The last hop to here

 Brisbane airport was a pleasant place to be...even when one had slept on a firm sofa! The coffee shops open at 4.30 am, and we found a corner to sit outside for a while as well. It was a long day...and communication problems with setting up roaming on my phone meant that we missed seeing our friend, even though she came after work in the afternoon to see us...and missed us.

There are real trees growing inside, plus the roof supports look like tree trunks. This all makes the place beautifully airy even when busy.

Off to the next aeroplane...looking rather small after the 777 then the 380 "scarebus"...the most modern apart from the Dreamliner, a 737-800.

I was fortunate to have a window seat, to see the sunset and clouds. We saw the moon as well, but that photo didn't come out well.

Our host was waiting for us as we cleared customs, then a twenty minute easy drive to Tai Tapu, where his eldest son was excitedly waiting to see us!!

He is probably reasonably severely autistic, but although not able to work he is a nice helpful person and lives in a sleepout so has his  self contained space to call his own.

We all chatted and drunk tea for a couple of hours or so, which helped us unwind after the journey.

Yesterday we helped get a campervan ready to go out...just the final polish of the windows. Then I drove our host's car following the van as he delivered it.

He hadn't thought to get back into renting camper vans again after the lockdown...but regular renters contacted him...and off they went in their regular vehicle.

It was good way of getting used to NZ roads again and easing us back into things.

Today it is cooler and a little showery...maybe warmer later...and we hope to get the camper car for our travels!

It was good to wake a little before 5am to the dawn chorus. Something we have really been missing. It is so good to be back here.

walkies!!

The Pirate is planning to run a cyclo cross in about a year's time, near our village.
Unfortunately one can no longer include running water, so a crossing of the Dyrock Burn is out of the question!

But there is plenty of choice, and two willing farmers....it will be his Birthday Cyclo Cross...ok, I know his birthday is in July, but you don't ride these in the Summer!!

we walked a few possible routes before lunch, then afterwards walked to the village shop for coffee and a paper. 

There were still patches of driven slush on the road as we walked home and above us a stunt plane practised lazy loops. 
The clouds gradually came over, giving us a warmer night than we had feared..just decidedly chilly instead of below freezing.

Gallivanting in a Minor Key

We were lucky today to be lent a Morris Minor Pickup (1958) by a Morris enthusiast for a little Tikitour to Turakino Beach.

We went to see the Red Bach Gallery, where as we drew up, three small dogs ran up....and were disappointed....the owner had sold hers two weeks ago so they knew the sound! She makes driftwood sculpture and garden art from copper pipes and water tanks as well as a small range of pots, some using local materials for glazing.

The journey was not without event as only 2k out of town the fuel pump decided not to pump...but after a sharp tap was administered, it worked.   The gallery owner told us that she had kept a small rock by the dashboard of her old car for this purpose!!

Then we looked to the skies as there was a flypast in formation  of what looked like Sopworths to the Pirate, and a slightly bigger plane flying behind.

Then we saw a Vauxhall Velox (only made in Luton, not Birmingham) which is the same age as the pickup we drove.
and a Vauxhaull Wyvern, which is work in progress.

Kiwis certainly keep old vehicles going...they do have an advantage as they don't salt the roads in Winter.

Then I drove back into Whanganui for lunch and coffee, parking very tidily, but forgetting that the Morris is a bit narrower than today's cars!