Tauranga

We had a lovely day for our first day ashore. We didn't hear or feel the ship moving from Auckland to The Port of Tauranga which is actually at Mt Maunganui 4 km from Tauranga.  Another huge cruise ship the Nordaam was in port too so there would have been at least 4000 extra people seeing the sights in Tauranga and places further afield like Rotorua.  

We got the local bus in to Tauranga, forgetting to flash my gold card so paid for the trip but remembered on the way back after we had visited the Art Gallery,the library and The Elms, a very early mission house, built by Archdeacon Brown who came to the area in the 1830s. It was a lovely old house, full of antiques dealer artefacts.  A very knowledgable guide  showed us around house library and garden.

It was a long hot walk into town where we got a bus back to the ship where we indulged in a very late buffet lunch.

Feeling Cruisy

We embarked on the Golden Princess yesterday at Queens Wharf.  It is so much easier to get on a cruise ship two kilometres from home without having the long trip to the other side of the world, which was the case in the past when we explored the rivers and waters of Europe.

The Golden Princess is a large ship . There are 14 floors with 2000 Aussies and 350 Kiwis on board.  It helps if you are good on stairs as it is quicker to use them for a couple of floors at least,than wait for a lift which just may be full of people going where you want to go.  

Our cabin is very nice and comfortable, plenty of wardrobe space and has a porthole. We met our nice Phillapino steward early on who explained things to us and got us an adaptor.  Hope we can pick up TV at least when we are in port .  So far we have only managed to tune into The Sound  of Music and a documentary on Picasso.

Dinner was fine dining in one of three general restaurants. We chose Anytime Dining with a table for two when we booked our cruise as our travel agent suggested.  It is like going out for dinner a deux which is what we would like to do at home without having to make small talk with people you don't know, can't hear properly and don't have much in common with. That said they asked us whether we would like to join others which we will no doubt do at other mealtimes when we have relaxed enough to share pleasantries, news and views with our cobbers from across the Ditch. We are all much of a similar age with a sprinkling of wheelchairs and walking sticks.  

The menu was very inviting with lots of seafood.  I chose crepes stuffed with crabmeat for an an entree and seared scallops with a tomato and caper sauce  around a small mound of ratatouille which was topped with some  wilted spinach, all very artistically presented, for  a main. We both chose creme brulee for dessert, a very generous-sized dish too.  Time enough for healthy options tomorrow or the day after.

New Market in Western Springs

Friend Fr told us about this new market over next to Western Springs College on  the edge of the Motat aviation park .  It is a food market with all sorts of yummy things to buy and sample as well as  a few collectible and antique stalls.

Wasn't anticipating buying much but in the end made the most of the opportunity . There was a stand from Clevedon selling  fresh lush looking herbs and vegetables as well as beautiful posies which D bought one of for me.

 I put them in a lovely willow pattern jug that he bought for me in 1974 in a Tinakori Rd op shop for just $7.

Also bought some radishes, the first of the season to go in our daily salads for a few days.  Here they are in a Katie Gold bowl shaped like a boat which we bought from her studio in Upper Moutere some many years ago.

Next was an Indian food stall, Mum doing the cooking, Dad the marketing,offering passers-by samples of the cauliflower and onion ring pakoras, and son serving up one's purchases.  Bought 3 samosas with tamarind sauce before ambling on to the next stall to catch my eye, one selling Christmas goodies - cakes, little mince tarts as well as traditional NZ baking treats.

Decided to get some little mince tarts and a Christmas cake so that I have something on hand when we come back from holiday on 12 December.  

Here is the cake sitting on one of the cute table mats I got from friend A in Edinburgh .

The little mince tarts are sitting on a Christmas tea towel from friend P.

Last but not least I bought some meaty pork sausages with no preservatives from the Neat Meat butcher (of Ponsonby Central fame) which we had for our tea last night. 

Home after that to be greeted by  E with the tragic news of the Paris terror attacks which  has cast a pall over the rest of the day and weekend.

Waiheke

Approaching Waiheke and in Oneroa in reverse order! 

Object no 3. The Ginger Jar Vase

Decided that this was something I could do without and listed and sold it last week. It only meant something to me, not the others, and I have other vases I use and prefer,  especially for leggy flowers like these tulips. 

Right through my childhood in Dunedin I remember seeing this vase on the mantelpiece filled with flowers or blossom from the garden -  wallflowers, roses and japonica blossom, especially the japonica. There was a prickly hedge of it down the side of the house with salmon pink blossom heralding the coming of Spring.   

My father had been given the jar of ginger by a Chinese man with whom he had dealings through his job at the Inland Revenue. Or so the story goes.  

Extra Long Weekend On Waiheke

Made the most of the good weather by extending our Labour Weekend on the island by a day, going over Saturday returning Tuesday. We hadn't been over for several weeks. 

Sunday was an auspicious occasion of the birthday variety .  Started the day with Mass at St Peter's overlooking Little Oneroa and followed that by a visit to the Blackpool Car Boot Sale en route to Solar for our customary coffee and muffin. They have the most delicious muffins there, roast vegetable with a hint of cumin for the savoury ones this time and berry and white chocolate for the sweet, both super-fresh and moist. 

Back to the bach for lunch after buying some local Turkish bread from the Waiheke Fruit  and Vege Shop which we enjoyed with a tuna salad, a bit like salad Nicoise but my version of it.  

In the afternoon we had a long hot walk up to an art studio of one of my favourite Waiheke artists, Katie Trinkle Legge. She does lovely big paintings of fruit often with or in retro containers like enamel pitchers, old bottles etc.

In the evening  we went to Vino Vino in Oneroa for a celebratory dinner. Friend Shona from across the road came too and Frances was with us for the weekend so there was a bit of a party atmosphere.  The restaurant was full and had been recently renovated and looked lovely. 

Started with a glass of bubbles followed by a delicious meal of tender salt and pepper calamari with salad and a rice dish.

Spent Monday in Surfdale, going for a walk along the beach and having lunch at local French cafe, Frenchot.  Had a lovely baguette stuffed full of delicious rare roast beef.

It is where I practice my French - bonjour, merci etc.

Tuesday was warm and breezy and made the most of the morning by getting the bus to Oneroa to go to the Red Cross shop to drop off a few things, and  Upcycle to see what the enterprising creative craftswomen of Waiheke have been making. 

 There were some lovely little heart brooches made of small pieces of embroidered doyleys and some other brooches made of coiled zips, and some others with an old fashioned button inside a decorated bottle top.

Back to the bach for lunch and tidy-up time before the usual rush to the bus stop to get the bus to the wharf and ferry back home.

Saturday in Auckland

Had a full Saturday with visits to two galleries to look at jewellery -  souvenir paua jewellery at Objectspace, and contemporary New Zealand jewellery  at the City Art Gallery.   Both were very interesting.  Then we went  across the road to look at Fingers at jewellery to buy! The rings I liked were $600 and $700, so too much for moi and unfortunately D thinks so for him! 

As part of Art Week there was a retrospective Ans Westra exhibition of photographs , the earliest from Washday at the Pa days, a delightful picture of a young girl holding her dog.  This was at a new gallery Bowerbank Ninow at 312 K Rd. this is a lovely light airy gallery with friendly staff.

From there to St Kevin's Arcade via an op shop where I tried on two jackets from the $2 specials rack out front. At that price I was pleased they fitted me like a glove. The arcade was buzzing with people setting up for an afternoon tea experience with fancy china and dainty food to match. Watched some people doing ceramic painting and wished I had my whole life over again to do all the things I would like to try my hand at. 

Then we took in Divali celebrations in Aotea Square and in part of Queen St nearby and enjoyed some delicious food from a Penang stand.  Freshly made  naan  bread with  dhal was my favourite.  But we tried curry puffs, samosas and pakoras too. 

The crowd  with the women and children in colourful saris was like Little India and a wonderful atmosphere to stumble upon and enjoy. There was music in the air and dancing  We are lucky Auckland has such a wealth of sights and activities to enjoy. 

Art Week and other Amusements

Art Week followed on the heels  of Heritage Week and as  we were still in the spirit of getting out and about we joined a walk round Ponsonby Galleries led by the knowledgeable Edward Bennett who did a lot of the local heritage week walks and talks we attended. 

We started off at Black Asterisk which had an exhibition of sculptures and large framed photographs of flowers, one of which of hydrangeas appealed to me.  

We moved on to Objectspace a few doors along which had a memorable retrospective display of Ruth Castle baskets.  I once did a basket-making workshop in the 70s when I was in the Handweavers Guild and still have a little basket I made over at the bach on Waiheke.  

There was a display of paua jewellery of earlier decades when brooches were popular souvenirs.  Must get back there and take a photograph of them.  There must have been a couple of hundred examples. I remember having a paua shell cross on a gold  chain myself. 

Across the road we looked at the murals on two sides of the old reservoir.  This is a photo of part of a new mural.

Then into Studio One, formerly Art Station, formerly Outreach.  There was a bit of art in the downstairs gallery  which we looked at, then toured the various outhouses which served as the cells for the Police Station in a previous century.

Onwards to Western Park which has some interesting sculptures and pebble mosaic paving then on to Whitespace Gallery which had a good exhibition of artworks created from sheets of stamps featuring fish and other aquatic creatures, drawing attention to marine ecology and pollution.  By this time I was feeling cold and tired so we snuck off and got the bus home.

Heritage Week

Went on a tour of Myers Park and Greys Avenue with good friend Marlene, and Dieter.

It was a brilliantly sunny day and great to be out and about in it learning some interesting history along the way. The walk was conducted by Edward Bennett who dressed for the part.  We congregated in St Kevin's Arcade where the early history of the arcade provided a fascinating introduction to life in those times.  

On the original site there was the residence of the Nathan family who donated the land and money to realise their wish for a park to be donated to the city and they shifted out to their country residence in Manurewa , now called the Nathan Homestead.

The old arcade steps provided easy access to the park  as they still do today. Later the flats were added and unusual for that time had sleeping verandas for warm humid Auckland nights.

We heard all about the kindergarten built  in the park near the YWCA which provided accommodation for single mothers and their children, who enjoyed the access to a beautiful kindergarten in close proximity as do the children of today who were happily engrossed in play.

Wandered down past the paddling pool, now a sunken garden and up Greys Avenue past the council and State housing blocks one of which in the Modernist style designed by the Austrian emigre architect Plischke.

Repaired to Giapo's for an icecream which was doing a roaring trade what with Graduation and sunny weather. 

I had a hokey pokey icecream of the most crunchy superior kind.

Sunday the 13th of September, an auspicious occasion

13 September is E's birthday, celebrated this year in Sydney.  We will celebrate en famille when he gets back early this week.  The weekend was pleasant with us getting out and about.

 First a leisurely walk up the road to the library to return the McCall Smith I have been reading, "The revolving door of life", the latest in the 44 Scotland Rd series and quite funny. Bertie's grandmother comes to look after Bertie and his brother Ulysses while his mother is detained in the Midde East in a harem somewhere and life takes a turn for the better.  He gets a kilt for a start and is allowed to go and play with a friend.  

Spring is in the air and the camellias are now in full bloom.  Here is nicely shaped one In Cowan St which I stopped to photograph with my trusty iPhone. I was invited by the owner to help myself to some blooms if I would like some, which was nice of her.

But not before stopping to chat with neighbour Joy and her cute little dog, Katie.  Joy feeds the birds each day and they wait on the telephone line for her to do so. She too has a wonderful garden and lives in a nicehouse that once belonged to us.  

In the afternoon went to a high tea to meet Indie Rose, Pamela's little granddaughter.  She is oh so sweet. Met the other grandparents and the parents in their lovely home in Northcote.  Then there were Pamela's brother and sister, Rick and Christine and other family friends like us to catch up with.

We had a sociable week as D was feeling better so we went to the library concert on Thursday  - Schubert Lieder - followed by an icecream at Giapo's, this time chocolate afghan in a little tub with a caramel chocolate top with crunchy cornflakes and a chocolate cornflake disc on top - and two spoons.

Friday, we had a trip to Orewa to see what needed doing round house and garden up there.  We hadn't been up there for some 5 months but Tim has been keeping the place in order for us.  June was there with dogs in tow, one of three extra ones being her own new acquisition and two others being dog sits.  

Today being Sunday we went to Mass locally, walking there in the breezy sunshine.  This afternoon we took in a film from the German Film Festival,  Lola on the Pea, about a young girl, Lola who lives on a boat with her mother.  She befriends a young Kurdish boy whose family lives illegally in the village.  All very pertinent with the current refugee crisis in Europe at present.

Didn't feel like cooking so finished off the evening at a Ponsonby Indian restaurant, a delicious lamb curry with naan bread and raita.

Spring is in the Air

Out and about in Ponsonby - peach blossom in Cowan St, tulip tree in Pompallier Tce and white orchids in our front porch. 

My life In Objects No.2. Baby Photo

This studio photo of me and my teddy would have been taken at about 14 months old, I reckon. I believe the photographer had espied me and asked my mother if he could take a photo of me to display in the Dunedin Railway Station to advertise his photography business.  

My Life in Objects no. 1

 I have just finished my big mug of tea from my Friesian teacup with its lovely blue and white design. Dieter gave it to me on one of our trips  to Wilhelmshaven which is where his mother lived.

She lived in the Kingdom of Heaven, Himmelreich,  a lovely name for a suburb. 

They had a lovely little cottage there and a spacious garden. Mainly  lawn and fruit trees and fruiting shrubs like black and redcurrants, gooseberries, and raspberry canes the fruit of which was turned into copious amounts of delicious jam and jelly and stored in the cellar in small jars until needed for the breakfast table.  

I suppose  that is where I get my propensity for making jam or jelly out of usually small quantities of seasonal fruit like cape gooseberries or guavas and  larger quantities of  jam or marmalade  using plums and citrus fruit.

Matariki

Today at the Y we celebrated Matariki, Maori New Year when the stars of the Pleiades are in formation.

First we had our normal gym session then the Never Too Old people gathered for some Maori culture and celebration. We were entertained by four lovely girls from Auckland Girls Grammar School who sang some waiata for us , then they  showed us and taught us the intricacies of Maori  stick games and poi dances, both a lot harder than they look.  Don Soloman showed us how to weave a headband or tiara, also harder than it appears.

We then repaired upstairs to a beautifully decorated space for a shared lunch of foods that reflect our individual heritages .  I took along an apple tart made with lots of  cinnamon and sultanas which my mother always used when making an apple tart.  

Boomerang Boy

Boomerang boy did his washing yesterday - first time in 3 weeks which showed me how much clothing he has.  Had to resist the temptation  over the days, as it accumulated and overflowed laundry basket on to couch, bed, floor, to say I'll do it for you, otherwise I would be hanging it out and bringing it in too.  

Nearly took a photo of it hanging neatly on the line like an artwork but now it has been brought in and is overflowing airing cupboard and washing baskets awaiting ironing , that's if he gets round to doing so before it is needed. 

Celebrated the first couple of weeks board by buying myself a lovely blue merino jacket and a black long sleeved top with it!  I plan to do the same next week too and the week after!

Concert in the Church

All Saints Church at the top of Cowan Street in Ponsonby is a church I often go past or wait in front of for the bus but every so often there is a concert there and I take the opportunity of going in and enjoy not only the music but the architecture and atmosphere of the church, a Richard Toy church completed in 1958 and restored  in 2008. http://www.hbarchitecture.co.nz/all%20saints.html

Look at this for the history of the earlier church and the present church. http://www.allsaintsponsonby.org.nz/history/

The concert was at 5pm so it was already getting  dark and gloomy outside and the church was dimly lit inside too which added to the whare-type experience.The first three items by the One Voice  Choir were Maori songs and fitting openers to this evensong experience of song and music from around the world. 

The  director of the 25 member community choir, Olga Tarasenko is of Russian heritage so this celebration of music from around the world included songs from Bulgaria  and Macedonia as well as Israel, Italy and Bolivia.  http://www.onevoicechoir.org.nz

The choir members, dressed in black and red certainly were very accomplished and powerful singers and I came away uplifted and enriched again by another musical experience. 

Road Trip to Dargaville

After last Sunday's overseas trip to Devonport good friend Frances had the bright idea of a midwinter trip to Dargaville where her mother was brought up many years ago.  It was the anniversary of her death yesterday so this trip was a way of recalling her life and times. We motored up in chilly sunshine , first stop in Wellsford for a browse in the Hospice op shop where I succumbed to a huge jar of crabapple jam and an equally large jar of apple  and tomato chutney for $4 each.  And a CD of the Carpenters whose song Sing a song is one of my favourites and one we sometimes sing in the choir I go to.

My pictures are a bit jumbled and the last shall be first and vice versa. After a lovely lunch  of ploughman sandwiches  - beef, pickle,cheese,lettuce and  mayo and an extra hot cup of coffee at a lovely cafe we pressed on to Matakohe where Frances went into the museum and we looked round this lovely old church, the first in the area I believe and its beautiful garden of heritage roses, some of which are still flowering bravely in the winter sun.  There was also an old Post Office museum in an old Post and Telegraph office with interesting displays of old telephones, post office furniture , books and the ilk.

Onwards from there to Dargaville crossing the muddy river which also borders the township which,was a nice walk.  Browsed the main drag and its shops without succumbing to any more purchases on account of a full car, however hope to buy some kumara tomorrow for a big pot of soup when we get home and a big 2kg  bag of mandarins which I saw for $4 outside a bakery.

By this time it was time to hunt out our accomodation a couple of kms out of town, Leslie's Place, a self contained cottage, attached to the owner's,house which was purpose-built for her father-in law who has since died.   It has some very retro furniture, including a lovely bedroom suite, a blast from the past.  

Time for a cup of tea and a slice of bread and this new crabapple jam which has a beautiful colour and delicate flavour.  Just as well I got the big jar as it won't last long. After a bit of a rest drove back into town for dinner at Jo's Kitchen.  Seafood chowder with lots of shrimps and a hint of curry in it, served  with a long slab of garlic bread was my choice. The others had mussel fritters with fries and cole slaw and lambs fry and bacon, a bit too retro for my liking, but delicious according to Frances.

Matich's fish restaurant is another place we had in mind.  Their pan fried snapper with crumbed prawns on top with a lemon hollandaise sounded very nice for $19, half of what you might pay in Auckland. Pity they close at 7pm which is  early for travellers.

Today we will go to the Dargaville Museum which has excellent displays on gumdigging and the Dalmatian settlers before motoring on home unless one of us can be persuaded to stay on an extra night.