Using track my trip to show watering points on a walk.
Category Archives: NZ
Waikato River Walk
Out for a river walk to start training for the Le Puy camino in June. Full back pack, well nearly full, haven’t got Jo’s overflow yet.
Also saw these guys floating down the river in style trying to make their way to Auckland…
Buddy Walk
We are house sitting in Keri Keri again and although this is only a short walk for us, after Buddy has chased after his ball up and down the beach several times, he ends up walking over 3 times as far as us.
This walk is a pleaseant stroll over the rocks to a beach and then onto more rocks and the headland to the north of the bay.
Fishing
It’s the last day at Keri Keri and we are sat out in the bay fishing from our kayak. The weather is cool but calm, although a storm is forecast for tomorrow.
We’re just bobbing along drifting slowly with the tide, or perhaps the light breeze is pushing us slightly. Having been in this spot for a couple of minutes without a single bite Jo decides it’s time to move.
She paddles a short distance towards a yellow marker buoy, where last year we caught a couple of decent sized snapper, well decent for us is just over the legal size.
As soon as the lines are in and Jo gets a few nibbles, then all is quiet again. She brings in her line only to find the bait has gone. I do the honours and fix some more squid to her line. Looks like we’ll be feeding the fish again today.
Down goes her line, nibble nibble again. She starts to reel in. ‘I think I’ve got this one’
Then it’s nibble nibble on my line. Shall I try to catch this brat or get ready to help Jo?
‘I think this one’s a decent size can you get the net ready’
I carefully place my rod across my lap, pleading for my fish to take my bait and wait until I’ve sorted Jo’s out.
Jo’s nearly reeled her line in. I place the landing net in the water ready.
‘Holy shit!’ Jo screams as she throws her fishing tackle into the sea and grabbing her paddle in one blurred movement.
‘Christ’ did I just imagine that or did Jaws just swim under us. It’s bright eye stared at me, just before it turned away from my pathetically small landing net, it’s body as round as our kayak.
By the time I realised what had happened Jo was screaming. ‘Get paddling, we’re not staying here.’ Her arms paddling frantically like one of those toy wind up swimmers you played with in your bath as a child.
Gardens Walk
Keeping up with the fitness theme it was off to the gym this morning and a walk in the afternoon.
Our walk today was up the river, away from the city, and towards the Hamilton gardens. This is a nic easy walk with the prospect of a coffee at the cafe. As we approached the gardens all seemed to be quiet with very few cars to be seen. We were however mistaken and the grounds were busy with families everywhere. A look over towards the cafe enforced the thought that coffee was not going to be on my menu today.
So it was a quick walk around the lake, stopping to watch the fish and turtles, before heading back home.
End of Christmas…. Here comes fitness…
Well Christmas is over and done with for another year and after being merry and jolly it’s time to suffer the consequnces.
We are both up at the crack of dawn, well 7.55, but that’s close enough and out for a walk to get some steps in before breakfast.
Then after breakfat it’s off to find a coffee. Where else but along the river cycle path to Bryce and Jean’s.
Then it’s back to our house sit for lunch.
Seagulls
For some time now I have thought seagulls were not too intelligent. The ones I remember from when I lived in the UK seemed to be large and thuggish. More brawn than brains. I had no way to prove this until today.
Sat looking out across Opito Bay in the north of the North Island of New Zealand I was finally proved correct in my thoughts.
The owner of the house we are house sitting at the moment has put out some sweet water for the Tui’s to drink. Now these birds also look a bit scatty. When they fly they seem to have no direction and flutter randomly across the sky. But the know a free lunch when they see one. After taking a drink of nectar from the flowers in the garden they top up with a nice sweet drink.
After them the common sparrow shows that he too also recognises a good opportunity to refuel. Having seen the Tui have his top up Mr & Mrs Sparrow also descend on to the drinking bowl and take their fill.
All this time a seagull has been watching from the roof top above. He swoops down gracefully hovering over the balustrade and finally lands both feet in the feeding bowl. He takes a look around to see what the others had been up to. He fails to see the free drink available, so flies off still thirsty and with sticky feet.
Buddy Walk
We are house sitting in Keri Keri again and although this is only a short walk for us, after Buddy has chased after his ball up and down the beach several times, he ends up walking over 3 times as far as us.
This walk is a pleaseant stroll over the rocks to a beach and then onto more rocks and the headland to the south east of the bay.
3:13 a.m.
I emerge from my slumber.
Mike, can you hear that.
No I’m asleeep.
Mike, wake up, there’s someone upstairs. Now fully half awake I listen for some strange sound but I can’t hear anything. Jo gets up and takes a listen from the adjoining room.
We’re currently house sitting in the middle of nowhere and Jo thinks we have a burgular, surely the dog we are sitting would have something to say if someone was breaking in. Maybe not, his owners did say he was frightened of bangs and bumps.
Jo returns. There’s definitely someone moving upstairs, go take a look. But put some clothes on first.
I slowly get out of bed, put on my shorts and make my way up the first flight of stairs. The dog emerges from his bed tail wagging. If there is someone about he doesn’t seem that bothered. I continued up the stairs to the lounge door.
At last I can hear something. There are a couple of bumps and a noise similar to a winch motor. It must be from someone outside on the boat ramp. But we didn’t leave the patio doors open so how come the sound is so clear.
I go to open the door. Jo’s nervous voice behind me tells me to stop and not to go in. I slowly open the fly door, then slightly open the lounge door. The dog plods in. I open the door further an can see a flashing light. I reach in and turn on the light, the dog has sneeked onto his bean bag. Is he hiding from the intruder.
I slowly enter the room and take a quick scan round, the patio doors are still closed, so the winch theory is wrong. I quietly step through the doorway and there on the carpet is the culprit. The terrifying burglar that has come to murder us in our beds. He is rotund and fearless, going about the living room as if he owned it, the robot hoover was going about his nightly duty of cleaning up the floor after us.
Travelling NZ
Over the next few weeks / months we will be travelling the length and breadth of the North Island. Some journeys will be short trips and others much longer.
Some trips will be for pleasure and others not so pleasurable. The first of these trips was a return trip from Hamilton to Wellington (well Mana actually). This was a not for pleasure trip.
The drive is between 6 – 6.5 hours. Although a lot of the drive is quite boring at least we get to see the mountain and at this time of year the roads are clear and the mountain is still wearing it’s winter coat of snow.
While at Wellington, between siting on the deck with a wine enjoying the view, we spent a couple of busy days clearing the garages and back patio of rubbish and old timber. This was the final good bye to our old kitchen wall and wood panelling from the entrance hall. No longer to be kept for firewood but destined now to landfill.
Then it was back in the car for the return trip to Hamilton to ensure we were eback in time for the first of our house sits since getting back from Europe.