Two old wrinklies with two west highland terriers Traveling New Zealand

Te Arai – Home of Casey, Amber and Kite fishing

For all the thinking that I had actually done some real work this morning I now realize that it would have been more productive just staying in bed. It took from 07:30 to 12:00 (breakfast to lunch for the fly boys) to fill the Dogonit with water and sought out my fishing gear.

Left in home in a deluge and looking forward to the trip back to our old stomping ground where I did a lot of kite fishing with two of mans best friends Casey (foxy cross) and Amber (Dachshund / Corgi cross) 20 years ago.

First stop was to pick up Trish and enjoy Wades support with her coming away while he prepared to go to work. The trip was non plus the only major difference was that Donna was a real back seat driver while Trish kept me sane up front.

We had checked out with the Auckland Regional Parks about Te Arai and the apparently the most eastern, southern, western facing  car park was where dogs were allowed if you knelt at the entrance and bowed to the north chanting Phill Goff is great, If you are confused then please talk to Donna and ask her about the conversation. It would have been interesting the conversation  at lunch time in ARP lunch room as well.

Cheers from the Dogonit crew – Rodney and Donna (Mac and Rose – in absentia)

We arrived and found a quiet spot out of the wind which was from the east  and allowed us to put up the awning. We went for a walk and on our way back we were approached by a young man asking in a bloody foreign accent. (Must have been south of the Bombay’s) if we could help as he had a flat battery in their motor home.  Like a lamb to slaughter, muggins went to help.

Like a good soap opera the story unfolded in segments of guttural comments between the husband and wife with children looking on with complete shock and horror.  Both House battery and Truck battery were flat. Apparently they arrived in NZ form some Scandinavian country (the wife was blond-has to be Scandinavian) 4 weeks ago and they acquired the motor home in top condition and were assured that the batteries were new. (Got to love the tourists- yes there was a toilet on board). Apparently his wife had spent the afternoon defoliating her legs with an epilady using the 230 volt inverter (draining the house battery) while listening to the radio (draining the engine start battery). The first 15 minutes assisting was spent locating the batteries. The wife disappeared over the dunes I think to contemplate life in general. The long and the short of it was  that we connected the engine battery to the solar panels to charge it up so as they could be on their way. (another happy camper). Always makes you feel good – not so much in helping others but knowing that there is some one in deeper shit with the missus. (not often I get to feel this way)

A couple of beers and a glass or two of vino with tea and we decided to have a walk along the promenade (flash – if you know a fly boy they ill explain it to you) an we met a couple. The husband was bought up on a farm on Waitara Road and was sent to Fielding Ag to college. (Donna went to Fielding AG) He married a lady who was born in Otorohanga (River Road) and was sent to New Plymouth Girls – She must be a quite a bit older than me as she knew my sister in law.

Great night had with more wine and a brandy. Looking forward to tomorrow.

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