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