This summer we have been on the road. I am not sure that the car will be able to manage another one.
We left Wellington on the 27th in the early hours to go to Rotorua first for the unveiling ceremony for Stacy.
From there we spent a few days in Raglan, centre of the surf dude culture. I passed us by really. However, the house was good, we read books, ran and enjoyed the beach and videos. We also played a new game that has become a family winner- Balderdash. It is a board version of ‘Call my bluff’.
From there we travelled north and spent most of our time in the Bay of Islands. We stayed in good accommodation, with resident chucks, sheep and alpacas. The weather was good though we did allow Isaac to be very sunburned! Terrible parents. We found a good beach where the boogie boards were out. Matauri bay is where the Rainbow Warrior wreck has been sunk to act as a diving interest.
We revisited the ‘Cream Trip’ around the Bay of Islands-17 years later. It was still good. The children enjoyed the ‘boom netting’ as well as the dolphins. Sara loved the dolphins.
We of course went to Waitangi where the treaty was signed between the British and Maori in 1840.
We went to Cape Reinga. Beautiful scenery. Sara enjoyed watching me injury myself on the huge sand dunes. The idea is to surf the dunes. I tried to dive onto the board and race down the dune. I missed and landed on my face sending painful shudders through my body. Sara enjoyed my pain and the vision of me covered in sand. It was another reminder of the aging body attached to the mind of a stupid youth.
Out accommodation at Pukenui was poor to say the least. We left after one night instead of three and drove south in the pouring rain. Hamilton has never looked so appealing.
