Whanganui

At least I'm making a start with getting images on here. This is postbox matching its house, just up State Highway 4 out of Whanganui, and the view up the mighty river past Upokongaro, now the turning point for the Waimarie steamboat.Tablet use is still frustrating

,

 but

 I'm learning slowly.

arrived in New Zealand

we are in Whanganui now and I'm using the free wifi at the i-site to stay connected.
I brought a tablet computer instead of the laptop, to save weight, but its lack of speed is frustrating!
I'm still learning how to use it...so no pictures on the blog yet....

walking by the water

 Hows that for a back gate? by where the Taiglum Burn joins the Water of Coyle

 Sheep keeping their feet dry,off the flood plain.

 Back where we were yesterday

 Our Pooh Sticks bridge!

 Sad to see the Mill o'Shiel farmhouse derelict.

 we traced as near as we could the lead to Millmannoch from the weir we saw yesterday.  It follows the contour naturally, and you can see the line coming towards the road along the hedgeline across the field on the right.

 The line is just to the left of the hedge and comes almost to the road, where it doubles back and heads directly away from the corner of what was a field,now a mass of brambles and blackthorn. a hundred metres or so along it ran into the mill dam with a sluice to the mill.  Before our walk we looked at the 1909 Ordnance Survey map of Taiglum, which became Drongan in the 1930s when most of Taiglum was demolished. It is getting interesting spotting surviving buildings.

 We missed most of the rain.

 They are now measuring how much the earth is moving...

 This stretch of road didn't get the same reinforcement five years ago that the next stretch up did...and the gabions do look rather shaky. There is also 15 to 20 feet width of bank until the river, so it isn't undercutting it (apart from when it floods)

 The Pelton Wheel that was the corn mill's update in the 1940s I think...but the door was shut and the key turned finally in 1970

 overflow and lead to the wheel on the right

 and over the road the lead still traceable, and after the snow and rain, still wet!

 View of Arran from Arran View...a well named house. 

We're packing and weighing, hopefully we'll be way under the weights for the Emirates, and wont have to pay excess to Air Chathams...although their rates are a tenth of the big boys!!

archaeological walk

 Clouds moving in as we went for a lunchtime walk

 looking back towards our half of Drongan...home is just out of shot,top left,on the edge of the village.

 We walked round past the Mill o'Shield, now derelict as it was bought and left empty fairly recently.  This looks like a long standing 'temporary' bridge where flooding swept the previous one away sometime in the past 30 years or so!

 we explored what looked like a footpath

 and just round a bend in the river where the mill itself might have been...

 overflows

 leads or leats

 overflow from that

 the river sometimes covers here...

 now its there..

 and that lead comes from that overflow/fish ladder...

 first this year...

and so to bed.

The last batch of washing done,hopefully, the last of the stored apples chopped and frozen ready for use.
A heap of clothes selected...to be strongly weeded....and a bike packed.

Next week I learn online banking...yes, I know it may be easy, but it is new,it is different and I feel uncomfortable with it.

Life would be easier if we hadn't picked up a cough and cold..not what you need on a long haul flight..and The Pirate is feeling very negative because of it,and because money will be tight.  Travel insurance cost just under £800...almost as much as a ticket.  the car had to be mended to keep it safe...there went the budget for seeing friends in Tasmania.

However we know we'll arrive to a welcome the best we'll get anywhere. We'll be with friends,old and new.

snow..and slow progress

 So long as it is safe to travel next week...and hopefully our coughs/colds will be gone as well...not what we needed before a long journey.

The boiler has been serviced and a neighbour will be keeping an eye on the house. So all will be well.

 The centre panel of Woodchip's quilt is done

I don't think I'll be able to finish and quilt it before we head off.

Border Raid

 Carlisle, Bitts Park,by the castle...where we've only previously visited to compete in grass track racing.   This flowering cherry looks as confused as the primroses at home...flowering now!

 We went to meet and have lunch with the Pirate's son..last chance before we fly out to check that dad has remembered tickets, travel insurance, nz dollars...

 This shows the level of flooding... and the story is that the flood actually saved the Mcvities biscuit factory...the insurance paid for the factory rebuild and refit with new machines. Otherwise the production might have been centred on Ashby de la Zouche in Leicestershire.

 Indeed....

 this footpath is along the line of the Hadrian's Wall walk

Two hours drive each way...but a good afternoon out.