The weekend in Wellington that was really short

 Hi,

Not sure how anyone survives on a 2 day weekend. The housework was the first to suffer. Hahahah. Friday saw me and Mike working from home. And we got out at lunch time for a run - my first one since the cold struck. It was a bit tough but we did it.

Smudge smooching

Our usual trail run through Otari Wilton bush was cut short with some tape. We couldn't go the next 150m to the end. Mike went to check it out. Hard to tell, he said.

Run on Friday

Saturday saw us at Waitangi Parkrun where we met Lisa. It was cold and windy but stayed dry. I did a slow 37 min run. If you could call it a run.

Day walk on Saturday

Janine wanted to walk somewhere so we planned the Kaitoke Ridge track. We did it years ago when Toby was quite young from a camping weekend at Kaitoke with the family tramping club people.

This time Mike and I collected Maureen from her place and met Janine at the Waterworks Road end of the track. She left her car there and we drove around to Kaitoke and left our car there.

Headed up the track at about 11:50am. Maureen and I missed the first turn off after about 100m because we were totally engrossed in our conversation. Lucky Janine was paying attention.

This track is about 3 hours. The first part is a fairly steep track up until you get to the ridge. Not too bad. Good firm track - wasn't too muddy or rooty. There are not really any views on this track - the trees are just a little too big and obscure most of it apart from the odd glimpse.

Pretty much the only view

Janine takes a selfie of us while Mike takes a pic of us

The track is hard clay with a layer of mossy green sludge that can get quite slippery. Yay for my Asics trail runners. We also saw the emergency track down to the wee A frame shelter we went to once. It does not meet the main track but I saw the orange triangle about 20m off in the trees about 2/3 the way to the Waterworks end.

It took us 2 hours and 40 mins. Not too bad considering the slightly slippery conditions. Everyone was peckish so we popped into Brewtown on the way back. My first time there. We went to Boneface and had some food. I got a smoked mushroom burrito. It was pretty good.

My first time at Brewtown

The day walk

Back home to chill. And then up early (4.30am) to go watch the Football world cup with Maureen at her place. Canada v Morrocco. What a great entertaining game. Canada played so well and never got any goals. Morrocco played fairly well in the second half and got 3 goals. But Morrocco were capitalising on Canada pressing forward to try and get a goal and leaving defense open for a counter. But - good fun.

I got a home made iced latte too. Thank you. And scrambled eggs. Mmmm.

Home made iced latte

Back home to tidy and get ready for a run at the gym. My treadmill kept stopping - gah! Then a few books from Unity for Anusha and home to pack for Mike's trip away.

More tidying. Then Sally, Andrew and John popped over for takeaways. We tried Dehli7 in Northland. They had pani puri - yum! Food was so good. Goat curry for me and Andrew. And it was delicious.

Then off to bed. Mike was up early to catch his flight to Auckland and then to Singapore. And I am home in  the wind and the rain. But not as bad as Dunedin. Polly is ok - Mike rang her last night. But it sounds pretty yucky down there. And cold.

Take care everyone.

Have a good day.

Love,

Angela

The weekend with Wellington Spring Challenge Training

 Hi,

We had such a hectic weekend. I need a holiday to recover from my weekend. Hahah. Thursday saw us catch up for data brekkie and Shane came to chat to us. So good to see him.

Kris at Smith the Grocer with me

Hey Shane! Woot!

Cats lounging around

I made two sourdoughs Thursday night. One for Nic (she got the baby one) and one for Mike for his tramp. First time using wholemeal flour. Added wholegrains again. Mike said it was good.

Two sourdoughs. And wholemeal and wholegrains

Thursday evening Iona arrived on the ferry. Picked her up from the Interislander at 7.45pm and managed to collect Mike from work then too.

Up Friday to a gorgeous looking day. Nic arrived on her early flight and found Tom in town for brekkie. We had brekkie at home then Iona and I drove into town to pick Nic up from Victoria St. Well, Abel Smith St. That went smoothly.

Friday morning

We were parked at the Kapakapanui road end and away walking by 9:05am. This is the end of the road and a few farmhouse driveways head off in all directions. But you follow the signs and go through gates and over stiles.

We decided to do the loop anticlockwise. It means a steep grunt up for 3 hours or more. But a less steep descent on the other side.

You cross the river a few times to get to the junction. We hadn't had much rain so I was hopeful the river would be fine. It was. Clear and swift. Maybe 4 crossings to get to the junction before the huge climb up. The ascent is mighty. Steep. 

Kapakapanui starts

Steep going

I think it was 2 hours 25 to the overhanging tree that marked the unmarked route off to the left of the track to the hidden possum hut. We didn't have a look.

We saw one couple coming down as we got close to the top. Along the top we got no views. There was a chap walking on his own and was cheerfully telling us the mud would get better soon.

It didn't really. We were under DoC time to the trig, but the 1 hour from the trig to the hut took us over 1 hour. The mud. I lost my shoe several times. Managed to get my foot back in every time.

Trig

Mud

No views

Iona and Nic - and my thumb

The hut

We had our lunches at the hut. Didn't go in. Good to shove some carbs in - thank you for making them Iona.

The descent was brutal on our old knees. But we made good time. When you reach the river from this side you have more crossings to do before you reach the junction. So we were very wet again. But it did clean off a lot of mud. We were at the car by 4pm easily. And after a bit of cleaning and changing into warm dry socks and trousers, we were off.

Nic got into fancy clothes because she was meeting Tom for tea in town before her flight.

Down, down, down

It was not to be. Around 17:30 we came past the Porirua exit from Transmission Gully and ended up at the back of a very stationary queue. Brake lights as far as we could see. Probably about 100m from joining the old highway.

And - after a quick online check, it appears nothing would move for a long time. After 30 mins of going nowhere, Nic and Iona decided to walk off the motorway and up the on-ramp just behind us. They managed to catch the eye of a motorist at the roundabout and Fiona asked them if they wanted a lift. They then crawled through Tawa with her until Redwood station where they caught a train. Nic was so late she ended up Ubering to the airport from the train station in town. Awwww.

Meanwhile, my queue was not moving. I was in the fast lane - on the shoulder because we had to move over to let an emergency car through earlier on. Then I saw quite a few cars making u turns and driving back up the motorway the wrong way - and up the on-ramp. So I decided I should also do this. When else would I get the chance to drive on the motorway the wrong way?

I joined the slow queue of cars going back up the on-ramp the wrong way. When the car in front of me got to the roundabout, a car decided to drive down the on-ramp and onto the motorway. Why they thought this would be good is beyond me. A steady line of cars leaving the motorway the wrong way, and you decide to get on?

Anyway, we dribbled through Tawa. It wasn't until I got to Johnsonville that the traffic eased back to normal. I got home at 8pm. Iona caught the 14 bus to our place. And we relayed each other's exciting adventures. Nic got back to Blenheim fine. Phew. Just no dinner with Tom. :-(

Cats in direct line of the heat pump

Saturday was a bit yucky. Iona grabbed her mother's car and drove to Palmerston North to see her sick friend. I joined her. I read in the car park. And then we drove back home.

Kāpiti Island is invisible

Shannon - The Horseman cafe

Present from Col and Iona. They know me

Sunday we were up early to meet Maureen for coffee at the local petrol station. Maureen used her reward points to get us all coffees.

Coffee Sunday

I dropped Iona at the ferry and went back home to tidy. Then met Maureen at 8.45am to climb to the top of Mt Kaukau. She set a fierce pace. Phew! No views.

No views top of Mt Kaukau. But Blenheim is that way!

Chasing Maureen made me fast!

Maidstone Park in Upper Hutt.

Mike got home at 1pm and I dropped him back at 40WLW before I went to the rugby with Elly. She convinced me to talk to Krystal Murray (who was in a moon boot so I hope she gets better soon) and I got a selfie. So happy!

Poua lost to Matatū. But it was close. And the conditions were tricky. Good fun - ta Elly. Then to Sally and Andrew's place for dinner with Barry and Kath. So nice. They are well.

Wow! Krystal Murray.

Monday morning

Back home and straight to bed. Up for gym for Mike and treadmill run for me. Then back home for me.

What a lovely day out there.

Enjoy your week.

Love,

Angela

The weekend with my birthday party and a huge storm

 Hi,

It has been an epic, social few days. Then on top of that, most of Aotearoa got hammered (is still getting hammered) by a huge storm from a mighty low that is just stuck to the east of us. Looks great on the weather maps. Not so great to be inside the low itself. Like a washing machine, really.

Happy birthday today to John.

Thursday - gym and Haurangi Hut

Thursday saw me go to data brekkie and then the gym. Bit switched around because we were Quentin's only clients that morning. Mike took the early slot at 7.30 and while I was at brekkie, they finished up and came over. Hahahah.

I went back to the gym with Quentin after the brekkie and then headed to the airport to get Iona. She was arriving early for the birthday weekend and that meant she could come kiwi spotting with us.

Back home to pack for the tramp and we also convinced Karen and Scott to walk in with us. Great weather might have just been the ticket to them coming along. Maybe also the bakery promise for lunch at Whites Line East? Yum!

Andrew got dropped at Sunny Grove by Maureen and Iona and then the rest of us all met at the Catchpool car park to start our walk.

Gorgeous Thursday morning

Halfway for Karen and Scott

Turns out that what I think of as flat is not quite the same as people who walk a lot but live in Sydney. Scott read me the definition of the word "flat" at the midway bridge. Hahahah.

Toby tree

They got to the memorial at the top of the diversion and glimpsed the river and bridge through the trees. They headed back to drive our car home and entertain everyone until we got back Fri lunch time. Awesome to walk with them and chat away.

Two hours and 20 mins from the car we got to Haurangi Hut. So warm and not a breath of wind. Iona and Maureen and I had a nice cuppa and got our beds sorted. The hut was just visited by a DoC hut warden and it was so clean. Well-appointed, wrote Maureen in the Intentions book. Crockery. Gas (okay - really slow gas! Half an hour to boil water). Toilet paper (well - that is probably not always supplied), Aeroguard. Hand sanitiser. Those are probably not always there either.

Haurangi Hut

Fellow kiwi spotters

Later in the afternoon we walked out to the riverbed and tried to dam the entire river in one of the channels. It didn't really work but Iona managed to cross over and stay dry. Boots for the win. Trail runners? Not so much. I did not want wet feet.

Checking the riverbed

Dimp application necessary

Kitchen is "well appointed"

Back to the hut and with dusk came some mozzies and sandflies so we closed up the hut. Cooked our tea and at 9pm decided to go out kiwi spotting without Andrew.

And then he arrived as we departed. So back we went so he could have some miso. Then around 9.30pm we left again.

We had no luck at all. No calls heard. But we sat at the junction to the Whakanui track for about 30 mins in the darkness. Silence around us except for night noises. And one forlorn cicada that missed the memo about being diurnal. 

The 4 of us were sitting in a row on top of some new traps that had been stacked up by the junction. Quiet. Not talking. Then a possum gave a huge screeching grunt when he got surprised by us sitting there in the dark. And I leapt and might have squealed a bit. Pretty sure Maureen jumped (she was closest to the grunting animal that was right next to us!). Andrew flicked his head torch on and we saw the possum scurry up a tree trunk.

Phew. Time to go to bed after that.

Late sunset on the kiwi spotting trip

Attire for kiwi spotting

Cool vibes

Friday - a wet walk out and setup for my party

We woke up to a lovely morning and had our brekkie. As we tidied the hut, Maureen said: what is that noise? Is it rain?

Yes. Unexpected rain. A precursor to the change in weather. Our walk out was fast. I made it to the car in 1 hour 59 mins and 27 seconds. But we were so wet. Hahah. We had to sit on bags and things in Maureen's car.

Walk out was wet, wet, wet

I spent most of Friday washing and drying gear. But we did go over to Sally and Andrew's for tea and to assemble the marquee.

Scott surveys the marquee pieces

Laid out

Aidan is sorting it all out

Shelly Bay Baker iced latte

Saturday party!

Saturday saw no park run from me. Mike and I were in the office on our sleeping mats and it wasn't the easiest for a decent sleep. But we got pastries from Shelley Bay baker in Karori and had a nice brekkie.

I got flowers from Toby and Tessa

Paaaaarrttttaaaayyyy

Then it was party time. Got over to 40WLW and before too long the guests arrived. James and his family were first - fitting mine in before Esmee had hers.

So well set up - thank you

Cake for me

Cake for Mum

Catering was amazing

Aidan came over after the cake and said he counted 47 people at that time. And some had come and gone before that. So there was a lot of people.

Speeches

Sally and Andrew were amazing. As was Aidan and Janne, They just kept everything humming along. Iona MC'd when necessary and I just kinda tried to chat to everyone as much as possible. The Sampsons all got their socialising done in one day for their entire year, I reckon. I was a close second.

I got a huge tomato from someone - wow

What a huge day. It was chill. There were so many people that came from near and far. I do like a good reason to catch up. So thank you to everyone for making my special day (I do love birthdays - but I especially love my own!) even more special.

Tessa got whisked away to the airport by her Dad and we packed up not long after 6pm. Got the tent down and packed away. And I tell you what - lucky it was not a Sunday event.

Another trip to the airport - and very windy

Sunday - tidying, airport runs and epic bathroom mirror DIY

Sunday saw us tidying at home and taking Karen and Scott to the airport. I think their flight was one of the last to land, fill up and get off. From 5pm I think most flights were diverted and cancelled. Wow.

Getting the upstairs mirror up

Planning it

Aim here, Toby

Dad supervises

In place

Not sure it was going to work

And done!

Looks good

In the evening we had dinner (spag bol) and Mike and Toby (with Gramps supervising) put the upstairs mirror up. It looks so good. Not quite finished - but enough for now.

We watched the Bruce Springsteen movie and we all loved it. So good. Deliver me from nowhere. Yep - would recommend.

We battened down the hatches for the storm. Not sure I have seen wind like that. Just a constant white noise and everything is just shaking from the wind and rain.

Slept great mind you. And up to see no damage at all at our place. But there is plenty of damage elsewhere. No trains. No ferries. No planes. We're working from home.

I hope you are all safe. Take care. Thank you for an amazing weekend.

Love,
Angela