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.
looks lovely and glad you had a happy Christmas.
shame you had to work though!!