Beach Hop 08
Since I last wrote we have said farewell to Nelson and driven 2,400 kilometres in a week. We drove to Timaru and spent a night with Jon and Gaya Olds. Jon produced bottle of rum which shrank during the evening. The next morning we travelled on to Dunedin to spend some time with Beth and Lewis. The days were occupied talking and during the evenings we played card and Rumikub. (must get a set) On Wednesday morning we set out from Dunedin at 5am and drove as far as we could. We finished up at the Blenheim racecourse. We stopped for afternoon at The Mainline Cafe just south of Cheviot. This is a place really worth a visit. Disembarking from the boat at 12.30 we motored on up to Rotorua where we spent the night at the CT club. Morning tea at Grace’s had us back in Whangamata for lunch.
A couple of days to clear out the trailer and wash the road grime off vehicles and bodies and then on up to Auckland. The family reunion dinner was most enjoyable and then Grandad was able to spend time with Zoe over the week.
The following Friday it was back to Whangamata for some R&R before Beach Hop 08
The last of the visitors left this morning. Over the last week I have had seven visitors in a variety of motor homes at Whangamata. Two of them only stayed for one night. Three of the others, who came on Wednesday, had been here last year. Another one in a 1958 Bedford Bus came on Friday night and left Sunday morning. Friday and Saturday afternoons we had a very successful “happy hour” in the shed. It was so good that one of the visitors felt that her legs were somewhat out of control later that evening. Each evening we went next door to the RSA and partook of the entertainment. On the last night we had a couple stay over in a 1930s “Junior” Chevvy). There was a band and visiting rock and roll dancers. It was very easy to sit on a stool and enjoy the action. My knee is preventing me from dancing but I promise I will be up and boogying next year. The whole Beach Hop event is huge. There were 1400 vehicles entered. On Friday morning I stood at the end of our road and watched about a thousand of them drive past. The oldest I saw was a 1924 Cadillac and the newest a 2007 Mustang. There were 50s and 60s American cars to drool over – even an Edsel. Low riders were jacking their suspensions up and down and many of the occupants were in costume depicting the years of the cars. On Saturday morning we tried to walk down town! All the parking in the main street and in the centre of the road was taken up with cars on display and stages with rock and roll bands. The whole place was neck deep in bodies and Lorna was unable to see much. At intervals the organisers put on a “crackle fest” where they fired up a couple of dragsters to make as loud a noise as possible. During the evening show Elvis impersonator Brian Childs was stopped in his tracks when a couple of women in the audience tossed him bras. If it was staged it brought the house down.
After three years we have retrieved our car from Carolyn. She has bought one of her own – a Peugeot 306. This means that Lorna can drive up to Auckland on Monday and back on Friday. She left this morning at 6.40 and arrived at work at 9.15.
I went to the doctor this morning and he has referred me to an orthopaedic surgeon to have my knee replaced. I will keep you informed.
A couple of days to clear out the trailer and wash the road grime off vehicles and bodies and then on up to Auckland. The family reunion dinner was most enjoyable and then Grandad was able to spend time with Zoe over the week.
The following Friday it was back to Whangamata for some R&R before Beach Hop 08
The last of the visitors left this morning. Over the last week I have had seven visitors in a variety of motor homes at Whangamata. Two of them only stayed for one night. Three of the others, who came on Wednesday, had been here last year. Another one in a 1958 Bedford Bus came on Friday night and left Sunday morning. Friday and Saturday afternoons we had a very successful “happy hour” in the shed. It was so good that one of the visitors felt that her legs were somewhat out of control later that evening. Each evening we went next door to the RSA and partook of the entertainment. On the last night we had a couple stay over in a 1930s “Junior” Chevvy). There was a band and visiting rock and roll dancers. It was very easy to sit on a stool and enjoy the action. My knee is preventing me from dancing but I promise I will be up and boogying next year. The whole Beach Hop event is huge. There were 1400 vehicles entered. On Friday morning I stood at the end of our road and watched about a thousand of them drive past. The oldest I saw was a 1924 Cadillac and the newest a 2007 Mustang. There were 50s and 60s American cars to drool over – even an Edsel. Low riders were jacking their suspensions up and down and many of the occupants were in costume depicting the years of the cars. On Saturday morning we tried to walk down town! All the parking in the main street and in the centre of the road was taken up with cars on display and stages with rock and roll bands. The whole place was neck deep in bodies and Lorna was unable to see much. At intervals the organisers put on a “crackle fest” where they fired up a couple of dragsters to make as loud a noise as possible. During the evening show Elvis impersonator Brian Childs was stopped in his tracks when a couple of women in the audience tossed him bras. If it was staged it brought the house down.
After three years we have retrieved our car from Carolyn. She has bought one of her own – a Peugeot 306. This means that Lorna can drive up to Auckland on Monday and back on Friday. She left this morning at 6.40 and arrived at work at 9.15.
I went to the doctor this morning and he has referred me to an orthopaedic surgeon to have my knee replaced. I will keep you informed.
posted by Mike and Lorna @ 9:46 PM
1 Comments:
sounds like you had a great weekend. Zoe misses you and Grandma too - she kept asking where Grandma was the first few nights that Phil came home without her!
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