Hello Herne Bay

This is our second week of living in Herne Bay.  I love our new house, its light clean look, its soft warm brown carpet, its spaciousness. 

The  move itself was gruelling on a very wet day and had to be completed the following Monday after five hours on the Saturday.  Had a few sleepless nights, before, during and after but now that the furniture is in place, the majority of the boxes unpacked (with more than a little help from our friends) we feel at home here in our new abode, street and suburb,much as I remember feeling when we first moved to Ponsonby 36 years ago. The villa was smaller but it had the same light walls and brown carpet, come to think of it.

It takes just that bit longer getting to and from places but so far so good.  When we miss the connecting bus from Ponsonby to Herne Bay there is a convenient taxi rank at Three Lamps which I availed myself on my long trip home from a meeting in Epsom yesterday. 

Today on my home from the gym walked down Hobson St to Wah Lee's to get some rice paper light shades for the last remaining naked dangling lightbulbs and look forward to fossicking about in there again. 

 Conscious of the amount of stuff we unpacked and put away I resisted today but weakened further down the road at the City Mission op shop where  I popped in to have a look around and found things half price.   Got a cute little clock radio to set on the Concert Program in the mornings seeing our old one has yet to be found.  

Saw two lovely Royal Doulton soup plates with a lovely leaf pattern which I couldn't resist and bought them to use for our Mr Wattie's Extra Special pea soup today and many other soup days to come.  Over recent years we have used my mother's old Noritake Vine Yard Burgundy design dinner set and no doubt will get as much pleasure out of these 2 new plates as out of the Noritake version of the 1960s.  

Bye bye Ponsonby

We shift to Herne Bay soon so taking the time to visit our favourite places before doing so, while it is still easy to do so.  Have just got home from attending Mass at the spacious Sacred Heart Church in Vermont Street.  Our Parish Priest Father Rory Morrissey always gives a good sermon though I don't always agree with his views.  

Got nabbed outside Nosh by people from the local Commmunity Board with a questionnaire as to what we would like to see in the new park to be designed in that spot.  If we were still living in Ponsonby I would have preferred the shop to stay there as there are fewer and fewer food shops, just cafes and restaurants. 

A lovely new Countdown did open last week at the Ponsonby Road end of Williamson Ave where we shopped on our way home from our gym session at the Y.  Got lovely fresh mandarins for $2 a kilo and tomatoes for the same price if I remember rightly.

Coffee'd this morning at old favourite Dizzengoff.  The poppyseed, sultana and orange muffins are superb and we enjoyed a whole one each with butter with our pipping hot latte in a glass. Got a table near the window where we could people and dog watch the world go by.  Just as well as the noise level of people chatting prohibits conversation on my part as I find it hard to make myself hear and be heard.

Our final port of call was Nosh for some meat and fresh vegetables for our evening meal, appetising dark red meaty mince with minimal fat, just perfect for a lasagne if I leave time to prepare it.  

We are in the throes of packing for our imminent shift to Herne Bay in a couple of weeks.

Bayswater and Back

Made the most of a big day out with visiting friend Eileen and old friend Marlene.  We got the 11.00am boat across the harbour  to Bayswater.  There were only another couple of passengers on the boat across and it was a brilliantly sunny day for the end of April.the boat seemed to have trouble berthing and getting close enough to the wharf but succeeded after the third attempt of tying, pulling tight and  unwinding the ropes that brought the ferry close enough to drag out the gangplank and let us trip safely off.  

Did so smartly though the connecting bus drove off just as we approached leaving us to spend another half hour waiting till midday for  the next one.  There was a lovely parklike reserve round the marina and we waited there watching somebody fishing, another flying his drone, another couple of workers mowing the lawn and trimming the edges.  What a life on a day like that! 

We were en route to one of my favourite cafes at present, Little and Friday, except in our case it was Big and Wednesday as you can see by the size of the quiches.  Ditto the cakes and their fabulous doughnuts, big enough in fact for the four of us to have a piece of each.  Today's filling was peanut, salty caramel and chocolate ganache and delicious.  

After that it was on by bus through other tidy North Shore suburbs to Takapuna and thence on foot to the beach. Made a short visit to the library in the Strand en route and enjoyed some downtime gazing out to sea and  Rangitoto while the others had a stroll along the beach at low tide.

Took the bus back over the bridge , crossed leafy Victoria Park on foot, picked up another bus to Ponsonby and flopped into bed for a rest.

Day in Town

Saw Auckland anew through the eyes of my Australian visitor today as we sampled the sights of mid-town Auckland a trois.  Started by delivering 5kg of freshly picked guavas from our tree to Giapo who gave us an icecream voucher in return.  

Sampled Giapo Buono, Giapo's Special might be a good translation, and decided on that - caramel icecream with bits of wafery biscuit through it, decorated with roasted gilded hazelnuts and the glossiest Italian meringue squiggles possible, a veritable work of art. 

From there across Aotea Square we walked up to the pop-up Globe Theatre to see if we could get tickets for Romeo and Juliet or Twelfth Night but it was not to be.

Then we went to the Central City Library to look at the Shakespeare exhibition on at present, including copies of the First and Second Folios. I enjoyed reading a couple of the sonnets and a page of Twelfth Night, among other books of Shakespeare's time.

Back past the side of the Town Hall with it colourful flags.

Time for lunch at Smith and Caughey, a meaty mushroom and blue vein tart with a colourful salad with tomato chutney on the side - good value at $10.

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Guava Season

There was a big storm last week which brought down a big branch of the guava tree, laden with ripe and semi-ripe fruit.  Got the small jar collection and jam pan up from under the house and boiled up a potful of fruit with some water, strained it through my improvised jelly bag and boiled up briskly to setting point.  As usual it is a lovey ruby colour and has a tangy flavour.

It is delicious on fresh bread with banana or cheese,  or with any meat where you would use  cranberry sauce.

Sad end for Herne Bay house

This house is across the road and I am saddened to see its fate. It was bought by a developer a few months after the death of its owner, Vinka, who had lived there most of her life.  One side of the road has the older villas from the late 19th century, the other side  and Jervois Rd near the corner, mid century. I wonder what will replace it.  

Orewa Beach

Low tide on a Sunday morning is an ideal time for a walk along the beach into the village for a browse around the market.  Espied some fresh walnuts, a big bagful for $10 which I bought for my nut basket, bought some years ago in a souvenir shop in Abel Tasman National Park.  When I have time to bake I will incorporate them into walnut drops, an old recipe from the Fielder's Cornflour recipe book of yesteryear.