Time to head South for Winter

Lake Taupo as we have rarely seen, such calm conditions 😊

After leaving Whangateau we started our journey back to the South Island. Passing through Warkworth we stayed a night with nephew Paull and Marta catching up with their children and on their news of selling their business, waiting to sell their lovely home (hopefully having the Bus parked up out the front drew attention to your property 😊) and moving onto Tauranga when the time comes.

Oscar, Bill and Bailee competing at Petanque 

Once Oscar & Bailee headed off to school we had time to enjoy a bike ride around Omaha and picnic  at Point Wells with P&M. Had a lovely swim on the high tide - beautiful little spot so quiet at this time of the week.
We wanted to get through Auckland and out the other side without getting held up in traffic - not easy to do in Auckland! So left P&M early afternoon and had a good run through to Ray's Rest - a lovely freedom spot on the Thames Inlet. It was surprisingly busy with about 20 other Motor homers. With it's close proximity to Auckland, I guess it is a convenient location.
We headed off to Waihi Beach to house sit for the weekend, while G&C went and babysat little Evie so her parents could party up.

Cool clean waters of Taupo

Refreshing drinks at the end of our paddle

Sadly this Friday was one of New Zealand's saddest days with the Terror attack on the Mosques in Christchurch. Our lovely land tainted forever. It is unbelievable someone can hate another so much to cause so much destruction. Society needs to look at how someone can grow up and form such believes.
So it was a sobering Friday night spent with Cousin "It" (Kevin) fishing in this little bit of paradise as he passed through on his way home to Napier. At least he did have a couple of fresh snapper to take home for him & Deb.
As it was such a stunning calm day, Bill & I had another go to catch a bit of fish for ourselves but unfortunately we only caught another Contiki - what a tangled mess the line became. But two hours later (and no fish) we managed to get it all untangled.Which was all a bit sad for our last lot of fishing up this way, with summer coming to it's end, we had plans to head southward.
A couple of nights at Whakaipo Bay, Lake Taupo were two of our best days ever in Taupo - swimming both days. Neither of us had ever swam in the lake before but with our lovely long summer - the lake was warm enough to enjoy a lengthy swim. Our second day, with such calm conditions, we decided to do a  return paddle to the next bay (4 hrs -22km)- Kinlock. Another pretty little holiday bay on the lake that looks like it was expanding just like the rest of the bays around the Lake. After another swim on our return, and a well earned beer.
Wellington was our destination for the weekend for Bill to catch up for a reunion of some of his Youth Group members from 40 odd years ago!! 

Men and Cats 😄

On our way through we stopped off in Fielding catching up with Don at his friend Cecile's place. We haven't visited Fielding before, so on the Friday we rode into town with Don and had a look around. Lovely rural service town complete with Town Square and busy Farmers Market. Bill enjoyed the "Home baking" stalls. I found a lovely pre loved leather handbag from a specialised leather reuse shop (Citizen Leather - well worth a visit).

Lovely sunset  with F&C's on Waitarere Beach 

Bill's Side Kick with PPE

Love the wee boat sheds at Evan Bay

Shannon and AC's  view on a stunning Wellington day

Bill offering some advice to Savannah on Wellington waterfront

Beautiful vista on the Southern Coastal Walkway

Still heading south to the coast

We had decided to park up at John & Sarah's Bach once again at Waitarere Beach for the week before crossing back over to the South Island. It was a convenient spot to run into Wellington for the day for John & Bill to catch up with old friends Maria, Rosanna and Linda, while Sarah and I went for a "not to exhaustive" walk around Seaton, up the Eastern Coastal Walkway to the Ataturk Memorial that looks out over the Cook Strait (the site chosen for it's resemblance to the landscape of the  Gallipoli Peninsula) and back around to the little Sprig and Fern tucked away in Seatoun to have a very thirst quenching cold beer and discuss Shannon's grading of walks! Quite different to what Sarah had expected, but even with the sweat Sarah, it was well worth the effort 😊.

Meanwhile in the quiet pleasant suburb of Island Bay a reunion was taking place at Maria’s (nee Lagrutta) house. Apart from 2 brief encounters over the past 40 years it was a brilliant relaxed get together with Maria, little sister Rosanna, Linda Delarenzo and John Robinson. This was a small core of the people I first met when the Tylers shifted to Nelson from Invercargill back in 1973.

The shift when I was 15 or 16 could have been difficult leaving many friends behind and the chance of being alienated, but no, joining a youth group, I fell into a lovely group of like minded youth and very quickly got over any angsty feelings in our new community. I had a great time growing up in Nelson.

 

Part of the "Nelson Youth Group"
 - Youth sadly gone!

The beauty of our get together was the small gathering and ample time, all having a great chat, all getting a good idea of where we all were after 40 odd years. So nice. Plenty of suggestions were made to have another gathering with many more names mentioned and this should happen but will be hard to capture the relaxed sunny atmosphere we all revelled in at Maria’s house.(must thank Maria,s husband for his patience 😊) 

As we had the week to fill in before catching up with Shannon and AC the following weekend, Bill worked on a little project for J&S on their Bach - building a back porch to keep that south-wester out of the house. The weather was definitely cooling in the mornings but beautiful autumnal days. Waitarere Beach is lovely spot to park the car up on the beach and enjoy fish and chips as the sun sets. Beautiful colours.
We had a beautiful weekend with Shannon & AC before crossing back over to the South Island - the weather was perfect - hardly a ripple on the water. We came into the city the night before, staying out at Petone where we caught up with nephew James and Katie in their new home, who have settled into Wellington after their move down from Auckland.
Saturday we parked up at the Marina where a large number of freedom campers are allocated space to park up - it had been revamped since our last stay 12 months earlier. So convenient to the City Center and Shannon & AC's.
Saturday, we managed to catch up with another nephew - AJ & Renee and their 3 girls down on Wellington's waterfront. They have moved out of their 11m Bus and into a property in Wellington City - allowing Renee a much smaller commute to work and more time with the family.
We also managed a couple of Wellington's coastal walks to take advantage of the beautiful vistas of the City and harbour. Saturday we walked a 9.5km section of the Southern Coastal Walkway along the ridges of Wellington Harbour. Discovering some history of  Truby King's Plunket and Karatanie business's and home. What an amazing man he was.
Sunday AC wasn't that well, so we left him to recover while we walked in the other direction to the day before, up and around Miramar and onto Shelly Bay and the famous Chocolate Fish Cafe. A wonderful couple of days to finish our travels in the North Island for now.