Sunday Fun-Day Part Two

So Bridie and I continued our fun day of exploring Taranaki this afternoon.  We were planning to do the Stony River Walkway but decided it was far far far far far far far too hot (Bridie, I imagine, would only have one or two far's in there though lol) so we are going to have a part three at some stage to finally get it done haha.

Instead we went to the Cape Egmont Lighthouse, pretty much just to take photos.  Sadly there was no mountain but there were some cows me and Missie had a chat to.  We then headed to Opunake to get ice creams and see the Cliff Top Garden which was a pretty cool garden :) had some lovely views as well.  It is part of a coastal walkway but far too hot to do the whole thing.

On the way home we visited Rahotu Cemetery, mostly cos we saw a sign saying cemetery and it was an afternoon of exploring so we thought why not.  It was a lovely small cemetery with some old as and some rather new burials.  We even found a Fleming for Bridie, haha no Millers though cos we don't come from round here.

Cape Egmont Lighthouse

 Opunake Beach and the Cliff Top Garden part of the walkway (plus a bridge hehe)

Rahotu Cemetery

Sunday Fun-Day

Wow look at that, two posts in one day.  Haha this is what you get when I have too much fun and end up posting after the fact :)

Sunday Bridie and I had an adventure day where we each planned half a day of something and the other didn't know what we were going to be doing, ok so we told each other on Saturday night but thats cos we wanted to.  Bridie's activity we did first, and it was kayaking.  Yup I know I don't like big lots of water and especially not really when it moves and I'm stuck on a floating piece of plastic but I did it and it was actually quite fun (lakes are different to sea if you are wondering, they are fine cos the water is generally still).  There were moments of small amounts of panic but seeing as Bridie is like a champion swimmer she was totally gonna save me if I went overboard and I woulda been sweet as, just a smidge more wet than if I stayed in the kayak.  But there was no overboarding so all is well.  We saw seals as well which was cool, even one in the water having a ball :)

My activity required it to be fine, which when we got out of the sea it stopped being so our adventure day is gonna have a part two at some stage, and you can all wait and wonder what it is we are going to do :p hehe

Some pics from kayaking to the Sugar Loaf Islands

I turned into a pirate when we got out...

...and used my pirate skills to lock Bridie up

Friday's tramp

Ok so you may think I'm way behind on my updating cos Friday was ages ago but in my defence its still technically the same weekend so I'm not really that slack :p And if you really care then stop reading my blog!

On Friday Doffy and I went for a wander on the mountain, I know it was on the mountain cos there were a ton of steps and it was ridiculous.  Dof really needs to start using is dad-veto-power when I have a dumb idea which I so often do, and its never till we are walking does he comment on how doing it the other direction would be easier or such like.  So yeah really its his fault we had all those steps to climb, not mine at all.  We parked Spartz at Kaiauai Carpark and then walked to Mangorei Road via Henry and Maude.  Henry is still a bit of a dick to be honest, you'd think in all this time he could have gone and got shorter or built himself an escalator or something, surely that is not too much to ask!  Was a pretty cool walk, if you discount the endless steps that is :)

Coming down Mangorei Track I am positive there was a sign at the bottom that told guys to remove their shirts, we passed so many topless guys it was actually a lil weird, and some of them really should not have been topless - you cannot un-see that.  But when they are old and all skin wrinkly and gross haha to them lol.

Anyhow here are some pics, am sure thats all you dudes read this for anyhow, not my awesome as chatter :( lol

Missie found my cookies...

...and looks so proud lol

Hard to see Missie and Smyly but they are there

Made it to the top of Henry Peak

And so did Doffy

Just appreciating the view from Henry

Still on Henry...

No wait made it to the tarns for a crocked photo

Dad on Pouakai Plateau 

Christmas letter time :)

So it seems everyone else is summing up their years in a page or two and calling it a Christmas letter, mostly I think cos it comes with a Christmas card but it seems not a candy cane... not sure how this has happened and I'm guessing mine are just missing in the mail, right?

Anyhow I thought I would sum up my year on this wonderful thing called my blog for a few reasons:
1) so I don't have to share candy canes with any more people (already sharing enough with workmates)
2) so that I don't have to go and buy Christmas cards
3) so I don't have to pay postage on those Christmas cards I just went and brought
4) so it can be mega short without having loads of white space left on the piece of paper
5) and most important, so I can just stay lying on my bed with my coffee (the one that didn't just get spilled all over the bench and newspaper)

My year in numbers:
365 days
1 birthday - don't worry I'm just getting more awesome as I age hehe
4 papers passed (with almost flying colours)
1 paper left to do (which is halfway done)
3 less teeth
1 job got (pretty much cos I knew some people)
4 room rearrangements
1 head of way less hair
0 limbs lost or broken
5 years of being gluten free
1 forklift licence
1 plastic bench seat built
2 sporting injuries which are now mostly better
1st prize in sewing section of Institute Arts Show (haha Mum you got 2nd)
heaps of tramps, but not as many as Doffy
lots of time spent hanging with Brudda

Would say bring on 2018 but I'd kinda like to know a lil of what's in store for me so I know whether I need to stock up my alcohol or if I'll be sweet with what I have.  As bro, or my purple dice would say 'time will tell', really need to find this Time Dude, he has a lot to answer for....

It was a pretty good weekend

Ok so I know the wknd was a couple days ago now and I did fully mean to get this post up sooner but in my defence I was procrastinating doing the final edit on my assignment that is due tomorrow so turning on my computer for something other than Netflix was not really on my to-do list.  Assignment is all done and handed in now though so its all good :)

Anyhow, back to the wknd :) it was a pretty good one if I may say so.  Went for a tramp with Doffy on Saturday morning.  We went up above Humphries Castle cos you can get some cool pics from up there, and the mountain obliged us by not being all dumb and cloudy - thanks mountain :) Was a bit windy though which was a lil irritating but mostly cos I was worried my hat would fly off and I like that hat so it ended up being carried till we got back to being sheltered by trees.

Saturday afternoon was assignment and pottering and then in the evening I went and puppy-sat for a friend in town :) really was rather fun, way way better than babysitting.  Does help that Jemma is gorgeous and super loving, when she isn't moping cos her dad has gone out and left her that is.  (Jemma is a 2yr old Rottweiler by the way).  Oh and Skylah was there but she is more rodent than dog so didn't really count, she just needed hugs when she got too whiny.  Much more fun to play tug-of-war with Jemma to cheer her up, I would like to think I won some of the rounds but I'm not sure she would agree...

Sunday morning I went for a bike ride along the Coastal Walkway with another friend.  Turns out there are way more hills on the Coastal Walkway than you realise when you are walking, and some are quite steep, well atlst to someone who is not bike-riding fit they are.  I was very proud of myself though cos we went from Ngamotu Beach to the Velodrome and back and I didn't have to stop and walk at all, and also yesterday I wasn't sore or stiff so that is totally a bonus :) Was 20 odd kms for those that don't know the Coastal Walkway.

Sunday afternoon I procrastinated assignment, like I am very very good at.  Did do something useful with my time though, watched the final race of the Supercars - the series decider it turned out cos Saturdays race left two dudes still in the running to be the 2017 champ (ps I did also watch this one while playing tug-of-war on Saturday).  As per normal, when a Holden and Ford collide, it became rather contentious.  Though reading others comments on social media just makes me realise how sane and balanced I actually am :) shhhh all you people who disagree, its almost Christmas aka a time to be nice and let others live in their dream worlds :p hehe

Pics from Saturdays tramp

Us with our tramping buddies (Missie and Smyly)

In front of some random big rock face thing (yeah I know pic don't show it but camera wasn't big enough to get it all in and me lol)

Looking down from big rock face thing at Humphries Castle

Me and my Doffy

Found the Castle :) :) :)

Just chilling

Hi Doffy :)

Heading back down from Tahaurangi, realised don't have pic from here yet so took one :)

We definitely earned our post tramp snack

Hamilton Gardens

Today we went to Hamilton Gardens for the day, well for the morning and some of the afternoon.  Bro and I went for a wander around the place and it was pretty fun, he makes a good photographer hehe, and he's patient with my random demands.  He was probably laughing and/or eye-rolling on the inside but that doesn't bother me, cos I couldn't see it obviously hehe.  I even met a guy, he was pretty fun and did my photo-pose with me as well, totally cool aye :)

We played on the playground (got there early enough to avoid most kids hehe), and bro broke the seesaw!!! I know, so rude!  He made it go to the ground and then it wouldn't work.  Boo seesaw!  Then we continued to explore most the rest of the place, would say all the place but pretty sure there were bits we missed so most covers it better :)

And you might notice Missie didn't come along, yeah she wanted to hang with the boys (Glenny and Fishy) at the flat for the day, unsupervised.  She thought they would get up to more fun than we would, again how rude!

Once we had finished our wander and had read for a lil bit we ran into some family, strange that.  Had no idea they were going to be there, mostly cos mum didn't include me in any of the emails but who's laying blame.... lol.  Was a good day :)

Oh and yeah there are lots of photos this time but that is cos we had fun :) :) :)