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NEXT Environmental Project People

We are in Hokitika for the NEXT Foundation Environmental Project Forum from the 4th to the 6th of October.   The Forum is being held in Hokitika because Zero Invasive Predators have a project in the Perth River Valley close to Hokitika that we will go to see. Some of us are intending go into the valley if the weather is fine on Sunday. This forum was for hearing updates and meetings between Predator Free Wellington, Project Janzoon, Taranaki Mounga, Te Manahuna Aoraki, Cacophony  ...

Our Day Flying to Nelson (Whakatū), then Driving to Hokitika.

I was transfixed by what was out the window of the plane. What a day to show off Aotearoa.  From Napier to Wellington - Mt Ruapehu and Mt Tongariro (in the distance), and the Tararua Ranges in the foreground. ...

Time in Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau) and Napier (Ahuriri)

Oct 1st - 3rd.  Time to do lots for Jeni.  A big list for her - bank, bills, pills, etc.  Also it is dear Alison Roberton's funeral today. She was our neighbour at our first Waiheke house for nearly ten years. Patrick and Lesley who we shared the house with also there. It was a lovely celebration of Alison's life. I would meet her at Charlie Farley's for a coffee. I would chat to her over the fence. She would come for drinks. She was one of those people you catch up with at Xmas, ...

More Waiheke, and a Youngies Dinner with a Difference

28th -30th September.  Bill and I ride to Sandy Bay via Palm Beach in Waiheke. This is Palm Beach....

Anna and Mark come to Waiheke, and All Blacks play SA in RWC

21st - 27th September. So great to have Anna and Mark to stay last night and hang with them. Lucky me. I love the way these guys have fun, and think....

Auckland and Waiheke

17th - 20th September.  I have appointments with dentist, doctor, meet with AUT students, visit Mum and catch up with friends. I remembered to get this photo. It was so great to catch up with Diny and James....

Bike Ride to the Dotterels

While I have been in Noosa, Bill has been at Waiheke. Because we got in at midnight, and there are no ferries at 1.00 am, Mary and I stay at Mum's apartment in Abbotts Way. Mary drops me to find an Uber to meet Bill.  In the morning Mary drives back to Taupo. Bill and I meet up with Andy Morris. That was a lovely catch up. I forgot the photo!  Then it was out to Waiheke. Bill had meetings in town. Look who greeted me in a driveway as I walked to our house. ...

Our Waiheke

At our house Buka, Kevin and Damon from Blossom, Branches and Bricks were landscaping the last corner of our property.  This is Buka and Kevin. ...

Early Morning Swim/Walk, then back to New Zealand

We go for an early morning swim/walk. ...

Eumundi Markets, Friends Catch Up, Haircut, Nails, Pool and Local for Dinner.

We go to Eumundi, 20km from Noosa.  The town is spoilt for choice when it comes to dining, with options ranging from relaxed cafes and iconic pubs right through to fine restaurant fare. Jeni and I spent a few hours in BerkelouW, on the main street, while Linda and Mary shop. I blog, and Jeni reads her book....

Our Dream Boat Trip

We go on a dream boat. (There are only two like this boat in Australia.)...

Hang by the Pool and Catch up with Annette

 After a walk around Noosa Heads and a swim we choose to hang by the Noosa Shores pool. The babes - all holding our tummies in. Mary wins the flattest tummy prize, and shows it off....

Noosa Heads

We have breakfast on the balcony overlooking where we will walk today....

Ecotour of Noosa River

We book an ecotour. In Australia an ecotour is "an ecologically sustainable tour with a primary focus on experiencing natural area that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation". Geoff is our tour guide. Here we are on the boat ready and listening. We are going on an eco tour of Weyba Creek and Noosa river....

Noosa Beach to Sunshine Beach

Mary and I choose to go from Noosa Beach to Sunshine Beach after yesterday's taster of Noosa National Park. I didn't bring walking shoes and have my white street shoes. Mary is training for a triathlon so we came to a compromise. We will run down the hills, and walk the rest. They are slight hills. Linda offered to look after Jeni. I go and get some early morning take away coffees from Grind Cafe.  Mary and I run to Noosa Heads. This is Mary at  Dolphin Bay, Noosa Heads. (Gee she doesn...

A Walk in Noosa National Park

We head to Noosa beach. This is the wheelchair with the fat wheels for the beach. I took Mum in this along the beach....

Noosa

Bill takes my big bag and heads to Waiheke from the airport. I meanwhile have a few hours before departing to fly to Brisbane. Mary and Linda have met up and they meet me off the plane. We wait a bit for Jacqui and Bruce. They arrive. (I forgot to get a photo of us all.) Jacqui is Mum's sister Margaret's daughter. Bruce is her husband. They give us the car, and then go to hire another one as they are heading to Adelaide to see their son. We drive to Noosa and grab fish and chips. Mum is pleased ...

Catch-up with Dellwyn and Frank before flying to Aotearoa New Zealand

(... plus 6th September, because we didn't have that day, flying home ...) We have a wonderful catch up with Frank and Dellwyn (Kiwi friends who are visiting NYC) in The Cook Shop at 156 10th Ave....

Day Two at Flushing Meadow

We wake up and the miraculous happens. The not-an-Uber driver finds the phone in his car, and sees that there has been a call to it - from Chris, calling Bill after the alarm people had called him.  The driver calls Chris (it's 2am now, sorry again Chris!) and Chris gets the driver's number and emails Bill with it!  While we slept!  So in the morning we call the driver and arrange to rendezvous at Flushing Meadow where he picked us up the night before. We read the paper in a cafe....

Back to New York City for Tennis

Rebecca drove us to the Poughkeepsie station for the train back to Penn Station.  A photo of the map of Poughkeepsie and surrounds I found in the train station....

Upstate New York

We do our normal morning newspaper read and cafe. Then we catch a train at 1.25pm from Penn Station to Poughkeepsie....

A Sunday in New York

We walk to another cafe and pick up the Sunday newspaper. That was the morning. If you don't know where to find a paper in New York, here's a store with them....

A Walk in Central Park

Saturday morning New York is quiet - for New York. Chris suggested an early morning walk in Central Park which is less than a block away....

Bornholm to New York

We leave Bornholm at 7.00 am in the morning. This is Rønne, from the air....

Rønne and Spa

We took the bikes back and then enjoyed the spa facilities. This is the spa pool which looks out to the sea. ...