Wairarapa, Wellington and model Yachts.

On the Saturday before Easter we set off from Whangamata to do the trip round the Wairarapa we had planned for late January. Our first stop was at Waihi Beach to collect a jacket left behind, and then on to Napier. After spending the night in the RSA car park we headed off down the east coast of Southern Hawkes Bay. As I have noted before the countryside has a unique feel to it with rolling hills and deep valleys. The poplar trees on the radside were turning golden and there were many postcard scenes. As is our normal practice on these sorts of trips we took most of the roads to the coast and took tea or meals at: Porangahau, Herbertville and Owhanga before stoping for the night at Castlepoint. On the way we stopped for a photo opportunity at Taumatawhakatangihangakaouauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu. From Alfredton we spent some 20 odd kilometres on a windy metal road. This reminded me of the roads of my youth - corrugations and dust! Castlepoint is a fascinating place with fishing boats pulled up on the beach on massive trailers with 10 metre drawbars. The motor camp was expensive! We woke to an awesome sunrise which I managed to successfully photograph. On Monday we drove to Riversdale beach for morning tea and then to Lake Ferry for lunch. In the afternoon we proceded round to Cape Palliser lighthouse. There are 249 steps up to the tower with no landings. I am happy to report that we both made it. We had planned to spend the night at a Park Over Property near Ngawi, but missed it and stopped instead at a DOC camp at the Pinnacles. This coast is really wild and inhospitable to boaties. Next morning we went down the other side of the lake at Lake Ferry to Ocean Beach ( how many of them are there?), where there is a massive retreat building set back in the shade of the Rimutaka Ranges. From there we drove in to Featherston to look at a kayak for Lorna. The RD1 shop did not have any in stock so we reserved one at Levin to collect on the way out a week later. After a night at Hutt Park we motored over to Worser Bay where I was chief measurer for the Optimist National Championships which ran until the following Tuesday. It still gives me a thrill to see 250 children aged from 9 t0 14 sailing their boats so well.

When the contest was over we set out at 6 pm and drove to Lindale Motor Park where we have stayed before. On the Wednesday we set oour reasonably early, collected Lorna's kayak and were on the road home by 8.30. lunch at Taupo saw us back in Whangamata at 5.45.

After a day of washing and sorting out the bus we were back on the road on Friday to be in Auckland where I was race officer for the One Metre National Championships. We stayed at John and Karen Omeara's place in Manrewa. But first we spent the afternoon with Phil, Erin, Zoe and the twins. Those who are interested will be pleased to know that the boys are getting on famously. The parents are struggling to get enough sleep. We assure them that this will pass and better times are coming! Then it was back here to Whangamata where I am still waiting for the person who is preparing my engineering report for the soak hole (which is alredy in.) The carpet is down and I am now building shelves in the linen cupboard and hot water cupboard.