Waitarere and Wellington

John & Sarah with Bill probably talking about his big fish he caught up North!
Just warming up with the brazier before Shannon & AC arrived.

After our Hobbiton adventure we continued south, where the weather reminded us we aren't quite ready for summer with a dumping of snow throughout the country, plus still plenty of rain. Waiouru was a sheltered parking spot behind the Museum, where they have an area for Motorhomes. Quite a good stop over point when travelling down the country, there were 3 Motorhomes parked up that night.

Our first evening on Waitarere Beach

We also parked over here as we had decided to visit the museum in the morning. It would be about 20 years ago since we had last visited with the kids on one of our Christmas trips to Auckland.  The building is currently being renovated, but visitors were still welcome. We spent the next three hours seeing and reading about past (the majority being WW1 & WW2) and current wars. Very sobering and depressing to think we have created more efficient killing machines, but not prevented wars continuing in the world.

Collecting firewood on Waitarere Beach for the brazier.
Kapati Island in the distance

Parked up outside J&S's Batch

One of the little jobs! Repairing disintegrating ranchsliders
and rotting timber frames

From Waiouru, we continued to our destination for the next two weeks - Waitarere Beach, just south of Foxton. Still struggling with our Window's operating system on our Laptop  using our cellular Internet service, I am using the Wifi offered around the country at the library's. It's been good to see so many library's have been renovated or new buildings to house the Information Centres and Library's in smaller centres.  I called into Bulls and used their library which currently is in a quaint small wooden building near the center of town. I thought it had a lovely feel about it which would be encouraging for children to come in and use the services & books on offer. But I found out from the very friendly Librarian that children of the area hardly use it these days due to issues like school bus routes ( being a largely rural area), after school sports and the majority having access to the Internet at home, these children aren't getting books out of the library like they used to. But Bulls is currently upgrading the Information Center to bring in the Library too, so hopefully it will encourage young readers once again.
Waitarere Beach was our base for the next two weeks where Bill was to restore a couple of ranchsliders back to their former glory ( flat wheels and corroded aluminium frames, rotting wooden framing etc) while checking out the local area and being closer to Wellington, catching up with Shannon & AC.
The batch belongs to friends John & Sarah, who live in Wellington but love coming out to their retreat at the beach. It's amazing how much warmer and how different the weather is here on the Kapati Coast compared to Wellington City. And only being an hour & half away, easy to do on a Friday after work.

AJ, Lucille, Alejandra, Savannah & Great Aunt S
in the adventure park in the forest.

Apart from the work for Bill, we did enjoy our time here. Lovely having the time to catch up with J&S again, and nephew AJ with his 3 young girls who came from Paraparaumu to Waitarere for the afternoon to enjoy an adventure in the Forest at the end of the beach that had a wonderful challenging obstacle course for children of all ages so for a 7, 5 and 2 year old there was plenty to play on.

Shannon walking across the wire bridge

AC and Shannon walking along the Paekakariki Escarpment
walkway above Highway 1

We also caught up with Shannon and AC all three weekends, which was lovely having time with our eldest and her partner. Bill did the Paekakariki Escarpment walk with them the first weekend. Having no head for heights, I chose to pick them up at the end of the 10km track that travels above Highway 1 with spectacular views out over the coast but quite steep terrain. When I saw the photos of their walk afterwards, I had made the right decision. Bill enjoyed the challenge.

Our second weekend, we went into Wellington and stayed over at their new home, on Evans Bay Parade. Being only 10 years old, it is a lovely modern apartment with views out over Evans Bay and across to the airport. There wasn't many projects requiring Bill's skills, but one or two minor issues he was able to help with.

Looking over Shannon & AC's Apartment block
 (can't quite see theirs around to the left)
from above the Patent Slipway out into Evans Bay

Joan in another world

We moved into Wellington for our last weekend before crossing back over to the South Island, staying at the Marina just down from S&A's place (a 15 min walk). Bill's mum Joan had flown over for the weekend to stay with S&A.
Unfortunately the weather wasn't that great to get out about, but we had some very vigorous windy walks along the waterfront. Very refreshing! We also had time to experience one of AC's gadgets - his virtual helmet. What an experience! Not sure if the person wearing the helmet had more fun or the rest of us watching the one in the helmet. With the 3D effects, you feel you are really in the scene you are watching. Joan was very entertaining as she flew over Paris and nearly hit the Eiffel Tower. Her reaction and choice of words were  priceless. Have video proof!
Now off to Nelson for two weeks for some maintenance on our own home and some gardening. .

Bill helping Sarah build her Scarecrow

Annie was excited collecting the
 firewood too