Manawaroa Park in Palmerston
North
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| We travelled to Palmerston North and again the weather was not great we found the Holiday park and settled in. Fergus had another person here that we were told to phone and get in touch with. Her name is Pat and she is a cousin of Geri’s in Auckland. We phoned Pat and she was delighted to hear from us. In fact she knew all about us and had been kept informed by Geri as to what we were up to. We arranged for her to pick us up and for all of us to go and have lunch out on Saturday. It was a fantastic experience to meet Pat. She is a doctor of German Language and Literature and has lived in Switzerland and Germany for around 13 years. We had so much in common with her and got on like a house on fire. |
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 Thousands of roses in Manawaroa Park |
On Sunday Pat took us out in her car to visit a beautiful Nature reserve, called Mount Bruce. It sort of drizzled all day but we had such a great time we hardly noticed. The park specializes in native New Zealand birds and is involved in various breeding and preservation projects. The reserve is set in the native bush and is full of different large aviaries. Pat was very knowledgeable about the different birds. |
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Our visit started off with seeing the eels and the feeding of them from a bridge. We got there in good time and the eels were ready and waiting too. One of the staff came with a bucket of special food for the eels. The fantails also lined up on the bridge as the activity stirs up all the insects in the area and so they get to have a feed too. The lady told us about the lives of the eels and it was all very interesting. |  |
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Then it was time
to feed the humans and we enjoyed a warm pumpkin soup with bread and
butter. After lunch we explored the park properly and tried to find and
spot the birds in the different aviaries. My favourite was the wild
parrots (North Island Kakas). These were in an open space of grass, which
was surrounded by very large trees and special feeding stations. It was
getting to 3pm and the birds swooped down from the trees onto the feeding
stations and then off again into the trees. It was great to see them at
such close quarters and there must have been about 26 to 30 birds. They
have dark ready orangey plumage, very big beaks and shrieking voices. Then
the feeding started. And the birds were free to come and go. They hold
their foot with one foot while balancing on the other. The foot is used
almost like a hand and it was great to be able to watch them eat.
<------ Four Kaka in the trees. |
| Then we went
into the Kiwi House, which is kept dark in the day and lit at night. Kiwis
are the national birds, flightless and nocturnal. We were in the enclosure
for quite some time keeping quiet and still. Eventually we got rewarded
and saw two of the birds walking by and pecking their very long thin and
slightly curved beaks, pecking into the ground, searching for grubs in the
forest floor. This is the first time that I have actually seen a live
Kiwi. We have visited a Kiwi house before but did not see any Kiwi.
Time just run away and we had to start our drive back. The sun started to come out and then it rained again. This happens quite often and then we get the most wonderful rainbows. Perfect to crown a lovely day. We arrived back in Palmerston North and after bit of shopping Pat joined us for dinner in our motorhome. A very nice weekend and the last before we get to our new home. |
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 Wind-farm in the clouds as we enter the Manawatu Gorge |
On Monday
we explored the city and I went for a swim and a steam. Then Pat phoned
and asked us to go and have dinner at her home. We had such a great time
with her and it will be lovely to have her as a new friend.
On Tuesday it was finally time to return to Waipawa and our new home. This meant crossing through the mountain ranges via the Manawatu Gorge. The plan was to go to the Holiday Park in Waipawa, but Murray would not hear of it and so instead we reported at 1:15pm at Murray’s house. We were so excited and could scarcely believe our luck. Helen had got the granny flat ready for us but was out for the afternoon. Murray told us to select which-ever furniture we wanted and move the rest out into the garage. It was a beautifully sunny afternoon and we started nesting. Such a nice feeling and our belongings would come on the Thursday. Wednesday it rained again but it did not matter and we carried on sorting things out. |
| On
Thursday the truck arrived just before 10am and lots of boxes got unloaded
while the two deliverymen had an endless banter with each other. I made
tea and coffee and a few hours later all was unloaded and the unpacking
could begin.
We have been doing a lot of that since that Thursday and our little home is taking shape. What a difference it makes to have ones own things around again. Pictures on the wall and table lamps all with new pugs on them, cleaned and nicely placed around the room. Then the next excitement was a letter from my dad and a greeting card in our new Post box. Our new house ------> |
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Then we
did a shopping trip into Hastings buying the things we really needed, like
a bathroom cabinet, new light fittings and shades and glasses as the wine
glasses did not survive the journey to New Zealand.
We were told about the Waipawa Theatre company and their newest show was about to be shown. "Les Miserable". Helen and Murray were going with a group of friends. There were just 2 tickets left so we bought them. The show was fantastic. Well produced, great costumes and scenery. The man who played the lead roll was memorable. A wonderful performance and amazing to think such a production could be produced out of a town with only 2000 inhabitants. Brilliant! |
| Then the latest a addition to our new home is a black kitten with very blue eyes. Fergus found him in the Tractor shed and he seems barely 3 weeks old. He has a good bite as we both got bitten before we could get him safely into a box. Fergus’s cooking won the day. Fergus had some chicken left over from the chicken soup he had lovingly cooked a day or so ago. We hand fed him with small bits of cooked chicken and he munched away eagerly. Then he settled in the his box and we left him in piece for a bit. Two hours later he was eager to explore his new world and it was time to try out some bonding. Fergus went off to Waipawa to do a bit of shopping for the weekend and I lay on the floor trying to make friends with Walter Mitty as he is now called. It did not take very long before Walter came out from under the bed and started sniffing my fingers and my hand. The investigation went on up my arm and he snuggled into my arm which was covered by a lovely warm fleece. Eventually he settled by my head and neck and went back to sleep. We lay there peacefully until Fergus returned. |
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We tried him out
on a bit of Kitten Whiskas food and Walter consumed it eagerly. Helen made
us a dirt tray out of an old oven tray and filled it with newspaper and
earth. Potty training can begin in earnest! Walter spent the afternoon on
Fergus’s warm lap and we realized that when we put him down he started
to cry out. So I had an idea. I have a pyjama top with a large front
pocket, just a bit like a pouch. So I changed into that and placed Walter
in the pocket. He settled immediately and I could carry on writing and
doing bits and pieces around the flat.
We did wonder how we would get through the night, as I obviously could not sleep with him. I found a polystyrene box, which was conveniently hollowed out to accommodate one of the new ceiling lights we bought. I took my top off and placed it carefully with Walter in it in the box and hey presto it worked. The polystyrene works well for insulation and the hollow made him feel safe and secure in my nightly pouch. In fact he slept all the way through the night and did not stir until 8:30 am. It looks as if Walter Mitten will settle and we will take him to the vet to have him checked out just to make sure he is OK…. |
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We have truly started a
brand new life and so far it is wonderful. Helen and Murray are so kind,
helpful and friendly and it feels like we are already very good friends…
To my surprise when I went into Waipawa, to book an electrician to come to check out the wiring for a stove in our flat, I found out that all sorts of other people follow this travelogue. So if any of you reading this log and who have never met us, it would be nice if you dropped us an email and you introduced yourself. It would be fantastic to know why our lives are of interest to you and why you read our log…So please contact us by email! Some of our neighbours ------> |
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