Later that night

I went straight to sleep and stayed that way for three and a half hours, but then woke up far too hot, woke again two or three times still very warm, but didn't put on the A/C because I worried it might be too cold for Mum.
27/1/10

Up at 7am to another lovely morning. Yesterday we had decided to take a walk this morning and to visit Hamilton Gardens this afternoon. We breakfasted and dressed and set off at 7.50am up the road towards Maungakawa Scenic Reserve. Fran had said it wasn't far and there is a marvellous view from the top. We decided to walk up in the cool morning air and come back for lunch, then go on to Hamilton this afternoon. It was wonderful walking before the sun got up but (of course) it was a lot further than we had at first thought. We had taken some water, something to cover up with, the new hats and the camera. Fran had said just follow the road to the end and then the view point is another 100 metres up a track from there. Well it is now obvious that he has never walked it. It took us two hours to the top. It starts fairly flat from Liz's, becomes undulating and from about half way it goes from steep to very steep. The view from the top is amazing but the walk up has many marvellous views too. We both kept saying 'wow! look at that'
The top is a park made out of the grounds of an old sanatorium. There is a bit of it left, but not much. We got there about 10am and sat and marvelled, partly at the view, partly at the fact we had made it!

It was very hot in the sun and on the way up I had spotted a trail down through the forest so we decide to return that way. It was like being in the temperate rainforest zone at the Eden Project, all tree ferns and llianas.
Because there had been heavy rain last night the trail was wet but not soaking. If you grabbed at a lliana to save yourself from slipping you were rewarded with a shower. We rejoined the road after half an hour or forty minutes and started to walk back down. It was getting hotter. There were the biggest trees I have ever seen and a lone cockerel crowing in the forest. It was clear how the vegetation changed with the height of the land. The walk back was long and tedious mainly due to the very hot sun and lack of shade. We arrived back at Liz and Jim's at 12.04pm and sank thankfully into a chair. Shoes off and both doors open. I had a shower to cool down, then we had cheese and biscuits for lunch and scrubbed out the visit to Hamilton Gardens:- Mother was too tired, but then again she is 75 in a couple of days. I didn't feel too bad after the shower and food but I had developed a blister or two where my sandal strap had rubbed. We had a lazy afternoon sitting around and reading. Francis turned up on his way home from work and stayed about half an hour. We had a drink and went to bed early.

Still the first day.

Back to Fran & Di's. Thought I would go back in to Cambridge for some bits and bobs, I still need to get a simcard for NZ on a pay as you go because my phone is routing all my calls back to the UK even when I am phoning Fran in the next street. Pricey.
But first Mum and I went back to Liz's, just to check I would be able to get there in the dark while it was still light. We managed; only got lost twice, so that wasn't too bad. We popped in to the annex to pick something up, and then went back to Cambridge. Didn't time it just right. Got there at 5pm when most places were closing up. Had a bit of a wander, managed to get a sim card from an electrical store, you have to pay for them here, culture shock! Then we had a few fun minutes buying sun hats from the chemist's, always a laugh trying on hats. We tried to buy postcards from a small general store but the lady who worked there didn't know what a postcard was, and we couldn't explain it to her either, so I got a bag of sweets for 50c and Mum bought a birthday card for Jonny. (Another one, she already had one)

Ambled back to the car and found our way back to Fran's. Di made us a dinner for tea, eight of us. It was lovely. I didn't have a glass of wine because I had to drive back. The most marvellous thunderstorm started while we were eating and it went on and on. It was still throwing it down when we set off back at 8.45 pm. We'd had to leave because I was suddenly very tired. When we got back I went straight to bed, Mum stayed up for a bit, and it kept on raining.

1st day 26/1/10 (I think!)

Awoke at 7 am New Zealand time. My brain must have seen the sunshine whilst I slept and re-configured my time sense. So here we are in the middle of nowhere, in a very nice new annex to a new house on a mixed day weather wise. Looks like it has rained a little overnight, somewhat cloudy now and the humidity is rising. None of my clothes fit me because I am a fat bob. Had tea and toast for breakfast, because Liz had very kindly left us tea, coffee, milk, bread and butter.
Hired a car for 10 days for $636NZ.
Bit of a wasted day today. Up at 7 and into the shower, then breakfast (toast & smoke alarm). Francis picked us up about 10 and we went into town to his house. It is a really lovely house and garden, they have a small swimming pool and two dogs. Diane's mother and my neice Charlotte were there when we arrived & were going shopping. Fran decided that Mum & I should hire a car, so he went on the internet and found somewhere in Hamilton at a reasonable price and I now have a Toyota Echo (Yaris) until 6/2/10 which is Jonathan's, (my nephew), 21st birthday. Diane, Charlotte and Mum went to get some shopping and Fran and I were going to get the car, but we couldn't go because Vince, (Diane's father), had taken her car to play golf and Diane took Fran's to shop. So I ended up waiting for Vince to come back; I would have rather gone shopping. However Vince didn't turn up, so Fran made me a sandwich. Vince eventually arrived. His golf had been held up by the heavy showers. At the same time Mum, Diane and Charlotte came back with the shopping. We all mucked in to empty the car and then Fran & I set out to pick up the hire car. On the way we went back to Liz's to drop off the shopping & put it in the fridge. Picked up the car & paid. Luckily it is a manual gear box. In NZ automatics are more common, but I wasn't sure I would be able to drive one.