Sunday, 24 January: No trip here is complete unless we take the short drive from Feilding to Sanson for the Sunday morning market. It is a mix of flea market finds, produce, plants, and home made goodies. We had a nice chat (and bought a few things) from a woodworker, found some blueberries and a few other fruits, and generally enjoyed the atmosphere of the market. Some of the markets are quite upscale, but this one isn't. In the afternoon we thought we would dri...

Sunday, 24 January: No trip here is complete unless we take the short drive from Feilding to Sanson for the Sunday morning market. It is a mix of flea market finds, produce, plants, and home made goodies. We had a nice chat (and bought a few things) from a woodworker, found some blueberries and a few other fruits, and generally enjoyed the atmosphere of the market. Some of the markets are quite upscale, but this one isn't. In the afternoon we thought we w...

Sunday, 17 January: When we lived in NZ in the early 1970s, only the corner dairy was open on Sunday. Now, it is, as they say, all go. We drove over to Whakatane to a shopping center called The Hub. I got a few things I needed, we picked up some groceries and went back to Ohope for lunch. In the afternoon, we drove with Cathy and Max to see the land Anna and Mark have bought to build a home. It is a beautiful spot of about 15 acres overlooking the harbor. We fini...

Sunday, 17 January:  When we lived in NZ in the early 1970s, only the corner dairy was open on Sunday. Now, it is, as they say, all go. We drove over to Whakatane to a shopping center called The Hub. I got a few things I needed, we picked up some groceries and went back to Ohope for lunch. In the afternoon, we drove with Cathy and Max to see the land Anna and Mark have bought to build a home. It is a beautiful spot of about 15 acres overlooking the harbor. ...

Sunday, 10 January: We had morning tea with Andrew, Tracy, and Mia Lorrey. It was good to see them and all the progress they have made on the renovations to their home. Mia is a delightful toddler, and keeps her parents on their toes. From there we went to the Auckland Botanic Gardens to see both the flowers and the special sculpture exhibit on at the moment. As usual, some of the sculptures were very interesting, and some just left me wondering why anyone would ...