A trip to Ngunguru

 

We have had a few campers in over ANZAC weekend. The weather was cooler and a bit damp at times, but they all seem happy. A few went swimming too. We haven't been for a while, but apparently it is quite nice still. A hardy lot.

There are still a few monarch butterflies flitting about the place.

The rafter that goes from the caravan to the edge of the awning keeps falling down, so Eddie did his best “MacGyver” act and fixed it. Now it will stay in place.

We have lots of wasps nests around the place at the moment. With help of some campers Eddie found one of them and poured in some diesel. There was one in the eaves at the office, so Nita and Eddie dealt to that one a couple of nights ago. The next day they sealed up the holes, so they couldn't get out or in. There are still a few trying to go home 3 days later. We hope they will give up soon and go away. It is tricky to find the entrance to the nest. Sometimes it is in the ground and other times inside something. We would like to get them all before next summer.

The photo is of a kereru on a power line. Not a sight that we see too often. There are 2 of them. I think they might be a pair. They have been enjoying the guavas from the trees in the park. We have been eating them too. They are a bit like lollies and nice to snack on, but with more health benefits than a lolly.

Kereru (wood pigeon) 

It is very wet today, so Eddie's lawnmowing has been put on hold for the day. He got half way through yesterday afternoon. With luck he will get them done tomorrow. The grass is s growing well, so they still have to be mowed regularly.

On Tuesday we went to Ngunguru, which is about 26 Ks east of Whangarei. We followed the GPS, over Mt Tiger Rd, which was lovely drive with great views out towards the sea and the hills. We came to a road that was closed due to a culvert repair. We kept going, expecting to see another left hand turn to take, but no. In the end we turned around and went back the way we had come. We drove into Whangarei and went to Ngunguru from there. My cousin and her husband are staying there in their van for a while. Eddie and Russell went fishing, but they didn't catch anything. Adele and I had a nice walk around the village. 

It was a quicker trip coming home than going, but not such an adventure.

Ngunguru Estuary

Busy Easter

 We are good and keeping busy at the camping ground. Easter weekend was busy of course. The weather deteriorated on Thursday. We had a heavy rain warning for Northland for Thursday and they weren't wrong. It started in the afternoon and has finally stopped on Saturday. It was very windy too, so there are lots of tree branches for Eddie to pick up over the next few days. There is always something to do around the place.

The weather is still a bit wet and windy, but not as bad as it was over Easter. We have a few hardy campers coming for the school holidays.

Eddie had to go to a campsite 3 times on Easter Saturday as a  group of young campers were causing a disturbance. At one point they were riding around on a little motor scooter, after quite a few drinks. Not that good an idea! After the 3rd time, Eddie told them if he has to come back again, they would be packing up there and then. At least one of them came and apologized to Eddie in the morning, so that was nice.

We have a new booking in system, that we had to learn in time for Easter. It nearly drove us to distraction, but we have pretty much mastered it and not to many mistakes were made over the weekend.

Vege garden is going well and we are eating lettuces and spinach. I pulled the first beetroot yesterday. I think the quails are partaking of my spring onions as they aren't growing very well and have a nibbled look about them. I am going to see if coffee grounds put them off. Luckily they have coffee here on long weekends, so I have spread the grounds around today and we will see what happens.

I had to go to Wellington the weekend before Easter. My parents have moved from their apartment to the hospital wing of the rest home they are in. My brothers and I cleaned out the apartment and organized the hospice people to come and take it all away. They were supposed to come last Tuesday, but came on Monday instead, so my brother wasn't there to meet them. Now the serviced apartment area is closed due to covid, so no visitors. I guess they will get there eventually. Hopefully Saturday.

Dad got taken to hospital to have a blood transfusion. They put him and Mum into isolation when he got back and the day before they were due to be released they tested positive to covid. Fancy going to hospital and coming home sicker than when you went! They haven't been very sick and will be pleased to be out of their room tomorrow, if all goes well. Dad has cabin fever. He likes to go for walkabouts around the place. I'm afraid his memory isn't what it was and he doesn't always know who is who, but he knows he likes going for a walk.