Splash Planet!!

With the girls on school holidays but Dad having to work, my Mum and I decided we would take the girls on a short trip to Hastings and spend the day at Splash Planet.
We set off on Sunday morning and arrived in Hastings with rain and wind the order of the day :(

Luckily there is plenty to do in and around Napier and Hastings. We visited a chocolate factory (YUM) and had lunch in Hastings before driving back to Napier (10 mins away). We spent the afternoon visiting the National Aquarium.

This was the art work on the wall in the main foyer-NOT the way they displayed all the fish in the aquarium! :)

 
Then we hopped on a 'tourist' bus and spent an hour being shown the sights of Napier's Marine Parade and suburb of Ahuriri.

 

We even spotted a very special boat!

 

 

Then it was up to the lookout to see the views-the Port of Napier was a bustling place with tonnes of logs waiting to be shipped. There was also a cruise ship in port while we were there.

 

 

There were sweeping vistas of the coastline which were a little dulled by the weather but still very impressive to see.

We also visited the MTG which is a new attraction in Napier comprising of museum, theatre and gallery so indulged in a little 'culture' for an hour or so. The bottom floor is dedicated to the Napier Earthquake and was a sobering exhibition!

 

 

Monday was the highlight of the trip-a visit to Splash Planet! This water park  is absolutely amazing-so clean and tidy and absolutely filled with activities and rides to keep everyone happy. I floated happily round and round on the 'Never Ending River' (very much my speed!) while the girls were kept busy on the hydro slides, bumper boats, kayaks and flying fox. The weather played its part and we enjoyed a lovely few sunny hours before having to drive back home.

 

Thanks, Nana, for suggesting the trip - we all had a great time!

Christmas Parade

OK...so I am a little behind in my blogging :(
I shall be posting a few entries in the next week or so in an effort to catch everyone up with what we have been up to! Here goes...



Tokoroa Christmas Parade is held on the first weekend in December and is a highlight for the community. Crowds line both sides of the street to watch the parade.
 
 

Floats are many and varied from business vehicles with a bit of tinsel added to them to logging trucks, specially cleaned and polished to organisations and community groups with all-out effort put into their float in the hopes of winning a cash prize for their group. Below is a traditional Maori waka.

This year the Girl Guides (and Brownies) decided on a "Gingerbread House" theme for their float. Many hours were spent creating decorations.

 

Finally the day came to put it all together. It looked so colourful and bright.

 

 Lots of excited girls were proud to parade through the main street of Tokoroa on their beautiful float. And guess who won first prize??!! Yay for the Girl Guides!!

Of course, no Christmas Parade is complete without Santa! Merry Christmas!!

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge 2013

Last Saturday was the annual Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. This iconic event sees 8-10,000 cyclists converge on Taupo and attempt to complete the 160km circuit of New Zealand's largest lake. Both Jeff and I have done it a few times and now we have a new cycling star in the family!

 

This year there was a new addition to the options offered. Along with the usual solo or relay riders, this year you could be an accumulative rider! This meant one rider would ride the complete 160km and, at specified points around the lake, would pick up their other rider. They would then complete the remainder of the journey, crossing the finish line together.

 

Olivia decided earlier in the year she would like to attempt this challenge so the entry was made! Finally the day dawned and after seeing Jeff off very early in the morning to start his ride, Olivia and I travelled down to Taupo and then on to Motuoapa where Jeff would stop and pick up Olivia.

 

 

We had a bit of a wait as we got there very early-better to be organised and have some time to sit around and (try to) relax! I enjoyed free coffee from the Holden sponsors tent :) and Olivia tried to calm her nerves by the edge of the lake.

 

 

 

 

She wore a Forestland Wheelers club shirt-this is our local cycling club who do a great job of supporting junior riders. The team number was 10313 and Jeff and Olivia had decided on the name "Cycling Nuts" for their team! All this info is printed on the race number pinned to her back.

 

 

 

 

Finally, Jeff arrived and it was time to get going. By now the relay changeover was getting quite busy but Olivia was very composed and set of confidently. Suddenly I was the nervous one, hoping all would go well for her. She had 40km ahead of her and a massive hill to conquer - Hatepe hill is the dreaded part of the event. It is a 1.7km climb, which has brought grown men to their knees (well, to their feet after they had to stop and walk up the hill!) Olivia was worried about her ability to get up without stopping but we reassured her she just had to do her best and keep going!

 

 

And she made it!! All the way to the top without walking! Yay for you, Olivia. Jeff said the smile on her face was priceless! She was so proud of herself and so was he. I was waiting further along the road and it was fantastic to see them both come flying along. Olivia was still grinning!

 

 

Then I drove back to Taupo to wait for them at the finish line. By now the wind was getting stronger and it was looking like rain. Luckily it held off till later.

 

 

Then, there they were! Crossing the finish line with very proud smiles! Olivia's 40km took 1:58 and Jeff's total ride was 5:58-an awesome effort by both of them. So very proud of my cyclists :)

 

 

Of course, all that effort requires refuelling! Here we are enjoying some well-earned food with friends. The cafes in Taupo do a roaring trade this weekend with all those hungry cyclists and supporters to feed. There's no leftovers on those plates!

 

 

Yep, it's a rough job being supporter! No glamour shot here, folks!! :)

 

 

I didn't think Olivia would be so keen to get back on a bike so quickly but she couldn't pass up this one. Apparently it is made from a car tyre!! She didn't stay on long though-I think her butt was a little tender!!

 

 

Then it was on to prize giving...in the rain :(  We stood around with more friends but to no avail-no prizes for us this year. But it really doesn't matter because it was enough to just see the pride in Olivia's face from her awesome effort.

 

 

And it was quite some effort!! Couldn't quite keep her eyes open on the drive home :) What a well-deserved rest, darling. Dad and I are SO very proud of you! We thoroughly enjoyed introducing Olivia to the world of cycling events and look forward to seeing what else she attempts in the future.

Better late than never

Oops...time has gotten away on me this year and I suddenly realised it was December in a few days and I hadn't made a Christmas cake!   :(
Traditionally, I have always made one during Labour Weekend to give it time to 'mature'.
So, out came the recipe books (and the multitude of loose pages of recipes that I pull from magazines but never get around to putting in a folder or cookbook!)

This year I wanted to try a new recipe. I had made the same cake for about 10 years now and while the old rule of 'don't fix what ain't broke' is a good one, I decided that it was time for a change!

 

So, FINALLY, I was able to use one of those "loose pages" that I knew I had held on to for a reason    :)

 

It was an incredibly quick and easy recipe to make and this is the cake mixture ready to go in the oven.

 

A few hours later and voila! My Christmas cake is done. I hope it tastes as good as it looks.

 

It's currently wrapped and being stored in the hope that even a couple of weeks may improve its flavour...time will tell. I decided to do an uniced cake this year to make it last longer...my girls like to get a piece of cake just to eat the icing! This way they will only have a piece of cake if the REALLY want fruit cake! Cunning, huh?   :)

I just put these decorations on to show what it will look like when I serve it up closer to Christmas (but I may not add the green ribbon. I was looking for my 'Xmas frill' but couldn't find it quickly)

 

So, yay...I have one Christmas task ticked off my list. And as I (belatedly) type this post (the cake was actually made 2 weeks ago!) it is now Dec 1st and I can start to decorate our house for Christmas. I love the Christmas season and having 3 girls on my side means the Christmas Grinch of our house gets outvoted on whether or not we decorate   :)

 

Do you have any traditions for Christmas? I'd love to hear about them! Or any (non-complicated!) yummy Christmas recipes? Watch out for a post on the gifts we make for the girls' teachers and friends closer to Christmas.

The Taniwha

November 9th saw us rising early (on a SATURDAY!!!!) and on the road by 7am to get to  the 2nd annual Taniwha event. This local event is fantastic-you have so many options to try. If mountain biking is your 'thing' then try 21km, 42km, 60km or 83km. If you enjoy running or walking, you can choose from 7km, 14km, 21km, 42km or gasp! 60km!! You can even enter as a team and share the beautiful scenery...and effort!!

 

 

Jeff and Olivia decided to enter the 21km mountain bike and the start line was the gorgeous Mangakino lakefront. Don't they look keen to get started??

 

 

The start line...and they're off! See you at the finish line, guys. (Olivia is in the red shirt centre of the picture)

 

 

Their awesome support crew was waiting for them at the halfway point at Whakamaru. (where there just happened to be a lovely café open serving wonderful hot coffee-hey, it had been a really early start!!)  

 

 

We stopped along Ongaroto Road to give them some more encouragement...looking great there Olivia. Just wish that slow guy in front of you would get a move on, huh?!

As you can see, there were all ages doing this event-great to see!

 

 

The finish line...well, nearly! We parked the truck and were there to see Jeff and Olivia fly past on their way to the finish line. Great riding! Total ride time = 1hour 56mins.

 

 

The awesome support crew!!

 

 

The best part of the day-chilling out after the event. The weather was just glorious (almost too hot!) and we enjoyed sitting around catching up with friends and listening to music.

 

 

Check out the scenery-not a bad place to have lunch, huh? All the events, which utilise the River Trails,  finish at the Lake Whakamaru Christian Camp and it is a stunning location.

 

 

Finally, it was time to head home. They say you should 'leave it all on the racetrack' ...and somebody obviously did just that! Well done, Olivia-we learned later that evening at prize giving she come 1st in her division (0-20yr female) so AWESOME EFFORT!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stationery

Anyone who knows me, knows I love to write letters...and receive them!! I have several international penpals and some local friends too that I write to regularly and I like to vary the stationery I send them. However, with only one stationery store in town I often struggle to find different designs. I have attempted to make my own but it is not very professional looking and I find it uses up my time that could be spent writing!

Luckily a couple of years ago I stumbled upon a wonderful penpal blog written by a lovely Canadian girl, Julie. (I think all Canadians must be wonderful as I have a sister-in-law and a penpal who are both Canadian and are just the nicest people I know :)  )

Anyway, Julie designs her own stationery and does an AMAZING job of it! She recently offered a "stationery of the week" service where the design is made available for one week only then a new one is offered. So we are getting fabulous variety, and I can vouch for the quality of her stationery, having ordered it in the past. I have just ordered this gorgeous set and can't wait to receive it and start my Christmas letters to my penpals.

Go and have a look around her blog-it is amazing- and who knows? You may even find yourself a penpal! :)    www.penpaloftheweek.com

Thanks, Julie, for your commitment and hard work in offering letter writers everywhere a wonderful choice in stationery-I for one am very thankful for what you do!

Guy Fawkes

 This year we decided not to celebrate Guy Fawkes in a big way, however, I cannot resist a sparkler or two. We got together with a good friend and her girls and had a lovely evening eating, drinking and setting fire to things!

Jeff is always in charge of lighting the bigger fireworks-they scare me!

 

 

 

Sparklers are more my style :)

The kids had heaps of fun with them (so did the BIG kid you can see at the front of the picture!!) 

 

Wow, they even produce heart-shaped sparklers now. We also had star-shaped ones as well.

 

 

 

And no evening is complete without dessert! We were lucky enough to try some cake pops for the very first time and I am SO going to make some in the near future. They were great!

 

And that was our fireworks for this year!