The Wednesday with a walk after work

 Hi,

After a busy day at work, I got the news that I was not needed at the 7pm meeting.  Woot.  So Mike asked if I wanted to come for a "wee, flat walk" into Belmont regional park with him and Janine to bag a secret hut.  Tin Hut.

He showed me the intended route.  I said yes.

Hmmm.

We left home at 4.45pm and we were at the car park at Stratton Street to meet Janine by 5.15pm.  Only one other car there and we quickly passed that couple.

Up a steep 4WD track initially to a grassy knoll, then down the other side into the bush.  We walked for a while until the Oakleigh St entrance before heading off towards the Korokoro dam.

We start our walk in Belmont Regional Park

Korokoro dam

Posing

Selfie time

The dam and Mike - pretty.

Mike being silly and taking a selfie in the trees

Continuing south for a short while from there (Cornish St direction - wherever Cornish St is) we went around a jink in the track and climbed off to the right up a spur, following a trap line.  After a slightly steep bit of trail, climbing over a few outcrops of rocky sections (nothing too scary - just a wee bit loose), Janine found the hut on the first bit of land that flattened out.

The objective attained

It was someone's backyard tin shed.  Kitted out with a sleeping platform and some gear.  Seemed like it would do the trick as an escape pad for a night.  Warm enough and dry enough.  Janine was pretty pleased calling the walk a success.

:-)

The walk back needed our headtorches for a bit - especially under the bush.  The fog had descended so it provided some lovely scenic photos.

Foggy, dark walk back

Eerie in the fog

Tuna spotted under the bridge in a wee pool

As we crossed the last wee bridge, we saw a tuna (eel) in the pool, lurking for any morsels.  We had none - but maybe we will come back with bacon bits one night.

Back to the car not long after 8pm.  Decent walk.  Good fun.  It must have been just over 10km and quite the walk.  Thank you for dragging me out there, Mike and Janine.

Fog Thursday morning

Went to the supermarket on the way home for our groceries and fell into bed not long after that.  Up to more fog.  Stunning morning.  

Mike is off to a mate's house for dinner tonight.  And out to the pub near work tomorrow to meet some colleagues.

Have a lovely Thursday wherever you are.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with a busy work day

 Hi,

It was a busy day at work yesterday - well, working from home still.  For the bulk of the day, it was gorgeous weather.  A light, cool breeze and blue skies.

Fog coming in

But towards the end of the afternoon and early evening, the fog started rolling in.  Yet it remained fairly warm.

We ate an early dinner.  I made Thai tofu green curry with rice.  Yum.  And had a fairly relaxing evening after that.

Toby sent us pics of the dinner he cooked for the flat last night.  He did chicken schnitzels.  And raw carrots.  Hahahah.  I have taught him all he knows.  :-p

Wednesday up late and more fog in the valley again.  Mike is off to hut bag again after work with Janine. This time in Belmont park.  The scene of the hardest dirt duathlon race.  Hahah.  It feels like trauma to me.  I had best go back there on a lovely day to ease myself back into enjoying that space.  Hahahah.

Have a great day, wherever you are.

Love,

Angela

The weekend of adventure and the Monday back at work

 Hi,

Well, I had a look back at the weekend blog - and realised I didn't do it yesterday.  Sigh.  Busy times.  So now I am going to tell you about the weekend - and about our Monday.

Moxley chilling in the pumpkin

Saturday saw us at boot camp in the park - and it is our second last one.  Probably ever!  Good session.  Then I got changed at work while Mike bought a compass and headed to Eastbourne on the ferry.  

Boot camp

Mike was off to meet Janine and Andrew and bag two secret huts in the hills behind Eastbourne.  And they had a good day for it too.

They found a secret hut

and another secret hut

and a huge rata with big roots

Meanwhile, I met Maureen and we drove up to the top of Cuba St and went to Floriditas for brunch.  Great iced latte there!  I had some heirloom tomato green tea dish -and it was delicious. Maureen's scrambled eggs looked so good!

Floriditas brunch with Maureen

Headed home after saying goodbye to Maureen.  And then out to collect Sally and lunch at Sea Salt (old Cobar) in Eastbourne.

The others were delayed and by the time we ordered and ate our lunch, the kitchen was closed so Mike, Janine and Andrew missed out on food.

Boo!

Sea salt lunch with Sally

Iced latte # 2

View from Eastbourne

Headed home to Sally and Andrew's place via Zany Zeus to get another iced latte (yay for them making those now!!) and haloumi rolls.

Mmmmm.

OMG.  #3 from Zany Zeus

Sunday saw us doing some things around the house.  Mike got a lot of the electrical work done.  And a little left to finish off on Monday evening.

I am beautiful

Our cats are getting closer

Sunday evening saw us meet Adnan at Brew'd after a quick run and shower at 40WLW.  3km around the bridges.  Good for a 20 min pressed-for-time run.

Chatted away to Adnan at the pub with Mike.  Then headed to the trapline induction session in someone's house nestled into the eastern Hutt hills.  Andrew joined us and we listen to Rosemary and Melody explain the H&S aspects and the likely traplines.  Had a look at a DoC 200.  Got a hi-viz beanie and vest.  And now we book in a walk with the lead of the trapline and get the familiarity with the routes and roster etc.

Monday was busy at work.  As I said.  Because - forgot to blog.  Wow!  As I left to meet Juliet and Barb at the Shepherd's Arms in Tinakori Rd, I noticed our broccoli looking mighty fine.  Mmmmm.

Broccoli looking good

Saw Barb and Juliet.  Ate some food.  And I dropped them home and then got home myself to find all  the electrical work done.

Sweet.

Good sleep and then a ping from Andrew came as I was about to start the PT session with Quentin asking about Venus.  Sure enough - checked outside and found a stunning sight with the  crescent moon.

Morning crescent moon, with Venus.  And you can also see Saturn and Mars faintly.

Look what the Sky Chart says!

Closer view!

We could see Venus really well.  And faintly, Saturn and Mars.  Spectacular.  What a way to start the day.

Hope your day is a good one.  Wellington is turning on the best looking autumn day.  :-)

Love,

Angela

The Thursday with birthday dinner out with Sally and Andrew

 Hi,

We had a lovely Thursday.  Work was definitely odd as we had some competitions to enter with selfies and themes.  I guess I had two.  One beach themed one - and one around our work.  

Work fun

And I needed a work beach themed selfie.  Hahah

This pic makes me look like a bobble head doll

Mike came into the garage with me and we used the surfboard as a prop.  Mike is very accommodating of my weird plans.

After work we headed to Atlas to meet Sally.  And in a surprise move, Andrew wasn't too far behind us.  Yay!  This was to celebrate Sally's birthday just gone this week.

Beetroot macaron

Menu at Atlas

Very nice food.  Heard a hilarious story about Malcolm serving up Mushrooms in the Field as a dessert to his mates in his early 20s.  But the mushrooms all looked like wee winkles.  I was laughing my head off.

The food was lovely.  3 vegetarian options and 1 meat one for Mike.  Expensive - but I loved the tastes.  Might not choose a corn sorbet ever again, though.

Drove Sally and Andrew home then back to ours and into bed.  Probably past 11pm by this stage.  The wind got up and we heard the tarp over Stuart's house flapping a bit.

Turns out the wind whipped the tarp off the side of his house.  It is getting re-clad.  So I hope there has been no damage from the weather while it was unprotected.

Weekend is coming up fast.  Boot camp tomorrow.  Maybe brunch with Maureen for me and a hut bagging morning for Mike, Andrew and Janine behind Eastbourne.

And a late lunch for me and Saly.

Right.  Enjoy your Friday.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with working from home

 Hi,

After a day at work (well, working from home) it was nice to relax and enjoy the strange, still evening.  If I was living in Melbourne, the still, warm, grey clouds would herald an impending storm.  Turns out, the signs are the same here.

Weird evening just ahead of the thunderstorm

Just after I took this photo above (no filter - that was the light!), we got thunder and lightning.  And quite a bit of rain.

Smudge enjoying the still evening

Prowling

The storms continued to roll in through the night.  And it looks like it dumped a lot of rain on parts of the North Island.  A bit of clean up needed, by the sound of the news.

Anyway.  Another day.  I hope Sally's birthday yesterday was good fun.  We're going out for tea tomorrow for it.  I think.

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The Monday back at work at home

 Hi,

Happy birthday to Sally today.  Tuesday.  Woot!

After a long day in the office (but at home) Mike and I were rather tuckered out at the end of it all.  We have had a chocolate pudding sitting around waiting to be eaten so we finally did that.

Gold dusted chocolate pudding

The whole kitchen was covered in sparkles

Cat and Mike were both intrigued

It had this wee packet of gold dust so Mike opened and sprinkled it over the pudding.  And lots of particles drifted into the air.  Smudge was very amused and ended up sparkling like a Twilight cat.  As did Mike.

It was pretty good eating.

And I had a negative RAT

I also feel slightly off - so I took a RAT.  Mike thinks I needed to poke the swab in further.  But the watery eyes were enough for me thanks.  Negative.  But this morning (Tuesday) I still feel slightly off colour.  So I will assess.

Have a marvellous day.

Love,

Angela

The weekend away in Ohakune

 Hi,

What an awesome weekend away.  Thank you for organising it, Mike.  You did so much ferrying of people to and fro - and all the driving up to Ohakune and back.  Phew!

I grew green gold!

Friday evening saw us collect Khemry from her house on The Terrace and Amy from Customhouse Quay before heading to Mana to collect Janine from her car (ready for drop off on Sunday night so she can hoon over Haywards and home without the bother of going back into town).

We were delayed two accidents on the way up.  One at Manakau made us detour into the hinterland to skirt around the main SH1.  Huge emergency services response.  I hope everyone was ok.  :-( (Edit: alas, not everyone was ok)

Peach teats!

Lovely drive up - the weather was so good.  Quite the karaoke car ride.  Hahah.  Stopped in Taihape for tea - and everything was closed. Even McDonalds. The only option was a pie at the bp.

Hmmmm.  Next time I will pack a sandwich rather than face that again.

We reached our accommodation, Grads Lodge at Ohakune, before 9pm.  Very nice, and it's always a relief to not have an extra 45 min drive around to Whakapapa like we usually do.  Crawled into bed and had a great sleep.  

Up at 6 to have brekkie by 7 and get away as soon as possible. Mike dropped us at the Mangatepopo road end.  This was the first time I have been here since they changed the parking to only allow 4 hours.  Most people use shuttle buses now.  But we were on the track by 9am, I think.

Tongariro Alpine crossing

We're ready!

Gorgeous weather and within 1 km I was regretting my choice of beanie for headwear.  Too hot for a beanie.  I needed a sun hat.  I was expecting pretty cool temperatures.  But really, apart from a small section towards the top when my hands were a little cool from the breeze, I was plenty warm enough.  Stayed in my tramping shirt the entire time.  I did have warm tramping trousers on though.  And gaiters.  They worked well on the scree.

Lots of sunscreen.

Almost at the top of the first steep part

In the first crater area

Top of the crossing

Halfway down the scree slope

Chatted away to Brenda a lot.  Turns out both of us have done quite a few similar things through the years.  Nice to meet her and get to know her.

Khemry had us posing all the way across the walk.  Hahah.  It took her 15 km to start discussing her dating life though.  She was telling me to whisper.  But the group passing us at the time laughed and said:  what goes on the track stays on the track.

They were up to listen to any gossip.  Made me and Khemry laugh lots.

Above Ketetahi

In the bushline

Lahar trails

And at the end

Finished at 1615.  Not too bad for time.  Amy and May beat us by 1.5 hours!  Wow.    Lovely walking company.  The best autumn weather.  Mike met us 20 mins up the track with cold drinks for everyone.  He is the best!

  

Back to National Park and we all hopped into Chrissy's van for the ride back to Ohakune while Mike went back for the last 3 punters at the road end.  He was on shuttle service.

Back at Grads and I had a shower and relaxed.  Everyone else had Blind Finch burgers and by all accounts they were scrumptious. Mike says it's his go-to place at Ohakune for dinner now.

Slept okay and up later than the day before.  Tidied up.  Mike ferried people to various bike rides and walks.  We planned a brunch!  :-D

Iced latte at OCR Cafe

We also did a stroll around the 'suburb' where Grads Lodge is located.  Lots of holiday places.  Interesting 1970s architecture.

Away from Ohakune at around 2pm.  Nice drive back without any traffic delays.  Straight back without much in the way of stops.  Z at Waiouru.  That was about it.  I think we had a toilet stop at Foxton.  Hahah.

We dropped Janine off at her car.  And then Khemry at her house and Amy at hers in Berhampore.  We then met up with Iona briefly in the Bluebridge ferry queue.  She was about to get loaded onto the ferry for her trip home after a weaving week.

Home and sorted.  Fed the cats.  Unpacked.  And into bed.  Hahah.

Great weekend.

Thank you.

Love,

Angela