Long weekend road trip

Nothing better than a road trip with loved ones to visit more loved ones.  

For various reasons I've missed attending nearly all my grandson's birthdays but this year my son and his wife planned to attend Aiden's 10th birthday party so I hitched a ride with them.

My daughter pulled out all the stops, everything was perfect.  Except for the wind, even Justine can't control the wind.  There was plenty of sunshine but the wind made it quite cold outside.  Not that Aiden and his mates felt the cold, they didn't sit still all afternoon.  Apparently, nerf guns are all the go with 10 yr old boys.  I thought that funny - I remember very clearly being admonished for making a pistol shape with my fingers and blowing imaginary smoke off the end of it in front of the child when he was a toddler.  I try to be a good grandmother but it's been difficult at times.

The birthday boy and his dad enjoying a private moment.

Birthday parties sure have evolved.  It would never have dawned on me to go to so much trouble for a child's party.  Mind you, everything I would have given my kids to eat would be frowned upon by the PC brigade, whereas all the edible offerings here were healthy.  Pretty sure it was all lost on the boys but the parents in attendance were impressed.

Must share a few comments from his mates that I overheard when Aiden was opening his presents.

"If you've already read it, I strongly recommend you sell it." (latest Harry Potter book)

"My mother bought it, don't shame me." 

"Oh no, I don't have that one, wish I'd kept it for myself." (as he opened a set of soccer cards that all the boys collect)

The boys sleeping quarters

The wind may have been strong in Taranaki but we had two absolutely perfect summer days for both the trip down and the return.  And, although we were travelling home on the last day of a long weekend, we had very few traffic holdups.  We must have fluked the best hours to be on the highway.  And it was a fluke because if my son had a planned departure time I blew that out of the water when I slept late.  

Westhaven Marina and Auckland city from the Harbour Bridge on Friday

Can't remember the name of this little coastal holiday spot on SH 3 on Monday.

Hah!  You thought you were going to get away without we showing you the mountain, didn't you?  Never.  I love that mountain in all seasons.  The snow has all gone but this mountain loves to show off, he wrapped a pretty cloud around his neck and let it float away in the breeze.

The new build

Just look at that Taranaki mud!  Seems a shame to build a house on such rich, good soil - it's sure to produce a good garden.

We tip-toed around the muddiest bits, as I only had one pair of shoes with me, to check out progress on my daughter's new home.  It's quickly taking shape.  I guess progress doesn't seem quite so fast when you are on the spot.  

The cloud lifted from over Mt Taranaki just a little while we were there.  And these were the only photos I got of the mountain this visit.  Flying home yesterday I was a little jealous of the girl in the window seat beside me as she took photos of the mountain clearly visible in all his glory.  My blogging friends who have been around for a while might remember when I shared the legend of Taranaki here.  That explains why I call the mountain a 'he'.

I love being away, visiting Taranaki (or elsewhere) but it's always good to be home again.

Taranaki fences

I'm very much an occasional blogger these days.  I don't post while I'm away from home and I've been tripping around a bit lately.    Below are some fences near my daughter's home in Taranaki.  Just practical farm fences in farming countryside.

  Raindrops clinging to a farm fence

 The family returning from a late afternoon bike ride.

 

Arriving home

 Looking back the way they have come earlier in the day.

The view from Aiden's school

Since I joined Good Fences and embraced the fence I don't need to get cross every time a fence gets in the way of my shots.  Which is just as well as it sure happens a lot!  Now I just have to learn to love power poles!

My new friend

I get the best baby sitting gigs.  This time it is Smudge, the family's new kitten.  It's the most laid back little cat I've ever come across, spent half an hour exploring the house, finally decided a cushion on the couch in front of the heater is the top spot - and went to sleep.  Maybe she didn't like being awakened by a camera poked in her face.  But no doubt she will get used to it.

I returned from a week in Taranaki a few days  ago.  I helped to celebrate my baby daughter turning 40!  For some reason that made me older than my oldest son turning 50 recently.  The mind works in mysterious ways.  The nights were cold with fresh snow on the mountain although cloud passed in front of it every time I pointed my camera in its direction.  I'll be back down there in mid July when there will be more snow and more photographic opportunities.  I never tire of trying to capture the beauty of that mountain.

It must be the crisp, cold air that makes for such lovely sunsets in Taranaki.  I was out the back of my daughter's house taking photos when she told me to go around the front, the sunset was even better in that direction. 

 

 Back yard view

 Front yard view

My friend, Chris and I take off for our annual mid-winter break later this week.  This year we have decided to visit the Wairarapa, the southern most part of the North Island.  A fair way from home, about 770 kms (around 480 miles) and probably a whole lot colder but we will pack our winter woollies. 

Random from Inglewood

When my daughter announced she and her little family were moving to Inglewood I had images of murder.  For some reason I remembered cases of murder most foul occuring in Taranaki, in Inglewood in particular.  It's not as if we've never had bad things happen in the north but I had decided a long time ago I didn't like Inglewood, it was murder town in my mind, the psychopath centre of New Zealand.  

I first drove through the town in 1982 with news reports of a gruesome double murder fresh in my memory and I didn't like the energy of the place.  And I think I remembered every bad thing I heard about the town after that. The most recent was the perverted goings on amongst the local rugby team.

So I had a few prejudices to get over.  I know I went silent on the topic of my daughter's future, thinking it best to keep my dark thoughts to myself.  It takes me a while to sort out some thoughts and emotions but eventually I got over it and determined to look at the town through new glasses.

I like it's old buildings and how they have been cared for and restored.  This one is called the Shoe Store Building, a Category II heritage listing, so I guess that's what it was for many years.

It's a picturesque town with Mt Taranaki providing the backdrop.  I think the building on the right is the old hotel, maybe it is still an hotel, don't know.  The low building on it's right, can't remember it's name Mc something, is a very good cafe, good coffee, good food. 

I don't like the railway line cutting through the town, the level crossing putting the kink into SH3 as it passes through.  SH3A follows the lines to the crossing, turns right to cross it, on the other side meets SH3,  then turns left again as part of SH3 and follow it on the other side of the tracks.

You know me, I had to check out the churches.  I've already posted shots of two of the town's churches.  These are in the surrounding area.

This fellow was keeping the grass down around the back of the church.  I watched as he approached the electric fence, lifted his head, stretched his neck, then gingerly leaned down to nibble on the grass on the other side.   The grass is always greener?  Smart horses at Tarata.

 Holy Trinity Anglican Church, founded 1845, in New Plymouth

St Marks, Lepperton

The only unlocked churches I found were in Inglewood and the tiny church at Kaimata.  Whenever I come across a locked church I hold my camera up to a window so I can get a peek of the inside.  On future visits to Justine I must see if I can get into St Marks.  I thought it looked quite lovely despite the dust motes, or maybe because of them.  

Isn't this just the cutest little church?  It has a prominent position on SH45, otherwise known as the Surf Highway.  It is St John's at Omata and is registered with the NZ Historic Places Trust. 

FSO - weather

The day to day meteorological conditions, esp temperature, cloudiness, and rainfall, affecting a specific place. 

The specific place I've been this past week is in Tarannaki which is way south of where I live.  To me the weather here is all about the mountain, beautiful Mt Taranaki, whether I can see it or not.  The locals have a saying which is something like, "If you can see the mountain, it's not raining."  That proved true for the first four days I was here, then when it did come out to play there was a jolly cloud hanging around that simply would not go away.  I hope these photos don't take too long to download, can't figure out how to reduce them on my son-in-law's computer.

The cloud is lifting:

Just a little wisp left:

Then finally, at the end of day 6, just before dark, there he is in all its beauty.  We know he is a he because of this beautiful legend.

In Māori legend, Taranaki is a mountain being that lived peacefully for many centuries in the centre of New Zealand's North Island with three other mountains, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu.

Nearby stood Mount Pihanga. Covered in a cloak of deep green forest she presented a stunning sight and all the mountain gods were in love with her.

Taranaki dared to make advances to Pihanga and was reproached by Tongariro and a mighty battle ensued between them. The earth shook and the sky became dark as the mountains belched forth their anger. When the battle ended the lovely Pihanga stood close by Tongariro's side. Taranaki, wild with grief and jealously, angrily wrenched his roots from the ground and left the other mountains.

Weeping, he plunged towards the setting sun, gouging out a deep wide trench. When he reached the sea he turned north and stumbled up the coast. As he slept that night the Pouakai Ranges snared and trapped Taranaki in the place he now rests.

The next day a stream of clear water sprang from the side of Tongariro. It flowed down the deep scar Taranaki had left on his journey to the coast to form the Whanganui River.

There are those who say that Taranaki is silently brooding and will one day try to return inland again to fight Tongariro. Consequently many Māori were wary of living in the area between the mountains.

Love that legend and personally think little Mount Pihanga needed her head read, she should have just run off with Taranaki rather than causing all that trouble.  Then again, maybe she enjoyed the attention.

This one was on the camera, my mountains up north, taken weekend before last from the back of the farm as I turned to head for home and realized there was rain in the mountains and that I'd probably get wet before I made it home.  (I didn't, my daughter-in-law happened along on the farm quad and gave me a lift.)  I got a couple of good storm shots last weekend but, in my first effort to download on to this computer, deleted them.  Ahh well.

I haven't had time to visit everyone from last week's shoot out yet but I will get around everyone when I get back home.  Meanwhile, check out the weather from the rest of the team.