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!!

Catching up with friends

 Up and out bright and early yesterday, over to Johnston Park with friends for the Sunday racing...but only four turned up instead of the usual 20+... no-one could work out why, but they competed hard just the same!

It is a longer shallower track but still quite fast.

Old friend caught up with, new one made.

Still working on bag weights...I think I've got the small one spot on, the big one well under...hoping that the airport scales agree....

And supper with friends up the hill..Vic first met and stayed with them in 1999... myself, with Vic, in 2012....much chatting, discussing life, a good meal and a couple of glasses of good red wine...and back down the hill six hours later!!

Back on the bike

 A short ride this morning, up to the level crossing in Okoia.

Like many railway crossings in NZ....

No high wire fences.....

I've only seen level crossing gates where the tracks went through the city in Christchurch....

Just a quick leg stretch then down to the Yellow House café to meet those who had started at 7am and 8am....I started just after 9 am....and we all met at about 10am at the café.

Not everyone as one member of the group is a volunteer with the fire service and she was called out on a shout after turning back to home early...she'd had a puncture...lucky for the fire service!

I came back down the river side shared path to see if a friend was selling today at the Riverside Market...she wasn't at her stall.

It was great to see the market in full swing, with a jazz band playing at one end by the tram shed!!

Back for a rest , then out to see others having a session on the track at the velodrome...

And back to do washing and sorting and packing...