_20221119_135446.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1_TUWzlmpuiX0WzwJ1Jq4F8wUvSrbq4Lwrv_b4zT2HFTSzKJAqgtQ2J4xAU7QljlDZzbN2c4t-DlN8ypQNy9y_fuNDL1cwwnKO_WIdiw3fTFaYr-PHcdGTPquc9KrW5iCjWvI4Nda08DTV40drOe_qDce4dcb5pAG00aXwn7NMLT8SBPgGsRRZcH/s320/IMG_20221119_135446.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Speaking of pohutakawa, on Saturday I spotted my first ever yellow one! I think I first heard of yellow pohutakawa at least 10 years ago (a natural, but rare, genetic variant), but this was the first I'd seen. It's in <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/Pages/park-details.aspx?Location=47">Grey Lynn Park</a>. We'd gone there to check out the <a href="https://www.greylynnparkfestival.org/">festival</a>, but it turned out that'd been cancelled due to the exceedingly soggy ground. Probably a wise choice - the one food truck that showed up anyway (in the background of the photo) churned up a pretty sizeable strip of the field it parked on.</p><p>Despite the disappointment, it was a really pleasant afternoon. Martin and I wandered around some of the perimeter of the park (it's huge!!!), stopped for a bit to watch kids playing on the pump track, listened to an audiobook we're enjoying together and generally had a pleasant time. After walking back up the hill to Grey Lynn shops I had a fruju (the first I've had in years, and definitely what I was wanting!) and Martin had a Trumpet ice cream (Tiptop has recently moved to using slave-free cocoa in their trumpets, so we're eating them again). Then we rode home in the front seats of the top floor of a double-decker bus :-)<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TEgr-7C_booc1IQ-4cnlkcyjegu-XFI4Hyd92s3qUN4L01Lkv7prm93EQvQtV6fkra3S2kDxlplVH18Wtta-IzK5nTGLOnznIXodRR0_JOzHP7Gn9Dk-nkAXrL_d1gfsEgklryyKMWQgSosPjDSDTxkleDp3xEFcHqgB-kHwWcVQZJeXnn5gjxfP/s4160/IMG_20221118_103133.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TEgr-7C_booc1IQ-4cnlkcyjegu-XFI4Hyd92s3qUN4L01Lkv7prm93EQvQtV6fkra3S2kDxlplVH18Wtta-IzK5nTGLOnznIXodRR0_JOzHP7Gn9Dk-nkAXrL_d1gfsEgklryyKMWQgSosPjDSDTxkleDp3xEFcHqgB-kHwWcVQZJeXnn5gjxfP/s320/IMG_20221118_103133.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p>The past few days I've been distributing tomato seedlings to various neighbours and church friends. Originally I gave away surplus seedlings I didn't want, but they've proved so popular (and such a nice way to connect with people) that now I deliberately grow way more than I need! This year an Indian neighbour reciprocated with a bitter gourd plant and an eggplant plant for me - and even cooked me some bitter gourd and gave me the recipe so I'd know what to do with it. Yay for good neighbours!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglD_n9mU6RCN_Ebughp89ytmEwd_NpphittU46f0-1_PI3fDZDC0E_eEL2ApFDz7avZz-VhFBs46gA06CBfsktRziQn2_q9AG_P0eeLtJqjT-JbXcAjX2k0G1F3eJR4WDqO3TI8e21k1UW_FDGOKZzqmj85ApZyzzNo2uTGBHjThQFr4wzqiRkLtbr/s896/IMG_20221118_095959.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="896" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglD_n9mU6RCN_Ebughp89ytmEwd_NpphittU46f0-1_PI3fDZDC0E_eEL2ApFDz7avZz-VhFBs46gA06CBfsktRziQn2_q9AG_P0eeLtJqjT-JbXcAjX2k0G1F3eJR4WDqO3TI8e21k1UW_FDGOKZzqmj85ApZyzzNo2uTGBHjThQFr4wzqiRkLtbr/s320/IMG_20221118_095959.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>And lastly, on Sunday morning, Samoa played in the rugby league world cup final (I think a first for any Pacific Island country). Avondale has been complete madness (in a good way) for days! Lots of cars are decorated with little Samoan flags, and plenty of folk are driving around waving full-sized flags out their car windows whilst playing upbeat music at full volume. I've seen a few cars with Tongan flags, too (although it was wall-to-wall Samoan ones by Saturday) - and this one car that appears to be supporting the entire Pacific :-)</p><p>My church is probably a bit under half Samoan, and the energy in the room on Sunday morning was incredible. Probably aided by the fact half the people there had been up since 5am to watch the game! We have one chorus song we often sing, where each verse is the same words in a different language. When we got to the Samoan verse, various people started traditional dancing, and the teenager on bass guitar whipped out a full-size Samoan flag to wave for the duration of the verse. Fun :-) </p><p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-52041044955687462492022-09-22T12:54:00.006+12:002022-09-22T13:43:30.441+12:00Foraging fun<p>On Monday, for my Sabbath 'fun thing', I went for a wander looking for edible plants. I was particularly interested in nasturtiums and jasmine, both of which I'd recently learned could be used to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cij5ahVrcCa/">make</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Chg5HW9LsW8/">cordial</a>. I was also wanting to see if I could ID some giant daisies that I was hoping might be edible oxeye daisies.</p><p>Success on all fronts! <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3qjDz6g73FwU-KKDs4AyElT2WXnv63tVIXs3eyZVU1yXzxg11I4EbsPaku3Fdz-vCmKn2n8PL5UJsJVLhd5Vqc1xhhssY2VVx-Vy2nwIQCOZK5ylTyUdlCjTq-rKhjlw_B8sJlWVuHs3GYGqMUxHtfavV8FrzSFnyikEAd765LS16K45PaM5Bo2Z/s4160/IMG_20220919_105241.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3qjDz6g73FwU-KKDs4AyElT2WXnv63tVIXs3eyZVU1yXzxg11I4EbsPaku3Fdz-vCmKn2n8PL5UJsJVLhd5Vqc1xhhssY2VVx-Vy2nwIQCOZK5ylTyUdlCjTq-rKhjlw_B8sJlWVuHs3GYGqMUxHtfavV8FrzSFnyikEAd765LS16K45PaM5Bo2Z/s320/IMG_20220919_105241.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nasturtium flowers - about 2/3 of an ice cream container worth<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUArMJcPPxRc8fMtWJMagBEaUj4_34DHY_T4uRERAeBvgU8BcIWbS-126c2oZu9bT0ugepz4TbggxDNT1ALQFtOk06SmuY8a_ZUyLt-Lw4ha_BvFZbrrRnDqAtnifAyvShOteOYM8i9QMSkGcEXiwmq-0scu4i2O34D7QrBFALbIJR6-SCCiRj04d/s4160/IMG_20220919_110032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUArMJcPPxRc8fMtWJMagBEaUj4_34DHY_T4uRERAeBvgU8BcIWbS-126c2oZu9bT0ugepz4TbggxDNT1ALQFtOk06SmuY8a_ZUyLt-Lw4ha_BvFZbrrRnDqAtnifAyvShOteOYM8i9QMSkGcEXiwmq-0scu4i2O34D7QrBFALbIJR6-SCCiRj04d/s320/IMG_20220919_110032.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">soaking in boiling hot sugar syrup<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFId60SL5p9lho_hD3Wtgku9Mfq74DHb9uDZAHT0MVyW3mhjSGjzLRvUJRvkyMbpbPpo75DDjfxiXEIVF8OdmJwZERKJkZ0x6N3bdhyINxEhLr3h0OT6kZi0w88r9smpgLmbukIhxz0I7N8TZ_Bd2wJaHZHVASrN0zFsMnua7t0Sis08J0ziiUiJc/s4160/IMG_20220919_110150.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFId60SL5p9lho_hD3Wtgku9Mfq74DHb9uDZAHT0MVyW3mhjSGjzLRvUJRvkyMbpbPpo75DDjfxiXEIVF8OdmJwZERKJkZ0x6N3bdhyINxEhLr3h0OT6kZi0w88r9smpgLmbukIhxz0I7N8TZ_Bd2wJaHZHVASrN0zFsMnua7t0Sis08J0ziiUiJc/s320/IMG_20220919_110150.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lots of jasmine flowers. They smelled amazing!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSyzMw2VFKCgkLFUNClfdk6AFa83CRmYFrslbnrTRxOYN_VQ-uUzdS67bvA2zgXdEpCl3EOcZWEoz2udhR6GhqfELa5CsGDcGkLb36PEH3fche2AjRsis1XfPDCd46khMe-FiA29niW_LVSwh07MrXBiutdSALG4kbx7LVJJXGELJ8MN9P91rLT9j/s4160/IMG_20220919_112156.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSyzMw2VFKCgkLFUNClfdk6AFa83CRmYFrslbnrTRxOYN_VQ-uUzdS67bvA2zgXdEpCl3EOcZWEoz2udhR6GhqfELa5CsGDcGkLb36PEH3fche2AjRsis1XfPDCd46khMe-FiA29niW_LVSwh07MrXBiutdSALG4kbx7LVJJXGELJ8MN9P91rLT9j/s320/IMG_20220919_112156.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">jasmine flowers, plucked off their stems and soaking in boiling hot sugar syrup<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXueYv07zCIUj1Mhb556zcSYhM5AG3D4kYlYEnhRXqbcEu1x0M4aDWb2JSHxWxA6qufTO2Bsg7udRQ51PsdDrw8NUr1Ut085K41xjFbN22pHSe37ufzaRIO5KplOR9ydKsPBXkFOLHPK5KSaDFlAxhBqUQYxPoxScJHbj6J2V0DYmIajSPXLymXzl/s4160/IMG_20220919_131920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXueYv07zCIUj1Mhb556zcSYhM5AG3D4kYlYEnhRXqbcEu1x0M4aDWb2JSHxWxA6qufTO2Bsg7udRQ51PsdDrw8NUr1Ut085K41xjFbN22pHSe37ufzaRIO5KplOR9ydKsPBXkFOLHPK5KSaDFlAxhBqUQYxPoxScJHbj6J2V0DYmIajSPXLymXzl/s320/IMG_20220919_131920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">steeping overnight<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxX0w_CU_XdHk0Ja3p0v_OTWU8BTGGKkt4E6VFxrnG70nryVLhHLSqbEvd9VML6nau_h8ZDVc1KBcIuT4s3PWUP1wevOEuMO-rFAyZqyvNKU3u4nhLsU0H1N-ZNFd6EFjdIkDb5UN-j5TILSzcWY_baAIwFry3XnPbZXZCpj1PeJMS3jrl1UrBEui/s4160/IMG_20220920_100614.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxX0w_CU_XdHk0Ja3p0v_OTWU8BTGGKkt4E6VFxrnG70nryVLhHLSqbEvd9VML6nau_h8ZDVc1KBcIuT4s3PWUP1wevOEuMO-rFAyZqyvNKU3u4nhLsU0H1N-ZNFd6EFjdIkDb5UN-j5TILSzcWY_baAIwFry3XnPbZXZCpj1PeJMS3jrl1UrBEui/s320/IMG_20220920_100614.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after straining the next morning. The colours really surprised me - pink from the orange and yellow nasturtiums; yellow from the pink and white jasmine!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BFWl-dHYqwbadHpDVMxZKjQOg9_O9XlhAm6QkzFr_Z_6dhq495u1D_yP0f8UxN3Bb2OaqiaQKxE5NmdWS8HgK11AAUyCp3yJy1qMcHg-pExza7zszEWK2nh_LtHxB-mLgmGNgKLH6kDdGZO9ebcimL3PlImXDAZaIaidjq0q-JBJea7W2ekKRuHb/s4160/IMG_20220920_101530.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BFWl-dHYqwbadHpDVMxZKjQOg9_O9XlhAm6QkzFr_Z_6dhq495u1D_yP0f8UxN3Bb2OaqiaQKxE5NmdWS8HgK11AAUyCp3yJy1qMcHg-pExza7zszEWK2nh_LtHxB-mLgmGNgKLH6kDdGZO9ebcimL3PlImXDAZaIaidjq0q-JBJea7W2ekKRuHb/s320/IMG_20220920_101530.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bottled and ready to use. This one works nicely as a cordial, thinned down with plain water. It's unusual, but a nice mix of floral and spicy.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHy--SJDAdTaMzpyH_wVuMu8Uv-whZDnxgtoFYdRW8mnOBVLAUSfs97p63uAHxzfG7pfjuqs6_xRBOvDMyC4_5W7uB-Wk4jEtmxsmWoVb3nlE1WSexAljGqkDCIez9b3tCUEteBe5r1mhp3xqcL0rolw-b_k_tpgU2Q_TH3OvSGZEqcZrqDv3YtTp/s4160/IMG_20220920_162640.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHy--SJDAdTaMzpyH_wVuMu8Uv-whZDnxgtoFYdRW8mnOBVLAUSfs97p63uAHxzfG7pfjuqs6_xRBOvDMyC4_5W7uB-Wk4jEtmxsmWoVb3nlE1WSexAljGqkDCIez9b3tCUEteBe5r1mhp3xqcL0rolw-b_k_tpgU2Q_TH3OvSGZEqcZrqDv3YtTp/s320/IMG_20220920_162640.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">jasmine
'cordial', which turned out to be incredibly strong! About 1/2 a
teaspoon is all you need in a whole glass of water - hence the small
bottles I put it in. It's really nice added to ginger tea. I think
it'd be good mixed with a lime cordial. I think it'd be amazing in
icing, and also for jasmine jamun (i.e. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulab_jamun">gulab jamun</a>, but with jasmine instead of rose).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEQ7JLg9FzjYbVSYbsvE10rtn_Zcw1EkBRRfdQh63sRoToo_jX8e7e86oD9KRYH5gqnSZmgp2VXdk1nP9WMbFioh-RzqfbEVRsO-e5DZ720n9D9OKiKrWFLV3GwJq2Ny_ANL4aBqy0YAMqrFmLZNBewN2fCeq8Axe5T910L2sVGQcFPDoVD_qxSA-/s4160/IMG_20220922_121153.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEQ7JLg9FzjYbVSYbsvE10rtn_Zcw1EkBRRfdQh63sRoToo_jX8e7e86oD9KRYH5gqnSZmgp2VXdk1nP9WMbFioh-RzqfbEVRsO-e5DZ720n9D9OKiKrWFLV3GwJq2Ny_ANL4aBqy0YAMqrFmLZNBewN2fCeq8Axe5T910L2sVGQcFPDoVD_qxSA-/s320/IMG_20220922_121153.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mint kefir also turned out even nicer with a hint of jasmine :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p> </p><p>If you'd like to have a go, look at my notes on <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jsko79w8gt1dn7u/AADq4U8qN_fvIeKtxzOwQntHa/drinks?dl=0&preview=nasturtium+cordial.txt&subfolder_nav_tracking=1">nasturtium cordial</a> and <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jsko79w8gt1dn7u/AABF6uh1mLnw9NWc9GDSHYuUa?dl=0&preview=sweet+jasmine+essence.txt">sweet jasmine essence</a>. <br /></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">And the daisies were, indeed, oxeye daisies - with thanks to <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/colleges/college-of-sciences/clinics-and-services/weeds-database/oxeye-daisy.cfm">this site</a>, which also listed the things they're most commonly confused with, meaning I'm pretty confident of my ID.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjYsxMmYAXUguuVdm_sfO4OhdxhvJiD-jzCkA379hTygVPSDx1c6l0ARpzV2dqpFgNbC6FdAzyfhAbx6S81HXyAIjbsEkTm8JVPnmsRYzaxGdrU5AjdjP8SUZgaZSIzLWh-cuCKY4FyQQrEbtJpOFwfqZSktgTN0SpDUYmzbRyIa3JuWZeYBrW7bF/s4160/IMG_20220919_114155.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjYsxMmYAXUguuVdm_sfO4OhdxhvJiD-jzCkA379hTygVPSDx1c6l0ARpzV2dqpFgNbC6FdAzyfhAbx6S81HXyAIjbsEkTm8JVPnmsRYzaxGdrU5AjdjP8SUZgaZSIzLWh-cuCKY4FyQQrEbtJpOFwfqZSktgTN0SpDUYmzbRyIa3JuWZeYBrW7bF/s320/IMG_20220919_114155.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the leaves are currently stashed in our fridge. They're a curious flavour - bitter, perfumy and grassy all at once. I had some chopped over fried egg for lunch today it worked really well. I also think they'd be a nice addition to a salad, but in 'herb' rather than 'lettuce' quantities!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8AYcaRgj4QdPrmW6ufzCOr6UXCyRDi1er_I7aCgVBvSUHVCriMeSLA4SdP-eLMPx1scYwuqNr5Imzo_fIIjA83CT0_s1r9ekuOXBFUxtAQeenbIOzr_QCb239ncY1W-BiWp9uUB_5SkGK6CGL5l8wG4JAUqZD6-V3P1E6_iNIn4salfQ2N67lTzL/s4160/IMG_20220919_123905.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8AYcaRgj4QdPrmW6ufzCOr6UXCyRDi1er_I7aCgVBvSUHVCriMeSLA4SdP-eLMPx1scYwuqNr5Imzo_fIIjA83CT0_s1r9ekuOXBFUxtAQeenbIOzr_QCb239ncY1W-BiWp9uUB_5SkGK6CGL5l8wG4JAUqZD6-V3P1E6_iNIn4salfQ2N67lTzL/s320/IMG_20220919_123905.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and I'm enjoying the flowers on my dresser, in a vase that used to belong to my Grandma :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> <br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-8892458784653494632022-09-17T16:56:00.003+12:002022-09-17T17:00:53.524+12:00The Justice Conference and its aftermath<p>Two weeks ago today, we were at the Justice Conference with Just Kai. It was a good day, but long and tiring - especially as I forgot to rest basically all afternoon and into the evening :-(</p><p>Lots of people seemed interested in what we had to say - quite a few didn't seem that aware of the issue of slavery in our food supply, and lots were encouraged to see brands they already bought on our table of 'good' options :-)</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7YbWAyhd2M1WX6YSADgqd3wUTRH7hMvELNXZyGEtNaCPpa_SIhxDQX4kb_cnFigFeJFkP_xYdXB3lrayn-n5V1GJUvHbjpLVtcogxAMqrpuuOlr5GCXy5vpjLhJb3ZSvVLSBpL9-hxFASmN-f-w0k2jfkt2YMBOW3UsC_GrCZhXQz8646RfoXD8m/s4160/IMG_20220903_142615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7YbWAyhd2M1WX6YSADgqd3wUTRH7hMvELNXZyGEtNaCPpa_SIhxDQX4kb_cnFigFeJFkP_xYdXB3lrayn-n5V1GJUvHbjpLVtcogxAMqrpuuOlr5GCXy5vpjLhJb3ZSvVLSBpL9-hxFASmN-f-w0k2jfkt2YMBOW3UsC_GrCZhXQz8646RfoXD8m/s320/IMG_20220903_142615.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>We definitely had a more 'professional' look this time, too, with uniform T-shirts and fancy signage.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNus-iMAPGN2I0Hn4hpWoOAb9dLVPhiffB-rgJhv_A4uNtCNv2oGbtaACLr_y3NTwGr9z3Kr7kr_1AjaYxTLtW-NArzMA3pCQKHQOQOGPQKnM3xuExb_mzpdoMXHbr1zXgiDwyL2_dMDhbml6mQX7nc0Ap--E8QvviwPjiMyOh8Xm5xJcgDyrwDeyZ/s2953/H%20and%20M.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="2953" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNus-iMAPGN2I0Hn4hpWoOAb9dLVPhiffB-rgJhv_A4uNtCNv2oGbtaACLr_y3NTwGr9z3Kr7kr_1AjaYxTLtW-NArzMA3pCQKHQOQOGPQKnM3xuExb_mzpdoMXHbr1zXgiDwyL2_dMDhbml6mQX7nc0Ap--E8QvviwPjiMyOh8Xm5xJcgDyrwDeyZ/s320/H%20and%20M.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I was particularly encouraged by two interactions. One with a chap I already know a bit, who was interested that we'd had funding to do some research earlier this year; he's got a charitable trust, and has offered to fund some more :-) The other with a chap who makes documentaries for a living, and who likes to do charitable projects from time to time. He felt that we had a message that needed disseminating, and he's keen to talk some time soon about what that might look like.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I was also on a panel, on worker exploitation and what consumers can do about that. It was the first time I've done something like that, and I was surprised how well it went. My big concern was how to manage in a more fluid environment (compared to giving a talk), as I don't think well on my feet. We got around this with several 'accommodations'. Firstly, the people on the panel agreed on a set of pre-prepared questions for the initial part of the panel. I was still nervous how I'd go at remembering what I wanted to say for those, but then Martin suggested I take index cards with notes on. They made a huge difference!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6NjiXm57J8eLGNDu_GGnW8qeTg5VUB7PsOgKBATbo4Ak95HzAsHoCyLqLfXte7_rcEi67dPb7E70TKVAcJBKiOnhUQIMcswGZgfCZotPWnz2x23BDQA2zkLVCWkRzetFJQmk9ozOurb6Vwip-2UShDOKkZHgURP7PtOcTaW4uuIXj7L4rrTJulm_/s4160/IMG_20220905_094614.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6NjiXm57J8eLGNDu_GGnW8qeTg5VUB7PsOgKBATbo4Ak95HzAsHoCyLqLfXte7_rcEi67dPb7E70TKVAcJBKiOnhUQIMcswGZgfCZotPWnz2x23BDQA2zkLVCWkRzetFJQmk9ozOurb6Vwip-2UShDOKkZHgURP7PtOcTaW4uuIXj7L4rrTJulm_/s320/IMG_20220905_094614.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Then, for the 'questions from the audience bit', I had Martin to help. The audience were told I had health issues and that Martin was there in a support role, and he sat next to me. When it came to the unknown questions, he just gave me a quiet one or two word hint of what sort of thing I should be talking about (e.g. "Countdown" or "IT"). It was incredibly helpful, but subtle enough that even the panel moderator hadn't realised he'd actually done anything other than provide moral support :-)<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECBR3ewuAsYmi2upw6EaA5plc_dDM-Kfo7yjDarouRSe4sNbQINwrMguJnnlQmy522JmgqHz9yHN5Fd8wCca4-B9XjJviyIBVz9nE5-3MgYFVp0WiaiNhJiK3Z6aCxbXeISNAV65HeFB1kKcFHzvuCx2nGIfgwcpSJHzPRVdRDPUesVZk0hAzttcV/s3543/Panel%20discussion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1697" data-original-width="3543" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECBR3ewuAsYmi2upw6EaA5plc_dDM-Kfo7yjDarouRSe4sNbQINwrMguJnnlQmy522JmgqHz9yHN5Fd8wCca4-B9XjJviyIBVz9nE5-3MgYFVp0WiaiNhJiK3Z6aCxbXeISNAV65HeFB1kKcFHzvuCx2nGIfgwcpSJHzPRVdRDPUesVZk0hAzttcV/s320/Panel%20discussion.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p>The session was videoed: if you're interested in watching that and all the other talks from the whole conference (<a href="https://www.thejusticeconference.org.nz/programme">programme here</a>), you can pay $15 to access the lot (<a href="https://events.humanitix.com/the-justice-conference-2022?_ga=2.74523024.340395915.1663102223-1353056126.1649020349">tickets here</a>).<br /></p><p>----------------------</p><p>After that, as I say, I was really tired. Last week I did very little all week. This past week I did almost nothing Wednesday and Friday (as well as my usual <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2019/11/sabbath-keeping-and-care-casting.html">Monday Sabbath</a>). But on Thursday Martin and I went off on an adventure :-)<br /></p><p>Ages back, we'd had a <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2020/07/holiday-in-te-aroha-and-auckland.html">fun day</a> biking from Newmarket to Mission Bay and back into town. Since then, I'd been keen to do something similar in Devonport.</p><p>We took the train into town, then the ferry to Devonport, stopping in town first to pick up a tasting platter from <a href="https://miannchocolatefactory.com/pages/miann-britomart">Miann</a> (one of very few fancy chocolate places that Just Kai also considers slave free!).</p><p>It was so nice catching the ferry across the harbour :-) Once there, we rode along the stunningly beautiful waterfront, past the Naval museum and out along Torpedo wharf. It was so peaceful there - just a few people fishing and us.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitX0ReYyELCJ9PM3o3C7rl-ZF_8saHuIMs-5a8Meb2CqVRwqsAtATnkqJvCmlKYwYFNPJUPjc7IBv2v9Wx44c--N4mUewTVBZGRx2Nn-rURu8ypUZrh43_FoGWtgk9RJq758geV28IPySZcCu9D-F8fDH8sbIHhRF3h4eOdQhMPnrLo8tFwX5Xynnt/s4000/IMG_20220915_110408.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitX0ReYyELCJ9PM3o3C7rl-ZF_8saHuIMs-5a8Meb2CqVRwqsAtATnkqJvCmlKYwYFNPJUPjc7IBv2v9Wx44c--N4mUewTVBZGRx2Nn-rURu8ypUZrh43_FoGWtgk9RJq758geV28IPySZcCu9D-F8fDH8sbIHhRF3h4eOdQhMPnrLo8tFwX5Xynnt/s320/IMG_20220915_110408.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p>After that we headed up North Head/Maungauika (Uika's hill). We used to go there quite often when I was growing up, but it's likely 25 years since I was last there!</p><p>I was impressed by the painting on the asphalt. First there were these triangles (which are made up of yellowy-green and green triangles themselves), which seemed to be marking narrow points on the road.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8r63rcGDFC6Y6mTohdgBEt5Lx5vIlrSUe0gwabh7XyMQGNfAdIRaQq7Z7GMvIEYHZBAwHXe-Zeclo0n6nHtkxjmCqY7sm7rL-3c7kd9vRsUR1w5dPtowQu1tCQUKm7OyMK1RurYyPnzO7TfWLSdCIxhwYzTj6uI9a0e2_k4DU4Tod5cMwUztTuZC/s1264/IMG_20220915_122814_crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="1016" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8r63rcGDFC6Y6mTohdgBEt5Lx5vIlrSUe0gwabh7XyMQGNfAdIRaQq7Z7GMvIEYHZBAwHXe-Zeclo0n6nHtkxjmCqY7sm7rL-3c7kd9vRsUR1w5dPtowQu1tCQUKm7OyMK1RurYyPnzO7TfWLSdCIxhwYzTj6uI9a0e2_k4DU4Tod5cMwUztTuZC/s320/IMG_20220915_122814_crop.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><p>The entrance to the carpark featured this design: like the other, it felt Māori - this one perhaps reminiscent of the <a href="https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/puawaitanga-o-te-ringa/patiki/">pātiki</a> (flounder) tukutuku design?<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_3nHPVlWOD4otsfdyo1Ke_pUIh-Wi0EsxYLtcKCh1wLuNTomgLP5LLUccWPGUIiewopDQy9Yz-kcHY9G9HskRljkxdP1luADAuCvtYdf9wcuCitR6wsruqfKDKk3laEl7C9qUCkWcY9O_1QWyrJasLpDP6JMNCA_wgKeP7cITTNO66R7iApn68ox/s4160/IMG_20220915_122818.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_3nHPVlWOD4otsfdyo1Ke_pUIh-Wi0EsxYLtcKCh1wLuNTomgLP5LLUccWPGUIiewopDQy9Yz-kcHY9G9HskRljkxdP1luADAuCvtYdf9wcuCitR6wsruqfKDKk3laEl7C9qUCkWcY9O_1QWyrJasLpDP6JMNCA_wgKeP7cITTNO66R7iApn68ox/s320/IMG_20220915_122818.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>And I loved this swirly set right at the top!<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuK0CSKxh4eF8OkBno9iBG0tlgy5sAQNKFe9kYodiuzXKJSdhy9jwVGl0OGk_8_AvbsLKN5jxN9Q6C0NvaBlpb2uTGFM1CTCm-36hNqJJw0z813J9NuNQ_7_qllszYzjfSG5N4IrU0ClT7iNTJikotiONbJFDqIifNukw5WPrAu4y_vZBrRoi9nYiQ/s4160/IMG_20220915_113743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuK0CSKxh4eF8OkBno9iBG0tlgy5sAQNKFe9kYodiuzXKJSdhy9jwVGl0OGk_8_AvbsLKN5jxN9Q6C0NvaBlpb2uTGFM1CTCm-36hNqJJw0z813J9NuNQ_7_qllszYzjfSG5N4IrU0ClT7iNTJikotiONbJFDqIifNukw5WPrAu4y_vZBrRoi9nYiQ/s320/IMG_20220915_113743.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p></p><p>I was also pleasantly surprised I could bike all the way to the top without significant trouble :-)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRAIRq2GKSj0qiyXyKeAAn8cF8u5ZlqJUsE_VZ7XrcoNiSFP2G-AUMmjbQ3BFDWZwX4hpa8L4gq641Y4VJ4XcKqn8GOyPwMb8l9J8g3389AuiveTJKAcmqxsSE2TPMnqQkZWB9WHBob7Eqknz6EBx3XEGhsJEHTzy1esnfW2cNB9zAfI93cnELLKz/s4000/IMG_20220915_112210.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRAIRq2GKSj0qiyXyKeAAn8cF8u5ZlqJUsE_VZ7XrcoNiSFP2G-AUMmjbQ3BFDWZwX4hpa8L4gq641Y4VJ4XcKqn8GOyPwMb8l9J8g3389AuiveTJKAcmqxsSE2TPMnqQkZWB9WHBob7Eqknz6EBx3XEGhsJEHTzy1esnfW2cNB9zAfI93cnELLKz/s320/IMG_20220915_112210.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p>It's just such a nice place for a wander - especially on such a gorgeous day.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_ljkASUQTbg1cheGzL5Q-AQtb8G2m0oMK0p2yPikJBaO7RbVdfDLpQMLcgx04e5Pl7x_h1NaejIMwZhkKvdOOZp1iA-k3DOdYEnL-iGjj5pE5EJl6BNGxHyKATB3nc00DfnYEC2SDJn6qShrjjbLzNKomqcPtLYe-ED4pTzNaAZ7Rn0g3FB9CiTW/s4160/IMG_20220915_120612.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_ljkASUQTbg1cheGzL5Q-AQtb8G2m0oMK0p2yPikJBaO7RbVdfDLpQMLcgx04e5Pl7x_h1NaejIMwZhkKvdOOZp1iA-k3DOdYEnL-iGjj5pE5EJl6BNGxHyKATB3nc00DfnYEC2SDJn6qShrjjbLzNKomqcPtLYe-ED4pTzNaAZ7Rn0g3FB9CiTW/s320/IMG_20220915_120612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskUP5WTkCAsLnr77xxiXsnJgCG9BSQoH0YY_TiWUIdVgvgU-8D-QwuL0k2uYJ2WCEXn4-gCu6_ATB_TaRXkhHTm1GLtejOZuHKPOq0aaQZsVt-VgWmHnEQ7e4MOFTMAB8fxDe--DDu_hzsjlnDtd_3MZec0aQZWbp1QrGZDkMJrpmH3agnY2AaBK_/s4160/IMG_20220915_114022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskUP5WTkCAsLnr77xxiXsnJgCG9BSQoH0YY_TiWUIdVgvgU-8D-QwuL0k2uYJ2WCEXn4-gCu6_ATB_TaRXkhHTm1GLtejOZuHKPOq0aaQZsVt-VgWmHnEQ7e4MOFTMAB8fxDe--DDu_hzsjlnDtd_3MZec0aQZWbp1QrGZDkMJrpmH3agnY2AaBK_/s320/IMG_20220915_114022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ahn7VfDyU28vYQ-EoQF0ogH9qhjCj6UjmjPuO6SbAkOhMSgV_XlTi259IsjE36GOM56VT-L5NVhlp-cE5tiqDPdVDD1ppDpnSl_FzlXGeKOZRXlAxcIcQeFTuZXW4hTk0nmSnHgoUAjPqRHsQ9PnVVhUwNUs-Hnr3VTFjOZ_QS9s5JDUJnoC2mRB/s4000/IMG_20220915_112200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ahn7VfDyU28vYQ-EoQF0ogH9qhjCj6UjmjPuO6SbAkOhMSgV_XlTi259IsjE36GOM56VT-L5NVhlp-cE5tiqDPdVDD1ppDpnSl_FzlXGeKOZRXlAxcIcQeFTuZXW4hTk0nmSnHgoUAjPqRHsQ9PnVVhUwNUs-Hnr3VTFjOZ_QS9s5JDUJnoC2mRB/s320/IMG_20220915_112200.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxvv6EL2NaGcq-16BrD_FrZi_Gu2NWaoAiD7vU1weKmUJKMzsznF_vuFXbL4GO3fc4-sq2rdeevg5Pav01kKpyWT89OMIdSpNN2p0BF4MDs4QKX_lOjcsLb5iTOauAfHwncImRk7qJLIluvq4YL17e9s3MLXsAIURqxIzXmit03RtJjx4xx5qJGH0/s4000/IMG_20220915_112158.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxvv6EL2NaGcq-16BrD_FrZi_Gu2NWaoAiD7vU1weKmUJKMzsznF_vuFXbL4GO3fc4-sq2rdeevg5Pav01kKpyWT89OMIdSpNN2p0BF4MDs4QKX_lOjcsLb5iTOauAfHwncImRk7qJLIluvq4YL17e9s3MLXsAIURqxIzXmit03RtJjx4xx5qJGH0/s320/IMG_20220915_112158.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Quite a few locals were out walking their dogs.</p><p>At the big gun emplacement we saw a small flock (maybe 3) of birds with red faces and irridescent heads.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9To8mtmktJZ-BKOLaoAaP3tTCt6hnqea4mSBINtADemOjYFJUgIJSL94QWNxiWGlt3e7g7_odLjqI2WqZ6SYH-rdi85dGKXdE7thLMNKvaNkhMz91vd-QeaLv9aQmktbNeL-vAqOe_4HoE71XyaGE55eYtYuecNsFGtVECiF-FqPg3dw16oxUxwAJ/s4000/IMG_20220915_115848.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9To8mtmktJZ-BKOLaoAaP3tTCt6hnqea4mSBINtADemOjYFJUgIJSL94QWNxiWGlt3e7g7_odLjqI2WqZ6SYH-rdi85dGKXdE7thLMNKvaNkhMz91vd-QeaLv9aQmktbNeL-vAqOe_4HoE71XyaGE55eYtYuecNsFGtVECiF-FqPg3dw16oxUxwAJ/s320/IMG_20220915_115848.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I'm not sure what they were. My best guess is male chaffinches in breeding plumage, but online descriptions of those speaks of them having 'slate grey' heads. Whatever these were, their heads definitely reflected greeny bluey colours in the sun. Quite stunning! This unimpressive shot is the best we were able to get.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOQCGmxnenQQVf9KqYzwPOAUmIkAxhBsauNM7p6xsjxhwPl1BjeZyVKp6vCuzPWxrzynhc1vsSMZJvPPTxYFujN7juE-lS_U_Eq1kiyxg0Nu5_ZidIRchXtyAnzGtqyWvqforpY5eHZYz0EM4-gfoTmDEFtaL_lH1AudVLBNzyTpVBYmuWfnZM5PA/s770/IMG_20220915_115943.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="770" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOQCGmxnenQQVf9KqYzwPOAUmIkAxhBsauNM7p6xsjxhwPl1BjeZyVKp6vCuzPWxrzynhc1vsSMZJvPPTxYFujN7juE-lS_U_Eq1kiyxg0Nu5_ZidIRchXtyAnzGtqyWvqforpY5eHZYz0EM4-gfoTmDEFtaL_lH1AudVLBNzyTpVBYmuWfnZM5PA/s320/IMG_20220915_115943.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>After a wander through some of the tunnels, we headed back to Devonport for lunch at a Turkish place on the wharf - Turkish 'street pizza' (beef mince on pizza!), some kind of dumplings with hummus, pinenuts and pomegranate molasses, and hot sweet pomegranate tea.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCzn78vcBCkqfIYYmMlcDdC8Lh4tv1SEgeCTvMBykOxsJ8l6NKcHPvf-vXklYAxKhc4WyJNyyGPdSO9-BAV5XuKawBl5m6xSd9HRt838kPgSWVb2EbHJbrqYJ25wk0BdbaRXkC5Mw6Bo_SNlHIm2blWGpgCA4yAB3FrIp7dy7FmylRIlk730OIAOK/s4000/IMG_20220915_130702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCzn78vcBCkqfIYYmMlcDdC8Lh4tv1SEgeCTvMBykOxsJ8l6NKcHPvf-vXklYAxKhc4WyJNyyGPdSO9-BAV5XuKawBl5m6xSd9HRt838kPgSWVb2EbHJbrqYJ25wk0BdbaRXkC5Mw6Bo_SNlHIm2blWGpgCA4yAB3FrIp7dy7FmylRIlk730OIAOK/s320/IMG_20220915_130702.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p>The pizza was a bit underwhelming, but both the dumplings and tea were delicious and full of flavour.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDlmmLDUbFoiHPSVaKDeIXOWF30Ha0dJr_1n6cjBo8L4Th6ZHqkZm87KC6ynT58bw2OqJuuB0CK2M4Gj5Ld4aO16-xmOuCZ1faxWS3LUPRoEn0c1DYraW91AanMWDjFhRsF4_pCMPDDrlxAVprzDMtZ4EJCnRWoSrpWeRVxcrgDm0pTmcS_I7Le8y/s4000/IMG_20220915_130715.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDlmmLDUbFoiHPSVaKDeIXOWF30Ha0dJr_1n6cjBo8L4Th6ZHqkZm87KC6ynT58bw2OqJuuB0CK2M4Gj5Ld4aO16-xmOuCZ1faxWS3LUPRoEn0c1DYraW91AanMWDjFhRsF4_pCMPDDrlxAVprzDMtZ4EJCnRWoSrpWeRVxcrgDm0pTmcS_I7Le8y/s320/IMG_20220915_130715.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>After lunch, we'd thought to maybe head out towards Stanley Point to look at the view, but I was pretty tired. Instead, we rested by the beach then headed back home.</p><p>----------------------</p><p>And now, Martin's off to Chicago! He's recently got a new role at work, which means he's now part of the 7-person management team. They meet weekly online, but try to meet quarterly in person, alternating between North America (where four of them are based) and Auckland. We don't really know what to expect, in terms of how I'll cope (I usually don't do any cooking/shopping/laundry etc., and don't sleep the best on my own), how he'll cope (usually he works a 30 hour week, and this week very much won't be that!), or much of what his week will look like... What we do know is that he'll be away from this evening until the morning of Sunday 25th, and that he'll spend his first three days back in isolation in case he's brought back a new and interesting Covid variant. I'll be at home most of this week, but on Friday I'm heading off to spend the long weekend with a friend in Eastern Beach. The fridge is full of bagged meals, and the freezer has a few frozen leftovers - yay for fridges, freezers and microwaves! <br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-59895761535156011152022-08-17T16:55:00.005+12:002022-08-17T20:58:15.235+12:00Letting God's work be God's work<p>July was incredibly busy for me, with my brother and his family visiting from the UK, a whole bunch of unexpected fuss associated with Just Kai preparing to be at <a href="https://www.thejusticeconference.org.nz/">The Justice Conference</a> in September, and supervising a student (a first for me) doing a commissioned (paid!) <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/blog/2022-08-01-nuts-coconuts-and-rice/">research project</a> for Just Kai. At the end of it all, I badly needed a holiday!</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I'd really hoped to do some research into coffee, so that we could combine that with existing research into <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/blog/2021-09-25-arnotts-and-coca-cola-use-slave-free-sugar/#arnotts">biscuits</a>, <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/guides/sugar/">sugar</a>, <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/blog/2021-10-27-slave-free-options-for-tea/">tea</a> and <a href="https://justkai.org.nz/guides/cocoa/#hot-chocolate">hot chocolate</a> to make a 'morning tea guide'. This felt like a useful resource to offer at The Justice Conference, where most people attending would be church members, and most churches serve morning tea! But, we also had a holiday scheduled for the middle two weeks of August and, a day or two before that started, I realised I had to let that go. Hopefully we'll be able to work on that after the Justice Conference instead.<p></p><p>So, Saturday 10 days ago, we drove up to Whangarei to visit Martin's parents. It was good to see them, but I initially found I was still doing so much Just Kai work. I was super-stressed, and didn't at all feel like I was on holiday :-(</p><p>I was thinking about this on the Monday, and felt God say to me really clearly: "You're not acting like it's My work".</p><p>I don't often hear such clear words from God.</p><p>So, on the Tuesday, instead of getting stuck back in, I took some time with my journal, writing out stuff I was worried about. Just then, I'd learned that the panel I was supposed to be on for The Justice Conference had been scheduled at a time of day when my brain is usually fried. It just didn't feel possible to do it then; but what would happen if I said that? There'd already been a bunch of hiccups with the panel - would they just give up on it? Would they say there was no choice? I felt a huge responsibility to do the panel, and didn't know what to do. But I couldn't forget what God had said, either. So I said to God: "I want to be on this panel to get the word out about slavery in food. But you haven't given me the energy to do it at that time. So I'm going to tell them that I can't do it at that time, and if that means they say I can't do it at all, you'll need to find another way to get the word out."</p><p>And we were in the process of getting T-shirts printed for Just Kai. The person who was doing it was highly recommended on the Avondale Facebook page but, at least in English, was not at all communicative. So, I'd surrendered my expensive blank <a href="https://joyya.nz/">Joyya</a> T-shirts to him, paid him a remarkable amount of donated money, and now had to trust he was doing what I wanted with them! I was really stressed - what would I do if they were all wrong? Would it be OK to get other T-shirts printed elsewhere by someone who I could communicate with? But how would I find the time or energy to do that? And, even if I could, how could I slot 'ethical' T shirts into that? So again, I said to God: "I wanted Just Kai T-shirts so we could better convey your message - so we'd look professional and people would trust us, and so our team was easily identifiable so people could ask us questions when we were out and about at the conference. I've done my best to spend the money donated for this responsibly. But if it all goes wrong and we don't get usable T-shirts out of it, then you'll need to find other ways to achieve those goals, because I just can't see how to try anything else with the time and energy remaining."</p><p>It was super-hard. I cried a lot writing those words - it felt huge to 'give up' and not take responsibility for those things.</p><p>But it was needed. And those things are true. Just Kai is God's work, not mine, and He'll give me more energy if He needs me to give more energy to it. So I don't need to push myself to give more than I have.</p><p>After that, the rest of the holiday was more holiday-ish. There was still a bunch of emails that needed answering. I was interviewed by Radio Rhema on the Wednesday (a recording which will go to air on the 24th - I think between 5 and 6pm). But Martin and I also borrowed his parents' bikes and spent a morning mooching around town and eating yummy food, and on the Friday we took his Mum out for a picnic at the (remarkably scenic) local water reservoir.</p><p>We came home on Saturday, but are still on holiday this week. I'm still struggling a bit, I think just because I'm really tired - there's heaps of 'tired' to come out, which isn't much fun. Sunday and Tuesday I just had no energy and was quite struggly, but Monday I enjoyed going for a swim, and then made <a href="https://sefilomeo.tumblr.com/post/104653915520/pumpkin-poe-with-fresh-coconut-milk-tahitian">po'e</a> for the first time in years. And today Martin and I watched a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_Elmo:_A_Puppeteer%27s_Journey">joyous wee documentary</a> about the puppeteer who plays Elmo, then went out for a yummy lunch at a <a href="https://www.avondale.net.nz/post/tonight-bbq">northern Chinese BBQ place</a> in Avondale.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBXctLKcZM2cHzGHkDuo6gdUye_VZsVWvwolmH9rS-xflEz8WGg7Z9zZ-emY7f-yM2UZBQYyuGUhljsPhJmZPfI8IK5A1rzf4CqYwNhT_EzcV8rZvKNnrwRu79Ngy0KHJQPqIODX9YgDorMGg3iKiXSwlkO2hsAOS9v0sJgATIo3FVnx4weHhQGik/s4160/IMG_20220817_173124.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBXctLKcZM2cHzGHkDuo6gdUye_VZsVWvwolmH9rS-xflEz8WGg7Z9zZ-emY7f-yM2UZBQYyuGUhljsPhJmZPfI8IK5A1rzf4CqYwNhT_EzcV8rZvKNnrwRu79Ngy0KHJQPqIODX9YgDorMGg3iKiXSwlkO2hsAOS9v0sJgATIo3FVnx4weHhQGik/s320/IMG_20220817_173124.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It turns out Martin doesn't much like po'e, so there's been plenty of helpings for me :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p>On Tuesday, Martin also picked up the new Just Kai T-shirts, and they're really well done. And the panel for the Justice Conference was re-scheduled with zero fuss...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctRNER9_69QY8U-Qw-ocMmRuJobqwG_61AZPLIbfzk00d_fr7woYvrOHSFpypGgpgEIA-lLj0TVHEbxvwwjYLmFzAg2vBD0RiyBYbSUagEY-95kMowSBs1_0AYEtF-tewvjS25NcXuAWp8_u0OHjSVqrBbEqe_xKEjggcysbeoFj1KqEcqAoTxkoY/s3264/IMG_20220816_150520.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctRNER9_69QY8U-Qw-ocMmRuJobqwG_61AZPLIbfzk00d_fr7woYvrOHSFpypGgpgEIA-lLj0TVHEbxvwwjYLmFzAg2vBD0RiyBYbSUagEY-95kMowSBs1_0AYEtF-tewvjS25NcXuAWp8_u0OHjSVqrBbEqe_xKEjggcysbeoFj1KqEcqAoTxkoY/s320/IMG_20220816_150520.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683446064054569523.post-36719880849323062522022-07-01T17:09:00.002+12:002022-07-01T17:32:05.256+12:00Camping at Karamatura<p>Last weekend Martin and stayed at the <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/stay-at-park/Pages/accommodation-details.aspx?itemID=28">Karamatura</a> campground in the Waitakere Ranges. When I was a child my family used to often take visitors to Auckland on the <a href="https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/auckland/karamatura-falls">Karamatura Loop Walk</a>, so it's a place I've been many times, although never to stay overnight.</p><p>We'd originally planned to camp there in November and to go to <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/stay-at-park/Pages/accommodation-details.aspx?itemID=1">Ambury Park</a> last weekend, but it turned out that campsite is closed for the winter so Karamatura it was. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oXEWIoUfuaRT0rEe08Ag08xiHsoFTdfzRQ2M9d1bw60_RUN0n8HPWNg7HXIaP3YHp85-PNLa45j6pvZdI7Rw6VQEwOEonLuNwxveW3fPWZn2q12yjlN4APvUzWNigMpL-_gYbLHenTfE1srQiqVXakXWolIMRCu_rPyE0LsawCrnlWX6Gi_m1Ina/s4160/IMG_20220626_133831.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oXEWIoUfuaRT0rEe08Ag08xiHsoFTdfzRQ2M9d1bw60_RUN0n8HPWNg7HXIaP3YHp85-PNLa45j6pvZdI7Rw6VQEwOEonLuNwxveW3fPWZn2q12yjlN4APvUzWNigMpL-_gYbLHenTfE1srQiqVXakXWolIMRCu_rPyE0LsawCrnlWX6Gi_m1Ina/s320/IMG_20220626_133831.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is near our tentsite. It's a stunningly beautiful place, and I loved going to sleep to the sound of running water.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWX60Zish4aCmHKNyZMnwIzgB0Asq1JhFfIw_lPIglHASXFjr_-rtJfgB4wqtfL-5_iUqJGcV7o-YYbJZcBYi-rH6YG9S5olo1JrYDZHgJ0HUMmOgMLOWn0dah78soRx1Bog0oArdFeiJDwADFpRvARo7LvDyFrf9jjmYlJq-u4wa9rdjkn9bQ147/s4160/IMG_20220624_112417.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWX60Zish4aCmHKNyZMnwIzgB0Asq1JhFfIw_lPIglHASXFjr_-rtJfgB4wqtfL-5_iUqJGcV7o-YYbJZcBYi-rH6YG9S5olo1JrYDZHgJ0HUMmOgMLOWn0dah78soRx1Bog0oArdFeiJDwADFpRvARo7LvDyFrf9jjmYlJq-u4wa9rdjkn9bQ147/s320/IMG_20220624_112417.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unlike
the other Council campsites we've stayed out (which have all been $16
ones - this was $9 and hence more basic) there was only one picnic
table. But it came with a most excellent shelter, and for all but one
night we were the only campers, so we mostly kept our stuff spread out
all over it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMLrHKpoLxHGQNaEMOrk_y_wPMG0Ruy5wiJEqBDTNfUhNTE7US_WuGOt9gDQnnxQSOZxMLIxXVg41qB3zv-fN0gkaRGDflA5nt6nBLwJjqA3OxnJgearlIgXtt5L0oDYOgAD38EKy3bQ5WVLD2EPcltwIUL080Ue7OMmrNzIgRC8eg3hnPxhTkIJy/s4160/IMG_20220624_112421.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMLrHKpoLxHGQNaEMOrk_y_wPMG0Ruy5wiJEqBDTNfUhNTE7US_WuGOt9gDQnnxQSOZxMLIxXVg41qB3zv-fN0gkaRGDflA5nt6nBLwJjqA3OxnJgearlIgXtt5L0oDYOgAD38EKy3bQ5WVLD2EPcltwIUL080Ue7OMmrNzIgRC8eg3hnPxhTkIJy/s320/IMG_20220624_112421.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tent from near the shelter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgacFKa7qszTmFGr77GQ0DZ5_dQ-sTxHNMFs15WP3kJNECD5SN0WPeTk9TEJJSft4VAOxuyWyRonogHEbLoHWslzVTz2XvlQrKAVmAU83id_0aPAIVThJF2zp9UaQUDAopKe_VohQWgfPoT-pkE03jDcv4nUbiKtdMcFYbcR9_0kk6F0e5KCtKF-x/s4160/IMG_20220625_102838.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgacFKa7qszTmFGr77GQ0DZ5_dQ-sTxHNMFs15WP3kJNECD5SN0WPeTk9TEJJSft4VAOxuyWyRonogHEbLoHWslzVTz2XvlQrKAVmAU83id_0aPAIVThJF2zp9UaQUDAopKe_VohQWgfPoT-pkE03jDcv4nUbiKtdMcFYbcR9_0kk6F0e5KCtKF-x/s320/IMG_20220625_102838.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The
campsite included a single composting toilet, at the top of this wee
hill. At least half again as high up the same hill was the only place
we could get cellphone reception and, whilst it was good enough to
download the daily Bible reading liturgy we use on holiday, we never got
enough signal to download the weather...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaL-r6UrrXcRZHBoW282Mqu9eYf1hIKQe0bVT1C2bqGF61iQ7yBLgbfusJb4bpvIksZ6nYxl6r-kxiorvhvd8nP1eXHb4-T__lirfK_THJ5DRl8_VC6A7RDdpqovUQ8vdSUwjod268OBb9ordh-B627SoLzkrYRIPxRefxpDJEfOj5yIilevrslWl/s4160/IMG_20220624_155907.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaL-r6UrrXcRZHBoW282Mqu9eYf1hIKQe0bVT1C2bqGF61iQ7yBLgbfusJb4bpvIksZ6nYxl6r-kxiorvhvd8nP1eXHb4-T__lirfK_THJ5DRl8_VC6A7RDdpqovUQ8vdSUwjod268OBb9ordh-B627SoLzkrYRIPxRefxpDJEfOj5yIilevrslWl/s320/IMG_20220624_155907.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And
this was the most challenging part for me - you had to cross across
these stones to get from the carpark to the campsite, and from the
campsite back to the tracks. I did spend some time practising stepping
between stones and definitely improved by the end of our stay!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">Whilst we had the campsite itself to ourselves, around 60 scouts and their leaders were staying at the <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/stay-at-park/Pages/accommodation-details.aspx?itemID=25">Karamatura barn paddock campsite</a> just over the hill behind us. During the day they traveled between various activity stations: we were right next to 'water purification and river crossing'. It was fun watching the kids and chatting to the leaders between sessions - and I learned a bit, too!<br /></p><p>The second night, as we'd warned by the scout leaders it might, it rained quite heavily. It turned out our tent isn't as waterproof as it used to be, but adding the tarp as a second fly made a world of difference.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLy-lL73LyWsp1c90s4bqbnxMeq33JEIS7zgFLWIGpQF6VvZW2H2LcJIccMMrFGrgiQ9EKm-YKMR9JcBHilhpQq_wkNLDnCAaGQadjQq-AwKn-Ui6YBLbPYqaxGC2nrgPcWzasOcnkND9xPq8EYEQcdgjl1EOBBatmRj16GMKRKinnP7xgX-XLX75/s4160/IMG_20220625_094531.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLy-lL73LyWsp1c90s4bqbnxMeq33JEIS7zgFLWIGpQF6VvZW2H2LcJIccMMrFGrgiQ9EKm-YKMR9JcBHilhpQq_wkNLDnCAaGQadjQq-AwKn-Ui6YBLbPYqaxGC2nrgPcWzasOcnkND9xPq8EYEQcdgjl1EOBBatmRj16GMKRKinnP7xgX-XLX75/s320/IMG_20220625_094531.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tent looked like it had grown wings :-)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-BEAq4yjox0ZJV7MQGDweRwUnNsYW5196VLktiwrvA6uUl66wFWf1IZ_pah5uDkQ5FWYtWeQVKv60idXXoFZj7AjGyThAiIL8ifvV1dHuYW9am7Vc_lL6RlnD7eNCY7QsiyoRQROSXwU5zSBvDPMZgc9_jAGRr0MGxtrG6V6OhfEg9mZhltdTZdo/s4160/IMG_20220625_094526.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-BEAq4yjox0ZJV7MQGDweRwUnNsYW5196VLktiwrvA6uUl66wFWf1IZ_pah5uDkQ5FWYtWeQVKv60idXXoFZj7AjGyThAiIL8ifvV1dHuYW9am7Vc_lL6RlnD7eNCY7QsiyoRQROSXwU5zSBvDPMZgc9_jAGRr0MGxtrG6V6OhfEg9mZhltdTZdo/s320/IMG_20220625_094526.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before Martin added the tarp a fair few things had gotten wet. Here they all are drying on a hammock, repurposed as a washing line!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8ypKIWBhT14Y5IrhsUFPCDW_3l2zz-9klgfIWMyB8LDNx6e6HutNUCmGQCEeL9GNwt40xBH2WRtmxXBb2kjE4fMFo7juj9f-21Lcvutl8PeJCMkOBQRpB4WTJsCwQyqdtEQ9yGC7y8BxMTcEYSllWWn7KjjWRxTXhjafq4LxnmaLn9rNMUr89nHo/s4160/IMG_20220624_122123.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8ypKIWBhT14Y5IrhsUFPCDW_3l2zz-9klgfIWMyB8LDNx6e6HutNUCmGQCEeL9GNwt40xBH2WRtmxXBb2kjE4fMFo7juj9f-21Lcvutl8PeJCMkOBQRpB4WTJsCwQyqdtEQ9yGC7y8BxMTcEYSllWWn7KjjWRxTXhjafq4LxnmaLn9rNMUr89nHo/s320/IMG_20220624_122123.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a lovely spot to be!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>On the Thursday and Friday we didn't do much, but on the Saturday we headed up to the Karamatura Falls. <a href="https://blog.puriri.nz/2021/11/a-very-local-holiday.html">Last time we'd be in the area</a> the Falls track was shut for Kauri dieback, but I'd been pleased to see it was open again :-)<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCeleRRamnyZC2GM-5AAEk7iwCuLSAVSxg3_QRxOuXC13urZ1cfNlHiWW8wg0MDAJl7JNX6-na4JRgXEhxDhzSEimJ2VDiW6QjAKVpZ3mrfcI2XhlkdL4pB1od1N0mHwUcYdVqdyczRdsU9gDHOIkDDQuKC6dNk0RyWo9B6tL_5ofYGnbWHqFNet5/s4000/IMG_20220625_142249.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCeleRRamnyZC2GM-5AAEk7iwCuLSAVSxg3_QRxOuXC13urZ1cfNlHiWW8wg0MDAJl7JNX6-na4JRgXEhxDhzSEimJ2VDiW6QjAKVpZ3mrfcI2XhlkdL4pB1od1N0mHwUcYdVqdyczRdsU9gDHOIkDDQuKC6dNk0RyWo9B6tL_5ofYGnbWHqFNet5/s320/IMG_20220625_142249.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24onNtC9hSZUC81EPGxvB34sqHm3pTDAE8Y8FOAYNxbSadSDWRKqpzMX1B0oORuDg0bnyVDJ5FMO9_lE1DSDWFbT4dKnge2ftvGwjz3xGj5tfFwPgnvKflTT6qDBnIjWwSr8Az4wZKk_izb_CvOLa9QKlUcyNnfp7eae3b4XBoo04KZq6VvTM7CCx/s4000/IMG_20220625_141622.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24onNtC9hSZUC81EPGxvB34sqHm3pTDAE8Y8FOAYNxbSadSDWRKqpzMX1B0oORuDg0bnyVDJ5FMO9_lE1DSDWFbT4dKnge2ftvGwjz3xGj5tfFwPgnvKflTT6qDBnIjWwSr8Az4wZKk_izb_CvOLa9QKlUcyNnfp7eae3b4XBoo04KZq6VvTM7CCx/s320/IMG_20220625_141622.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>When we booked the tent site, we saw there was another group booked for the Saturday night. So, on Saturday, we tidied out stuff up a bit and kept an ear out for visitors. In the early evening they arrived - on bikes - and Martin popped out to say hello. He didn't recognise the first couple of people, but then someone called out "look what the cat dragged in! It's Martin!". About half the group were folk he plays bike polo with. They were a friendly lot and I enjoyed chatting with them at dinner - and particularly enjoyed meeting Robbie, whose <a href="https://tracklocross.medium.com/">blog</a> I read on and off.<br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf265dNjnbjyxRNyNbYG86bKthjH86A_k790wSddLqrnE_hzvjC9rDFgQj5i_Zt1qz1mjbkAP15roIm2nJwyyu1yJFTUPQqNMQ43mA_UxMbcTrwa_dUFNBJwkrrZ_I2juf2A93Vwe55N3vdSI62xLY6H6LPtrmElYJjqmBtt648cv4n-tVpZqQWadr/s4000/IMG_20220626_073542.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf265dNjnbjyxRNyNbYG86bKthjH86A_k790wSddLqrnE_hzvjC9rDFgQj5i_Zt1qz1mjbkAP15roIm2nJwyyu1yJFTUPQqNMQ43mA_UxMbcTrwa_dUFNBJwkrrZ_I2juf2A93Vwe55N3vdSI62xLY6H6LPtrmElYJjqmBtt648cv4n-tVpZqQWadr/s320/IMG_20220626_073542.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suddenly not 'our' campsite any more - an extra nine tents scattered around on Saturday evening.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>The holiday was lovely and relaxing, but was marked by a few negatives. Firstly, on the first night Martin was eating his dinner, when one wing of his glasses simply fell off.. Fortunately we were able to sew them back together (it turned out the metal piece down the centre of the wing had failed), but he's very much looking forward to his new glasses showing up in a few weeks' time!<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcKx35HFErsR35nKSCSiQNfWgwp5KzyTolsV3hbDBfjyo1VnGeYCV8tXf0MMNjXFPi43xWehMjTtrNUvbgGMd-x1R-AmExbqBaOCq9iv8tCPk60OHzWrfbWCXYR8dOLE2pYF9UPxxInjwOfCDWi9tkw7yNW7jDrlC1G_mfsIXvZdgLF2uRnBVm2p8/s4000/IMG_20220623_181014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcKx35HFErsR35nKSCSiQNfWgwp5KzyTolsV3hbDBfjyo1VnGeYCV8tXf0MMNjXFPi43xWehMjTtrNUvbgGMd-x1R-AmExbqBaOCq9iv8tCPk60OHzWrfbWCXYR8dOLE2pYF9UPxxInjwOfCDWi9tkw7yNW7jDrlC1G_mfsIXvZdgLF2uRnBVm2p8/s320/IMG_20220623_181014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>And then, on Friday afternoon Martin popped back to drop a few things in the car (the road to Huia is much too hilly for me, so we'd borrowed Sarah's car for the weekend) only to find this:<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPDNxMigNLfTTlKNik_KRThotJ7T5p34D2ug4fhLkgYUkQOKvzri5hzAQmk7r8_ZaMi0pi6RfNo5mRh6oo35q6ULZKhrx_sgIZbMr9kXboZ5S7P8myGwLArCVhfxxYzBZErrMEVskenFJny_XgzjIhsE5TpoepG5obbo5UE58g9QxPJ-qppCx65xU/s4000/IMG_20220624_151129.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPDNxMigNLfTTlKNik_KRThotJ7T5p34D2ug4fhLkgYUkQOKvzri5hzAQmk7r8_ZaMi0pi6RfNo5mRh6oo35q6ULZKhrx_sgIZbMr9kXboZ5S7P8myGwLArCVhfxxYzBZErrMEVskenFJny_XgzjIhsE5TpoepG5obbo5UE58g9QxPJ-qppCx65xU/s320/IMG_20220624_151129.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYHJXWWyWnAdRKeTXBcF1zpYC-xsUPSG4LLiLNZMG38V1KNzpnacpWwPoxUSWrdBeI1BWIPz924K1hvOhdIvTw9w6LA0iCX_bN51R3BaK2TZuZTtBwJVxKMNFwEZzqRM6CulP5YR1OfQQhla6Du-_4gJlB3MraLyzNaCKmLwvLv9cQrxYEQC4_8d_/s4000/IMG_20220624_155116.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYHJXWWyWnAdRKeTXBcF1zpYC-xsUPSG4LLiLNZMG38V1KNzpnacpWwPoxUSWrdBeI1BWIPz924K1hvOhdIvTw9w6LA0iCX_bN51R3BaK2TZuZTtBwJVxKMNFwEZzqRM6CulP5YR1OfQQhla6Du-_4gJlB3MraLyzNaCKmLwvLv9cQrxYEQC4_8d_/s320/IMG_20220624_155116.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>There'd been a bonfire lit between us and the carpark the previous night, and we'd already found heaps of beer cans scattered around it. Presumably the same group thought destroying a car would be fun... It was a bit of a shock to come across that, and it did lead to a bunch of phone calls to Sarah and the police and various other hassle, but we decided to stay on and enjoy the rest of the holiday. On the Saturday the tow truck came to take Sarah's car to the wreckers, and then my parents were kind enough to come out and collect us on the Sunday afternoon.<br /></p><p></p><p>Discounting the fact the trip led to a destroyed car (!!) it was very economical as well as fun. Cars aren't great for climate change, but it turns out ferries are even worse. We didn't account for the tow truck, but including us driving out there then my parents driving out and back to collect us, the trip was only responsible for around 39kg CO2e - about what the planet can absorb per two people over five days. Not bad for a four day trip! It also came in at just under $150 :-)</p><span><!--more--></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.com0