Slowly does it

 Mowing the grass.. mostly a fail! I need a heavier old fashioned metal and wood push mower! The modern plastic and light metal version is more of a toy....

I did a little tidying in the garden..cleared the pea haulms from last year.  Then ran out of steam.

Mentally I'm getting there, but my body is still stuffed!!  It appears that flying Westwards affects one's body more? Or is it that going East one is going with time?

However I'm not going to start going back to Scotland via the USA....

I have started slowly clearing clutter from the living room...sewing back upstairs apart from the patchwork projects I'm working on.

Pirate's pictures and papers upstairs too. 

No point having then hanging around all the time, just get them down when needed.

I posted photos of the jug I bought in Whanganui on the NZ,potters fb page, to see if anyone could recognise the maker .

I bought a small bowl by Petra Meyboden from the same shop.

I'd bought a mug at the potters festival too, but it cracked as I made tea this morning..I think that it must have had a knock when in my case...the first thing in six trips to break.

So an early night again..but not too early... otherwise I'm awake half the night after an initial sleep.

We'll get there...

Welcome home

 

A long journey...25 hours airtime total...my back is suffering and my sinuses are complaining despite using a mask ( which usually helps) plus a total of 12 hours waiting in airports...

Taking Nojetlag pills (homeopathic) definitely helps...but I still felt awful last night!!

Better today, after getting all the washing out, having some fresh air and sun in the garden...and seeing some spring flowers.

Still, there are a few good memories from the journey.

One that stands out was the call to prayer in Dubai airport just after we arrived there, just as the sun was rising.

Beautiful. Both sight and sound.

Lift off

 Yesterday was very windy...

But I enjoyed a wander around saying 'Bye...for now...to friends.

Then in the evening a last spin session in the gym, returning the borrowed bike and home for a late supper.

I didn't feel the small tremor centred at Levin , but I did hear the effects of the 2.1 tremor at 10.02 with the a Wellington centre....not a shaking but a creaking ceiling! Proud to put a report into Geonet. When I saw what had caused the creaking!!

Then a fitful last night in Whanganui, before getting a lift from a friend to the airport there...only about 5 or 6km from the Stayplace, but too far to walk with cases!!

The big case gets a wobble on on tarmac or concrete as I found going from the Domestic to the International terminal at Auckland airport!! Follow the rubber taped green line as it rolls fine !!

The flight to Auckland was good.. including the Tim Tam biscuit!!...and faster than expected..must have had a tailwind!!

I arrived here at 11.20, so I could have taken the next plane on AirChathams...but it is best not to run things too close!

A good salad wrap, then hang around for four hours until checkin opens at 5....four hours before the flight!! But better than risking missing a flight.

Nice and airy!....but not as much as Brisbane...and unlike Brisbane the seats are hard wood slats...you wouldn't sleep on these!!

One day

 One day to go..and one day I'll be back!!

After more rain overnight it was feeling chilly... mainly the effects of the cold wind!

The clouds cleared mostly by 11, I walked to town and gave been saying 'bye...and see you again....to a few people. Plus picking up some small items that I will use...and won't add much to case weight!!

Now to walk back and get the packing almost finished and re-weighed.....

Boat trip..and rain

 It rained softly last night...and on past breakfast..

I managed to walk to the centre between showers....

As all five of us passengers boarded the boat it eased...and we were under a metal canopy anyway..

It has its propellor in a tube, higher than its bottom so is called a tunnel drive..so has a draft of less than half a metre.....

As it used to navigate rapids when it worked higher up the river... sometimes having to be winched..that was quite a good thing! 

The MV Wairua was built in 1904, and worked until 1938 when it was used as a pontoon before she sank into mud for forty years! 

It was then lifted and had a restoration by enthusiasts which took a while..and she has been used for these trips since 2006.

As we returned to land, so did the rain...

Through the afternoon I managed to be indoors every time there was a heavy shower!!

I had a look around Quartz, home gallery and workspace of Rick Rudd...he has a marvellous collection of NZ ceramics, plus others, and also the New Makers' exhibition which he sponsors.

And the day was rounded off by going to quiz night!!