Month: December 2018

A more recent development since I left New Zealand in 1973 has been the “The Life Style Blocks”. These are small holdings where people can try to live off the land. They are around 12 acres in size and the idea is to run a few livestock on them and plant lots of vegetables. As my country cousins say, it appeals to “townies” who have enough money to buy one and want to experience country living. Apparently some on them don’t have a clue how to manage the land and either need to hire someone to look after it for them or the land deteriorates. My cousin David, who was a farmer, now manages six “Life Style Blocks” plus one of his own.

My cousin Tina, short for Christina and her husband Steve own one on the outskirts of Waihi. After some initial guidance they are now managing theirs pretty well. Their house is really beautiful with a deck running around three quarters of the property. It is just beautiful to sit out on the deck and look at the scenery and the young male calves that Tina calls “her boys”.

Tina invited me to stay last night and her cousin Val, who is my second cousin, and husband Phil came across to join us for a BBQ. While sitting on the deck I happened to catch sight of one of New Zealand’s iconic birds, the Fantail, which flew down and perched on a pot. The tail fans out, hence the name Fantail.

It was such a lovely evening that we sat out all night eating meat raised on the “Block” The meal itself was preceded with the now familiar cheese and wine. New Zealand now produces a huge range of cheeses; Brie, Camembert, New Zealand Blue and Cheddar to name but a few. Either Brie or Camembert seem to be the favoured cheese for these pre dinner nibbles.

Another aspect of New Zealand living that has fascinated me is the design of the kitchens. Instead of cupboards the newer houses or kitchens mostly have pull out drawers where you put all your crockery and pots and pans. I was hunting for the rubbish bin under the sink like I have, but no, in Kiwi kitchens they are hidden away in pull out drawers. I must say it is a far better system for someone with a bad back and much easier to organise your pots and pans in particular. Tina has a beautiful kitchen and my cousin Mary has one made out of Rimu wood with a Kauri work surface., two of New Zealand’s native trees. Hopefully some of these ideas might catch on in the United Kingdom.

After Christmas is the time when many New Zealanders go to their home by the beach. The name for these is bach, but the vast majority o,f them these days are pretty impressive homes. The price of land is at a premium and many of the little old wooden shacks have been been pulled down and replaced with beautiful modern homes. This was particularly apparent at Whangamata, which has grown into a pretty substantial town. Whiritoa on the other hand had only one shop and retains some of that original character. Both places are lovely in different ways, but Whangamata is a real adventure playground for children and adults alike.

My cousin Janice and her husband Barry picked me up from Mary’s house and drove me out to their house at Whiritoa. It is purpose built to accommodate a number of family members and I was soon sitting on the deck and enjoying a cup of tea and more Kiwi home baking.

After morning tea we set of for the beach, which is a short walk from the house. The tide was well in so they decided to swim in the lagoon. This looked reasonably inviting to me and rather safer than the breakers on the main beach.

It was shallow enough to stand up in but still deep enough for a good swim or splash about. After the swim and a little sunbathe to dry off Barry asked me if I’d like to walk along the beach. About a third of the way along I suddenly exclaimed in delight “Dotterel” as the little birds scampered along the beach in front of us. I had seen them a number of years ago in a protected area, but never as close as this.

We headed back home for lunch and after a bit of a siesta Barry drove me up to Whangamata to stay with my cousin Howard and his wife Dianne. They had changed the old bach of their parents to a new purpose built house, which was handily placed for the boat marina.

I arrived quite late in the afternoon, but was amazed at how busy it was. There was a reasonably substantial shopping centre. It was great to have a good catch up, but after dinner I was quite keen to walk about, feeling very full from both morning and afternoon tea plus lunch and dinner, which seems to be the hospitable kiwi way. Another new tradition is eating cheese with a drink of wine before dinner. I’ve certainly devoured a good amount of Brie cheese before dinner along with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Dianne was keen to walk with me so we set off along the beach. It stretches for miles, or so it seems.

We called into where Dianne’s son was staying and after a brief chat returned through the streets, which was a bit quicker. Even so we must have done a good 8k.

The next day was so wet there was nothing else to do but sit, chat and eat. The afternoon was a bit brighter so we headed down to the harbour. There are an amazing number of boats there.

The harbour was dredged out and purpose built. There is some wealth in these boats. The sun gradually appeared as we walked through town and came to another place where the children do”water bombing”, which consists of jumping off the pier into the water and presumably making as big a splash as possible. It certainly keeps them entertained at high tide. We were looking for Dianne’s grandson, but couldn’t find him. He called later and managed to find himself in one of my photos.

Whangamata is very well equipped with skate board parks in addition to all the water sports: certainly wonderful for children.

Later in the afternoon one of Howard and Dianne’s son, Kevin called round followed by his son. We had a great chat followed by dinner. Dianne had made another kiwi speciality, Bacon and Egg Pie. The following morning Howard and Dianne drove me back to Waihi.

Today was one of those days when everything about it is pretty perfect. I awoke today to a promising sunny day and set off on a brisk walk with Mary and Kelvyn at 7am. We went a different route, which was through the back streets of Waihi and into town because Mary had to post some mail. Waihi is an old mining town and they have recently celebrated their heritage with a series of bronze statues depicting the lives of the people during those mining days.

From there we climbed up to the old pump house where you have an excellent view of the old mine pit. There has been a slip there in recent years and it is now fenced off . The sides of the fence were covered in poppies in commemoration of all the tunnellers from the mines who went to the First World War to construct the tunnels, because of their experience in the mines.

I followed Kelvyn and Mary on a track that goes round the rim of the mine until we eventually branched off and made our way home.

From then on it was full steam ahead for the preparations for the family reunion on my mother’s side, named Porteous, taking place that afternoon. The sun was now shining brightly so Kelvyn sorted out all the seating and cover while Mary and I did last minute preparations with the food. From late morning on various family members began to arrive. There were squeals of delight and hugs as I caught up with some cousins I hadn’t seen for over 50 years. Everybody brought some food to put on the table and in the end there was a magnificent feast.

I gorged myself on corn beef, which Mary’s sister Jenny had brought. This is quite different from the UK concept of Corn Beef. It is proper beef, which is pickled then cooked in a special way. It is absolutely delicious.

After we had all had our fill of food and cleared away it was time to take some photos. I’d happily snapped away from the start. My cousin Cathy arranging flowers from Mary’s garden was rather lovely.

We then took some group photos. There were seven first cousins and three second cousins along with their spouses. My three second cousins all had the same grandmother, Irene, but each had different parents. She had four children, two boys and two girls.

My cousin Howard, who was the only male first cousin there, had done some research on the Porteous ancestry and showed me a picture of the Porteous tartan that his son had managed to trace.

We finished the day with a series of record photos including several of just the seven first cousins.

A very special day.

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From the moment I descended from the bus in Waihi the rain started. It increased in intensity and was very heavy on Christmas Eve, so much so, in fact, that campers had to be evacuated from Waihi Beach. It is 11.3 kilometres from Waihi to Waihi Beach, which is very popular with people who enjoy the sun and surf. My cousin Tina had asked me to play at both the Midnight Service on Christmas Eve and the 9.30 service on Christmas Day at the local Anglican Church, St John’s.

The interior is lovely and had candles on top of each pew in preparation for the evening service.,which was to be lit only with the candles. I was relieved to learn I’d have a light over the piano. Tina was singing a work from the Messiah at the 9.30 service so we had a good practice of that and I played through the carols. Getting into the church for the Midnight Service was quite challenging as the rain was so heavy the path to the entrance was a running stream. Once inside the church looked beautiful.

The service went well and the congregation braved the elements to attend. My cousin Mary and her husband Kelvyn came and at the end of the service a lady approached me and introduced herself as my cousin Wendy from my father’s side of the family. It was quite a special occasion to have four cousins from both sides of the family together at the service.

The rain had subsided a bit by Christmas Morning so getting into church was easier. Christmas lunch was a very pleasant affair. Mary had invited three other people and it was a lovely meal. Two of the things that I really enjoyed doing were shelling the peas from Mary’s garden and slicing her Runner Beans. We had this with cold lamb, potatoes and salad. It is really strange to be eating a meal like this when my family in the UK will be tucking into turkey in the cold weather. Dessert was fruit salad and pavlova rather than Christmas pudding. Later in the afternoon the weather had improved sufficiently for us to go for a walk. Kelvyn took us round some country roads then down a track that was by the old mine. There was a Tui in the flax, which I tried to photograph. The trouble with grey skies is that it is hard to see the colours on birds.

Boxing Day morning the weather was showing signs of sunshine and I decided to go for an early morning walk, retracing the route of the previous day. The sun was shining through the bush on the path and looked just perfect.

As I returned to Mary and Kelvyn’s house I couldn’t help but admire it with its beautiful garden. The architecture is so different from any houses I’ve seen in Great Britain.

In the afternoon my cousin Wendy arrived to take me out to Waihi Beach. She took me for a scenic drive to Anzac Bay in Bowen Town, which is beyond Waihi Beach. The views from the top of the hill were stunning.

We returned to Waihi Beach after Wendy had discovered that the place she was planning to take me to for lunch was closed. I found it amazing that on Boxing Day such a beautiful beach should have so few people on it.

We found another place to eat, where I enjoyed a nice lunch of couscous salad and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Wendy drove me round to her house to meet her husband Barry and daughter Caroline, where she produced some beautiful home cooked cakes and biscuits, which were too delectable to refuse. I started with the Ginger Crunch then moved onto the Lollipop Cake. New Zealand women are such great bakers and the selection is so much more varied than in England, well at least in Chester.

People in Waihi certainly have a great quality of life.

I was really sad to bid farewell to Dawn and George and their extended family, but the time had come to move on and I was looking forward to seeing my cousin Mary and husband Kelvin and my cousin Tina, all of whom live in Waihi. I also have a cousin, Wendy on my father’s side of the family living there.

The bus was a double decker sleeper, although there were no sleeping places provided, but the seats were rather plush.

We made a rather lengthy stop at Manukau City, south of Auckland to pick up more passengers. The coach was soon very full. Sitting upstairs gave a great view of the countryside, but I was quite affected by the constant rocking. We turned East at the bottom of the Bombay Hills and headed towards Thames. My mother had grown up in this area. On the way you drive over the very flat diary farming land of the Waikato Plains. A number of rivers flow out here into the Firth of Thames.

After a short stop in Thames to offload passengers; a shuttle bus runs from here up the Coromandel Peninsular; we headed up the windy road that runs through Puriri where my mother and her brothers went to school on horseback. It intersects with the main road to Waihi at Paeroa, which is known for the drink, Lemon and Paeroa. I was amazed by how much this town and Thames had grown.

You can still see a number of examples of the type of wooden houses, which are typical Colonial architecture.

Between Paeroa and Waihi lies the dramatic Karangahake Gorge. The road twists and turns as it follows the Ohinemuri River. It is one of the two main routes through the Kaimai Ranges., which separates Waikato from The Bay of Plenty. This area and Waihi were the main areas for Gold Mining, which began in 1875. It is now possible to cycle all the way along the disused railway line from Waihi to Thames. The gorge itself has spectacular scenery and I took a large number of photos in spite of the rain. I thought the bridges were very fascinating.

The whole area is full of the beautiful native bush with lovely examples of Ponga Trees, the source of New Zealand’s Silver Fern, an unofficial national emblem.

Approaching the centre of Waihi we passed the Rob Roy Hotel, which is a magnificent example of Colonial Architecture. As the bus pulled in forty-five minutes late I saw my cousin Mary waiting for me.

When I left the UK I was very concerned that the weather in New Zealand would be too hot and humid for me. Although the last two days in Milford were warmer the weather in New Plymouth has been the hottest so far on my trip and that was a dry heat. Today it didn’t rise above 21C, which is just perfect for me.

Because my cousin has been feeding me rather too well I felt a longer walk was needed this morning. I really like their house, which is built on a slope and is consequently split level. It’s what people in the UK might term a bungalow, but it is very spacious and the birds certainly love it.

I retraced my steps of the previous day. It’s amazing how much shorter things seem when you know where you are going. Very soon I was on the beach again. This time I was determined to walk the complete length of it. The sand on many beaches in New Zealand at low tide is really compacted and walking on it is just like walking on tarmac. Stanmore Bay is almost a complete semicircle with a stream at one end and cliffs at the other.

It is more than a kilometre in length. There were a few more people on the beach than yesterday possibly for two reasons; it was sunnier and it was a Saturday morning. I walked right to the cliffs at the far end and back again. On the return journey I simply had to photograph the Pohutukawas, which provide natural shelter for many people visiting the beach.

The other feature, which attracted my attention was the beautifully painted toilet block featuring the Waxeye, which I have yet to see this trip.

Most people who were there were up this end of the beach no doubt because of the amenities including a children’s playground and cycle park. The central part of the bay has rock pools so most people would swim at this end. I passed a couple of Oyster Catchers there on my return journey. I decided to take a selfie against the cliff just to prove I’d done the entire length.

By the time arrived back at Dawn’s house I’d done a pretty brisk 10k.

In the afternoon Dawn drove me down to Gulf Harbour at the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsular. I had gone there years earlier when Auckland was preparing for the Americas Cup. It is a nice development where the sea has been allowed to come right in. Apparently Stingrays can be seen swimming there. There are a few restaurants and some very exclusive high rise developments.

We took a tour around the harbour and were fortunate to witness the arrival of the ferry from Auckland.

We returned to the restaurants for a selfie and a up of coffee. I shall really miss Dawn and George when I head of for Waihi tomorrow to spend Christmas with my cousin Mary.

My father was one of twelve children and my mother was one of seven. Consequently I ended up with rather a lot of first cousins. I counted them up one day and decided that they numbered around fifty. As with all big families and circumstances, especially World War II the ages of my cousins is very spread and some were more the ages of Aunties and Uncles. Consequently I was rather closer to a number of my second cousins; that is children of my cousins. Add to that life long friends and I certainly have a large number of people to try to see while I’m here.

Today has been an interesting day. This morning I did a walk from Dawn’s house, beginning by going down a footpath opposite the house. At the bottom you pick up a path that runs beside a stream that serves as a storm water drain. At the moment they are trying to turn it into a nature reserve.

You eventually reach a park that leads down to the beach. Every beach seems to be so well provided for with playing grounds and other facilities and look so lovely at the moment with the Pohutukawa trees. The sand was nice and firm and the beach stretched out before me.

I was suddenly caught in a squally shower and had to seek shelter under a large tree. There are some pretty magnificent properties with views out to sea.

I was delighted to see an Oyster Catcher fishing in the low tide.

After my return from my 7 kilometre walk I tried to help Dawn who was preparing for a mini cousin reunion. My cousin David and his wife Lynaire were driving down from Paparoa, which is a settlement up in Northland on the eastern side of the country In addition Dawn’s sister Diane was also coming from rather closer. It was just fabulous to see them all again. When you’ve been away for thirteen years inevitably some changes have taken place in all our lives, but it was really special to be with these cousins and partners again. This is the main purpose of my trip.

After writing my last blog yesterday my cousin Dawn took me up to Orewa for lunch. Orewa is north of Stanmore Bay with a beautiful beach. The Main Street facing the sea is full of restaurants as it has become such a popular place for the locals. We went to one which had an upstairs with a terrace looking over the coast. As all good Kiwis should do we both had a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

After a rather interesting lunch; I ordered a Beetroot and Walnut Salad and it came back with yellow bits in it, which the waiter told me they were Yellow Beetroot, but want back for the Red; we headed off for a walk around the estuary.

The housing developments were very well laid out and the storm water drains feed into an artificial lake with a walk around it and little bridges across it

This pretty little lake is a lovely amenity for the locals who just want a gentle stroll. 

Crossing the road we began our walk on the Estuary Walk

We didn’t have time to do the whole walkway so headed towards the beach. The tide was gradually coming in, but I thought my friends in the UK would be interested to see Mangroves, which grow in the swampy conditions of the tidal mud flats. You find these in various locations in the North Island. 

On the return leg of our walk we passed some Pukekos in a field. They are also known as Swamp Hens they are found throughout Australasia. The swampy conditions of the estuary would be a perfect habitat. 

After the lovely walk we headed back to Stanmore Bay. During the night we had a thunderstorm and torrential rain. I’d forgotten how heavy it can be here. Dawn and George have bird feeders in the back garden and the birds have been coming in in their droves to eat the seeds. its been lovely to see Green Finches again. I haven’t seen them in my garden for 10 years or more. 

After a couple of quiet days my friends Barbara and Peter took me to Devonport. This is an old naval base at the bottom of the North Shore. There is a regular ferry from there to Auckland and to Waiheke Island.  The skyline of Auckland City can be seen in the background.

You can also see Auckland Harbour Bridge from the pier. This has contributed to the huge expansion on the North Shore, which is a very attractive area to live in . The beaches are so beautiful and at the moment the Pohutukawa Trees are absolutely magnificent; a particularly good year so my friends say. 

Being one of the older parts of Auckland there are some buildings dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s.  This hotel, The Esplanade was opened in June 1903.

On the other hand you find very modern buildings like this beautiful library. 

The buildings on the pier are very light and airy and feature lovely outdoor dining areas. I was quite surprised to be taken to a Turkish Restaurant. Apparently Peter is fond of the Turkish red wine, but the supply has dried up. I had a Turkish speciality from the Dessert Menu that was made of mainly filo pastry and honey. It was called Petit Four Baklava.

I was, however, pleased to see that they also had Fentimans Rose Leomonade, a favourite drink of mine in the UK. The Baklava would cost £8.60 so its not exactly cheap. 

After a lovely day in Devonport and Milford my cousin Dawn picked me up and drove me up to her house in Stanmore Bay on the edge of the Whangoparaoa Peninsular. When I lived in Auckland in the early 1970s this was all farmland. It just shows how this part of New Zealand has expanded with good infrastructure. 

I wish my friends in the UK could hear the beautiful sounds coming from outside the open doorway. It is a glorious morning and the little stream at the bottom of the garden is bubbling away. The sounds of the New Zealand birds is like nowhere else I have ever been: so clear and bell like and interspersed with British birdsong. 

I am spending today with my old school friend Sharyn and a friend of hers, Malcolm. The first port of call was to a beautiful hexagaonal building called “Tawa Glen”. It was a very peaceful setting with the most beautiful gardens. 

After eating a Neenish Tart and drinking coffee we called into see Sharyn’s sister Barbara’s garden, which they have spent years developing. Plants certainly do well in Taranaki’s fertile soil. 

From there Malcolm drove us out to  Urenui where an English lady from Dorset has started and amazing tea shop called “The Old Hall”. She has an amazing collection of hats and guests are encouraged to wear them while they are there.

They don\’t make clotted cream in Taranaki so the lady has been doing her own. Today was the first anniversary of the tea shop, which is doing rather well. 

After tucking into an assortment of delights; I had ginger and pear scone with lemon curd and clotted cream we drove back to Sharyn’s house in Bell Block. There were a couple of kilometres that I hadn’t done the previous day so I decided to complete the coastal path. Retracing the path to the velodrome I then followed it down to Bell Block Beach and around back to Sharyn’s. 

After a little relaxation Sharyn drove me to the airport where I caught a plane back to Auckland with lots of happy memories of New Plymouth.