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Published: March 30th 2011
Life flows in a pattern of lazy days here with Patricia and Peter...I don't seem to do much and it's perfect weather for sitting out on the deck in the sunshine ( Factor 30 is out again as well as my shorts and sun hat!!!) and reading .
Now and then I feel guilty and Patricia very nicely organises me to do something ... a walk to the beach Long Bay Regional Park- - yes..then we go back to the beach later and swim...well they do and I swim about half a dozen strokes then jump about in the waves and walk on the beach. Yes then its back home and sit on the deck again - with instructions to eat at least 10 fejoa a day having been out with the bucket to harvest them..... Well if you are a kiwi you know what I mean - when I was here in January we ate fejoa icecream and I was told about this mysterious fruit that I had never heard of before. Well the bushes in the garden are abundant and we can get about 2 buckets full a day just picking them up off the ground. We have investigated
the vitamin c content, weighed an average fruit and estimate we will need to eat about 10 a day... and then of course there is the fejoa chutney and the fejoa muffins and the fejoa/coconut cake we are also eating. so there's the foto of them being washed - look a bit like limes , you cut them in hlaf and scoop out the juicy bits like you would a passion fruit. As I have said before life on an Intervac excahnge is full of surprises ... now I am an expert on fejoa.
Had a lovely lunch down at the beach cafe with Clare whose family I had stayed with in 2007.. great to catch up once again and I am full of admiration for her and Chris and their chosen lifestyle... keep it going ...living for the "now" is so important. They will be doing an amazing fundraiser for Oxfam - walking round Lake Taupo - 100km in one go - so they will be night walking as well as through the day. They ahve been training for months...so good luck to your team.
And so to today - I can't be lazy all the time - so
I was taken to the ferry at Birkenhead ( not a ferry across the Mersey this time) - It was right under the harbour bridge and so calm today I had great views of the city as we sailed across the harbour to Queens Wharf. That was a bit of an effort so i had to sit by the water and have a latte before hopping on a CityLink bus to the museum - very cheap bus fares here ( $1.80 = 85p) - and a nice bus driver who told me where I had to get off for the Auckland Museum. The bus passed through Parnell area - which looks very chi chi - posh shops and cafes etc...I am getting to like Aucklnad more and more each day.
And so to the museum - it is also the NZ War Memorial - so lots of stuff about various wars they have fought ...but I didnt focus on that I cam eto see the Maori and Pacific island artefacts - and WOW there is quite an impressive collection. I have also seen quite a lot in Te Papa, Wellington ... but again I was stunned by some of the
beautiful carvings and the efforts which are made to decorate and adorn. Human beings from wherever they come from are so innovative with materials and don't just go for function but make things aesthetically pleasing.
The boats there are fabulous and the Waka - last war canoe built would carry 100 warriors- amazing.
And the Pacific island stuff was just so fanatstic - I loved the masks and figures, the jewellry, cloaks and fabrics....well everything. So here is a selection of my fotos.
Then it was back to the bus, and catch the ferry and Patricia picked me up ..they are so good getting me around everywhere- nothing is too much trouble. I then spent an hour at Browns Bay beach having a hot choc and a caramel slice - before we came home got changed and went off for the daily swim.... It was supposed to be a swim but the waves were HUGE and so there was again lots of me jumping about in the waves - too scary ...and I have been watching too many of the Surf Rescue TV programmes where these amazing lifesavers go into these huge huge seas and rescue people who must be
mad to swim and surf in it....no wonder NZ has lots of drownings.
Back home to a lovely quiche and for pudding fejoa + ice cream( what else!!) - and we watched the Cruise ship I had seen in the harbour today as it sailed out past the islands with the sky and sea turning pink - gorgeous!!
So enjoy the sunshine and fotos- hoping for a good day tomorrow as I am off to one of the islands in the gulf here...got to use up my last days wisely and not be too lazy.
Love to you all.
Lynne xx
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Alison & Ross
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Not long now!!
I'm going to miss these blogs when you are home next week, perhaps you could continue with them to let me know what you are getting up to at home although washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning won't sound quite the same will it?? Looking forward to seeing you although Chris won't be quite so happy cos he will have to find alternative parking for his car, having use of your driveway has been great for him!!! Will be waiting for you next Wed, got the flight number but do you know which terminal? Much love, as always and safe journey home xxx