Tuesday 4 - On Holiday

 On Holiday

 Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4...

Summertime means travel time for many people.

Let's talk about travel and holidays.

1. Will you be traveling this summer at all?

We rarely go away in summer now the kids are grown up and have their own families. Christmas happens in summer here and the grandkids tend to go to their parents homes and so that's where we go. And they mostly live in Dunedin just a few minutes away. In the past we did tenting and then caravan holidays at camping grounds with the kids. They were a lot of fun.

2. Will there be day trips in store for you? visits to the beach, evenings out:?

Maybe, who knows, it's still a wee way off. I'm hoping we might head north for a few days about the end of July or beginning of August though but that's still to be decided. And it will still be quite cool but lately their temperatures have been averaging 7 or 8 degrees warmer than us so we'd enjoy that.

3. Do you eat out more in summer... do you go for ice cream or treats more?

We go for day trips occasionally, often go out for an ice cream, Outram is a favourite place for that as it is only about 10 to 15 minute's drive away. We sit there and eat it and then take a leisurely trip home around the plain. We don't eat out a lot, we sometimes go to a cafe for lunch and probably yes, more so in summer.

4. What is your favorite place to visit and what is the most exotic place you've been to?

My favourite place to visit is wherever the kids are, big ones and little ones. Even my brothers and sisters are kids, they're all younger than me :) I love visiting family. We've been to Australia, which is like us but not the same :) I've been to Fiji when I was a teenager and loved it. Bob and I thought we might go over several years ago only to wake up the day after we'd decided to discover there had been a military coup! And we went to Japan for Aaron's wedding. That was probably the most exotic place we've been. The culture was so totally different to anything we were used to, the cities were so clean, no graffiti, the people were very friendly and we felt very welcome wherever we went.

But it's winter here so summer holidays are just a dream at the moment. Instead we're eating stodgy comfort food and hunkering down and keeping warm. 

And here's the link if you'd like to join in. Tuesday 4

Keep well until next time,

blessings,

Diana

A couple of birthdays, a cyclone and orcas

A couple of birthdays seventy six years apart. 

Well that's our age difference. Young Theo turned one on Wednesday and I had my 77th birthday a couple of days before. 

Theo had a wonderful day, he woke to a room full of balloons and birthday presents from his Mum.

And after his Dad picked him up from daycare he came to his Granma's house for smash cake and more birthday presents. He's so loved by his rellies, inlaws and outlaws. There's an awful lot of us.

Smash cake, in case you're not familiar with it, is a sponge cake covered in cream or ganache which is just for baby to smash and play in. In this case leftovers went to Sassy, the dog, who thoroughly enjoyed it. There's generally other cake for other people:) He, Theo,  had lots of fun :)

 

Mum picked him up about 6pm and he went home for a party with Mum's family where he had a Micky Mouse cake - and of course more presents. I think he would have been a tired wee boy by the time bedtime came and I'll bet he slept well.

Diana had a much quieter day but still enjoyable. My friend Carol rang the evening before to see if anyone was taking me out to lunch and if not could she? So I said yes and we went up to Blend for a very pleasant lunch and chat before she had to head off to her exercise class. We had hoped to sit out in the garden area but the weather didnt cooperate.

In the afternoon Vanessa came over and fed my sweet tooth. She brought coconut ice and chocolate. The coconut ice is gone but the chocolate is still there. I try to limit my sugar intake these days or I may have to join Carol's class :) Maybe I should anyway, hmm.

In the evening we went over to Aaron and Sofi's home for a lovely roast dinner and they sent us home with all the leftovers which was enough for another meal each! They also gave me a voucher for one of the clothing shops here in town and a lovely card. 

My GKB and I are going out for lunch tomorrow which I'm quite looking forward to. At the Grange. My GKB hasn't been there before so a new experience for him.

image courtesy Bureau of Meteorology Australia

We've been watching Cyclone Alfred with interest. It's off the east coast of southern Queensland today and due to make landfall in the next 24 hours. It's fifty years since they've had a cyclone in the area. I have a friend and a cousin in the Brisbane/Gold Coast area so praying they're not too badly affected. When we first started watching it was off the coast of Mackay in north Queensland and we have quite a number of family members there so were quite relieved when it changed track and started heading south. Now it's just a matter of watching and waiting.

And something totally different - we have had orcas in the harbour! An adult male and a calf apparently. How exciting is that? I wish I'd seen them but have only seen photo's and video on facebook :(

And on that note I will finish.

Have a good week and keep well until next time.

Diana

A week in Brisbane

Spring has arrived in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

And with it of course the blustery weather, warmer days, rain,

snow and gales...but also a promise of warmer settled days.

Snowdrops on a fenceline after a rainy day.

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My GKB and I had had a holiday in Australia booked for several months before Mum passed away and so a month after her death we winged our way across the Tasman. It was a wonderfully relaxing time. We spent our first week in Brisbane, we had an apartment about 15 minutes walk from the CBD. All downhill.

Coming home we would get a cab.

This was the evening view from our balcony.

Across the road and to the right was a lovely garden and although we had stayed here before with the kids, strolling around gardens is not something they really want to do - they tend to like something a little more exciting, like theme parks :) We hadn't intended to spend time there this morning either, were just taking a shortcut but it was so tranquil and relaxing we spent most of the morning there.

We came across this little train while we were there and decided to go for a ride. A gold coin donation for the garden tour, about a twenty minutes ride. Fun. When it stopped we were just a hundred metres from a lovely tearooms/coffee shop and it was lunch time. A nice way to spend the morning.

Below, a garden view.

One day we went to Southbank, across the river from the CBD, and met up with our niece, Amanda. We also met her two wee daughters for the first time. Last time we saw Amanda she was only about their age, her parents had moved to Aussie and she had just started school. Southbank is a lovely place for a day out, food outlets, river rides, ferris wheel and a children's playground. Another relaxing day out and so good to see the littlies enjoying themselves. Below is a little portion of Southbank.

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We also decided to go to Australia Zoo, founded by Steve Irwin.

We enjoyed our day here as well and of course we went to watch the crocodile show which we thoroughly enjoyed. There was a performance with native birds as well, trained to fly from certain places and put on a bit of a show and I have to admit I actually enjoyed the birds more than the crocodiles, but don't tell anyone.

Of course being a zoo there were heaps of animals, kangaroos, koalas, dingos for example but I was disappointed that the camels were gone, still have never seen one. I loved the rhino family lined up snoozing in the sun though :) Don't they look great? Daddy, mummy and baby bear, oops I mean rhino.

It was a long day though and I have to admit that we were pleased to see the bus arrive to take us all back to Brisbane. We'd been on the go for ten hours by the time we got back to the apartment.

And here we are, finally on our flight north to Mackay where we caught up with sisters, nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Oh and a contingent of Kiwis all escaping the cold southern winter :)

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My thoughts and prayers are with the folk in the Carolina's and other states that may be affected by hurricane Florence. Also with you in the Philipines and China. Such heartbreaking devastation is being endured by so many. Kia kaha - stand strong.

Diana

Beating the blues...

This winter has been a tad cold for me,

 I'm not a native to the south.

Where I grew up it was wet in winter 

but a lot warmer than it is here.

After 40 plus years you'd think I'd be used to it, but no.

Taramakau river, West Coast, New Zealand

And I have to admit that occasionally 

I have a felt a little down in the dumps this winter.

We haven't had one this cold for several years.

And that is when I want to up sticks, 

cross the ditch, and join my sisters in Queensland...

...where I can sit in the carport 

and have a long leisurely breakfast.

my Good Kiwi Bloke

Or meet up with our nephew 

and have lunch in the gardens.

my GKB, moi, nephew and sis

Or go bush (a link to our bush visit post) 

with my niece 

and her family for a day or two.

the dining room :)

Or maybe meet up with my other sis 

and spend a day at the beach.

my GKB, sis, me

Or take a day trip to Eungella National Park 

with ex pat friends...

...and gaze in wonder at the strange creatures 

running around the bush.

Or watch glorious sunsets at the end of the day, 

which is very early in northern Queensland.

Or just plain play silly buggers with the toy dog.

Or even all of the above.

And now I have got that off my chest I feel much better.

And summer is coming, yeeha!

joining in with:
roses of inspiration

Thanks for listening to me 

(if you're still with me).

If you're not I understand :)

Have a nice day and we'll

meet up again next week.

Diana