Arrived in Opotiki Last Night

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Uncle Joe and Barbara drove us 5 hours down from Auckland to arrive at the tiny village of Opotiki,where I FINALLY MET MY EMAIL CONTACT COUSIN, STeve Winder, and his mother Kathleen, sister of my father.

It was a grand time, STeve and Jane put on a big spread and we stuffed ourselves, then stayed up late telling stories of our childhood.

Opotiki is a village of 8 or 9 thousand, 9201 to be exact ( on a pamphlet) including the surrounding area. The main employment is Kiwi Fruit and forestry, soon to be a Marine mussel farm. Main attraction in fishing, hunting, nearby beaches Waiotahi and Hukuwai.

The Kiwis (people) are in shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops otherwise known as Jandals, while we continue to bundle up in fleece jackets and long pants in the clammy breezes. No swimming for us yet. But the sun IS nice, as long as we are sitting in it. Today the temperature is about 21 degrees.

A.L.

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