Yesterday took a surprising turn when the friend we drove to Rotorua with, also at Deb's conference, went to hospital with chest pains in what may well be a heart attack. She stayed in overnight and we're waiting to find out if she'll be coming home with us today.
Ohhhh, folks on the Waikawa Beach Facebook group have been posting spectacular aurora photos … and I'm away up north. Darn!
Made it to Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Valley.
My plan for today is to visit Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, a 30 minute drive away. I'm having trouble getting started on the day though …
In Rotorua the National Kiwi Hatchery is totally worth a visit. Kiwi are nocturnal so taking photos of live birds is forbidden. These taxidermied chicks in a display case with life-size egg have to do for photos.
The recently redeveloped Rotorua lakefront area is 💯
Such a beautiful space with walkways above and around the lake, native plants, rock, tiers of smooth and rough concrete, tiered gardens full of native plants, little bays, geese and swans, a huge playground for kids with amazing play gear.
Deb and I are in Rotorua for her to attend a conference and me to lounge about sightseeing. Staying at a fairly fancy hotel (Novotel) with its own free thermal spa pools. A lovely way to warm up before bed.
Lake Taupō from the car as we whistled past on the way to Rotorua on our first road trip with the EV. 🚗
Our range anxiety
was allayed with charging stops at Mangaweka, where we had lunch and Taupō where we had desserts at an excellent bar called Plateau.
Around 0720 a fuel tanker rolled a few Km north of Waikawa Beach. In spite of detours, that effectively closed the road so traffic north and south has been a nightmare all day.
It's taking Deb ~3.5 hours to get home from Wellington (a 1.25 hour trip) because of backed up traffic. Photo from FB.
Persistence finally paid off. In about 15 minutes this morning, between about 0545 and 0600, I saw 10 meteors from the Eta Aquariids — two streaks and 8 flashes.
It was very moreish, but also very cold and a cup of tea was calling…
I found Cliff Diver: A Detective Emilia Cruz Novel by Carmen Amato to be a tough read. 📚
The setting is drug cartels, police and official corruption, sexual assault and other grim crimes.
I found myself reading only in the day, saving something more anodyne for before bed. Probably won't read more.
Today's beach find: this fishing hook with 3 rusty barbs. It was tangled in some weed just waiting for a horse, dog or barefoot kid to step on it. Hooray for my trusty Swiss Army knife to help remove it from the ball of weed.
OK Pacific Wave Appreciation Society — some gentle Waikawa Beach waves to start the day. 🌊
North Yorkshire Council to phase out apostrophe use on street signs:
"I think we should be using apostrophes.
"If you start losing things like that then everything goes downhill doesn't it?"
Love it! Those nebulous and un-pin-down-able things
will go downhill without apostrophes. Runaway S
es! 😆
Solving a 30 year old cold case is actually very hard — Murder in the Parish (DI Hillary Greene Book 20) by Faith Martin 📚:
Thirty years ago, two days before Christmas, the much-loved Reverend Keith Coltrane was hit over the head and left to die inside his own church. The killer was never caught.
Another enjoyable read in the series — Malice in Tarnished Spaces: (The Pegasus Quincy Mystery Series Book 6) by Lakota Grace 📚 :
When Pegasus Quincy, sheriff’s deputy, steps into the leaky rowboat to investigate a murder at a mysterious artists’ colony, her troubles have just begun.
Yesterday we drove to Palmerston North and watched the excellent movie The Great Escaper starring Glenda Jackson and Michael Caine. 🎥
It was very nuanced, layered and moving.
Based on the true story of 89-year-old British World War II Royal Navy veteran Bernard Jordan who "broke out" of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations in France in June 2014.
This morning there were 5 Black-fronted dotterels in the estuary.
Black-fronted dotterels are … recognisable by the striking Y-shaped black plumage on the chest contrasting with white plumage above and below, and a conspicuous black stripe through the eye that extends back to the hind neck.
Just before dawn today, with clear skies, a bit of a frost and mist over the ground.
