June 28, 2020
Wowzers, I can’t believe how fast that last month has whizzed by. Apologies if I have left any of you hanging out for the next instalment of my blog…but I’ve barely had time to scratch myself, let alone attempt to write anything. For your reading pleasure, here is the last four weeks condensed into one final post.
My trip out of Nelson did not terminate in the capital. Luckily the weather after my arrival settled down and I had a pleasant couple of days hanging out in my caravan. I also got to test the sauna (to make sure it still worked) before the planned re-opening once the country moved into Lockdown Level 1. Thankfully it did and it was blissfully hot.
I did spend Queens Birthday Weekend on the Kapiti Coast with Stephanie, a girlfriend I met in India, who was originally from Lower Hutt. At that time she had been living and working there for about a decade. She divided her time between Pushkar, a tourist hotspot in Rajasthan; where her husband and family ran a guest house, and New Delhi, where she ran the Intrepid Travel office.
We met through my connection with Paula, an Australian woman who was one of Intrepid's tour guides. At the time I was working for Onions (a film production company) and I had rented an amazing apartment with a roof top terrace in Safdarjung Enclave in South Delhi. I had made some interesting acquaintances within the expat and local community and I enjoyed hosting a regular Sunday brunch. Steph happened to be a guest on a couple of occasions.
Through Steph I met Leah, who was instrumental in introducing me to Richard, my boss at XPLOR Tours, (the outfit I do half day tours of Wellington with, when the cruise ships come in…or at least that used to be the case!). Anyway, Leah and I headed up the coast for a night to hang out with Steph, as she had the house to herself, with daughter Riya being away for a sleepover.
We had a fun time that included a few drinks, a pot luck dinner, listening to music, a boogie in the lounge room, yakking in the sun, a couple of walks on Waikanae Beach and the piece de resistance, a visit to the French Bakery (in perilously close walking distance), that had queues out the door. I indulged in a mushroom pie followed by a chocolate apricot pastry. Bugger the gluten and dairy free. Deliciously sinful!!!
in matching puffer jackets
enjoying the sunshine on the deck
After that weekend I had a visit to the murder-house (aka the dentist, which was relatively painless, including the bill) plus a much needed haircut. Then it was time to hit the road. I hitched a ride with my Dad and his partner Fay to Hamilton. It was a smooth run, interrupted by the constant beeps of their radar detector, a necessary apparatus as both of them have lead feet!
I was deposited at Chartwell Square, the rendevous point to meet up with Kristen, one of my closest friends. We go way back when, to our younger party days living in Perth, Western Australia. Also from Te Aroha but a couple of years younger than I, Krist used to hang out with my brother at high school. We also had some other connections (or two degrees of separation), the first to do with my mother…
My mum is a very gifted pianist and over the years has made a wonderful living from her passion as a piano teacher. Once upon a time, before we moved to Western Samoa, she had a mobile music studio; a little caravan that she used to tow around the district to all the schools where she taught. Kristen was one of her pupils.
I remember that dad had to cut the shape of the piano out of the door to get it inside, then weld it back together again. To stop it moving around the piano was bolted to the floor. The funniest story about the caravan that I can recall was waking up one morning after a windy storm to discover that the caravan had blown over onto its side. It was a peculiar sight to see the piano, hanging mid-air.
The second connection was to do with my father…on our return from the Islands, my dad decided he did not want to work on the farm. Keeping the share-milker on, he purchased a Bernina Sewing Machine business in Morrinsville. He ended up hiring a young guy to be his apprentice. This turned out to be Kristen’s brother, Darryl.
This was how Kris came to be in possession of my contact details in Perth, Western Australia when she first jumped the ditch and the rest is history as our friendship grew from there…she was one of my bridesmaids and I was one of hers, I ended up with her hand me down cat Marsh, etc etc. Kris married Tim and they have two kids (correction, young adults now), a girl Taylor and a boy Reece; and they are dairy farmers on the outskirts of Te Aroha.
After a comfortable night in what is known as my room, I kicked Tim’s butt at a quick game of Scrabble, before setting off the following afternoon in their “spare” car, in the direction of the City of JAFA, I mean Sails, a.k.a. F***land (that’s what you get if you swap the A with an F), oops sorry, hope that wasn’t too Auckward!
Anyway, next stop was Karaka. To stay with Tim (another one), an old work colleague (read boss) from my repping days with Sweetline and the Acorn Group. Married to Tania they also have two young adults, a boy Taylor and a girl Maddy (who shares the same birthday as me). Confusing eh. It was a fantastic night quaffing red wine and catching up on all their news.
I finally reached my destination in West Auckland the next day in time for Friday lunch with my mum and sister. That evening I hung out with my eight (going on eighteen) year old niece Stella. It was nice and relaxing because come Monday it was going to be a different story.
But before that I buggered off to stay with an old primary school friend Afke and her hubby Brett on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. It was great to catch up with them and two of their three (Simon and Peta) and take the dog for a walk along Stanmore Bay. Then en-route back to my sisters I stopped in for a coffee and a chat with Karyn, another old work colleague and her tribe of mokopuna.
The main purpose of my visit to Huapai was something I had joked about with my sister earlier in the year. I’m also thinking, this could be a new business opportunity and income stream for me. Erana and her hubby Aaron’s double garage under their house was literally bursting at the seams and they needed some serious help to clear it out.
It was an interesting week of purging. I know it was difficult for my sister to part with some of her treasures, especially items from her cow collection, but she was brave and faced the challenge. We got one of those green gorilla bags for the rubbish then proceeded to make piles of things to sell, give away and keep.
These old wedding photos also surfaced, talk about a trip down memory lane. Thanks Afke for one and Erana for the other:
We sold most things on a local fb page. A few things were listed on trade me and the leftovers will go to an upcoming car boot sale and whatever is left will go to a charity shop. But the most important thing was witnessing the transformation of the garage each day. From literally having to climb over stuff to get to things, you could now see space and the floor. Rewarding and satisfying.
I wish I had taken a before and after photo. So please, keep me in mind if you need to clear out your clutter. Price negotiable, may need to include food and board. LOL
After that epic exercise, it was time for some R&R so it was off to Waiheke Island to stay with my mates, Michelle & Neill for a few days. They are blessed with an amazing air bnb property (Boho Hill) in Palm Beach, which I managed for them last winter when they went to Bali for ten weeks. See link below:
I first met Michelle twenty years ago, when we were both mature age students at film school. It was nice to chill-ax on the Island, do a spot of shopping, eat, drink and take an obligatory walk on the beach. I also visited my Balinese massage lady, Yenny, who left me black and blue and made my toes curl as she pummeled my body back into shape.
with Michelle & Neill on Palm Beach
Then it was back to the Shore for a couple of nights to stay with my mum and step-father Fred. Prior to lockdown Fred had decided to purchase a motor-home. As the levels dropped down another notch they finally had their first opportunity to use it and headed down to Taranaki for a weekend.
Mum was the designated driver and she thoroughly enjoyed their travels in the new toy. It wasn’t all smooth sailing however. When they struck rain a small leak was discovered in the living quarters, then upon their return home Mum took out a fence in the driveway and scratched and dented the vehicles side. Tired from the journey, Mum had intended to reverse into the park, but instead she listened to Fred’s advice not to.
I had hoped to check out the camper while I was there and give the bed a test run for myself. But as it was at the panel-beaters getting repaired, I got to sleep squeezed in the corner, practically under the grand piano, like usual. On my departure from Auckland I picked up a cousin, Robert, who I had not seen for a number of years, probably since my Dad’s 70th. As I was meeting his mother, my Aunty Joyce (Dad’s sister), for her belated birthday lunch, he figured he would cadge a ride down with me to Matamata. We nattered non-stop and the trip went pretty fast. Aunty Joyce, blessed with good genes always looks great (and ageless) and we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at the Kaimai Cheese Factory in Waharoa. Thanks Robert for the treat.
Then it was back to Te Aroha to return the car and prepare for the final leg of my journey. A roadie with Kris, Tim and Taylor, via Wellington to Nelson. Overall the weather during my time away had been pretty average, but I guess it was winter after all, although I still insist that it kicks off from the shortest day 21st June not the 1st.
Suffice to say we arrived back into Wellington during the week where they recorded only 6 minutes of sunshine. To top it all off, I was rudely awoken once again, by yet another earthquake, a 7.4 off Gizzy. Yep, Nelson for the winter is looking better every minute.
It was rather refreshing to play tourist in Wellington for a change. We went out to Weta Cave in Miramar and did a behind the scenes workshop combo tour including the Thunderbirds. We shot up to Brewtown in Upper Hutt for lunch after that, then swung by my caravan to collect some personal effects to take back to Nelson.
For those of you that might be unaware, my caravan is located at the Wellington Naturist Club (WNC) in Te Marua. Yes, I confess, I am a naturist and I am proud to say so. The club is seventy years old and I have been a member there for about seven years now. I currently serve on the committee and earlier this year I was appointed by the NZ Naturist Federation (NZNF) as their marketing officer.
I know that some of my friends are a bit uncomfortable about my lifestyle choice and there is some friendly ribbing about the WNC being classed as a sports club and the requirement to “wear” club uniform. But all I can say to that is don’t knock it until you try it. Just because we are nude does not mean that we are being rude. You might be pleasantly surprised, as it is a great equaliser and has many health benefits.
Classic, couldn't resist including this shot
With Kris & Tim at Brewtown
Several friends have bravely ventured to the club to visit me and are pleasantly surprised by our facilities, which includes club rooms, a camp kitchen, BBQ’s, laundry and guest accommodation; all set on lovely grounds. Family friendly there is a kids playground, lovely gardens, bush walks, various sports set-ups like kubb, petanque. mini-ten plus boasts a pool table, table tennis tables, indoor bowls and darts. But wait, there’s more, we also have a spa, a sauna and in the summer a very popular heated swimming pool. It’s like a resort really. Check it out on the link below:
Our ferry sailing was delayed due to the weather, so our arrival into Nelson was a lot later than we had anticipated. My travelling companions were disappointed to miss their window to explore Nelson but they were on a tight schedule and were expected in Greymouth to visit Tim’s sister the next day. Overall, tt was a fun trip and thanks heaps for the lift guys.
Since my return I have been catching up on “stuff” and letting my social circle down here know that I’m back. Unsurprisingly, my foraging skills have also kicked back in. So far I have managed to procure lemons, mandarins, grapefruit, passionfruit and some persimmon. Lucky me and thanks neighbours.
It was fantastic to get away. Life in Lockdown Level 1 practically felt like everything was back to normal, but not quite. While I had a wonderful time gallivanting around, I was quietly appalled by some of the happenings here in NZ and abroad. At times it feels like I’m watching the whole world combust in front of my very eyes.
The NZ Government and its team of 5 million really have done an incredible job in the way that it has handled this global pandemic. We really are incredibly lucky compared to many of the other countries who are still badly affected with climbing numbers of cases.
It did make me really cross though to see how quickly people were to point the finger when there were a few hiccoughs at the border. At the end of the day, the politicians and health officials are human and can only do so much. They are doing their best under the circumstances of these unprecedented times.
The media do drive me a bit crazy, especially with their predictions of future economic doom and gloom. It’s like anything, if you plant that seed, then of course it will grow. If they chose to encourage and put a positive spin on things instead, rather than the negative, then there may well be a completely different outcome.
But I digress…
While I can understand why many Kiwi’s want to come home at this time, I can’t help but think that on their arrival they need to be accountable and ensure that they do their bit to stay in isolation/quarantine for the specified time. Not just for themselves but to keep the rest of the country safe. We should be grateful that at this point there has been no community spread from these teething problems.
If the pandemic continues to escalate worldwide, should we even be letting Kiwi’s come home? Maybe we should be telling them that they have missed the boat and have to stay put for the duration? I know that might be a bit harsh, but I do feel that each time we open our border it only increases our risk of exposure. But then, maybe we need the herd immunity?
Also this article below raises an interesting point that the corona-virus may in fact be a blood vessel disease. If this is the case, then a vaccine may prove to be a waste of time and virtually ineffective:
The other big conundrum to people returning home is the cost. What is the solution to this? Maybe there needs to be a user pays type situation with a tiered structure of accommodation available from budget to mid-range or high end? Or is it that after three days, family members come to collect them and take them home to finish their isolation. I know that it is not cheap exercise, but at the end of the day, isn’t human life far more important than money?
Which leads me to this new movement sweeping the world, Black Lives Matter. Up until this point I have remained silent on the topic, not because I don’t care; but because I have been observing, processing, understanding where my sympathies lie and what my stance on this is.
Now don’t get me wrong, what happened to George Floyd was abhorrent, a tragic event that should never have happened. Police brutality or abuse of any type of power should not be condoned. I can only imagine what African Americans have had to deal with over the years. But lets face it, race relations in many countries needs to be addressed, you only need to look at how the Aboriginals in Australia have been treated.
And I know that I am coming from a middle-class Pakeha perspective, but I was always under the impression that NZ Maori were reasonably well integrated into our society. Whatever ethnicity you might be, the same opportunities are available to all. Some might even say that Maori get additional support.
Personally, I think a lot depends on the learned behaviour of your youth and whether you are prepared to help yourself to a better life or whether you have a sense of entitlement and expect everything to be handed to you on a platter, without doing anything for it in return.
Information technology has definitely changed the way that we perceive events that happen in the world, especially with the speed that it spreads. While it is great that NZ has citizens that care about these causes, it has surprised me how quickly people are to jump on these bandwagons.
Have they truly thought about the impacts or ramifications of their actions like removing statues of historical figures. Okay, looking back those people may have performed heinous acts, but that is what makes it a part of history. If you don’t have those reminders, then it’s sweeping it under the carpet like it never happened and you don’t learn from those mistakes.
I also think it rather ridiculous that they are considering changing the names of well-established products. For example the Eskimo Pie. Sure, it might be a little cultural insensitive and not considered PC now, but when that product first came on the market, life was different. It’s like the word gay. Once upon a time, it had a different connotation meaning bright or happy.
But I guess my biggest bug bear is that it’s not just black lives that matter. All life matters. I think people forget that we are one race, the HUMAN RACE. Who cares if you are black, white, red or yellow. This lady says it prettyy eloquently:
Anyway, enough of my ranting, here is my pick of funnies from the last little while:
How to feed your dino jurassic cat
Sorry, I have no delicious recipes to share with you this time around.
Anyway, I really want to thanks everyone for tuning in to surviving in the bubble and taking the time to read it. I'm going to retire this blog for now and may reinstate it or start another down the track. In the meantime take it easy out there.
onepurplefish
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