Another Week in Paradise

 

We are enjoying our new life up here in Northland.

On Monday, Nita (She's our boss) and I went to get the groceries for the shop that she opens during December and January. We were in PaknSave for 4 hours! I have never been in a supermarket for that long before. I was really tired when we got home again.

Eddie and another regular camper here, have painted the toilet block this week and it looks really nice now. Nice and fresh for the new season.

We have noticed helicopters a lot lately and we wondered what they were doing. On the radio today we heard the explanation. They are checking the high tension power lines for damage. Who knew they did that.

The weather has been very sunny, but it is raining today, which we can really do with. There are about 14 citrus trees here and they are really struggling with the dry weather and dropping their fruit. I am going to get them some fertilizer this week and get them mulched before the summer really hits. This nice rain is just what we needed.  

Nita bought 4 more bags of compost for it last week. It wasn't until I opened the 3^rd one that I realized it was potting mix. Too funny. The radishes are starting to pop through the ground. Always exciting when seeds appear.

The drinks arrived today for the shop. Nita wasn't expecting them until 2 30, but they arrived at 12 30. Eddie and I went down and helped them unload. We got back to the caravan just as the heavy rain started. 

This week's update

 

Here we are trucking along in our new life and enjoying ourselves, thank you very much. I think that because we don't work all day, but do bits here and there, it isn't too much of an effort.

It rained most of last Thursday, so Eddie didn't get the lawns started. He started them on Saturday and did some on Sunday. I know! A Sunday! He got them finished on Monday, before the thunder storms later in the afternoon. I was in the gardens listening to it rolling around the hills. The birds kept singing, so I decided it wasn't going to rain at that time and kept working. It did rain, but not until all the outside jobs were done. This week was lovely and sunny, so the lawns were finished in 2 days. 

Nita ( our boss) bought 4 more bags of compost for the vegie garden. I have been putting our scraps into it and also seaweed from the beach. I hope to get some plants in next week.

 Nita has 3 dogs. 2 Jack Russells called Minty and Benny. They are brother and sister. The German Shepard is called Shaka. (Not too sure of the spelling). They have adopted us as an Aunty and Uncle. When Nita goes out, they come and hang out with us. It's like having grandchildren, all the fun and no responsibility. 

We took Shaka to the beach on Saturday, when we went to feed the crabs. Not a single nibble from a fish, but the bait all disappeared, so I guess the crabs were happy. Eddie threw a stick into the sea for Shaka to retrieve, which he did. Then he wouldn't give it back, but dug a hole and buried it. Funny dog.  

On Sunday we went to Urquhart Bay, which is on the way to Ocean Beach at the Whangarei heads. Ocean beach was busy and as Eddie wanted to fish, we went back a bit to a quieter bay with a little wharf. No fish again, but a pleasant day out.

There are lots of quails here. They all have their babies just now. They are like large, fluffy walnuts on legs. They can run pretty fast for such short legs. Nita has put out some old bread for them, but no one has told the sparrows who it is for. The quails are going to be lucky to get any. In the end the seagulls got the lot. greedy lot.

The photos are of Urquhart bay; a logging ship that came in while we were there and Mt Manaia with it's amazing cliff faces, which I think must be the result of volcanic activity back in the early days on New Zealand's development.

Getting into work

 

It's funny how you can be busy and relaxed all at the same time, but that is how we feel working here. Our boss is so easy to work for. It's nice not needing an alarm to get up to as well.

Eddie worked on Saturday (practically unheard of) and we had Sunday off. We went to the estuary and collected some cockles. Eddie couldn't find any pipi which is what he really went for. He is going to have to find a local to talk too.

Eddie found a vege garden near to where we are parked. It belonged to Nita's mother. Nita  is our boss and her mother lived in a cabin here in the park. She must have been a keen gardener,  as it is quite big. It was quite weedy. I have never seen so much parsley in one place. Most of it has gone now. There is a lot of mint too. We had some rhubarb for dessert a couple of nights ago and that was rather nice. We haven't had any for ages.

There is also a passion fruit vine growing and some garlic that someone planted. It is in need of a lot of compost as the soil is very sandy. There was not a worm in sight. On Tuesday we bought 4 bags of compost and I spread it out yesterday. The garlic is very small, as it hasn't had a lot of feeding. I don't expect it will be a good crop as it is getting close to it's harvest time. It is pouring with rain today, so getting the compost on was good timing. Next week I hope to get some veges going. 

Nita's sister and her family are here this week cleaning up the takeaway kitchen ready for when they do takeaways over the summer holiday. 

Next week Nita is going to get the groceries for the shop and I will go in to town with her to help. Then it will be putting it on the shelf and pricing it all.

Eddie got all the lawns done on Monday and Tuesday. He quite enjoyed himself. zipping about on the mower.  His old Swap work shirts have come in handy as work clothes here ha ha.

On Monday, I worked in the gardens at the top of the park. As you can see by the view, it is a very popular place for campers to park up their tents and caravans.