The weekend with Mum and Toby up in Point Wells

 Hi,

I am missing Mike - he is over in Sydney for work. Looks like he has had fun with Karen and Scott before he had to move back into town for his actual working week. Fly safe, Mike. Enjoy the conference.

Dad has gone home now too - he left super early Thursday morning. 6am flight. He got home safely and has since been back to work.

Meanwhile, Mum, Toby and I had our own adventures. Mike dropped us at the airport on Friday morning. We were up at 5am and away by 6.15am. Nice and early for our 7.40am flight. Jetstar. It left on time and got us in nice and early to Auckland.

We picked up the Avis rental car and we got a slightly terrible Nissan Qashqai. It felt like the car seat wasn't firm enough and the steering wheel could not come down far enough. So not a super comfortable driving experience. Not responsive when you put your foot down - more like it thought about what you wanted then did it.

Anyhow. It got us around and was nice and clean. Seemed very efficient. $76 to fill up at the airport after we got it back. 

We drove north on SH1 from the airport, over the bridge and given we were all a tad hungry I remembered Browns Bay and the stay there I had with Jill for Erin's hockey tournament. So we found it and parked and went to 21 days for brekkie.

Ok - we all loved the food and coffee there. Mum wanted to buy an apartment and move into Browns Bay. Hahah. I think Toby would have moved there too.

This was the start of a weekend where all of us wondered why we didn't live just north of Auckland in the various places we visited. Hahahah.

Browns Bay - at 21 days

Waiting for his brekkie

From Browns Bay we headed up the Hibiscus Coast towards Warkworth and then onto Point Wells to visit Mum's friend, Wendy.

Driving driving

Mum and Wendy connect

Wendy was very gracious at the wee horde that descended on her. Her house is stunning. She only recently moved in. We saw her cat, Gucci, but he remained skittish all weekend. I did get a smooch once on the last day from him.

We went for a wee walk while Toby took a nap (up at 5am and he and Emma had only got home at 1am from seeing Roman's gig in Wellington!). Saw the estuary by Wendy's house with the tide out.

At the boardwalk near Wendy's house

We had fish n chips from the local general store for tea. Super nice.

Saturday saw me and Toby up for a run. What a fantastic place to run. They have bike paths everywhere so we had a great time running - although Toby was ahead of me and missed the turn onto the track and ran down the road for a while before I called him on his phone. hahahah.

Wendy's subdivision are not allowed letterboxes outside their house

Route for our run

Toby overshot and had to run back

Back on the track

Bamboo everywhere

Run all done

Mum loved the pillows on the bed we were sharing so I took a pic of them for her. She might be tracking those down somewhere. Toby also loved them and he commented on it without even knowing Mum said done the same.

Mum loved these pillows at Wendy's house

This is to capture the thickness

Brekkie time

We went for a drive - headed to Omaha beach which is super close to Point Wells. Toby and I paddled in the water here.

We popped into Steve and Jodie's house (Steve is Wendy's son) and said hello and patted Kira, their dog. Got some chillies from their garden too.

Omaha beach

Toby and I paddle

Hello there

Coming back from the paddle

Jodie and Steve's house

Kira

From Omaha we headed up to Mangawhai and enjoyed a spot to eat at Bennetts chocolate shop. A lovely cafe and bakery are in the same complex. Got some chocolate stuff for presents.

Iced latte time at Mangawhai

Mangawhai Heads

Stunning view

So stunning

We drove to Mangawhai Heads for a wee walk. What a lovely place this is. People swimming. Lots of boats. Stunning views. I want to come back for a week in Feb and just hang out.

How beautiful is this?

Selfie time

Pointing

Gucci on his leash

Back to home base and Wendy had a new collar for Gucci to try out. But he shrugged it off super fast. She wants to screen in her deck so it becomes a catio for him.

Mahjong

Is this a winning panel?

Toby, Mum and Wendy played Mahjong before we headed to Sawmill for dinner. Toby got a cap from there as he didn't have a hat.

Dinner at Sawmill

Tasting flight

Me and Mum

The food and beer (and the soda and iced tea I had) were all so, so good. Like, exceptional. Would highly recommend this place to anyone passing by.

Food was so good

I think I am still full even now

Toby's tasting notes

After dinner we went back to Wendy's place and they all played Mahjong again. Toby won a round - but it turned out there were pieces missing and that helped his win. So they played again and Mum won that. As she said was correct and deserved. Hahahah.

More mahjong

Sunday morning chill

Sunday we chilled and packed up and did a short walk to the estuary. The tide was in this time. We took turns posing on the end of the wee jetty. 

Mum teaches us how to pose

Tide in this time

We left Wendy at Goose cafe in Matakana to meet Steve and Jodie and headed south. Thank you Wendy for such a lovely weekend. We enjoyed our glimpse into your new home and loved meeting you and Gucci.

Our trip south was fairly fast so we decided to visit our old house in Auckland to show Toby. The traffic was terrible but that seems par for the course for Auckland. People drive like lunatics. Not sure they knew what to do with my long following distance from the car in front. It seemed like a lure to them all. Hahah.

8 Glennandrew Drive

Got to the airport early to find our flight was delayed for about 90 mins. We sat with Toby at the departure gate doing word puzzles.

Waving at Toby on his plane

In the end, mum and I boarded our flight just before Toby's flight boarded. We waved at his plane from our seats. He got home safely to Chc and we got home safely to Wellington.

Mike had left our car at the airport so I paid ($116) and got home easily. Fed the cats - they were very happy. Cleaned the kitty litter which also made them happy.

Mum and I watched a little TV (some Korean drama) before I went to bed and fell into a coma. Hahah.

At work now and quite a few things on through the week. Mike is home Thursday! Yay!

Have a great week ahead.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday with work and the Tuesday with my actual birthday

 Hi,

Well, the weather had almost blown itself out on Tuesday - but still had a few wee showers through the morning. But by the late afternoon it was kinda nice again.  Mike had a migraine during the night. 4am. Poor Mike.

We went out to meet Quentin and Courtney at Harvey Norman in Lower Hutt and a nice salesperson called Eve sorted them out. I also got a new Dyson stick to replace our broken one. Yay!

Headed to Seashore Cabaret and got a bit wet walking to the cafe from the car parked up a block or two. But had a lovely brunch with Sally and Andrew coming too.

Birthday Singstar with Toby at home

Presents

Home to do some Singstar with Toby in the bedroom while my parents snoozed and Mike worked in the office. I don't think we disturbed anyone too much.

Wow - this is so cool

Cool card from Ange and D

I opened my cards and got a few presents too. Awww. Thank you to everyone for making me feel so special.

Bike handlebar roll from Sally and Andrew

Birthday dinner at Highwater

Drove into town to have birthday dinner at Highwater. Quentin and Courtney paid for my dinner with a voucher. Super nice of them. The food was great. Dad and Toby loved the slow cooked lamb shoulder. Mum loved the agria chips. The food was all very good. $1100 for the 8 of us! Wow!

Lots of cards

Luke!

Frech Kiss cart iced latte

Wednesday I was in town at work. Busy day. But did get some birthday wishes for the day before, so that was super cool.

Shane resigned. So that was super uncool. Such an amazing person to have as your colleague. I now count him as a good friend. But I will be really sad when he leaves in a month. Waaaaaahhhh. Good on him.

Present from Karen and Scott

Represent!

Got my present from Karen and Scott - a hoodie top for Pulse. I will go see some games this season and represent.

And Zoi won silver overnight in the slopestyle. Woot! That gives her 5 winter olympic medals. So awesome.

Have a great day. Mum, Toby and I are off to Auckland tomorrow. Visiting a friend of Mum's.

Love,

Angela