The three days off for New Years

Hi,

Well, the weather is still not co-operating with summer.  It is warm, but so windy today.  Windy enough to rival anything the equinoxes throw at us.  So windy I took the bus into work today.  That's how windy it is!

I had Tuesday off and Mike and I drove up to Ruapehu.  He had punters to collect, so I went in the wee green car with Toby.  He let me have the roof down in return for me listening to some of his music.  Seemed like a fair deal, although after the fifth repeat of "I want a portal gun, portal, portal, portal gun" I was beginning to rethink.  Hahahah.  But fortunately he likes most of my music so we were all good.

Mike was running around like a mad thing because loads more people arrived than he anticipated.  Toby and I read in our bunkroom until close to midnight when we wandered out to the common room.  We saw in the New Year and not too soon after that, both of us collapsed in bed.

The carpark - without any snow!

Toby outside the lodge

We went up to Knoll Ridge cafe on the chairlift.  Toby and I got a discount due to our season passes.  Mike has no season pass, so he paid full price.  We were lucky to have Mike with us, as he got back from a day walk just as we bought our tickets.  Perfect timing!

Up at Knoll Ridge cafe - the Pinnacles with no snow behind Mike

We went up with Susan and Erich and their three children.  Toby loved being with them!  They are 1, 3 and 5 years old.  So Toby kept them amused a lot of the time.  I think Susan and Erich were grateful for a bit of a distraction.

My special needs boy, and Ngauruhoe behind us

Toby thinks it's funny to make faces at the camera now.  You should see the photos I didn't put on here.  He's crazy!

Selfie - and you can see Mike and Toby in the chairlift behind me!

The following day we went for a walk from behind the Chateau to Taranaki Falls.  It was a lovely walk.  Just a perfect walk before having lunch at the cafe in National Park and then me driving home.

Toby at Taranaki Falls, protecting his butt from his mother's pinches!

At the top of Taranaki Falls

I hit loads of traffic coming into Otaki.  Took me thirty minutes from the start of the queue to get through the town.  First gear the whole way.

I stopped off for a cup of tea in Waikanae.  No - not the Tabors.  They no longer live there.  Mike's cousin John and his wife Nicky are visiting Nicky's relatives.  So they entertained me and gave me a great cup of tea.  The crib there is perfect for lazy summer holidays.

Back home and tidied up and went to bed.

I think Mike and Toby will head back today.

Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Angela