Hi, I'm in Adelaide now! It was a tearful goodbye to Margaret and the boys in Auckland. I really felt at home with them there. Margaret was quite stunned when I told her I would miss her! Seems no-one ever says that to her!
So, to fill you in on the days since I last blogged... on the morning I left Rotorua I paid a quick visit to the Museum which was built almost in Tudor style in the mid 19th century. The entrance hall is stunning with lots of wood panelling and a big sweep of stair case on either side leading to the upstairs landing. Originally the building was the Baths where folk came for water treatments including baths that they passed an electrical current through to invigorate the patient! Sounds barbaric! Anyway part of the workkings are still there to view and a couple other exhibitions are also available. One is about the eruption of Mt Tarawera in the 1850s which destroyed the area tound the mountain and buried a Maori village. It has been partially excavated since and is a visitor attraction in itself bit I missed it out this time. Last visit Jan and I visited it!
Anyway I could have stayed around there a bit longer - still never fully got my bearings - but had the car to return to Auckland airport by 5pm and time was marching on - as usual! The journey north was pretty uneventful at first. I didn't stop to look at stuff, and finally, fed up with the glare of the textured dashboard on the windscreen I pulled in to get a black t-shirt out of the boot to place across the dash. There was a police car behind me - though I have no idea how long it had been there. Thinking it would go on past, I was stunned to see it pull in behind me! Apparently I had been speeding through a 50kmp area, and the dear policewoman issued me with an $80 fine! How ironic! An hour later and I'd be dropping off the car - and I get a fine! I'd been so careful all the time I was in NZ but I think I was intent on solving the windscreen glare!!!!! Hadn't noticed either the 50k sign or that I was going too fast!!
Well, on to the airport, luckily on the south side of Auckland and I dropped the car off. Mike picked me up and took me home, and for the rest of the evening I just relaxed! Next day was sun and wall to wall blue sky so Margaret suggested a picnic at one of the nearby harbour bays! It was really pleasant to be sitting in the car watching people and gulls, and admiring the view. Margaret being handicapped by her knee op that went wrong, ws sorry she couldn't take me further afield but I enjoyed the picnic as much as anything else. Then because it was my last day in NZ and I had accumulated loas of leaflets and some scrapbooking mags I spent the rest of the day sorting out, cutting out pics I would keep and discarding the rest to be able to pack everything! Like I said it was a tearful farewell when Mike arrived back from the boatyard to drive me back to the airport. He just dropped me off, not being one for standing waving goodbye, but I found Patricia and her hubby Eric there instead. I hadn't had much time with Pat during my stay so it was lovely that she wanted to say goodbye at the airport!
My flight was called and off I went. The security at these airports is fierce, and my bags were checked both at Auckland AND Melbourne! In Auckland they took my insect repellant off me, but I told them they could hav it with pleasure as it hadn't worked anyway! In fact even now I have a couple of bites that are as itchy as sin and one has become inflamed! The back of my right hand is quite swollen and the skin feels tight not to mention helluvan itchy!!! Once reached Melbourne it took about an hour to get through customs and security, but finally I was able to get out to the motel for the night.... and Win, Stephanie and Bill, more cousins, were there waiting for me! It was great to see them and while we ate supper - seafood platter for 4 - we caught up on news and showed around photos! Bill has three of a family now and Steph's boys are young adults!!!!! Win reminded me it is 57 years since she first met me - when she was in UK all those years ago! I only remember through photos I have grown up with!
So, yesterday I flew down here to Adelaide. Last night there was a wedding rehearsal and as I am doing a reading I was there too! It was nervewracking enough reading to just a few but tomorrow will be worse with the church full! Today I am taking the chance to catch up here and am off to do a bit of an explore round the city. It's very attractive from what I have seen so far and there are more old buildings alomg with the more modern than in other Ozzie cities.
So the wedding is tomorrow, there's a family and friends' barbie on Sunday and I fly off on Monday! Maybe I'll find a computer at the airport but I might have to wait till I get home to carry on the tale! Right now I am sitting in a baker's shop, talking to you. Really! 7 minutes left so I had bettr finish off and have time to read this through.
Talk again soon.
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