Earthquake 2010

Hi Everyone and thank you to all who have contacted us in the last few days. Just a short note this time and no photos .... yet! Well, we have survived quite a big one - in the best James Bond tradition .... wait for it ......... "shaken but not stirred". Boom boom! IT was, however, very frightening to experience, especially as it was the middle of the night. Without any light pollution from the city the stars were amazing and I met up with all the neighbours just before 5am!!!

The damage in the city is extensive - there are lots of photos on the NZ Herald website. The power of the earth is 'awesome'. Literally. Sarah and family are staying with me at present as the main beams in the their house have been damaged and they feel it would be best to wait for an assessment. That could take awhile because of the sheer weight of numbers of people waiting. Well over 50 aftershocks have been measured so far and the experts say that we could have another quite big one in the near future. No school for a couple of days, so far and many not at work. We are boiling water in case of contamination, conserving water and not flushing too often. The army are guarding the cordon around the Central Business District where there is a lot of damage.

A lovely day today and the forecast high winds moderated but we have a cold front with lots of rain coming at the end of today. Oh joy!! Still, could be worse. The stiff upper lip is operating even if a bit wobbly at times. Love to you all. Carol xx

Easter 2010

Hi Everyone,

Not long since the last offering but as I have been on another trip I thought I would put fingers to keyboard. I trust that the weather is warming up a little now, that you are keeping well and that the ash from the volcano is not causing problems.

I decided to abandon the family at Easter, having first made sure that the Easter Bunny had enough supplies, of course. This trip was to Nelson - an area of the South Island that I had not yet visited. Another coach tour (filled with people rather older than me but very friendly and they made me feel quite sprightly!!) To my amazement I knew the brother of one of the other passengers in Boxford - Fred Corner for those in the area. Talk about a small world!

Tahunanui Beach where we stayed.

The coach broke down an hour out from our destination - an additive in the diesel destroyed the fuel line - so we were not at the hotel until 8pm; a 12 hour trip from Christchurch!!! No matter as the next day more than made up for it. We had a wonderful 4 hour boat trip up the coast calling in at many of the beautiful bays that edge the Abel Tasman National Park. I would definitely like to visit again and walk some (or all) of the A. T. track. The weather was gorgeous and the scenery so beautiful.

Kaiteriteri - start of Abel Tasman National Park

Nelson Market on the Saturday was full of very talented people and well worth a wander round. We also visited some 'stately homes!' As these homes tend to be less than 150 years old to someone coming from England they are not terribly impressive but I mustn't carp. NZ is after all a very young country by European standards, and anything over a hundred years old is considered 'heritage'.

Many many vineyards in this region but the only wine I tasted was purchased over the bar in the hotel. Honest! Mostly coach travel on the Sunday - no chance for a paddle but I did try the hotel pool - FREEZING! We had a good trip back down the coast, no delays this time, and home in time for tea.

On the way home!

All are well here. School is back this week. Sarah had her birthday this month - her 'surprise' party not quite a surprise we planned. See her blog for details. I have started back at the gym and the motivation is that I have paid for a 3 month membership! Hope that you enjoy the scenery!

Do take care, all my love until next time. Carol xx

Great Barrier Island

Hi Everyone, and welcome to the latest blog.

Whangaparapara Harbour.

And only a few weeks have passed since the last one! Well, I have been on another of my little trips - this time for 2 nights on Gt Barrier Island, 90 kms to the northeast of Auckland. It is the fourth largest land mass in NZ - after South Island, North Island and Stewart Island and I had never heard of it until the info about the trip came through. Mind you, a couple of Kiwis I mentioned it to thought it was off the Australian coast so I didn't feel too bad. (A bit far for a three day trip!) Getting there involved a really early start as I was picked up at 6am for a flight to Auckland and then a transfer to a 'small' plane for the half hour flight to the island. (10 passengers!)

Tryphena Harbour

No mains electricity or water so the inhabitants rely on bore holes, generators and solar panels. Very beautiful as you can see from the photos and lots of tramping trails which I didn't have enough time to take advantage of - although I did walk along some of the beaches and paddle in the sea (a little warmer than Christchurch, I have to say.)

Medlands Beach

All in all a lovely trip, and guess what? I have another booked for Easter, this time to Nelson at the top of the South Island. Then it will be time for another blog. So, still in 'gadding about' mode I will finish - hoping that it is getting warmer for you by now.

Take care, lots of love Carol xxx

Autumn 2010

Hi Everyone,

Autumn is here already but, unlike those of you suffering with the winter cold in the Northern hemisphere we have been languishing under sunny skies ever since the children went back to school (beginning Feb!) So little rain that there is a fire warning out. The tsunami warning last weekend, after the Chilean earthquake was a bit worrying - during the night especially. We were saved by the low tide!!!! However, there were still some idiots who persisted in swimming, surfing, walking on the beach or just driving to the beach to see the wave come in. Annie, Malc and Olive took to the hills and Sarah's family took me to Kate's for a barbeque.

The girls and I went to Auckland last month to visit Margaret who was in turn visiting her daughter Sarah and new grandson, Jack. We had a lovely weekend - although the weather was rather humid and that made it difficult to sleep. We have celebrated a few family birthdays since I last wrote; mine, Roy's and Ash's. Thank you for your cards and good wishes. We all went out to lunch. If you have been reading the Simmerson's blog you will know that Joe broke his arm 2 months ago. He no longer has a cast but is meant to be avoiding trampolining, biking etc. Yeah, right!

I am helping at school again this year; in the same class as before. Unlike Joe I have been kept back a year!!! The only trouble I have is with learning their names - it has never been my strong point. I went to the theatre last night to see 'The Diary of Ann Frank'. It was very moving. There were lots of young people in the audience, presumably studying it at school and they were engrossed throughout. They reacted with applause and whistles when Ann and Peter kissed! There is another visit to the theatre at the end of the month and I am going on a trip next week so there should be another blog soon. The photos this time were taken at the Chinese Lantern Festival last weekend - most enjoyable.
Do take care and keep warm. Not too long before you change your clocks - we change ours back the first weekend in April so making us 11 hours in front of the UK. All my love Carol xxx

Happy New Year 2010

Hi Everyone,

Hardly believable that another year has passed. Matt's birthday today so 'Many Happy Returns' to him. Now I know that many of you have had to cope with loads of snow so I hope that you have not been inconvenienced too much. The pictures of the whole of the UK covered in white were fantastic - it can't happen very often.

If you read Sarah's blog you will see that life was pretty hectic during December. One week I drove to Kate's 4 times, both to see them and to attend Ash and India's functions at school. I got really good petrol consumption that month! The one hope was that Joe would not have something on the same day and it all worked out OK. I really enjoyed helping in Joe's class last year and have volunteered for this year too. I will continue to help the same teacher, even though Joe has moved up the school, as we get along well. It is only one morning a week and the children call me Nana Carol. It is rather disconcerting when I am out to hear "Hello Nana Carol" shouted by one of the children - reminds me of when I was 'Brown Owl' and going to the Hadleigh Show and hearing "Hello, Brown Owl" screamed out over the showground! Happy days..

Before Xmas I went to see "Anything Goes" at the theatre with U3A (most enjoyable; hadn't realised how many of the songs I knew). I had lunch with the WI, U3A and my walking group. The latter lunch was at the Casino. I decided to have a flutter. Now the last time I played the slots was in Las Vegas in 1979 where I spent $5. There were handles to pull then! Does going again this time constitute a habit? Anyway, I bet $4 (buttons to push this time) and won $40, so quit while I was ahead. It paid for the lunch and then some!

Christmas was great. The family gathered here for lunch and the sun shone enough to eat outside. We all went to the beach afterwards for some boogie boarding - the first time in the sea this summer for most of us. The weather has been reasonably good for us so far - the sun has shone but (due to El Nino) a lot of the wind has come from the SW (Antarctica). This has brought plenty of rain on the west coast - they have an average of 10 metres a year, folks!!!! We haven't had too much rain on this side of the country - time for the farmers to mention the word 'drought'.

As usual I will try to get some photos on the blog so fingers are crossed. My very best wishes to all for the New Year. Take care and keep warm.

With love Carol xx

PS Managed to get some photos on the blog - yours truly, self portrait and Xmas dinner. Only had to phone Sarah once, so 'result'.

Count down to Xmas!

Hi Everyone,

Only three weeks since the last blog but this is my chance to get in early and wish you every good wish for the coming season of festivities and goodwill to all! I hope that you are keeping well as many of you head into winter. I hear from the news that there are many severe rain warnings in place for the UK so wish you and yours well.

We are still waiting for Spring to arrive properly. We have had some lovely days but that South Westerly wind will persist in taking over and, coming as it does, from Antartica it is a little chilly. The temperature reached 31C yesterday and so far today it is 15C. Quite a difference! I have chanced my arm and have planted some tomatoes and hope that there is not a very late frost. So far, so good. Another few weeks before the chop I understand. Ash and Indie have, naturally, given them names - not Lamb Chop and Mint Sauce though.

Olive celebrated her 2nd birthday at the beginning of the month and had a party in the garden. Her hat in the photo is not her cycle helmet but that of one of her guests but she took a fancy to it and wore it for quite a while. Talking of anniversaries - I moved into this house two years ago tomorrow! I keep saying it - time flies!

Another 4 weeks of school and then it is the long summer holidays. Joe's school is busy practising for a Carol concert in the Cathedral on the 4th Dec and there is the Santa Parade in New Brighton the first Sat in Dec. He arrives by boat. Indie's class attended a performance by the New Zealand ballet of 'Peter Pan' on Friday. A rather different school trip? I will be going to see 'Anything Goes' soon. My Xmas preparations are moving along but the cards are just not at the forefront of my mind at present. Dentist this week - oh joy!

Thus finishing on a depressing note I will ask you all to take care of yourselves and thanks for keeping in touch through the year. All my love Carol xxx

To Oz and back!

Hi Everyone,

It is quite a while since I last wrote and since the memory is so poor! I will concentrate on the last couple of weeks. The bad news was that I broke not just one but two of my crowns and made my dentist quite a few dollars. The second went the day before our trip - the timing could have been worse I suppose and happened a day later. Anyway, enough of my falling to pieces and on with the other news.

We left these shores, paying for the privilege (25 dollars per adult!) and flew to that little (only joking) island off to the west. We stayed in a fabulous house near Byron Bay (top of New South Wales and about 150 kms south of Brisbane). The house had everything - 5 flat screen televisions with Sky, kids videos by the score and more than enough crockery for all of us. It certainly made up for the hosue at Hamner we rented that had one large and one small saucepan!

Best of all was the heated pool in the garden - 11 metres long so big enough for all. The children especially loved it and spent hours in it each day. The adults prefered it when the children were not in it - funny that. With the beach only a couple of streets away we had the best of both worlds although the sea was a bit too rough for swimming. Malc went surfing a few times (early!) The weather was lovely and warm and we only had rain on one day although it did hammer down one night too. As the weather reports were forecasting storms for about 4 days we got off very lightly. Swimming in the rain was good fun too!

We didn't see any koalas but as the children now have cuddly substitutes they don't feel too cheated. We did see some kangaroos (in the wildlife park - cheating?). There were lizards in the garden and house and lots of birds including parrots visiting the garden. As ususal the time flew by and we got back on Thursday to a much cooler clime.

However, the sun is shining today as it was yesterday so I won't complain (much!) The washing is all done and next I must get into the garden.. The veggies will have to be sorted out and seeds sown for the summer and some plants that did not survive the winter will have to be replaced. Much to do - tomorrow! Will now try to get some photos loaded. The turkey gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'having christmas dinner on the beach!'

I do hope that you are all well, that the weather continues to be kind. Now start thinking about Christmas!!!!

With love Carol xxx