Tauranga to Hahei Beach

Friday 23rd Jan to end Jan

The Donger at Greenwood Park Village

 Arrived Greenwood Park Lifestyle Village (Tauranga) late afternoon, and parked Big Yella up down in the donger where residents have their garden allotments ( huge amount of rhubarb being grown here)  and caught up with mum, who is now in her 93rd year. Although her body is shrinking away, mentally she is as sharp as ever. With so many social activities happening in the village, she keeps herself pretty active.
We spent the next couple of days out and around Tauranga, having a day out at Maketu Beach, a lovely little seaside settlement unspoilt by large modern holiday homes,
Caught up with good friends Dale & Don Shewan at their Papamoa home and 2 of their 3 boys (Scott & Zac) whom towered over me, but both gave me a lovely hug.

Bill & Pat looking dodgy!

Sunday the 25th was a day of celebration for Bill's birthday, well OK just out for lunch really! It was another lovely day so we went down the bottom of Tauranga City to the water front where there is a strip of bars & cafes. We spent a lovely couple of hours eating & drinking in the sun celebrating Bills birthday, live music completing a very pleasant afternoon.

Mum & I down Tauranga Waterfront

The following week Bill moved on up to Waihi Beach, staying with G&C (my brother & partner) and checking out some future work, before calling into Hikutaia at the Convenient Cow Cafe to do some work that was required there. He then moved onto Hahei where we have friends Sam (Steve in an earlier life - only changed his name not his sex) & Pauline who own the only General Store at the lovely Hahei Beach. Another beautiful coastal spot on the Coromandle. As this is their peak time of year and Pauline's daughters wedding approaching life is full on for them. So Bill has a list of jobs to do here and on the side help cook chips etc in the takeaway section of the store when required.
I stayed on with mum for the week going out every day for lunch, like Ladies do, catching up with a dear friend of mum's, also in her 93rd year, who has recently gone into full care. She was ill last year and has bounced back mentally but not physically. It is a concern for us all as a society, as we are ageing that there has to be a quality of life to live too, not just exist! The home Joan is now in caters for a range of people needing full care, and it is not an enlightening life existence that  you want anyone to live. The staff are so wonderful that care for these people, we should be valuing them far more than we currently do.
G&C kindly lent me one of their cars to be able to run Mum around, and then to be able to get up to Hahei and join Bill at the end of that week. Caught up with W&K (brother & sister-in-law) when they came down from Auckland for the weekend, and got a walk in around Mount Maunganui with them, before heading onto Hahei.
The other major event this week was of course the birth of another great niece -Daisy Boo Nicholas to Nicki & Simon in Riwaka - Simon now adding Midwifery to his CV after helping deliver Daisy who was in rather a rush to see her parents.