Got up very early again and went for a bike ride then headed off into Auckland for my eye appointment, to be assessed for laser treatment. The whole process was very interesting and I found out much to my surprise that I was long sited as opposed to short which I had been told I was for the last twenty something years! Seems I have a very big astigmatism though which means I’m sort of short sited as well – in fact I’m as blind as a bloody bay, even Toby was surprised at how bad my site was when reading the letter board. The good news was I am able to have the treatment done, the only concern was that my prescription is quite rare therefore they couldn’t guarantee 100% outcome but did say about 90% chance of having 20/20 vision. I have never had that before and knowing I could was just amazing– like the best present in the world. The only thing is that we have just dished out a huge amount of money for some new glasses – why I didn’t have this assessment done before I bought them I really don’t know?

Afterwards we drove off in circles for an hour looking for Phil and Lizzy’s house – Toby got grumpy as he always does when we get a little lost. Why is it when you go out somewhere in the car and get lost it always ends in a huge argument and stress? We did find our way in the end and were greated very warmly by them both, they have wonderful house. We sat and chatted for an hour before driving to the outskirts of town to park the car. We all had a kebab of some sorts to line the old stomach then caught the bus into the main center. They had roped off the whole square and pitched up massive marquees full of long tables all of which were filled up with hundreds of people drinking pitchers of beer. We all bought our beer tokens and met up with friends of Phil and Lizzy’s then proceeded to drink our way through gallons of beer for the rest of the afternoon and well into the night. The entertainment early in the day was a oompa band that played all the drinking songs from parts of the world. Because there were so many different nationalities at the festival it all went down very well. They even had the famous football chant – olay olay olay olay olay, olaaay ooolaay. The group we were with contained Welsh, Scottish, English, Canadian. Poor ole Lizzy was the only Kiwi! A balloon man came round and made phil a fantastic hat which didn’t last very long after some people got there hands on it. As the day progressed the crowd grew rowdier and louder and that was just our table…… I tried to eat a few spit beef rolls to soak up some alcohol but I don’t think I got the ratio just right. By 11pm people were on the table, stripping and causing general mayhem the oompa band had now swapped with a local band who were very good and got everyone up to the dance floor to shake there bootys.

It was soon time to make a move home though, Phil and myself thought it would be a good idea to stop in the pub on the way home and have some Tequila shots. Toby joined in, god knows why as he hates the stuff and nearly chucked the lot up in the pub. We only had 2 each then got a taxi home and the poor old driver had so much stick from Phil – very funny. When we got home Phil and I thought it would be another good idea to raid the drinks cupboard and make shorts out of some Baileys, Archers and Gin, not all mixed in together – we did have some decorum…

I ended up doing rolly polly’s around the front garden so it seems but I have no recollection of anything after the shot of Gin.

Woke up at midday undressed and in bed which is always a relief but then started worrying if I had got unclothed before I got into the bedroom which seems to be a bit of drunken thing I do. I have to say at this point I was feeling like I had been turned inside out and trampled over – I could move my arms quite freely without any problems but it seems that was the only parts of my body I could move. It took me another hour to muster up some strength to find some clothes which I have to say was found by me crawling to the end of the bed then rolling onto the floor just so I didn’t have to stand up right. It was then a case of me taking my pillow and going into the lounge where everyone had a assembled (Phil was laying on the couch) so I just fell on the floor and stayed there for another couple of hours. I couldn’t even lift my head up off the floor to eat my toast so just put the plate under my chin and pushed the toast into my mouth. Consolation was that I hadn’t been up all night being sick unlike Phil….. poor poor Phil who looked very ill. Lizzy, bless her was being so sympathetic and was running around getting Vitamin B drinks, tea and toast and just being wonderful whist I was being pathetic.

I think we left them at 2.30pm to go and drop Lizzy off to collect the car. I was really not looking forward to the drive home in my condition and the waves of nausea washed over me for the whole journey back especially when I thought of Baileys, I had to show considerable brain power to think of something else so that I didn’t chuck in Bertie. When we got home we had some chips which I found really hard to eat even though I was starving?? I laid on the couch for the rest of the night as being in the horizontal position was so much easier than standing and walking. I dragged myself to bed at 10.30 leaving Toby playing on the computer for another hour – he had been playing for 4hrs non stop already.

Didn’t sleep a wink even though I was really knackered, which is really frustrating. I got up early for my bike ride only to find I still felt bad and extremely nauseous. Went to work and proceeded to feel green all day which is always the sign of a bloody good weekend!

Went and got the photographs developed and found a corker of Toby which went straight up on the bulletin board at work.

Got up early for my bike ride then we took Bertie into work as Kathy was going to be working late at the office. After work we went to Pak n save to do our food shopping which was done in record time then went out for a jog in the evening – Toby is still being horrible because of the presentation on Sat, still has a lot of work to do.

Bike ride then walked down into town to meet Kathy then into work for the day. We had Kathy’s car to take home as she was meeting her husband and going out for dinner. All very boring in the evening and just did the usual non eventful stuff without the jogging. I did the most stupid stupid thing….. I let Toby check the mobile phone messages. Unfortunately there was a message from Apple mac informing me that the iPod MP3 player I have ordered for Toby’s birthday will now be delayed. He now knows what he is getting, and I wanted it as a surprise.

Holiday for everyone today to celebrate the signing of the Maori / white treaty back in bla bla. I stayed home and did some overdue housework and tidied up the spare room ready for Lisa who is landing on Sunday. Toby went into work and tried to finish his presentation. I went swimming for the first time in over a week and found that I wasn’t too bad but not as good as I have been. Prepared a curry for his lordship who had requested such in the morning.
His Lordship came home in a good mood because he was excited about the curry but as soon as that had been consumed and the laptop came out he changed into a monster again. I left him to it whilst I watched the first Star Wars, but I could hear him swearing and tutting through the doors. I went out for a run and when I came back I suggested he should stop (it was now late) and have a break but just got told to ‘shutup’ proceeded with a growl and more swearing. He doesn’t cope well with pressure at all!

Went out for bike ride. Still had Kathy’s car so went and picked her up then headed into work. Went down to the Apple Mac center at lunchtime to find out what is happening with the iPod and to get away from Toby who is charm itself to everyone in the office apart from me….

Getting very excited about Lisa coming on Sunday, only problem now is I have been asked if I want to work next week due to the receptionist still off sick. I really want to work because of the money but want to spend some time with Lisa so have arranged to just work from 10-2 so we can still do stuff and afford to do it! She drinks like a fish so I’m sure all wages will be spent on alcohol…..

Meri and Barry, haven’t seen them for bloody ages!

It was a wonderful evening and we all sat outside overlooking the hills and sea whilst eating the most delicious food and drinking Gut’s – heaven. As the evening progressed we all got a little merry or should I say Meri and Kathy did…. We went indoors later on which by this time the two of them were on the Sambuca and Drambui and dancing around the lounge to Bonny M
They tried to drag Toby up onto the dance floor but he was having none of it, whereas I had no choice and ended up leaping around like a mad woman to ‘Brown girl in the ring’ Meri managed to spill her drambui twice and ended up spooning it into her mouth off of the tray so as not to waste anymore.

They are both of the same mind – do not grow old and boring, my sentiments entirely.

Meri invited us over for dinner (Lisa included when she arrives), which is something to look forward to.

We left at about 11.30pm and went straight to bed leaving Kathy and her spinning lounge.

Got up early and went for a quick bike ride then jumped in the car and made our way to the Airport – very excited. We arrived with ½ hr to spare so had a quick drink then sat down to wait. Miss Moody walked through the doors looking wonderful as always, I did a fly and leap and we had a huge hug before bundling her in Bertie and taking her home. We chatted all the way back catching up on all the gossip at home and then chatted all afternoon. Lisa very kindly had bought me a green pair of ‘PP’s which are Thai baggy trousers so I whipped them on and found out all about her travels around Thailand. It was great to have her with us!!

I also found out via answer phone that Van is back in NZ, he was the guy we made friends with at Alice Springs in Oz. He did the wonderful massage and was my drinking partner on my Birthday.
Anyway he is home for the first time in 20yrs so I gave him a call and arranged to meet up very soon – very exciting

Took Lisa up to the lookout after her shower just so she could get a quick glimpse of how lovely the area is before the sun went down. I then cooked pasta for dinner and then we watched an interview with Michael Jackson, which I have to say, was the most bizarre thing I have seen, he is a bloody strange bloke! We then watched ‘ The phantom menace’ which I think is crap, and then went to bed.

Went swimming at 7am for an hour then got ready for work leaving Lisa in bed then got to work for 10am. Had an easy day at work and finished at 2pm, headed back home to Lisa. I then popped her in the car and took her to Wahi for a look around the shops and the beach. Just had a quiet evening in front of the TV as Lisa was still tired. Went for a run

Went for a swim early again then went to work at 10am taking Lisa with me so she could have a look around town for a few hours. I met her at 2pm and we went for a sit down and some lunch.

We just spent the afternoon walking around, looking for some travel sandals for Lisa then bought some cinema tickets. Tuesday's were cheap ticket night which was handy. At 6pm we met Toby and went and watched 'Hot chick' which i thought was really funny. Just went home afterwards and didn't go out for a run.

My last day at work !! didn't go for a swim early deciding on trying later in the afternoon. The day drifted past without any problems and i was soon driving back home again. I talked Lisa into coming to the pool with me at about 3.30 but we both couldn't get into the swing of things, I found the water too hot and hate swimming with kids.

Didn't do much in the evening but chill out - no running though.

I do have to make a note of the fact Lisa, traveler extrodinaire wanted a white shirt as she had left hers at home, her question to me was ' do they have a GAP in NZ?' now most travelers will buy second hand or just cheap clothes as they are easily disposable and will just get ruined anyway. But not Lisa..;..... it just made me laugh, so i went in to have a look at what she had bought with her. She had 2 toiletry bags, one for her normal stuff and the other was mostly for her essentials i.e. makeup, pretty accessories and condoms. I then had a look at her clothes because i had noticed each morning she would come in with a different ensemble. I counted 14 tops, 3 skirts, 1 suit, 4pairs of trousers, 2 bikinis, 1swim suit, 1pair of tiny shorts, sarong, evening shoes, trainers, flip flops, etc etc.

she had a matching outfit for any occasion, i was in fits of laughter - it was just Lisa Moody the 'Harvey Nicks' girls extrodinare - very funny

This was the first day of our camping trip and we were both excited. We packed everything up in the morning and then jumped into the car thinking we had done soooo well. We picked up some more wine in Waihi then carried on towards Hot water beach. I then realised we had forgotten the cooking pan which meant we wouldn't be having any dinner! The journey took about 2hrs and the roads were very very twisty turny which made us both feel a little ill. But after a full rendition of Robbie Williams which was helped along by us singing full pelt, we felt much better. We soon arrived and hitched up the tent, bagging ourselves a bench to sit on. When we had the tent up we realised we had forgotten our pillows ..... not doing very well. I did manage to blag a saucepan from one of the girls in the campsite reception so we boiled some water in the campsite kitchen so we could have a pot noodle. On the way back to the tent Lisa stated she couldn't carry her lunch as it was too hot and thought it would be a good idea to put in in the saucepan and carry it back to the tent. She then grabbed the pan by the bottom forgetting it had been only on the stove a few minutes before........

We had a little walk on the beach but the tide was in so we didn't dig a hole for the hot water and just went back to the bench for an afternoon of cards and drinking wine and beer. Lisa taught me Black Jack which i picked up pretty quickly. We proceeded to drink all the beer and wine during the course of the day and evening so after a quick walk around the campsite we both decided to go to bed at 8.30 - how sad is that!

Slept very very badly due to not having a pillow and that one of my sections of airbed had gone down in the night so i was balancing on 3 instead of the normal 6. Lisa didn't sleep because she has blown hers up too much and it was really hard. The first things she said in the morning was

'i f*****g hate camping' which reminds me of myself when i was in Nepal on the beach..... how times have changed.

We packed up our tent and bags first thing. Lisa was asked to help move the girl next doors tent into the sun whereupon Lisa came back and said the place was full of weirdo's, i had to explain that the tents need to be dry before you can pack them up again.

At 9am we took our spade back onto the beach again so that we could dig a hole, we had been told by Toby that the tide was out at this time but when we got onto the beach the tide was in, no digging holes for us! We gave up deciding we didn't want to sit in a bloody sandy hot water hole anyway. We then had a quick look around a local artfarty shop and garden that was in the back of a house. Lisa bought a lovely ring and i was tempted, the art work and jewelry were stunning. Off we went again to Cathedral Cove for a looksy. We parked up and had a good gaze from the lookout over the sea and cliffs wandering where this blinkin cove was..... i followed the signs and found a beach which we plonked ourselves on for an hour then realised this wasn't Cathedral Cove so packed up our towels and headed off again.

We did finally find the place and parked up for a looksy, we then saw a sign saying we had to walk 40mins to get to the place..... we were not prepared for walking and it turned out to be more of a hike rather than a walk but we made it, and i must admit it was bloody wonderful and worth the hardship.

After a few photo's and oohs and aaahs we walked all the way back ( the sun was scorching) we did mange to see a few Sacadas that make all the noise and sound like crickets. We decided to start making tracks home but stopped off quickly for some cold baked beans and crisp sarny.

We met Toby back in Tauranga a couple of hours later sitting in a pub all on his own. I had a couple of G&T's then all moved onto another pub for a couple before deciding on a curry for dinner. Bad move....... we had to wait for flippin ages to get served, they got us water without glasses etc etc all very bad service and not a good curry when it did finally get to us. I complained which got us 10% discount but won't be going back there again. I drove home and we all just crashed out all feeling mighty tired.

It was Van day today!

We drove over to Te Puke to pick him up then stopped off in Mt Mangaunui for a wonderful lunch sat outside in the sun, then had a stroll along the beach chatting all the way.

After all that we went and did some shopping to get some drink supplies and some food. I did us all a big dinner then we just chilled out all evening drinking all what was bought and getting slightly pickled. The good news is that Lisa is staying with us until Sat!!!!!

Just farted around all morning getting ready and drinking tea before heading into Paeroa to watch the Street Bike Racing. I was really looking forward to seeing all the lovely bikes and just the smell does it for me. I wasn't disappointed as there were hundreds of them all parked up all waiting for the drooling passer by to have a good gork at. We wandered around for a while before sitting down in the shade to watch the street race which was really fast and furious. We went to the pub early afternoon for a couple of pints and a spit pork roll, the sun was beating down and it was extremely hot. My shoe broke as we were walking around later in the day and the ground was so hot i couldn't walk barefoot, luckily Van found a woman selling a few second hand shoes and clothes so i bought a very dodgy looking pair of shoes for $3. I felt a complete idiot for the rest of the day but at least my feet didn't burn.

I really enjoyed the day apart from a few comments from the biker men that were everywhere - typical bloke stuff which I can't stand and makes me feel really awkward. Best part of the day was watching a bike crash, when he picked it up it was all twisted and buckled - cool

We went home and the first thing i did was take off my horrible platform shoes and throw them in the corner. Van had invited us to a woman's full moon party that was being held at his parents house in the evening so Lisa and I thought we should check it out seeing as we were dropping Van home anyway. So we arrived at 7.30pm, and plonked ourselves outside on the veranda. I said hello to Pat whom i hadn't seen since arriving in NZ, Lyall turned up a little later in the evening. I think there must have been only about 8 of us altogether, Van was allowed to attend because he is gay. Lisa and I didn't really know what to expect and i think Lisa thought it was a witch get together so was a bit worried. We first went out onto the beach to watch the sun go down behind us and the moon rise in front which was quite nice then we went back into the house and out onto the veranda again for some meditation. The rest of the evening was spent massaging and doing Rieki on each other (apart from us) mind you Pat did some healing on Lisa. I did get a foot massage from Lisa which was rather strange but nice, but the strangest part of the evening was standing in a circle in the garden and doing dances to the moon. At the beginning of the evening i had said to Lisa not to look at me incase i start laughing which is what always happens to me at the most inopportune moments. We had managed to do this so far until the dancing thing occurred. After all standing in a circle, Clarity ( Van's sister) taught us the dance steps and chanting words all accompanied by a lady standing in the middle banging a drum. I had been composed up until this moment but when i saw Lisa - the label only, prada shoe, matching handbag, shopping in Harvey Nicks girl dancing barefoot waving her hands in the air, well i nearly lost the plot.......... she looked hilarious and was really getting into the whole shenanigans. I started laughing which seemed to be the right thing to do as everyone around started laughing with joy and the feeling of comradeship, whereas i was laughing because Miss Moody looked so funny. I know i must have looked bloody stupid to her which started her off - it was very difficult to get it back together.

I'm sure we were supposed to take this all very seriously and i apologies to anyone who was involved in the evening and just happens to read this as i don't mean to offend.

We didn't get back until midnight were upon a strong cuppa was called for

Went for an early morning swim then went into Tauranga with Lisa to purchase Toby's pressie and get a few other little things for him. Our first port of call was the 'Salvation Army' shop that i sometimes go in for a rummage, i was after a couple more cheapy tops so started looking only to find Lisa standing beside me with her face all wrinkled up. When i asked why she wasn't looking around her reply was 'i can't shop in here, it smells!' god she is funny. I picked up a couple of dodgy looking outfits to try on so we both went into the changing room and were just in hysterics at the clothes and Lisa's face, i don't think she has ever stepped foot in a second hand shop before. The rest of the day went smoothly apart from the dodgy lunch at a pub but i did manage to get myself some new shoes to replace my broken ones. We got home in the evening to find little ole Toby all excited about his birthday pressie and wanted it there and then! he had done 4 lots of washing and some vacuming. Lisa had decided to go out for a run but earlier than us as she needed to use my trainers. She went and got changed then came bounding into the lounge in the tiniest littlest incy wincy shorts in the world looking like something out of Bay Watch........ She came puffing in 15mins later having done really well with her running - probably better than i can now! Toby and I then went out about an hour later then came back and had some dinner and the TV.

Well it was daddy day today, so after a bit of tidying and putting on a huge curry to cook all day both Toby and I traveled up to the airport again. Clive landed at 2.30pm but didn't walk through until an hour later so we were both getting a bit worried by then. When he did walk through Toby just ran up and gave him a huge hug whilst i filmed the whole thing - aaaahhh. I then went over and had a hug only to see how ill he looked. Poor bugger had a very very bad fluey cold and an eye infection that caused his eyes to be almost closed. We dragged him to the car and drove him home stopping on the way to get some eye drops and ibrophen tablets. It was about 5.30pm by the time we got home and i rushed up the chemist with Lisa to get some Olbas oil which we thought would help. The 3 of us then went out for a run before dinner and i did the worst run ever - couldn't even finish it. Lisa did really well.

We all had curry and some ice-cream (apart from Miss Moody who eats like a bird) Clive was then made to have a facial steam with his oil and towels draped over his head - poor bugger. Early night for Clive and the rest just followed soon after, i stayed up pretty late.

Didn't get a wink of sleep and had nightmares all night, not helped when at 4.30am a couple of cats had a huge screaming match outside our bedroom window which completely scared the shit out of me and i just got up and sat in the lounge watching the sun come up. I had a Yoga session at 9am which Lisa attended - poor thing was having trouble walking because of the running she had been doing so i think bending your legs over your head a little hard for her.......

Just looked over to Miss Moody now as she is reading her book and realised just how much i'm gonna miss her little face, she just fitted in like a jigsaw piece into this house

Well it was fish and chips and a bottle of vino for dinner, Clive and Toby sat and had theirs down by the river. Then it was a double bill of 'Friends', Clive went to bed at 6ish feeling a little exhausted.

Went for a swim first thing and did really well for a change... Toby spent the day out with his daddy whilst Lisa and I did loads of tidying up which was actually quite enjoyable because we had the music on and having a laugh, first time I think i have ever enjoyed cleaning! We washed floors and cleaned cupboards. Lisa even sorted the larda out and we had our own 'Curry Corner!' That girl is a genious!!!!

The boys came home later in the day and got themselves some dinner whilst Moody and me had some beans on toast -mmmmmm

Toby and I went up the pub for a few drinks and a couple rounds of Pool whilst the other 2 just chilled out. In fact Lisa went to bed at 8ish she was tired from all the hard labour i made her do - i'm not a good host.

Well it was my last day with my mate so it was a bit sad.... We both went swimming and Lisa did really well, the pool attendant was a bit tasty so that always helps with the performance (or should i say mine) not wanting to look like a drowned puppy..

We did all the bed sheet washing and took them down the laundry to dry as it was a rainy morning then we all went out to play some golf at Waihi. It was a fantastic afternoon and we all did really badly, or should i say i did bloody awful. The weather couldn't make up it's mind so one minute we had our jumpers and macs on then were in T-shirts again. We had lunch down my favourite cafe then later on we all went food shopping for the BBQ on Sat. Of course we got some more vino for the evening - always a must for a Friday night.

Then it was a case of picking up the Laundry which the lady was charging $16 instead of the $4 on the price list. Toby came out to the car asking us for more money and when he told me how much she was charging i said i wouldn't pay it and tried to get out of Bertie to tell her as much. Toby wouldn't let me out of the car as he was all embarrassed and didn't want to start any agro!! I did get out of the car and told her i wasn't paying that much so she let me have it for $8 instead as she had to dry our load a couple of times or some such crap. Then we had to go to the car hire place and pick up our 'people van' then go to Meri's house and pick up the mattress and covers for Clive We had a quick drink at her house and she gave us a couple of jars of pickled gherkins and gherkin relish - bless. Meri is making a chocolate b'day cake for Toby, how darn sweet is that.

When all of that was accomplished we went home and flaked out for the evening with another bag of chips.

Well it's finally bloody arrived! I was excited but really upset at Lisa going..... i really am going to miss her cheerful face and stupid sayings - 'Who through the shoe?' 'tickle it you wriggler' also making the screechy noises when you take a corner in the car, calling me 'Perry' swearing like a trooper, painting my nails and rubbing my shoulders, dancing like a prat and just generally being Lisa the bestist person and mate anyone could wish to have.

I chucked Clive out of his bedroom and tidied that room up ready for mother all the while clive was moaning how he wasn't coming to this bloody hotel again.....It was then a case of bunging Lisa and her bags into the hire car and hitting the road at 8.30 leaving Clive the keys to Bertie so he could go exploring for the day. We drove straight into Auckland to the train station to drop off Lisa's bags into the station lockers and for her to pick up her ticket. We then dropped her into town, her little face looked so worried and alone that it nearly broke my heart leaving her there on her tod.... we had some hugs then drove to the airport.

Well the airport was bloody packed and we couldn't get anywhere near the arrivals bit to see anyone so we went upstairs for a sarny and a sit down to wait for their plane as it was delayed for 10mins then 30mins then 20mins etc it kept changing it's mind so we thought it best to get downstairs and wait. We then stood for another hour waiting for them to process so i pushed my was through the crowds to stand near the front. When i did see mothers red head i ran over and just hugged everyone, We all had tears in our eyes and i just couldn't stop hugging everyone. We then dragged them out to the car and home. They all looked really well and were a lot more awake than i thought they would be. The weather was beautiful thank goodness and they were quite glad to be out of Malaysia and the 100% humidity. We talked all the way home stopping at the gorge to dip our feet in the river which was wonderful apart from me getting bitten 8 times by something horrible, so we went and had drink and cake at a wonderful cafe before getting back on the road. They were all pretty tired by the time we got back home so we showed them there rooms and diving back out again to take the hire car back and picking up another hire car for Mon and Sun. Toby and Clive were going camping so needed Bertie. I then had to go and get some wine and flowers for Meri then go and pick his cake up. She had done a huge chocky cake, so it meant hiding it in bags and putting it in the back of the car without Toby knowing what it was.

We had a wonderful evening, Clive did the BBQ and i just did a salad and pasta. Toby opened up his pressies which were all wonderful and i tryed on my new combats mother had bought over from the UK - loved em. She had bought me my Aveda hair products as well - love her

Mum had also given us $1500 as a pressie to spend over the next couple of weeks, now how bloody kind is that? It was a lovely birthday and the best bit was Toby's little face when he unwrapped his iPod, he knew what it was but was still so excited. Trixie went to bed about 8ish whilst dad and Mum stayed up for while. Toby took mum up to the end of the road to see the sea then up to the look out to watch the sunset. We all went to bed about 9.30pm.

Best bit of the evening had to be watching father running around the room swatting the mozzies with the electric bat that frazzles them, he bloody loved it - must be a man thing cause Clive had been running around a few days previous trying to get the mozzies.

I awoke to Toby laying beside me playing his new iPod and grinning........ I went out for a quick cycle ride then came back and packed up all the food and camping equipment, Clive would have just gone in the clothes he stood up in as he hadn't thought of blankets, food, a towel, etc - very funny

Toby packed up his stuff and i threw a coat in for Clive thinking he might need it....... as it was it pissed down all day.

They left at 9ish leaving us lot to get ourselves showered and dressed which took us ages then headed off to Tauranga to get some shopping from Pac 'n' save, the weather was bloody shocking and really wet which put a damper on everything. Couldn't believe how cold it was for the summer time which was so disappointing for them. Anyway it wasn't going to put a damper on our day so we spent a couple of hours walking around the shop getting so much food. I was walking around in a daze watching and listening to them shouting in amazement at the size of the veggies and fruit. Mum did make a comment about the size of a cucumber which did get a remark from a passing young man..... i can't take mother anywhere!

We bunged it all into the car in the rain then drove home and had some lunch. Spent the afternoon chilling out and reading, Dad had a little lie down. The rain started tipping down and we all started worrying about Toby and Clive camping. I really hope they went to a B&B for the night somewhere - no way they could stay out in this weather! bloody Poms had brought the rain over with them.... Dad cooked a wonderful Spag Bol which i consumed the most of, well it tasted so good and i can't remember the last time someone cooked for me (not including Meri).

Got up early and went for a swim, the weather was still damp and a little chilly but at least it had stopped raining. I got back at 9am and waited for everyone to have a shower then dived in and out had some brekky ready for another day of touring. We went down to the chemist first so that Trixie could get some sunglasses, she couldn't make up her mind so we spent some time looking until the she found the best pair. I thank god me and mother were down with her though, as dad picked her out a pair of glasses that were absolutely huge! they took up the whole of her face - luckily we made her put them back, I thought he was joking..............he wasn't.

It was decided to spend a couple of hours doing some wine tasting at Mortons Winery, but completely drove past the place and ended up a few minutes away from Tauranga. We turned around and i did a detour down to Paraha beach, which seemed to go down well. We had a little stroll and an ice cream on the waterfront then a photo and back in the car. The weather seemed to be holding up, thank goodness, and the sun was trying to break through the clouds. At least it wasn't raining again! On the way to the Winery i noticed the hire car was beginning to smell quite badly and the temp go straight to hot so i turned of on to a little road just in time. The radiator over heated and we had steam streaming out of the bonnet. I went and found the nearest house for some water, found a very helpful man who filled a bucket then came and sorted out the radiator for us. We were on our way again and this time the temp stayed where it was supposed to. Mortons Winery turned out to be fantastic and we stayed for over an hour tasting all sorts of reds and whites. Dad was in his element! the girl who was doing the pouring was really knowledgeable, but the best bit is when she looked up and said that a good Shiraz smelt like a fresh cow shit....... dad thought that was wonderful. We all bought a few bottles for the mixed pallets and drove back to Katikati stopping off at a wonderful cafe for them to have some lunch and me to have some carrot cake. Dad was feeling a little tired so we went back home and chilled for an hour then i had to drop the hire car back so mum and Trixie came with me and we all walked back home - it was great to have the exercise, i'm going to be as big as a house at the end of the relies stay... Dad cooked some Green lipped muscles for dinner which i declined.

It was decided to go the Tauranga and to Mount Manganui for the day. Everyone had some lunch at a cafe overlooking the beach and I just had a coffee then dad and Trixie went off for a walk around the shops whilst us 4 decided to climb the Mount. It started off pretty easy but got gradually steeper and steeper as the journey progressed. Mother then started to find it a real struggle so we had to keep stopping for breathers. The worst part was an old man walked past looking like he was out on a sunday stroll..........Mum had to stop and told us all to carry on, Toby said he would stay with mum as he had already climbed the Mount. So Clive and i then trooped up to the top which i have to say was bloody hard and we both hadn't come dressed for the occasion. We were both wearing jeans and the weather was really clammy so it was difficult walking. After taking a few piccies at the top we started walking back down but heard Mothers dolcit tones shouting up to us so went and met up with them. It seems mother had decided to give it a try after all which was really brave of her so Toby was walking up slowly with her. Clive and I then had to walk up to the top again and it had started raining by now so i had to give mother my mac to put on whilst i got wet...... After a few more pictures we had to hike back down, but went down a much steeper and scary way. It was extremely funny watching mother jumping down these huge steps and climbing over tree roots. She only slipped once, and that was at the funniest time. Mother was just telling us how awful it would be to hear someone scream because you know it would mean they had slipped, but just as she was saying it she did slip and fell on her ass which caused her to laugh hysterically for the next 10mins. After arriving at the bottom we then had to walk for another half hour to get around the other side to meet dad and Trixie. Mum was really proud of herself but looked exhausted. We all drove to Tauranga to the cinema to watch 'Ghost Ship' which we thought started at 5pm only to find out it started at 7pm so we all just went home and had some dinner.

It was decided to all go to Rotorua and then down to Lake Taupo to stay the night so we all left quite early in the morning. I went with Dad and Trixie in the car, they loved the scenery all the way down even though it was still raining. We went straight the the Maori village that Toby and I had already visited so that they all could have look at the hot springs, geysers etc. Toby and I left them there for a couple of hours and went off to do our own thing. We went for a drive and found a wonderful Hot Water Pool that we had a soak in for while then drove back to meet the others. They all seemed to have a good time and mum had bought me a lovely Jade beaded bracelet and a necklace for herself, she is completely spoiling us. We then drove to Lake Taupo for them to find a place to stay, it was now really raining so Toby ran around in all the Motels looking for some rooms for us all which turned out to be a bit difficult because the Iron Man competition was on......... We had a quick stop at a couple of places but eventually found a lovely brand new complex which was a bit dearer than the rest but well worth it, the rooms were lovely. Toby shared a room with his dad whilst i had a room with mother and the other 2 had a room. Clive toby, me and mother dumped all our stuff then went out for a dip in the hot water spa and then a spin in the small pool. We had lots of fun and really annoyed the oldies with our dolphin antics and general larking around. Toby booked up for us 4 to go on a Jet Boat ride down the Huka falls river in the morning which we were looking forward to. We all met up later in the evening and went out for dinner at a lovely restaurant, the food was great. Mum then drove the others home whilst Toby went off in Bertie and Clive and I walked back. Problem was we got lost and ended up walking miles away from the Motel. We had to ask a local for directions, we did finally make it home though. Mum was watching a film when i got in the room so i watched it with her, which was a bad move. The whole film was depressing and slow but at the end the main character just killed herself - what was all that about?

Mum and I got up early and met the other 2 outside in the car park ready for our boat ride. Mother was a little worried about the whole thing, but as soon as we paid and got our life jackets on she was excited. We had a few others joining us on the boat who were from OZ who seemed jolly nice. I was made to sit on the outside whilst mother went in the middle with Toby so she wouldn't get too wet, Clive was sat on the other side. Mum had my mac on as well which meant me getting even wetter........ poor old Clive and myself got soaked being on the receiving end of all the donuts (spins) the boat did but i think Clive got the worst of it. The whole thing was brilliant though and we laughed all the way. Mum screamed for the whole journey but really enjoyed it, the driver would drive towards cliffs and trees etc then turn just at the last minute. The water was a wonderful blue colour and we got taken up river to the base of the waterfall where the colour was even more vivid. The trip lasted about 25min which i'm sure Clive was happy about as mum was screaming in his ear for the whole time! Toby did a few spins in Bertie in the car park then headed back to town to meet up with the others. It was decided on yet another cooked b'fast at a cafe, Clive and I were good and just had some fruit. We trogged around town for a little while to find mum a mac then all bundled back in the cars for a trip along Desert Road so that dad could see some volcano's. The scenery was very dramatic and very much like the highlands in Scotland. We stopped off at an Army museum so that we could have a wee break and Dad, Trixie and mother could have a coffee then headed off again to the big volcano, Whakapapa. We drove up as far as we could watching as the scenery got more dramatic by the moment. The rocks were black and it was like being on another planet, very weird. There is a ski resort at the top which we all parked at then we all walked up the path leading towards the very top, Dad, Trixie and mum went up at there own pace getting quite far seeing how steep the climb was. Us 3 climbed up to the glacier which meant climbing over rocks and boulders, it was quite a climb and very hard on the ole lungs because the air got a little thinner. It took a couple of hours but well worth the whole thing, dad absolutely loved it and was really pleased with himself for climbing some of it. The drive home took a good few hours and we were all knackered by the time we got home so it was fish and chips for dinner then bed.

Well the weather is just as bad today as the rest of the week...... shite

It was a day of rest today after the long day yesterday. I didn't go swimming which wasn't a bad thing as the pool would have been very cold anyway after all the rain we have had lately.

After all the showers and ablushions we decided to split up for a couple of hours and go and do our own thing. Clive and Toby wanted to go walking up in the Kaimai's even though it was wet, and very misty. Dad and Trixie wanted to have a look around Katikati and have a mooch around the shops. Mother and myself were going to try and get an appointment for our hair so we first took the boys into town to get provisions then dropped them off at the beginning of the trail, smelly boots and all. We then parked up in Katikati and went to pick up now altered trousers from Meri then booked up a couple of hair appointments for later on in the day. We went and had a look around a few shops, mum bought me some lovely new knickers then we went and had a light lunch. Mum bought some more provisions for the food cupboard then went home for an hour catching up with Trixie and dad. Just before we were about to leave for the hairdressers i got a text from Toby asking to be picked up. So we dived up there again and found 2 smelly wet and filthy walkers and took them back into katikati. Toby and Clive then went up to Sue and Ross farm to have a look at the milking for a couple of hours. Me and mum had a lovely couple of hours being pampered, i had some blonde streaks put in whilst mum just had a wash and blow dry. Later on in the day whilst Dad was cooking the sausages for dinner the rest of us had a dip in the Hot Springs at Anthenree. Dad prepared a wonderful dish for dinner which we all hungrily wolfed down then Clive and Toby and me played cards whilst the rest watched TV (they have to have a tv fix).