Ross and Wyn Davies Travel Blog

Wednesday was moving-on day – time to hit the road. It was another damp morning. We got a warning about the tsunami warning from my son who wasn’t sure whether we’d be at a beach – thanks Michael for the quick thinking. We have been at lots of beaches that would not be the place to be if a tsunami hit including Taupo Bay up in Northland which has their tsunami drill on signs on every second post everywhere. We turned on the radio and listened to the news and the warnings which fortunately came to nothing in New Zealand. However, it is another valuable reminder and drill. In between showers I took advantage of a stepladder to clean the high windows. Continue reading →

Tuesday was a day for mucking around in Marton – to do nothing much at all. We succeeded with that mission quite well. We read in bed for much of the morning and then managed to walk the couple of blocks to the shops. I spotted a plumbers place with a bit of a shop and went in and asked if they had any O-ring grease for sale – as you do. The plumber was a bit surprised and had to work out a price; he said nobody had ever wanted to buy any before. I was happy to be the first; now I have no excuse for not maintaining the vacuum toilet properly. It was warm along the street for a start but then the clouds came and it was trying to rain by the time we got back. Continue reading →

We woke to a grey day yesterday. The whole morning threatened rain and the afternoon delivered. We mooched around, reading and catching up with a few things. Wyn was keen for a bike ride and we started getting ready, thinking we needed to beat the rain. Ian came home for lunch with pies and then we almost went for our ride as it almost started to rain. Finally the rain started properly. Wyn put some corned beef on for tea and then we took the car over to Feilding to visit her sister. While having a late afternoon tea with her the sky started to brighten up and we drove back in sunshine. Rangetiki’s rolling hills are glorious. Wyn headed off for a quick bike ride and Ian and I made the rest of tea, including the mustard sauce. We watched a bit of the Kenny movie with Ian while trying to get some Top Gear files to play on his Playstation.  We ended the day with our books – Wyn’s about life in outback Australia, mine Ken Rutherford’s cricket autobiograghy.

We had a nice slow start to Saturday, eventually cooking breakfast for Wyn’s brother Ian; the Greek Lamb sausages, thick smoked manuka bacon, free-range eggs and hash browns. After an afternoon nap, we drove to Wanganui with Ian and met up with his daughter for a birthday dinner. It was a Mongolian BBQ restaurant where you pick your food and then it’s BBQed in front of you. It was an all-you-want-to-eat thing so we were back for seconds. After we drove to a great viewpoint overlooking Wanganui and then a lake with a coloured fountain. It was still before 11pm on the way home so we decided to stop off at a rural pub for another drink. Crikey! Continue reading →

We were up early on Friday in Pukekohe, hoping to be on the road south early. We had a long drive, especially by our recent standards. We hoped to make it to Marton to stay with Wyn’s brother Ian to celebrate his birthday. It is about 450 kms down the road – mostly SH1. We were around at the repairers by 7:45am, something of a record for us. And we were a bit dismayed to see them still working on the car. An enquiry indicated that they were still putting it back together, and would need another hour and a half! Argghhhh!!! Continue reading →

Thursday was moving-on day. It was raining again at the Papamoa Top 10 and the forecast was for more. The word on Suzi truck was that her springs would be on the first truck in from Rotorua and she should be ready to go later in the morning. The Isuzu people lent us a ute so we could get out of our cabin in the camp. It had a tow bar so we were able to get the bikes on as well. We stopped at the Bayfair Mall for some shopping and a coffee. On the way we remembered we’d be passing the Baking Shack on Hewletts Road that sometimes had cake off cuts cheap by the bag. We were in luck, and for the rest of the day scoffed end bits of banana cake and the next day started on the carrot cake trimmings. Continue reading →

Sunday was a lovely lazy day. Wyn caught up with her friend that we were parked up with at Matatoki. I had a bit of a tidy up and in the afternoon updated a few things on the computer. Wyn and Ann went for a walk along the beachfront at Thames. We had a lovely tea and said our goodbyes. Ann had to be off to work early next morning and we had to head east to the Bay of Plenty.
Monday was the day for moving on to Tauranga. It was a chance for Wyn to catch up with her grandson at Papamoa and maybe to get Suzi’s springs seen to. The springs had started to squeak badly and the advice has been to get teflon inserts – whatever they are. A call to the dealers in Tauranga indicated that it would take about 3 days and we’d need to find somewhere to live for the duration. It was a lovely morning in Matatoki and we were on the road reasonably early. Continue reading →

I was mortified yesterday to get an email from my sister Julia with a link to a news item about Leonard Cohen collapsing on stage. We’ve been fans for 40 years, and was privileged to be at his concert in Wellington with Wyn in January this year.

Picture Leonard Cohen

Here’s the link to the news item.

Here’s hoping it isn’t anything major. Already today there’s news of his recovering and discharge from hospital, and reference to his collapse as a faint. That sounds better. It’s his 75th birthday on Monday I see. What’s the bet he makes it to perform at the final concert of his tour on Monday as well? He is an extraordinary man.

That news story included a link to a review of his Wellington concert that Wyn and I were at. We’d always wondered what the reviewers would make of it. His final sentense is interesting.

Update Monday morning: I see he was diagnosed with food poisoning – must have just been a bad curry or whatever they eat in Spain. So that’s good. A news article said he fell while performing Bird on a Wire. Seems appropriate 🙂

Update Wednesday: It just gets better…. The news says he did his final Spain concert on Monday night as scheduled. It was his 75th birthday and the audience sang “Happy Birthday” after he’d sang them a few songs. Yeah… Happy birthday Lenny. Sing on, sing on, sing on ……

Yesterday (Saturday) morning dawned grey at Tapapakanga Regional Park – and got greyer. We had an explore around the beach and the homestead before breakfast. Day trippers started to arrive and we figured it was time to leave. Wyn managed to trip off the security alarm at one stage and we couldn’t remember how to disarm it; it’s one of those things we keep meaning to get around to reading up on. I suggested getting the manual out but somehow Wyn managed to convince the thing we were friendly without resorting to the instructions. Meanwhile I remembered another thing we kept meaning to sort out and dug out the Isuzu track manual. Continue reading →

Friday morning was lovely at Ray’s Rest – hazy sun and calm. At one stage the sea was glassy. We were heading on, but as always it took a while to get organised. Then it disappeared; it goes out a very long way when it goes out. We said our goodbyes to Suzanne and Les – it had been a lovely couple of days catching up with them both. Wyn was on a roll with the biking and keen to get a few more kms on the clock. She decided to ride north and I was to finish the packing up and follow. By the time I’d started off in Suzi she was at Kaiaua already and moving on. I stopped at the Kaiaua fish and chip shop and ordered up some snapper for lunch. It was a busy little place. I caught up with Wyn up the road and we stopped further on at a great little picnic spot where the Warahau Regional Park meets the sea. Continue reading →

Today (Thursday) was rather a late start.  It was around 9 o’clock when I woke up. Mind you I’d had a wee bit of a sleepless night.  The tide was way, way out, in fact you have to look hard to spot the sea out there.  I don’t think I’ve seen such variance in tides except maybe Nelson and even there I don’t think they go out as far as they do here. Suzanne called by and invited me for a walk and I soon accepted and left Ross with the tidying up.   The weather was mild, with no wind and I set off with only a ¾ sleeve t-shirt on. We had a lovely walk along the beachfront tracks and walked and talked and talked and walked until we ran out of tracks.  Continue reading →

Yesterday (Wednesday) we’d arranged to call on Traillite in Pukekohe to get a couple of things fixed up. As well we’d arranged to get the car to a repairer in Pukekohe. So it was an early start at Ambury Park on another lovely morning. It is an idyllic place and a privilege to be able to stay there. We were away by 9am wondering what the traffic would be like. The previous days I’d had Andrew’s help giving me directions ahead from Nev the Nav. This time I’d have to rely on his voice instructions and Wyn just had the usual task of trying to follow and anticipate where I’d dart next. I did OK until the on-ramp to the motorway south at Manukau. I ballsed it up completely and took the on-ramp to the north. Continue reading →

We had a lovely day at Ambury Park on Tuesday. It was a fine calm morning and soon warmed up. Wyn tackled some washing and with a breeze in the afternoon it was a good drying day. Andrew was flying out in the evening so there was some packing up to be done. At noon we wandered down to “watch” the lamb feeding and soon all three of us had a bottle and a vigorously hungry lamb trying to suck it inside out. Continue reading →

Monday was moving-on morning. Wyn and I had a last walk along the beach at Wenderholm. It was a lovely morning and low tide and we walked around the headland towards Waiwera – lots of interesting shaped rocks. Then it was time to pack up and get going. We headed separately back through Orewa and onto the motorway south. We turned off to visit Wyn’s uncle Tom at Milford. It’s always good to catch up with him – he has a great store of old stories/memories. Then it was back on the motorway and over the bridge and off again at the Tank Farm. Continue reading →

Saturday morning was not much better as far as the weather went. It was still murky with showers. We were not going to be able to tow the car until things could be fixed so I took the A-frame apart and stowed it in the car. We’d have to drive both vehicles. At least we didn’t have far to go. Wyn and Andrew both enjoyed showers at the camp. This was a bit surprising considering the instructions in the mens which were quite alarming. The sign said to run the hot tap for 2-5 minutes until it gets hot, then turn the cold tap on. And beware that the hot water can be very hot. Probably not somewhere you’d send your young children off to alone if you want to be sure they’ll come back with their skin on. Continue reading →