Somehow this fella decided (no doubt on the spur of the moment) to quality taste / proof the local cheese, and seeing we are in good royal company - check out the little pinky!! oh no N o t the Pinky play!! - to late . . . .
Taking the art of communication to a new level with the new I-nana phone!! Maxwell Smart - eat out your heart!! This version is new and up-to-date with the latest software, has a direct link to the new I-cloud and best of all is an instant disposable item. It comes complete with its own i-cover / wrapper. Not sure though which end is for the hearing . . . . .
:)
I can't remember this setup - but whatever it was - it was nice to get a minibear hug on camp.
The bear was so tired from running round after all his jobs / scouts / guides - he needed a well deserved Bear-nap. Didn't even undress and just collapses on bed. Luckily for everyone his snoring was not to bad - bearly audible!!
A midnight snack of garlic bread - especially baked for the crew, rich in garlic and cheese - just needed a good cut - so out comes my handy pocket knife . . Now do I TRUST 'Paws' to handle the knife and not cut herself or the bread - no wait the bread is ok, so urm - let's think - yeah why not. I can report that no fingers were harmed in this episode!!
I added this - for a good reason.
The youth had the abillity to part-complete their Photography badge - they got given a camera and told to go and snap away - then present back the images. Amongst the very many that did come back was this picture taken - not sure if it was a set up or a un-delibertly taken shot. In any case - check out the Eyes - and in particularly the left eye - I spotted it immediatly!! Fantastic picture!!! Congratulations to the youth who took this image!!
The camp eventually drew to a close - we sent the campers home - in the rain - and had to dis-mantle the rest of the gear and drop all the gear in several locations. The CPU boxes and cables came back to my garage - much to my boy's disgust - and I cabled them in this afternoon - they need a minimum residue power to go through the motherboard or you are in danger of loosing them. As it is they do not like being shifted in the first place. On box refused to power up until 30 hours plus into the camp!! So Joti 2012 came to a very succesful end and we are gearing up for next year - 3rd weekend in Oct - so see you round - OR online in Scoutlink. Wave hello if you spot one of us there
Setting up yet another year for Joti. And belief me - somehow the gear weighs more each year!! Anyhow we managed to squeeze in 47 working stations for this year's Joti Jota event.
Cabling up - at some un-earthly hour at night. Seem to remember while this was happening 2 leaders and 2 scouts went and got the food in, from a local supermarket - urm - around midnight!
Amazingly we managed to get some sleep and the next day dawned in brilliant light and campers arrived and we had the pleasure in investing 2 new slaves - oops CREW - members. The scarves are treated in the same way as the Gangshow scarves - you ever only get one no matter how many camps you do and keep wearing it from year to year - but new investees get theirs in the year they start volunteering . . . .
After the formal things are done - it is time for some serious chatting - and the scouts and guides are into it. Places we encounterd were from all over and "far far away" (not THAT kingdom) - but not from Albania either . . . . . but there was a connection to Antarctica!!
Time for a snack - lunch actually. Feeding 40 campers and 11 campcrew - I think. Anyhow it was epic, with very little gear to work with. Apart from that the kids mamaged to snack on all the "healthy" stuff (not) and filled up one way or the other.
This must have been the next day (Sun) when two unsuspecting lass's volunteered to be slaves - oops camp-crew for next year and wanted to start their training early. Luckily for them we had two scarves cut - but not yet sewn so they kinda wore them for the rest of the camp - then gave them back. Hmmmm wonder if it will be my job again to sew them. Oh and just to be sure - It is I on the left - the old fella himself!!
w a i t a minute - that's not Papabear we are talking about!!!
He's a different Bear altogether . . . . . isnt he??!!
So - what can one say here???
No surprise - there is a new NICK-name for this lass.
Whenceforth and from now on and forever until Scoutlink ceases to exist ( which will happen only if a certain geographic location will freeze over) this lass will be known as - wait for it - drumm roll . . . . .
UHU - I forgot to add - while in Wanganui and dodging the rain in
Pohutakawa flowering in Mid winter
the Museum (which had a notice pinned at the Entrance that due to it having added a building [eg two buildings budding up to each other] it is deemed a earthquake risk and in case of - blah blah blah - Made us feel right at home!!!) I saw this Pohutakawa tree at the car parking entrance and - YES and it had flowers - and this at the end of June IN New Zealand - eg MID_WINTER!! MOST unusual. I just had to snap a pic otherwise no-one would believe me. Upon closer inspection it looked like it was in flower almost year round - it had blossoms that obviously had flowered several weeks back and new buds at various stages! No doubt it will show its full colour during spring!
Oddly enough after this experience we saw many more Pohutakawa trees - small ones - as decorative trees (like in the medium strip on the road etc!!) but saw no further red flowers! ^^
Woke at 7 am and had leisurely breakfast. Paid and went first to the Winter gardens with Virgina lake. Lots of glass house flowers – even saw our Brazilian cactus in flower – lovely! Outside in some trees lots of Tui’s (one of New Zealands rare and special birds) – lots of singing – and great to hear them back in the town and serenading!! Stopped at the local Museum for a nosey tour – very informative! Then the sun sort of came out – so we did drive back to the Tower we'd been to yesterday and got blown - or should that be washed away– and parked the car at the top and slogged all 175 steps to the top. Still VERY windy! But had good views of city / beach / river etc. Then saw the next cloud rolling in so decided to get petrol and head north. While getting petrol there are these three super sized pencils in the ground so took a quick pic – then petrol. Asked the local attendant who knew little about it – but amazingly the guy next to us tanking up knew – he also happened to be a sales rep on a sales trip!! Seems a local maori artist used same pencils for all his life and this was his “thank you’ art creation. He won a price and some German HB pencil sales team saw it also!! The guy then decided having seen us taking a pic we were worth it for some freebees. Then on to the high way.
Very windy and still showery – level of moisture depending on what cloud overhead. From gentle drizzle to full downpoor. Roads still hilly – but getting flatter the nearer you get to Palmy!
Stopped at Bulls for Lunch – town itself has a humor!! It is named after a change of deed for one of the locals who had done much for the town. Mr Bull has owned a sawmill and was a renowned woodworker!! Bought a expensive badge – but worth it. The word “bull” features liberally. Lunch at the ‘mothered goose’ with garlic bread and some nice mushroom dish for yours truly!! Had a senior moment when I went to the local loo – doors labelled Goose and Gander and I found out what the ladies amenties look like!! They have LARGE mirrors!! One wonders why!?!? ?
Anyhow after the filling lunch we went for a stroll round town and saw some good shops. Dropped into a history display store (sort of) and chatted with the local lady! Took a pic of the original Bull structure that put the town on the map and then looked at the clouds and decided to head back to car before we got a 3rd rinse cycle!! From there pretty much straight into Palmy where we found the Local I-site and asked some questions. Strolled once around the “Square” checked out the outdoor ice skating place and bought a couple of badges and then got a surprise hail-storm. Had 4 season in less then one hour!! Tanked up car on way back to the Airport and took a quick pic of the windmills at the ranges , then checked in the car and now just waiting for the plane – which has been just announced to be late by 19 minutes!! Looking at the clouds and the speed they travel this could yet again be a bumpy flight!! Another short holiday trip concluded and more to look forward to! There is a trip up the Wanganui river waiting !
Up late and a quick breakfast – packed and went on our way.
First stop – the I-Site for info! Decided to head to the beginning of the coastal walk! Trekked for 1.5 km and saw mostly warehouses on the beach. Very windy!! So headed back to car and drove to the other end of the walkway!! There is this new bridge!! It frames Mt Egmont nicely I F you can see it!! Should have bought the postcard and used that as an image instead. The blue sky lasted 10 minutes then the next thunderous cloud rolled in and soaked everything. Next stop, the local Airport - no souvenir's there either and no New Plymouth badge!! Airport is very tiny and guess not very busy!! From there we decided to head towards Wanganui, and saw near at the bridge (nice park area) the Fitzroy Scout Den!!
Drove out of New Plymouth and saw perfect double rainbow! Slammed on brakes and wanted to take a pic – only to have a panic attack and phone call back to Motel. Eventually found mamabear's camera buried inside the large suitcase. Rainbow had gone by then, sighs. From there we headed out of town and passed many coast towns. Stopped at the Maui Gas Field Visitor Center – a whole building about info on how and where and why for the gas and oil– no living soul in sight!! Very educational and there was this scale model giving good overview on how and why and where!! Still very rolling hills – from satellite you would expect flat country – similar to Canterbury!!
Anyhow – stopped at Opunake – disappointing – not much there, many shops closed. So headed on towards Wanganui. Eventually stopped at Yarrows bakery at Manaia and ate what we bought next to a field just out of town while being buffeted by rain and wind!! (they also have a sign on road – not often known but it is two bread buns!!) Bought 10 litres of petrol at Waverly to get us to Wanganui and then eventually found Wanganui!! Roads to find where Motel is located was very easy – (queen) Victoria (which is the main shopping drag – as it turns out) and from there a left turn into Somme dr. Easy. Dropped bags at Motel and headed back to I-Site. Picked up a map and some clues as to places to visit!!
Headed across the river and into a tunnel and up the elevator!! Tunnel very Echo-y!! Had fun with echos at various lengths of the Tunnel. On top – very, very windy!! Climbed half of the stairs and decided that lighting not great – so may go there in the morning when the sun is in the east and (hopefully less windy). Back down the elevator and into town! Turns out the tunnel / elevator was build to develop a subdivison on the hill and make access easy. Same old story, once the road was open and cars got better less and less people use the public transport (elevator) and it is now "converting" or better sidelining itself as a tourist attraction. It is one of ONLY two Earthbound elevator's - the other - I think and don't qoute me on that - is in Mount blanc ?!?! Walked all the length of Victoria street – saw many shops and stopped at a tourist Souvenir shop where we did FIND a badge for Wanganui!! Wohooo.
Other place we bought was material for a quilt and (unsuccessful) Postie plus and Whitcoulls!! Time to go back and hunt for Dinner!! Thai place closed so decided to see if we can get a pre- cooked chuck from Countdown with some salad (which we did) and for afters a weightwatchers chocolate cheesecake!! Ate that at the Motel – along with cheese and the obligatory bottle of white / red medicinal drink for us!! I ended up with a cheeky litle red!! ---> See ----->
Gotta finish the bottles!! News and catch up time afterwards!! Wanted to take a cruise on the steam paddle boat up the Wanganui river - but disappointingly they drive only on weekends during winter!! I really wanted to cruise up the river – it is supposed to be very scenic!!
After breakfast and having listened to a lot of rain from 3 am onwards hitting the roof, we hit the road, having decided give the native bushwalk a miss and to travel to New Plymouth via Waiouru / Tangiwai / Oakune / Rarimu spiral / Tauramanui. Hoping that we would have better wetter, but given the forcast and the fact that this is still New Zealands Westcoast (just up further north) - it did not look promising.
From Tauramanui - made famous by it's song from hmmm 50's?? we decided to go a more or less direct route which turned out to be State Highway 43 – a road to be travelled on, a scenic road, a road to be enjoyed – a road also named ‘The Forgotten World – highway’! This road is not for the fainthearted And here is why:
You never know if there still is a road ahead, after a bend (road slips or wash outs)
Wild goats and pigs and sometimes sheep even, liberally use the road
A road-sign at the beginning of the drive –> “Nz highest crash rate for Motorbikes on this road” WARNING
Where after a good down-poor you may have to doge rocks the size of a basketball or larger lying on the road (suprising you as you come round a corner)
The medium strip suddenly shifts across your bonet and becomes the side strip (I kid you not)
The road narrows to a single line and becomes shingle for 15+ km
A hand hewn tunnel (very tall and narrow) with room for just ONE vehicle going either way!!
Where your hands never stay in same position on steering wheel as you constantly go around corners / bends
Where you think you may need to see a ciropraticioner at the end of the trip (road very uneven and bumpy – hard on body and spine)
Where you likely see more one-way bridges then on-coming road-users
Where you can climb up a saddle on steep rising hills and next minute you are on the bottom of a narrow gorge only to climb again. (5 saddles in all)
Where there is no petrol station for 150 km (so you need to do some mental caculations on milage left with your tank so much full)
Where there is no living soul for 50 km
Where you can see nature re-claiming its stake (when you can see rich deep green moss growing on the tarmac seal - you know it is not a well travelled Road.
Check these out ---> http://www.newzealand.com/int/article/forgotten-world-highway/ http://www.aatravel.co.nz/101/info/The-Forgotten-World-Highway.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_State_Highway_43 http://www.nzcycletrail.com/forgotten-world-highway Further travel notes include: Waiouru – blink and you missed it driving past - has a nice Army museum so we believe. Mamabear not to keen and go and see guns and things . . . Tangiwai – a sobering place where NZ’s worst railway disaster happened on a Christmas eve day. (and the Queen happened to be in our country in that year - and gave what turned out to be her ONLY ever Christmas speech away from UK) Oakune – where we just had to take a picture and think of a certain 'giggles' (and was overrun by whole heap of young people who where obviously enjoying the winter sport on Mount Ruapehu). Further near the Carrot was this trunk - a nice Totara tree - seeded in 1300 AD and well some 700 years later, when the local sawmiller decided that this would make a good tree to log and mill- ONLY to find that it was too large to put through his sawmill - so he just left it lying round!! Crying shame!! Criminal even.
Rarimu spiral – Part of NZ’s Main trunk (railway) line that had to climb many, many meters in a very confined space – and literally spiral climbedup to the plateu behind and carries on! One day I shall catch a train from Wellington to Auckland and see for myself. If you know what you are looking for you can see the power posts in the green hill . . . .
Tauramanui – famous because of its song from the 50’s – and quit a large hub! Had lunch there – and saw 3 Intercity busses. The town services a large farming / forestry / tourist community.
New Plymouth – found a motel and took 30min stroll in town – trying to find the local I-site and find out what we can do / see / experience given the continuing precipitation. It was closed by the time we got there – missed by 5 min!! Saw many possible eating places – including a (chinese) teddybear eatery / take away!! Back to Motel unit to see the news (there have been some earth-rockings in Chch) before heading out again for tea at the local Cobb & Co - a more traditional fare!
Thats the closest we got to see Mt Ruapehu! You just have to visualize the snow topped crater rim and ski-tracks and well whatever else the mountain has to offer. We may well have to come back here when the weather is a tad better!!
A local artist was putting together soem driftwood and here is one of his many creations. Turns out there will be many more on display along the highways or near towns etc. We saw a dinosaur near the Rarimu spiral and something or other being put up at Tauramanui (which was still under cover). This 'little' Kiwi is well over 2 meters tall.
The entrance to Rarimu - we just had to snap this sign!! Someone certainly has a sense of humor - or is deadly serious!! Wonder where the children are roaming . . . . . .
Then headed of via Feilding – showed Mamabear where we camped (in the big wet Scout Jamboree 2005) and then drove north-ish to Taihape! Very nice scenery – lots of rolling hills.
After breakfast and having listened to a lot of rain from 3 am onwards hitting the roof, we hit the road, having decided give the native bushwalk a miss and to travel to New Plymouth via Waiouru / Tangiwai / Oakune / Rarimu spiral / Tauramanui. Hoping that we would have better wetter, but given the forcast and the fact that this is still New Zealands Westcoast (just up further north) - it did not look promising.
