KT and Coffee: friends

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Walk 41

[The below post was written way way back it seems, but I had intended it to be the post that wrapped up this little series. I haven't changed it at all and as I face my birthday in 2015 I do find myself wondering quite a lot]

Back at my birthday October 2014. So while this series took a little while to finish, this is the way to wrap this series up has to be here. This walk. That has so many memories. From Hahei beach to Cathedral Cove. My first birthday in New Zealand was spent here. I stood happy with the place to ourselves as the sun set, dusk came and we realised we'd better move it to get back before dark. We kayaked back the next day as my birthday treat. Coolest thing. We visited in the summer and had to share the beach, but we swam and snorkelled. We brought friends on the walk and then we brought my mum. It has been a place that my mum has always wanted to visit and when the hopes of her getting to NZ under her own steam (or funding) faded the realisation that some things just had to be done grew. We got her to Oz for the christening of her goddaughters son, then those amazing friends brought her to New Zealand. There was no question we'd come here. She came and went by boat. One of the best days ever, swimming with my mum in the sea at Cathedral Cove.

So birthday 2014, back to the Coromadel in the van. Camping joy, swimming in the sea very early at Hahei, then ignoring the weather forecast (but packing for it anyway - it turned out sunny) we walked again.

I stood with the happy memories that make me smile and cry at the same time. Wondering how many more times will I walk here. Watching life around me, when we don't know what will come from left field. Can we know how long we can keep walking. That pleasure of mine, that I take for granted but have tried to capture here. In what was meant as a year long project to celebrate my 41st birthday has seen me dawdle along till 2015. Now 43, but still walking.

The van happy in it's spot at the wondrous Hahei campsite

Just thinking and paddling at Cathedral Cove

Now time to rest

The feet that I am so grateful for, that and the legs that keep going. Thank you for being able to walk

The first and last site of the beach at Cathedral Cove

A week in February

Well it's April and I am just looking at the photos I took on our week away back in February, we met up with friends from the UK here on their NZ adventure. OK, so I contracted some sort of rash, that didn't really help the whole holiday thing, but it meant I took things easy, swam in the sea most days and tried to sleep in. But I remember (and wrote in my journal) that I was cheesed off that I was sick on my holiday. Our friends were incredibly accommodating, I guess that's what friendship is all about.

It took me about 3 weeks to feel back to normal (tragically this still seems to mean exhausted every day after work). I was supported by work folks and now over a long weekend can take the time to load and look at the photos. I had great plans to get copies to our friends, (my head is full of many a great plan) but today I will get them onto Flickr and the other great plans will just have to wait in line.

What has been great looking at these photos now was the great memories, smiles and happy thoughts that came to me. Plus the warmth and the wonder of the sea. I need to remember how much I can be nurtured by nature.

What I also think of, is all the things I did that aren't captured on a photo. I'm feeling proud of swimming to that pontoon, despite the panic that set in and then I jumped off it. Yep, cowardly scared me. Jumped. Didn't use the steps, I jumped. I felt great. Now how to bottle that.

At Flagstaff Hill, before the rash set in.

While on The Cream Trip. Lush tour of the Bay of Islands.

Sunset cruise on the tall ship

There aren't many photos of me during this time, the rash adding to my usual un-photogenic state, but this one makes me smile

Russell pier from the Duke of Marlborough

The Hole in the Rock. Has to be done.

Maori Bay after walking from Murawai beach

Lush evening colours on the drive back to Auckland

Not blogging but reading

I have regained my reading bug and devoured four books this month. Well, I finish work, get home, sit down and read. Kind of how I've been rolling this month. While of course thinking that I really should do 'stuff'. So much stuff.

Two of the books will be winging their way to friends in the UK. The Summer Book is heading to Emma along with little notes! The Life and Death if Laura Friday is off to Sharon - will make a perfect read for your upcoming holiday (though hold on, that does mean I need to post it soon), Tom may also appreciate it, if only for the advice about women (but I would't want to encourage anything that distracted him from revision).

I have been doing 'stuff' as well so will fill you in on the Queenstown trip, more of the 41 walks completed and the garden work. When I can stop reading that is.

Day thirty. Thank you

I should have done a before and after shot but my garden was getting a bit crazy. In fact it was a meadow, rather lovely, but driving my hay fever mental. Which added to the challenge of cutting the grass. Hot sunny weather (not moaning) did send the hay fever crazy and then add in super long grass, what was I hoping for. I did a section - mainly to be able to see the vegetable patch if nothing else - found a dead rat in the long grass - nice - so knew this job was needed and soon.
We casually mention to the neighbour and heh look…..we come home from work today and the grass has been cut. "Oh well", he shrugs, "who knows how many dead rats you have in there and I had nothing to do, plus my mower has four blades and yours only has two, so it was easier for me than it would be for you".
Wow
Beers on us then.

Day twenty five. Today is…..

Merry Christmas
Today is a joyful wonder of mess. I am mightily impressed by how much mess two adults can make on Christmas morning. A sign of a blessed childhood methinks.
Thank you all for the great gifts.

Day twenty one. Friendship

A symbolic photo. Taken with friends visiting NZ last summer. A lot has happened to friends in the UK. It's been a hard year to be away from dear friends. Making me wonder…...

Day nineteen. Delicious

Our tradition of Christmas. Dinner with friends. Food and company. Delicious

Day Twelve. White

As if by magic, this delicate crocheted snowflake decoration turns up in the post toady. A lovely gift from a best friends mother.

Looking for the cure

It's been tough times.Tragic news from the UK. Feeling lost and far away from those I want to share my grief and sorrow with.

We all continue but it all seems so unreal and impossible. What I manage is day by day and a deep gratitude for all that I have and all that I can be.

9th

In my bag...

Today
There was Disney
There were 2 excited girls
There was an awful lot of people
And a fair amount of walking
So I made sure I had a light bag

Todays bag had my lush and wonderful crumpler camera holder
It takes my two cameras very neatly and has pockets for cards and cables
I carried the precious tickets to Disney on Ice
Some notepaper and pens
Tissues, this seems to be essential for anyone with children, but I didn't need them
My phone and my purse and that was me done

August Break 2014 Day 9

To the Zoo

Our annual Auckland Zoo pass has been well used. This time it's with a friend and her son. He leads the way and as we have a child in tow I don't see why we can't wear the Tasmanian Devil mask and do the quiz and learnt a lot about Tasmanian Devils - did you know they sleep for around 19 hours a day.

Of course Adam had the mask first

The new Tasmanian Devil at the zoo

Share that mask

Lunch time

My turn with the mask

The prize for the best mask face

The motley zoo crew

Walk 32 - Russell

Hurrah for friends who visit and want to walk. Well I'm not sure if they wanted to walk up Flagstaff Hill while we were enjoying the brief stay in the Bay of Islands but that is what we did. An uphill walk must reward you with a view and this one is not bad. We also got to take in another version of history by the flagpole. We found the church with the musket holes and of course the oldest licensed pub. The Hell hole of the Pacific indeed.

Their words, not ours.

The view

At the start of the walk

On the way up

The view looking back to Russel from the ferry
Oh and the pub we'd had our post walk refreshments in

Walk 31 - Cathedral Cove

I inadvertently called this post 'Walk 41' oh that wishful thinking first draft of mine. It's been a busy little time of late but I was excited to realise that I have been walking without even thinking about it. A dear friend (or old boss depending on how you look at it) has been for a visit and I played host for a little time at the end of their trip. Travelling with a friend of hers we met them in the Coromandel (tragic suggestion of mine). A sunny Saturday, what to do. Now I know Hot Water Beach is supposed to be 'the thing to do', but I favour Cathedral Cove and that means a walk.

2.5km return with DOC allowing you a generous one and half hours we walked a little further by starting at Hahei Beach. It is a stunning place that we have seen a different times of the year. This day was clear skies, even clearer sea and we had no swim stuff. Tragedy, but still so lovely. The tide was in so we got wet walking through the Cathedral part. It also served as a research trip for my mothers upcoming visit.

At the lookout point - and the start of the walk if you can get parked in the car park.
We did't so headed down to Hahei Beach and walked from there. More exercise and the great views of Hahei beach on the way.

On the walk back

Life, the universe and everything

The reference to the joy of being 42 is lost on many folks (am I too old or too British not really sure). Either way this birthday has been a delight and today saw a joyous parcel of wonder arrive. So time to collate the presents: