Where I stood

Where I stood, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

Inspired while reading. I either need more shoes or I have it just right. Happy New Year

Walk 28 - Northhead

It was a sudden decision to head out. We walked round Northhead. The walk that takes you close the sea, round the edge, along a great path. Watching the fishermen, the boats, the clouds. Wondering at the remains from World War II, which seems a million miles and years away. Listening to the sea, the wind. I did some random yoga while Adam took pictures of the he most amazing stairway. Stairs into the rock, with trees and the roots winding around. It was a stairway from an adventure story. I'm thinking Clive Cussler and the Fargos but take your pick, Indiana Jones, Lara Croft any would work. We didn't take this wonderful stairway but continued close to the sea, watching the blue, thinking of swimming, diving below. The huffing back uphill restored my soul. I had nothing on me. No camera. No phone. No pictures, just my words from this walk.

Oh there is a picture of what I was doing just before we went I out.



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Walk 27 - Tawharanui

Repeated walks do count. Especially at Christmas time. Particularly when they include a swim (more of a general play in the waves to be more accurate).  Tawharanui Regional Park is worth the drive.

Kiwi camping style 

It was much warmer than it looks

The main beach as seen from the start of the walk

The laugh says it all - I do love swimming in the sea

It was beautiful and these pictures don't seem to have done it justice. 

Quite impressed with new iPhone…..

Dirt under my fingernails

The garden has not been a big feature this year, shame as fantasy garden is one of my favourite pastimes. Today was a day to mark though so I sit typing this post with the dirt still under my fingernails - it was that exciting - we mowed the lawn. 

Feeling rather grown up but yet still childlike and rather excited, as the last time I mowed a lawn was probably in my grandparents house, we mowed a small section of the lawn. Our new purchase was inspired from broken solar lights. We rent our little house (another fantasy game there but too painful to write about) and have the lawn mowed as part of the rent, but a few broken pots, several sliced plants and then the solar lights smashed meant we thought we'd be better off just doing the lawn ourselves. No small feet and a decision we may wonder at in the future, but for now it's all exciting. It's a fair size garden and I really enjoy working in the garden - I enjoy sitting in the garden drinking gin more but I do realise that some effort has to be put in. 

I suffered today with a most impressive rash from who knows what that drove me to the heavy duty cream and the drugs - that's what you get for weeding. 

Early 2014 is a busy social time with lots of visitors so the pressure is on to finish some long overdue projects - mainly the gin drinking zone - so I will endure the rash, take the drugs and get on with it. 

Reading list

A years worth of reading laid out before me. The goodreads challenge exceeded. A lot of learning and some light relief. Could well sum up the year in general. 

Walk 26 - Wynyard Quarter

Out of time, out of sequence. Down but not out. A belated post from September. The walking continued.

I think they call it urban transformation, or reclamation. Either way the waterfront that had no appeal unless you like bulk liquid storage tanks is being transformed. There are still a fair few of the large tanks around, but the place has over recent years morphed into a place to visit, play, eat and walk. We parked in the city and crossed over the bridge before walking into the area know as Wynyard Quarter. The sun was out, New Zealand was still in the running for the Americas Cup and red socks were selling fast. It was a great day to explore. It was a camera day too and I decided to shoot in black and white and focused on people and what they were doing. It was a day of scooters and basketball it seems. There was a interesting exhibition on women in architecture, we took the stairs and looked down on the action. We walked to the end and admired the boats, watched the fishers. Of course we ate, we didn't do the whole lunch thing, just a rather good coffee and biscotti. If you are in Auckland for  a few days, need to stretch you legs in a slow people watching not many shops kind of way, this is the place. If you have kids, this is defiantly the place as the play ground looks amazing. Remember there is coffee, there is always coffee.

See more if you fancy: -

New Bike

I was just as excited as I was back then. I should have found a better hill, but I had a great first trip. Swishing along, no pain in the neck, no pins and needles in the arm. A delightful ride with smiles and a bell. 

Sudden awakening

I woke with a start this morning, one of those suddenly wide awake panic moments. Convinced it was Monday, panicked about the time as I'd not set the alarm. No wait, I thought, it's Sunday. Or is it. Haven't I had two days off. What's going on. It took a few minutes but it did dawn on me. It's Sunday and you have a whole other day off. It was a gift. So I shopped. For a women who struggles to buy things, particularly clothes I managed two pairs of jeans and a pair of shoes. Then a printer (that has been on the list for ages), a few more stationary bits, oh some fireworks and then some food. Better go back to work so I stop spending. 

Did I mention

The birthday month has been joyous and as my previous post have listed I got up to loads. I do like to extend the celebration as much as possible. We headed away from work early on the Friday and booked into the Langham past the streaming girls. Yes indeed, we were staying at the same hotel as One Direction. Not a wise move, it was like Disney without the mouse. Girls everywhere, running, rather excited. I did get the pool to myself and some lovely spa time, then a fabulous massage and facial that was a treat from Adam.

My fave picture from the Zoo trip on the Saturday

Room service beckoned so I had to cut short my chat with Harry from One Direction (though at the time I thought it was a young lad who had nothing better to do than to lie in the post massage lounge area). I was a bit shocked when watching the news on Saturday night to realise who I had been chatting to, heh ho, I digress. This is all about me and my fabulous birthday.
Off to The Civic we headed to see Wicked. Lovely chat with some great ladies from Christ Church, serious conversation about emergency exits and then fun chat about the surprise they had for their two daughters who though that Wicked was the highlight of their trip to Auckland -  One Direction tickets had been purchased as a surprise. Those girls were far to excited to know I was staying in the same hotel - there was no escape.

The cheetahs at Africa Night adventure

Wicked was very good, a great story, fantastic sets, great singers, the music a tad loud I'm afraid, sound no quite right as at times the voices were obscured. Just the fact that I noticed this and made a mental note was funny and had me thinking of my Dad and my brother - who if they had been there would probably spoken to someone and got it sorted out. It didn't detract too much and the music was very good.
Now on previous vists a post show drink in the bar is called for, we repeated this but with a difference. Standing at the bar as the place was still swarming with girls and young ladies who really should be in bed. I didn't mind so much, it was entertaining to watch. What I did object too was the lack of manners and downright rudeness displayed by some of these people. The way they spoke to the bar staff was disgusting, but then some people not there for One Direction were also becoming irritated and taking it out on the bar staff. Maybe it's working in the service industry but my heart went out the very hard working and professional staff there that night.
We timed breakfast just right as a queue built up (accompanied by more bad behaviour) and my Disney memories came back - where was Mickey. The breakfast at the Langham is very good and the service brilliant as ever it was just a different experience with the hoards. It was also school holidays and the Langham is a very good hotel to stay at.

Our wonderfully cheesy photo from the Skyline ride

Headed back to our humble abode for a Saturday afternoon we picked up old movies. Watching 'Some like it hot' and then 'The towering inferno', all rather marvellous thank you very much.
We headed to the Zoo on Sunday, I mean why not. I wasn't supposed to find out - but another surprise Adam had for me was to return to the zoo the following week for a special "Africa Night' experience.
My birthday day arrived and I opened cards and presents and felt very good, and then made a random decision to head to Roturua. There was much contemplating as what to do, my dodgy arm had put me off quite a few things, windy weather put me off others and our plan to head to Waiheke Island for the day was hampered by the fact that you have to book 24 hours in advance. I felt the need to Luge.

Yep a happy birthday

Adam thought I was crazy and he, poor soul, did have to drive, but boy it was great. We've done the Luge at Queenstown a few times and think it's great fun. I have heard on more than one occasion that the Roturua Luge is better. The staff there took great pride in telling us so, and yes I must say it is. It was a weekday, out of school holidays, a bit windy and overcast. Perfect. Not a lot of people but enough and such a scream. I did scream, I think I took off at one point, Adam definitely did. We had a 5 ride ticket. Fantastic.

Rotoura Museum

We did take in a bit of the thermal terrain with the walkway near the Lake (yes more on that to follow, I will complete the 41 walk challenge). Then a frantic search for a supermarket to buy birthday cake and the drive home. Have i mentioned how wonderful Adam is that he drives these long journeys with no word of complaint. Marvellous.

Cake and candles and the day is complete.

Cake and candles

I returned to work to be greeted by a wonderful surprise from the staff. I am an incredibly fortunate charge nurse and was very touched. They had decorated my office window and door with notes and signs. There was cake and then more cake. Plus I got a few more presents - fantastic.

My Surprise

The Africa Night was the following sunday and was fabulous. You meet and feed the animals, the elephant, then the giraffe, who you can't touch, then we saw the cheetahs - mesmerising, then the hippos, the scariest and deadliest, can't believe we could still feed them. Finally the rhino. A South African themed dinner followed by a presentation and then a fund-raising auction. A totally different and interesting evening out.

Getting close to the rhino on Africa Night

A parcel arrived the other day from wonderful Emma so the birthday month carried on.