What a shrink wrapped train? –Yeah Right!

What to do on an indifferent sort of weather day. Get out the Gold Card and go for a trip of course. A car ride down to Waikanae to catch the train into Wellington for starters. These new Matangi Electric units are certainly swish and a match to anything we travelled on in the UK.

So realistic. From the movie "The Hobbit".

Passing through Paekakariki where the steam preservation group “Steam Incorporated” are based we got a fleeting glimpse of a carriage painted blue covered in plastic. A mental note was made to have a closer look on the return journey. Approaching Wellington the weather changed for the worst with rain showers.

Gandolf in flight.

Arriving in Wellington it was across the road to McCafe for a bite to eat before we caught the bus out to the airport. We were not planning on flying away but wanted to view Peter Jackson’s giant eagles/birds for the Hobbit movie. Gigantic and realistic is the only way to describe them. Mooching around the airport terminal for half an hour and then it was back on the bus to the railway station.

The closeup of Gandolf in flight.Gollum fishing for his tea. You can visualise how large by the size of the mere mortals underneath.

On the return train trip were better able to view the mystery blue carriages wrapped in plastic. They were in fact a pair of the recently retired English Electric unit’s circa 1938. Unfortunately they were a modified pair with twin headlights unlike the original huge single headlight. Why the colour blue and the  plastic wrapping, I  can only assume it was protection from the weather as the sheds are probably already full of other rolling stock.

Wishing Well!

New garden addition! Will we be asked to move it?

What a lovely birthday present which now adorns our front garden. Just trying to cover up the manhole.

He’s dead Jim!

Oh no, after a weekend away recently we returned home and my computer immediately did a Microsoft update.  The dreaded blue screen kept appearing after the screen froze and then restarted.  Now here’s me blaming them and after several different attempts to correct the problem, it was obvious I was getting no where. Despite the picture we don’t suspect Google Chrome.

Time to call in the computer expert my son Brent.  Christmas day was spent trying to resolve the problem between times celebrating with Christmas Dinner (New Zealand style BBQ).

After several hours work and changing the hard drive and memory to no avail, the decision was made that it had to be a hardware and not software issue.

Just out of warranty of course, but here in New Zealand the Consumer Guarantees Act should cover such a problem, we hope, time will tell.

Luckily we still have the old computer I bought for his lordship in the UK so a quick sort out of the software required and we haven’t lost too much.  Luckily I managed to backup all the files, photos and whatever before it was too late.                         

Merry Christmas

To all our followers, family and friends we wish you a Merry Christmas.

It’s my turn now!

Happy Birthday to me.  Yes it was, my long overdue 21st birthday party.   Well we can dream can;t we?

Our wonderful friend Sandra decided that as Dot was not in the habit of birthday parties, this year I would have a BBQ at the farm.  Wow was it wonderful, surrounded by several of our new neighbours and friends, I am not used to all the fuss.  I think I might have another 21st again.

Multiply the candles by 7 - Yeah right

For my birthday Derek bought me a small something for my garden.  A photo will follow.

Birthday Boy chooses Lunch Venue!

Today we were heading home from our stay in Tongariro where we were also visited by our friends Jenny and Robin. This photo of us both surprised me as to how much like my sister I am.

Driving along route 46 Mt Tongariro was still belching steam high into the air from several different sites.  This has been intermittent since the eruption last year from the thought extinct volcano. It now has monitoring equipment set up as a warning system due to its proximity to the world famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing.  

Mt Ruapehu still has snow despite the warm weather

The plan was to stop for lunch at a venue of the Birthday Boy’s choosing. Well we stopped alright. Only to be met by the Proprietor that the Council had arranged a compulsory food seminar so it was early closing.  Sorry.

Lunch venue - Yeah rightJust looking for a break in the traffic!I didn't know there were Giraffes in Mangaweka!

Not to be outdone it was on to Hunterville for second choice.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRACEY

We wont say which big one it is.  Sorry we cant be with you.  Hope you can enjoy your birthday present soon.

Those were the days!