We k 5 Wednesday the 30th January

N was happy to stay indoors in the cool today but I felt the need to go out.
In the afternoon I went down to Russell and had a couple of relaxing hours down there. There was a cruise ship moored out in the bay, passengers have to be taken off by tender as there is no deep water mooring close to shore. The tenders go to Paihia so Russell only gets a few of the passengers who venture onto the ferry over here. After sitting by the beach for some time I walked the length of the foreshore before coming back home.

Week 5 Tuesday 29th January.

The heat from Australia has finally arrived here although, thankfully, not with the same intensity as over there.
It’s hot here, 28C, but because of the proximity to the sea we are escaping higher temperatures that they are experiencing further south. The house is above sea level and enjoys a breeze most of the day.
I think I have to say something about the New Zealand accent which still makes us laugh however often we visit here.
One of the first things we heard, at the airport, was “Would you please chickin at the disk”. Of course almost every house has a dick to sit on, sorry! If you are asked for a pin look for a writing implement not a sharp object. Clothing is hung on the line with pigs and there are tin green bottles. A pug is an animal that is not used to pun out the clothes and a fush is a marine creature. The list is endless!

Week 5 Monday 28th January.

A hot week is forecast as the high temperatures that Australia is currently experiencing are travelling across the Tasman sea. We are fortunate in that, up here, there is always a bit of a breeze coming off the bay.

Rob home as it’s a public holiday.

We went to the beach in the afternoon, Long Beach. It was very busy but we managed to find a space in the shade. I had a walk and a paddle along the tide line.  Amusing to watch the diversity of people enjoying the beach and the sea.

We were home about 6pm and welcomed by the smell of our dinner cooking, courtesy of Rob!

Week 5 Sunday 27th January.

Sunday lunch again at the RSA.
After lunch Rob went back home and we stayed on, in Russell, to watch a street enactment of The Hell Hole of the Pacific.
http://russellnz.co.nz/old-history/a-hell-hole/
We found a spot on the beachfront to site our chairs and wait for the 2.30 performance which eventually started at 3.30! We were unable to hear the commentary but it was interesting to sit and watch and imagine how different the place is today with not a brothel or a wench in sight.

Saturday 26th January.

Spent most of the day on the terrace watching the boats, chatting and generally enjoying watching it all from our hideaway on the hill.
Rob did a bbq in the evening, excellent steak best I’ve had in a long time.
Saw the sailing ship the RTucker Thompson go out in the morning and return in the evening. Quite a sight.
https://tucker.co.nz
Plenty of other vessels to watch as it’s the last day of the yachting event.

Week 4 Friday 25th January.

It’s going to be a busy weekend up here as it’s the Auckland anniversary weekend and Monday is a public holiday.

Interestingly, the date 29 January itself is not the actual day on which Auckland was founded but the day on which explorer and first governor of New Zealand William Hobson first sighted North Island at the Bay of Islands.

In 1840, Hobson arrived in New Zealand and quickly signed a treaty with the Maori, the Treaty of Waitangi, that led to New Zealand becoming a new British colony. It was on 18 September of 1840 that Hobson founded Auckland and made it the capital city of New Zealand. And that very year, a small regatta was held at Auckland in Waitemata Harbour, involving only three races.In 1850, the status of 29 January as Auckland Anniversary Day and the tradition of the Auckland Regatta became official. In these early days, Maori canoes, local fishing boats, and whaling boats took part, adding much excitement. Yachts, sailboats, and even seaplane races were added over the years.

Although it’s Aucklands day most of them are getting out of the city and many of them are driving north, a lot of them towing trailers with boats on them. Not a day to be out on the road! Today has proved a special challenge as the tar on one part of state highway 1, the main road north, is melting due to the heat and the volume of traffic. The council has
brought out lorries to spray water on the road and dampen it down. This causes big jams behind the lorries.
Beautiful skies tonight.

Week 4 Thursday 24thJanuary.

Just as Mondays seem to have become housework days so Thursdays seem to have become shopping days. How quickly we become creatures of habit!
No trip to the Warehouse this week but we did go to a shop nearby to buy a magic bullet. I’m missing my stick blender and Rob will find it useful for making smoothies.
Another weeks shop done in Keri Keri, stowed in the boot of the car and we head back to our eyrie overlooking the bay.

Week 4 Wednesday 23rd January.

This week sees a big event in the bay. Bay of Islands sailing week.

The dates of the 2018 Bay of Islands Sailing Week have been confirmed, with registration on Tuesday 24 January and three days of racing from 25 to 27 January.

As I sat on the terrace having my breakfast it was very busy down in the bay with yachts leaving the marina. The procession of yachts was making it difficult for the 2 ferries as they have to give way to other vessels.

This afternoon we went to Long Beach again. https://www.bayofislandsinfo.co.nz/Long-Beach-Russell.html
As it’s only a 15 minute drive from home I expect we shall be visiting it at least once or twice a week. We were able to park in the shade again and install our favourite chairs overlooking the bay. The tide was well out. This time I had come prepared and was looking forward to my first dip in the sea. The sea was beautifully warm and the beach dips gently so no danger of sudden drops into the depths! Nigel still not braving the waters but I think that he may be tempted next time.

Week4 Tuesday 22nd January.

A day out in Paihia. Drove into Russell and caught the foot ferry over to Paihia, a trip of about 20 minutes. We first visited Paihia in 2012 and spent just a couple of nights in a motel . It was out of season and pretty quiet. In 2017 we were here for 2 weeks over the Christmas period and it was very busy as it is now, so we are quite familiar with the town and surrounding area. We had a mooch around the shops before deciding where to have lunch. I gave in to Nigel and we had a kebab. Not my favourite but something he craves for when they are available. This one didn’t meet his expectations so we won’t have to worry about having any more. Actually, I didn’t think it was too bad although there was far too much of it for me to finish off. Perhaps we’ll give the Zane Grey a visit next time, far more salubrious!https://zanegreys.co.nz
We found a seat in the shade to admire the view and do a bit more people watching, always a good way to spend some time. Decided to go to our favourite coffee place from our last visit but discovered that it had changed and was now serving meals and was very busy. Still the coffee place in town wasn’t far away and they do a really good iced coffee.
Caught the ferry back to Russell, there’s a big super yacht moored in the bay. There doesn’t seem to be anyone on it and it hasn’t moved whilst we’ve been here. Perhaps we could borrow it!!

Week 4 Monday 21January.

Sunday night  became Monday morning as I stayed up till after 1am watching the match between Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas. An exciting match and it was impossible for me not to watch it until the end.

Mondays seem to have become stay at home and housework days. Not difficult when one is in such a beautiful place.

There is a narrow border round the terrace and a long border down the side of the house. Various cacti, impatiens, salvia, runner beans, tomatoes, parsley and mint as well as a few other odds and ends. I’m trying to keep the beans and tomatoes going by saving all the washing up water for them. I think that I shall cut back the impatiens as they have got very leggy. They don’t die back here as the winters are frost free.

Week 4 Sunday 20th January.

Once again I’m first up and we have 2 supine bodies on the sofas.
When Danni wakes it seems as if we have a domestic situation on our hands.
Danni wants to leave about 11am and Rob wants them to stay and have lunch in Russell with us.
Danni has chosen me to be mediator.
Mediation is successful and all are happy. They leave about 11am and we wave them on their way with strict instructions to text as soon as they are back home.
We potter off to Russell for Sunday lunch at the RSA again. It looks as if this is going to become a habit! No complaints from us the food is good and it saves cooking at home. A bit of drama as we were finishing our meal when th rescue helicopter flew over our heads and landed behind the club. A lot of activity with 2 ambulances and police cars. Apparently an elderly gentleman was taken ill and eventually flown to hospital in Whangārei.
Back home for a quiet afternoon and evening.

Week 4.

Saturday 19th January.
I ventured into the living area to make a cuppa for Nigel and me and found 2 bodies on the 2 sofas, both of them hard and fast asleep. Not a muscle twitched as I filled the kettle and clinked the mugs!
Eventually about 10am everyone was up and ready for the mornings outing which was a trip to the annual A and P (agricultural and pastoral) show in Kaikohe.
http://www.kaikohe.co.nz
Rob works at Renton motors in the town and they had a trade stand at the show so we all had free admission! We walked past the sheep that were there for the sheep racing, most of them lying down, chewing the cud and not looking too excited by the occasion.
We stopped to chat with a couple of Rob’s co-workers who were manning the stand and then went off in search of breakfast. A bacon and egg bap seemed to make everyone happy, myself included.
We settled down at the company stand which was well situated in the shade with a bit of a breeze and several spare seats, to eat our baps and watch the procession of people walking by. A big day out for Kaikohe.
Danni, Jonny and I wandered over to watch the equestrian part of the show but there didn’t seem to be a lot happening, lots of well groomed horses wandering about but not a lot of organisation!
After a couple of hours we left the show ground and drove into Kaikohe to meet up with one of Rob’s co-workers and have a beer at the pub. It’s difficult to explain Kaikohe which is as far off the tourist map of NZ as it’s possible to be, I would think. Not the sort of place one would like to wander around in the dark. I would have liked to take a photo of the notice on the pub door but was afraid I might be apprehended! A few things that I remember are
No bare feet,
Take gumboots off before entering,
No singlets.
The beer was good and inside the pub was reminiscent of an English pub back in the 1950’s.
So, after our exciting trip out we hit the road back to base camp here in Okiato. Rob is a good driver but I think that he drives too fast. I am a nervous passenger and I found some parts of the journey somewhat hair raising. I was wedged in the back between Nigel and Jonny and at times I shut my eyes and grasped Nigel’s knee tightly. I was quite thankful when he got stuck behind other vehicles with no chance of overtaking.
In the afternoon I took Rob and Danni into Russell to catch the foot ferry over to Paihia where they were going to have a trawl round the bars! First time out for father and daughter since she became 18. We were able to have a quiet few hours to charge our batteries. Jonny was glued to his screen and seemed quite content. I went back into Russell to pick them up off the 6.30 ferry,  both seemed to have had a good time. I was driving Rob’s car and he informed me that the speed limit was 100k/h
not 80. I informed him that I was driving and if he preferred to walk he could do so!

Once back here Rob fired up the bbq and we all sat on the terrace, admired the view and had a good feed.

S

20

Week 3

Monday 14th January. We woke to grey skies, quite a surprise. By mid morning it was pretty windy and we had a decent downpour. Probably not enough to fill the water tank but enough to add a fair bit to it. By afternoon blue skies and scudding clouds were in evidence. A day of pottering and jigsawing. I cooked a piece of salt (corned) beef for tea. Always a treat when we are here to be able to buy this. It’s unheard of in France and I have never seen it in the UK either. Quite different to the stuff that comes in tins.

Tuesday 15th January.
Morning at home. Finished the jigsaw! Warm and windy.

In the afternoon we went exploring. Went to Long Beach the other side of the peninsula from Russell. We got the chairs out of the car, sat in the shade of a Pohutakawa and relaxed for a couple of hours. A beautiful beach just 10 minutes drive from home. Lots of people in the sea so I shall come prepared with my cossie next time.  

A quick stop in Russell but decided to return home as it was beginning to rain.

Rain soon stopped so we explored Okiato which was the seat, briefly, of the first government of New Zealand. All that remains is the original well. A short stroll took us to a seat overlooking the bay. A stunning view of both the bay and a rather ornate house, Castello Bach, that looks to be empty. Next to that is Clendon Hotel which looks to be deserted but must still be in business as it is on Trip Advisor albeit with some very bad reviews.

Wednesday 16th January.

Went into Russell in the morning. Took the wasjig jigsaw back and we were delighted to find two

more.Had coffee and a muffin at the cafe next door before strolling along by the beach. Pretty windy 

today so not a lot of activity. A few youngsters though were having great fun jumping off the jetty into the sea time and time again.Oh, the energy of youth!

Thursday 17th January.

Big day out! Caught the ferry to “civilisation” and drove, 40 minutes, to The Warehouse at Waipapa. First people we saw, they were coming out as we were going in, were Anne and Tony from upstairs! Such a popular place! Had a good browse round but nothing took my fancy just bought a few odds

and ends for the kitchen including a sieve.  I’d cooked rice on Wednesday evening and discovered I didn’t have a sieve so we had soggy rice! Not to be recommended!

Then drove into Kerikeri, always a challenge to find parking there. Had lunch and then shopped 

New World. The layout there is exactly the same as the one in Warkworth where I have shopped on 

previous visits so it all looks so familiar.It’s getting hot again so we were pleased to get back home by mid afternoon after our exciting day in

the big, wide world!

Friday 18th January.

A day at home in preparation for a big weekend! My grandchildren, Danni and Jonny are driving up later today. It’s quite difficult for me to get my head round the fact that Danni is now a car owner and driver. She texted me at 4pm to say that she had just picked up Jonny and was leaving Auckland. So started 4 + hours of worry ! Rob had assured me that she’s a good driver but grandmothers like 

mothers do tend to be concerned when their chicks start driving. Rob and I were standing on the 

terrace watching the ferry crossing and at 8.30pm we had a text from Danni to say she was waiting for the ferry to arrive. Sigh of relief. It’s only 2 years since we have seen them but what a difference 

those 2 years have made. Danni is 18 and seems to have transformed from a schoolgirl to a working 

Woman in the blink of an eye. Oh, and she never stops talking! Jonny, on the other hand, says very

little but then of course it would be very difficult for him to get a word in when Danni is with him!

Week 2

Monday January 7th. Rob not gone into work as it seems we have kindly given him the lurgy that came with us from foreign parts. N seems to be the best of the three of us health wise at the moment. We ran out of drinking water again so N and I went into Russell to get more. Discovered a 10litre container so that saves lots of bottles. As we were walking to 4Square I popped in the op shop and picked up a good, wasgif, jigsaw puzzle so that should keep me quiet for a while. Nigel seems to be eating OK but Rob and I are off our food so not a lot of cooking happening! I’ve got a big bar of chocolate and some Pinot Noir in the pantry and don’t fancy either of them so must be sick!!. Tuesday January 8th. Rob up to go to work so we too are up and off with him on the 7.30am ferry. A brief stop at the other side to pick up some coffee to see us on our way. A 40 minute drive to Kaikohe where he works. A quick look round his place of work and N and I head for Kerikeri to do some shopping. We’ve been there before but I find it quite a confusing little town but hopefully we’ll soon come to grips with the place. First stop was at the bank where I needed to change the address on my account then on to a cafe where we had brunch. I went for eggs Benedict, one of my favourites when I’m over here. Sadly I wasn’t up to eating most of it but Nigel managed to eat the half that I couldn’t stomach. Then to do a big shop at New World supermarket before going on to the Warehouse for some bedding which Rob is short of. By this time it was getting pretty hot and we were keen to get back home. A forty minute drive, 5 minutes on the ferry and back to our eyrie above the bay. After unpacking the shopping it was time for a siesta to recover from our exertions! Rob was back home by 5.30, still not very well.
 https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz
www.kerikeri.co.nz
Wednesday January 9th. A day of r and r. N back on form and I’m getting there. Rob was home again and in bed till mid afternoon. Thursday January 10th. A good nights sleep and back to normal, whatever that may be! Rob gone to work. N and I went into Russell. It’s very busy and car parking isn’t easy. Went to the Fullers office. Fullers GreatSights is a major tourism company based in Northland, New Zealand. Today it is Northland's largest marine tourism operator with a wide range of cruises and land tours. They run the foot ferry between Russell and Paihia and the car ferry between Opua and Okiato. By producing a bank statement with Robs address we were able to get a frequent user pass for the ferries. We need to have photo id and the lady who was dealing with us took a photo. All I can say about mine is that it is marginally better than the ones on my passport and my French ID card! I groaned when I saw it but the lady said oh I think it’s a good photo which worried me somewhat. We had lunch and a stroll along the waterfront before coming home where we found Rob had returned still feeling unwell. He did, though, collect the bed that he has been given so at least he has a bed to sleep in as opposed to a mattress on the floor.

Friday January 11th. Rob home again. Another trip into Russell in the afternoon for a bit of shopping. I needed a roasting tin and a UK/NZ plug. The very kind gentleman at the local hardware shop was pleased to supply me with both items at a somewhat inflated price. Still needs must and probably cheaper, in the long run, than going over the other side on the ferry. I cooked a chicken for tea and all three of us managed to do it justice. First meal I have cooked since the weekend before we left France! One great thing about NZ kitchens, well all the ones that I have stayed in, is that they have a built in pantry. Big cupboard, shelving and double doors. Mush easier for storage than high cupboards. Beautiful skies today this evening.

Saturday January 12th. It seems like we’re all three of us restored to full health! N and I went upstairs to see Tony and Anne as they have been very kind during the week since our arrival. It’s tall ships weekend in Russell so after lunch N and I went into Russell. When we were in Mangawhai 2 years ago we bought 2 lightweight fold up chairs at the op shop for the princely sum of 5$. When we left I asked Rob to dump them but he brought them here.They certainly look their age but they are still serviceable (a bit like me!)and are very useful to take with us so we can find a shady spot to sit and watch the world go by. I had hoped to see a lot of tall ships arriving in the bay but only one had arrived by the time we left. Still can’t complain as there was plenty more activity on the water to watch. In the evening we had home cinema, Lock, stock and 2 smoking barrels on tv and popcorn provided by Rob. I enjoyed the popcorn but I’m afraid I found the film somewhat confusing!

Sunday 13th January. A family outing now that we are all present and correct! Lunch in Russell at the RSA. A very good, well priced meal in a friendly environment. Not busy like the restaurants by the shore but most certainly better value. Back home we were all feeling sated and ready for a siesta! In the evening we were back in the “cinema” to watch the second Guy Ritchie film, Snatch. I was able to follow this a bit better than the previous night’s offering but can’t say I’d rush to see either of them again. https://www.russellrsa.co.nz

Week 1

Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur. Sunday December 30th. After spending a wonderful Christmas with Steve, Kris, Lauren and Josh it was time to say goodbye and head for the other side of the world. Kris drove us to Heathrow and we entered terminal 4 to start the first flight. This would be the second time that I have asked for assistance at the airport due to contracting polymyalgia several years ago. Walking and standing for too long can cause me problems and the assistance makes the journey so much easier. All went smoothly and we boarded our flight to KL and took off at 9.30pm. After a busy 10 days I was pretty tired and managed to doze quite a lot during the first half of the flight which was 121/2 hours. Then I fell asleep and was much surprised to be woken, by the flight attendant, when breakfast was served. That’s a first for me as I have never been able to do that before. When we landed I was met by a nice young man who was waiting for me with a wheelchair. Although we had been to KL before I had forgotten just how big the airport is. It’s a long walk from the plane, through duty free and then onto a train to get to immigration. Immigration was so busy and I think that our young man was new to the job as he had to ask someone where he could take us. Once he found that out he took us to an immigration desk where we passed through very quickly. Then on to baggage reclaim where the bags had just started coming through so we had quite a wait. N was pretty hot and went to find a seat to take off his flight socks and I was left looking for the cases. Mine is easy to spot being turquoise and black but N’s is dark navy with no distinguishing features so we had tied an orange ribbon on the handle. Just as he returned I spotted the cases so our young man loaded them onto the trolley and off we went through customs. The hotel where we are staying provides a buggy service from the airport but it was quite a challenge finding the location of it! We went up a lift which went up and down and up and down again before we got out. Difficult to explain but quite disorientating. Then a long trek through a food court and finally to the buggy stop. Said buggy duly arrived and as they were unloading the cases N said that’s not my case!! Who could believe that there were 2 dark blue suitcases with orange ribbon on the same flight! On closer inspection this one was older and had a lock. Panic! So I get buggied off to the hotel and N now gets put in my wheelchair and gets wheeled off in search of correct case. I am deposited in hotel lobby where I start to imagine many scenarios of mistaken suitcases, loss of his suitcase etc. Much to my surprise and relief he appears after about 15 minutes. They had gone back through the maze, found the correct case on the carousel and deposited the other one back on the carousel. Panic over. Check in and finally get to our room at about 8pm local time. After a welcome shower and brief relax we go down to get some dinner. A very multi cultural menu. The waiter, who like all the employees is charming and dare one say it obsequious, insists on hovering whilst we make our selection. Despite me saying, several times, that we will eventually make our choice, he continues hovering and making suggestions about what we should select. I decide on having a Nasi goreng but do ask that it shouldn’t be too spicy please. N goes for the same. The food arrives, beautifully presented. There are some prawn crackers,on the side which I dip into the attractive looking sauce surrounding 2 succulent looking prawns. I take a bite and oh, ow and some strong expletives as I virtually leap off my chair as the heat from the sauce sears my mouth and heads down my aesophogus. Either Mr Obsequious didn’t understand me or his version of not too spicy is not attuned to my delicate European palate. A quick slug of my Tiger beer and the heat begins to abate. Thankfully the rest of the meal is most acceptable as I carefully avoid the dastardly red stuff. A shame as I am quite partial to prawns and I couldn’t even think of trying to eat them. N, never one to look a gift prawn in the mouth, manages though after scraping off most of the red stuff. So finally the moment I have been looking forward to arrives and I sink into the wonderfully comfortable bed and into a deep sleep for nine and a half hours. January 1st After a wonderful nights sleep in an amazingly comfortable bed we both felt refreshed. Breakfast was a buffet with so many dishes from so many places. I’m afraid I’m not keen on rice and spicy things for breakfast so I stuck to fresh fruit, omelette and toast and marmalade. The welcome coffee was the icing on the cake, strong, just as I like it.All the staff were so charming, so smiley and everyone wishing us a happy new year. By the time we had breakfasted it was 11am and time to return to our room and digest our meal and relax. In the afternoon I went down to the pool and swam and then read for a couple of hours. Nigel came down later and we sat in the jacuzzi for a while and relaxed poolside.Then time to organise our cases and go down for dinner. Teriyaki tonight and very good it was too. Then buggy back to the airport, check in and wait for our flight to be boarded. KL is an incredibly busy airport which functions 24/24 and is very well organised. Unfortunately there seemed to be a problem with the electrics during the pre flight check and after we were boarded they stopped other passengers boarding and we sat there for almost an hour before they recommenced boarding. I bought a super duper neck cushion at the airport and I’m sure that it would have made sleeping much more comfortable had I been able to sleep! Not even a glimmer of a bit of a doze, felt wide awake the whole flight. We arrived in Auckland at 3.30pm local time and were quickly through immigration, baggage reclaim and customs and the girl who was accompanying us through the airport checked us in for our flight to Kerikeri and took us to the stop for the transfer bus to the domestic terminal. We had a couple of hours to wait there and were able to have a snack and a very welcome cup of coffee. The plane to Kerikeri was tiny compared to our previous conveyances but it did the job and got us there in 30 minutes compared to a 4 hour road trip. A small terminal and son Rob was waiting for us ready to take us on the last leg of our journey from Castandet! A 30 minute drive through Paihia to the ferry at Opua, 5 minutes on the car ferry and 2 minutes up the road to our home from home. As always I’m overwhelmed by the vegetation. Some of the Pohutakawa trees are still in flower. Agapanthus Jacaranda and bougainvillea are in full flower. At the moment everything is very green as there was a lot of rain before and up to Christmas. And so to bed, I reckoned that I had been awake for 33 hours! Thursday January 3rd. Slept till 8am, felt wonderful! A day of settling in to our new home, unpacking, resting and relaxing. Rob rents the downstairs of a large property overlooking English Bay and the Bay of Islands Marina at Opua. https://www.bayofislandsmarina.co.nz I met Rob’s landlords Tony and Anne who live above I went into Russell with Rob to get a few necessities at the 4 Square shop. We had brunch and watched the world go by. Russell is a very popular tourist destination and has a lot of history being known as the “Hell hole of the Pacific” in the 1800’s. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell,_New_Zealand In the evening Rob did a bbq and we sat on the terrace and watched the maritime traffic in the bay below us Friday January 3rd. Rob and Nigel made a quick trip in to Russell. I spent a lot of time just sitting and watching activity on the water, so easy to spend time doing that. We have a weka lives nearby. He’s very friendly and as long as one doesn’t make any sudden moves he’ll approach to see if there’s any food going. He’ll even take some from ones hand. We watched some tv. Rob cooked tea, a curry, too hot for me! Beginning to feel more rested now. Saturday January 4th. Awake at 8 and sat outside with my morning cuppa and a slice of toast. The tour boats were just leaving the marina to go down to Paihia and the ferry traffic was hotting up. Later in the morning I went upstairs and had a coffee and a chat with Tony and Anne, they kindly gave me a bag of newly dug new potatoes. Another trip into Russell with Rob to get more supplies and then late afternoon I went with him again as he is taking advantage of having a chauffeur in residence. He caught the foot ferry over to Paihia to meet up with some friends for a drink or two. I had a wander around then bought an ice cream and sat by the shore watching the world go by. Then to drive back here. First time this trip driving an automatic car with right hand drive on the left! Beginning to feel not quite 100%. Cooked tea but couldn’t eat a lot. Went back to Russell 7.30 to pick Rob up and then to bed. Sunday January 5th. Didn’t have a good night, coughing, hot and cold, bad head. Nigel feeling better thankfully.He’s not been at all well since we got here.I think we must have caught some sort of virus on the way here. I slept on and off until early pm. Rob then started feeling ill. What a disaster! Still we have nothing to do and nowhere to go so can take it easy and rest and recuperate.