Young Nick's Head is out there somewhere across the bay. We've been looking for it from our beachfront motel for two days now. Rain hammers the balcony windows, like a drum roll reaching a crescendo, then dies for a few moments before resuming its attack. The balcony chairs are sodden. Beyond the grassy strip sea trees bend in submission to a ceaseless south wind. Tons of tree trunks have been piled up all along the shore, driven in on the winter wind. The gale roars and rattles through the buildings, our badly fitting shower room window giving sufficient ventilation to make us really turn up the hot water. Foamy surf lashes the shore, and beyond the breakers the hidden horizon merges into a monotonous grey rain laden sky.

The motel is called 'Whispering Sands'.....we live in hope! We have a single electric fire to heat the room and with commendable foresight the proprietor has supplied electric blankets for the guests.

Gisborne : the first city in the world to see the sun each day......we are yet to see the sun, not that we would get up at sunrise but it would be nice to see it at some point. We watch the TV forecast keenly, with consternation that every other place in New Zealand has started their summer. And it's forecast to be 3 degrees this Saturday night! However, we get excited with Thursday's forecast - a big sunshine over Gisborne, before more rain for Friday.

Lesley started work on Monday. As always, there is a learning curve in a new job. She can do the medicine, the computers baffle her but the staff kindly give her a helping hand. She relates an amusing story (the best ones are always true), about a difficulty with names. She has gone to the waiting room and asked for 'Mast' to come to the consulting room as 'Mast Ged' popped up on the screen. Well, it is short for 'Master', no wonder the father and son look puzzled. Wonder what the waiting room full of folk thought!

PS washing, ironing, shopping and cooking all up to date...........teamwork!