Another Holiday in Aotearoa.
This was a surprise holiday back home with my sister Nancy. Excitement grew as our Freedom Air plane winged its way across the Tasman on 3rd Feb, arriving in the rural city of Hamilton where I had spent 45 plus years of my life. Arriving at midnight our sister Noeline and B.I.L. Kevin were there to greet us and take us to their home of Paeroa, a little over an hours drive.
New Zealand was going through a big dry, no rain for over forty days so the usually lush green pastures was brown but the cattle and sheep still looked in good shape. Being Monday Paeroa’s twenty plus antique shops were closed, still managed to meet two lots of old friends, (They recognised me). Decided on a drive through to the town of Te Aroha where I did my schooling and worked for ten years, my sister did simular. The old Gold mining town was still much the same, again we met up with
some more folk we knew including Nancy’s sister-in=law and my ex-fiancé Tup, my first love whom I hadn’t seen for twenty years. A visit to the Cemetary for a minutes silence at our parents graves, then on to Waitoa where the family lived from 1940, the old home still looked good, thankfully the people who now live there are adamant gardeners, the house framed with a huge variety of flowers, plus many climbing roses.
We returned to Paeroa in time for drinks and a delicious fish barby and lots of kumara. (Sweet potato)
Next morning Nancy and I took a drive to Coromandel, thanks to Noeline loaning us her car, first stop was the old gold mining town of Thames once boasting forty plus hotels during gold fever days. Following the Thames coast, which winds along the seashore with high cliffs on the other side, this would have to be my favourite scenic drive; I never get bored with such beauty. Next was the climb over hills to the old gold mining, fishing and tourist town of Coromandel. The views from the top were suburb, the mighty city or sails, Auckland could just be seen on the other side of the Thames peninsular, Sky Tower, was just visible in the distance. Finaly arriving we explored the many craft and antique shops and enjoyed a wonderful luncheon, Nancy settled for big juicy scallops.
Returning to Thames we found the Goldfields shopping centre, a relief to be in air conditioning. Time for drinks back in Paeroa, met some more friends of Noeline and Kevin, Martin and Sally are like most of the folk in small towns, genuine and full of fun. Martin prepared some delicious lake trout smoked to perfection in garlic with a hint of rum drizzled over for extra taste, yummy.
Next morning we decided to visit our last surviving aunt and uncle, Max & Gloria who live at Red Beach, just north of the city of Auckland. , about 1 ½ hours journey. Nearing the city which is the largest of the country, it was back into heavy traffic and delays and it was a relief to bypass and return to a more relaxed drive. Max & Gloria are now in their eighties and still coping with their large home but both need walking sticks for support, it was a pleasant surprise to meet one of their daughters Maureen (our cousin) from the South Island there for a visit, I hadn’t seen our her for probably 20 years. We all took a drive a little north to the small settlement of Puhoi, where I was born. It is the Bohemian community of my ancestors, still very strong in tradition, but sadly the old language of the early decedents is disappearing but they have an excellent museum dedicated to the early pioneers. I checked out some of the old memories I had contributed like my grandmothers old hand sewing machine, the family christening gown, I gave them a book of old family postcards and an unopened bottle of wine from the 125th anniversary of the arrival, it had a picture of the roadside religious shrine on the label. A visit to the old timber hotel is always a treat for me, the walls are covered with pioneer photos, some my long gone relations. It was a long day and very rewarding, still daylight when we returned to Paeroa around 8 pm, the joys of daylight saving.
Another day of exploring familiar places, first to the Hauraki Plains town of Ngatea, again the countryside was quite parched from lack of water, there used to be lots of interesting antique shops there but most have moved on to other towns. An old factory housed a great collection of rocks, both local and worldwide. I bought a nice polished rusty red one, neglected to ask its origin. Returning to Paeroa there was a chance to explore all the antique shops there, unfortunately there were no beer steins offered for sale. Thursday night is club night so there was a large gathering of friends to enjoy a nice meal, Kevin as usual won three raffles of meat, Nancy got one.
It is Friday and we packed our bags and food for a three-day stay at the west coast seaside town of Raglan, about an hour from Hamilton. Our friends Fay and Bob have a delightful A frame beach home. which they kindly loaned us, a friend of Nancy’s, Pattie also joined us. Firstly we picked up the key from Fay at Placemakers where I used to work and met many of my old work mates, I always say it is the only job where I have enjoyed the company of fellow workmates and have remained very close friends over the years. Sally, a friend of Noeline and Kevin also joined us, we were now a total of six set out to enjoy the pleasant views of the sea and explore the wharf close by with its fishing boats many children trying to catch tiddlers. The small town was alive with tourists, interesting craft shops and lots of cafes. The ladies opted for toe rings, a new fashion to them. After a pleasant dinner and drinks it was time to try out the skills of floundering, the water was tepid and apart from sighting lots of undersized fish we arrived back with just one edible flounder
A walk back into town next morning for more toe rings? then a leisurely lunch at the beautiful old timber Raglan Hotel,. I’m glad we all chose seafood chowder, a wonderfully tasty thick soup with a mussel in shell floating on top, along with a huge chunk of crusty seasoned bread, (this will certainly not be my last sample). We took a scenic drive around the coastline to Whale Bay and Manu Rocks where international surfing is held each year. The unusual left-hand wave breakers seem to be the attraction looked a bit sad, there was no wind and hardly a ripple on the sea, I need to rely on past trips to appreciate the ferocious scene that tempted many surfing skills. Floundering again Saturday night, just one more fish for many hours of walking with underwater lights and spears, I had opted to watch from dry land.
Sunday was a chance of leisure as there was a light drizzle. Pattie and Sally went home; as soon as the weather cleared I had a chance to fossick around for paua shells which we cleaned up to bring home. The night was too windy and the water cloudy so there was no floundering.
We enjoyed a small helping of flounder for breakfast, very nice, cleaned up the house, packed and enjoyed another seafood chowder for lunch. Nancy stayed with her friend Pattie at Hamilton; I will spend the next two nights with my friends Rob & Kerry. Nice to catch up with them, Rob cooked a delicious peppered steak in his Weber, plus lots of lovely roasties including my favourite, kumara. Rob produced a $100 bottle of red wine to mark the occasion, very nice as one needed to sip it slowly at that price.
Tuesday morning Rob was busy with clients so I took a walking into the main street of Hamilton, still many familiar landmarks, shops changed a lot, more cafes and restaurants. Rob cancelled his afternoon clients and took me for a pleasant drive through some beautiful countryside around Cambridge, of course with the lack of rain it wasn’t as green as usual but still picturesque with an abundance of beautiful trees. We called into a farm that sold free-range eggs and enjoyed the farming atmosphere. Early evening we went to my old gym for a bit of well needed exercise. An hour on an Exercycle was enough to create a sweat up. We enjoyed a nice sauna and chat with old familiar faces. The three of us enjoyed a lovely meal at a Japanese restaurant, my usual specialty, teriyaki Chicken was delicious.
Said my goodbyes to Rob and Kerry, Nancy called for me and we did some exploring around Hamilton, firstly to a huge addition to the cities north, large department stores which included the “Warehouse” mega store, seems to sell everything, additionals include groceries, fruit and vegs, rows of wines and beers and a wonderful café serving most delicious pies. Driving to my old unit in Rimu St. was a bit sad, it had not had any tender loving care for years, the tenants had let my colourful gardens turn to weeds. My dear neighbour Jean was home and I was able to enjoy meeting her again. A call on a school friend Violet was also a nice reunion; although I have kept in touch by letters it was great to enjoy a good chat. Moving out into the country we called to visit Nancy’s old friend Mary in Morrinsville. Back in Paeroa it was barby night again, this time I was in charge cooking some very tasty pork chops, (raffles) and lots of tasty roast kumara.
Thursday was Noeline’s day off so after doing the chores of clothes washing we drove to another interesting town called Waihi, an old gold mining and historical place; gold is still the main industry. The town streets tell the history of 150 years, a town that boasted many pubs, now a tourist haven. There was an old pump house used for one of the mines which was sinking through underground mining so the company moved it 300 mts, a cost of $ 4 million, a great achievement as it was made of concrete, now it overlooks the town for all to admire. Enjoyed a wonderful art museum, got lots of ideas to further my acrylic artwork. Next town was Katikati, a popular place with some lovely big murals on shops depicting the story of fruit growing, the main one being kiwi fruit, the town had lots of colourful hanging baskets under the verandas. The return journey passed many lush orchards laden with fruits, passing through Athenrie and Waihi beach, (a place where we spent many a pleasant holiday as kids.) We stopped at a roadside café nestled among lovely native bush and crystal clear stream with lots of assorted fish and ducks. The café specialises in pancakes, HUGE, with lashings of cream, ice cream and maple syrup, back in time for the Thursday night club, more food and once more Kevin’s raffle wins.
It was pack-up time again for a few days exploring the lakes around Rotorua, Nancy, Noeline and Kevin were staying at a motel, I will be spending two nights with my childhood friend Roy and his wonderful partner Audrey. We made a stop to visit my son and his wife at Waharoa, Shane was working but I managed a few minutes with him, great to see them again, A lunch stop at a café in the Mamaku hills, owned by sister-in-law Shirley’s sister Barbara. nestled among the very picturesque Fitzgerald Glade where a tunnel of ferns are so lush thriving under a canopy of native trees. On reaching the motel we decided on a drive past the Green and Blue lakes then onto Tarawera Lake, a very pretty drive. We passed the buried village which disappeared during an early eruption which destroyed the pink and white terraces, a wonderful attraction in the 1800’s.We called into a huge outdoor shop in Rotorua where I bought a steak attachment for my portable gas stove. From here I was taken to Roy and Audrey’s place where I will stay for two nights. Audrey had cooked a delicious roast dinner with lots of kumara, plus we all enjoyed a few drinks and talked a lot.
Saturday morning turned out showery, Roy and I took a ride on the Ngongataha gondola to view the city and surrounds, interesting to watch the continuous trail of Luge riders wending their way down the hill and getting soaked with a heavy downpour. After a nice lunch prepared by Audrey, Roy and I took a walk in the lovely Domain Gardens around the old Tudor style half-timbered bathhouse, an icon set among the very colourful gardens.
I received a text from sister Nancy; she managed to land two nice trout on their day out on lake Tarawera, the only fish caught. I said my goodbyes to Roy and Audrey and joined the fishing team, it was too windy for another day out on the lake so we took a nice drive to another lake, Rotoiti, a place which brought bake memories of camping there in my late teens while in the army. Noeline and Kevin packed up to go home, Nancy and I stayed on another night. We took a drive to Whaka, where there is the popular tourist attractions of boiling mud and geysers, watched the Maori boys diving for money on the bridge entrance to the grounds, they were doing this when I was a boy, there was a nice souvenir shop with some quite unusual gifts. Nancy and I cooked one of the trout and with a nice salad and chips enjoyed her catch.
The next morning we drove back to Hamilton, first calling on some old school friends in Rotorua, then onto the very popular craft town of Tirau, set among lovely rolling country. Lots of antique shops and all sorts of great locally made art; busloads of visitors come daily so obviously prices have risen considerably. We arrived back in Hamilton a bit early to meet up with Fay & Bob, we are both staying with them for two nights. We took a look at the botanical gardens, with many specialty sections donated from different countries, they arrived and took us to see their new home in the country, which is nearing completion, it is attached to their daughter Jody and son-in-law Lee’s home, very large and will be a dream living in such a lovely environment. We drove back into town and enjoyed a nice barby cooked by gourmet Bob, other friends Allan and Kathy joined us.
Fay and Bob had taken a day off so we decided to visit friends in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, it had been raining during the night and still overcast, more rain over the hills but cleared when we arrived at Tauranga. the city has grown into a lovely place to visit. The Mount, another holiday place full of memories from coming there as a child with our parents. A passenger liner, the “Sea Princess” was in port, so there were hundreds of tourists around. Our first visit was to John & Elaine who now enjoy the lovely beach scene in their new home which they had built, after a lovely luncheon we all took a stroll along the beach, the water was remarkably warm. Heading back to Tauranga we made another call, this time to friends Don & Glad, they returned from about two years touring around Australia in their camper van, now they are thinking of returning there to live again. Arriving back late we decided on a meal in a large shopping centre, Chartwell Square, doubled in size since my last visit.
Fay had another day off work, Nancy was returning to Paeroa and I was going to stay with Allan for the remainder of my holiday, we went back to Chartwell where I did some souvenir shopping, Nancy met her friend Pattie for coffee, Fay and I visited some old friends Camille and Garth, also Merle for a nice morning tea, just enough time for a pie fix before Fay and I drove to Te Awamutu to visit more old friends, John and Margaret, John was at bowls but we enjoyed talking about past runs and walks we had all entered.
After settling into Allan home we collected his lady, Kathy and enjoyed a nice dinner at the Hamilton Workingmans Club, I had been a member there for many years and still noticed a few familia faces.
I have the use of Allan’s car for the day, hoping to catch up with many friends in the city, first a call at Air N. Z. to see Kerry, he had just left for the day, so I visited our cousins Thelma and Colin, fresh scones were on the menu, always delicious, discussed many things including Colin’s recent Queens Service Medal which he received for years of community service to the racing clubs, had a tally of weighing in 251.376 Jockeys. My next call was to an Anne, a workmate in garden centres around Hamilton for many years, Elaine and Alan were next on the list, we go back over fifty years and have been in touch regularly, it was great to discuss friends and enjoy a few laughs. Another work mate John, now working in real estate was in his office this visit. I enjoyed spending some time at the Dinsdale Tavern where quite a few friends arrived for a chat. Somehow I had a huge handle of beer to consume, I swear it was a large the jugs they serve. Fay and Bob had joined us and enjoyed a very tasty take away roast dinner back at Allan’s place along with the usual nightcap.
Friday morning, Allan had taken the day off and we prepared the house for a big barby that night. There was time for a short walk through the native plantation close by, there were great views over the city and out to the Mormon Temple complex. Allan dropped me off in the city to meet up with Rob for lunch; I found a place that served pie, (probably my last fix before the diet starts. I said my farewells to Rob, met the folk that bought my corner store all those years ago, plus a lady I worked with at Yates Seeds. The night barby was a very happy one with lots of laughter shared among many old friends; it was nice to have my two sisters there also. Bob had smoked some trout, which didn’t last long as did the kumara. My family stayed the night with me at Allan’s place, our last time with Noeline and Kevin before going home.
The morning after and a huge breaky, then a sad goodbye, Nancy was off to stay with other rellies, Allen and I visited his parents who have a delightful well tendered garden, a little stream with a arched bridge, lots of colour even with the lack of good rain water. , Next I managed to see my brother-in-law Kerry for a nice chat, his wife Angela was in Australia with her mother for a holiday. Last on the days list was my old mate Gary who had just arrived back from a funeral, sadly I missed his parents. We enjoyed chatting about different happenings over the years; he has a happy life with his wife Patrice and charming daughter Natasha.
The last evening in New Zealand, Fay and Bob came for dinner, all leftovers from the night before, very tasty and a few last prosts to everyone’s health. Other friends Don and Judy arrived, great to catch up with them, Don and I had worked many years in the Riverina Hotel part time at night.
I was off to bed at a reasonable time as it is an early morning call, three am; Allan took me to the airport, stopping for Kathy. Fay and Bob arrived, Jim and Jean brought Nancy so all too soon it was a sad goodbye, not for long as they will all be over in the Sunshine Coast later this year.
Our flight home was smooth and fast, just three hours 25 minutes, we were through customs in time to catch the 8 am Sun air bus home, arriving just before 9.30 am. It was nice to be home again but there are lots of lovely memories of a wonderful holiday, meeting many old friends and relations. Something to dream about for months.
Take care
Jimbo
