A trip away!

A few days after my last post we went away for 9 days! We being my dad (Pa), Brains, Locket and I.
The main reason for the trip was so Pa could attend the Netherton School 125th Jubilee, his old primary school. He was keen to go but due to his age, 88 years, and getting a bit frailer he needed someone to travel with him. My aunty, his sister, who live in Paeroa offered for him to stay with her.

We flew to Auckland, picked up a rental car and drove down to Paeroa. Later in the evening Brains, Locket and I carried on to Waihi Beach where Pa's other sister lives. Aunty E and Uncle E are who I stayed with each year when we made the annual trip to Paeroa for Pa to visit his Mum & Dad and family.

Pa was the oldest registered male at the Jubilee and had the honour of planting a tree with one of the youngsters. Both my aunts went as well and had a great time catching up with people they knew - there were around a dozen that attended who went to school there in the 1930s.

We spent the time walking on the beach, swimming - well Brains and Locket  :) - catching up with a few of our relatives, and generally relaxing.

One morning we walked the Orokawa Bay Track, although I didn't make it all the way over - anaemia + not very fit = what is graded as easy wasn't for me! Brains and Locket went all the way to Orokawa Bay with my cousin's daughter, A, and my cousin kindly walked at my more sedate pace. Gave us lots of time to talk though  :D

A few photos:-

The steps down to the beach - the tide is on it's way in and I wondered how long it would take before each wave reached the step. This is the closest access to the beach from where my aunt and uncle live - about a 1 - 2 minute walk!

Not long! This is around 10 mins later. I went back a couple of hours later when the tide was peaking and Brains and Locket came as well.

The rocks are there to protect the dunes.

So at high tide you need to go further north to the next access or two - unless you want to scramble over the top of the rocks! Orokawa Bay is on the other side of the first headland you can see.

Locket's standing on the bottom step - and on tiptoe I think from memory.

Since the summer holiday season was past Waihi Beach was back to it's usual 2000+ population. Lovely and quiet. During the summer it swells to 16,000!

Once we got back I got straight into the costume I had to make within the next 5 days - and which I will blog about soon. The costume, the Easter break with visitors staying, plus Locket's birthday have kept me busy! I didn't realise it was almost a month since I posted anything though. I did take my computer and T-stick with $$ on it away with me, the intention being to catch up a bit more with this blog, but the $$ were chewed through too quickly. Aunty and Uncle we stayed with don't have any internet access - or a computer  :-o  My other aunty and uncle and Pa Skype weekly though  :D

I could have gone and sat outside the Waihi Beach Library which has free internet access - but really it wasn't that important! Too many other things to do.

:x  this beach. We've been told not to leave it so long before we go back!