It happened again. When it did, it was just uncanny, as it was 30 years ago in the same part of the world. You might think that a paranormal experience had come onto us, and that yet again the Smarts had been right in there when the something out of the ordinary happened. And it wasn't deja vu either. It was a simple occurrence, a chance meeting really. We've all experienced what I'm about to tell you about, and it's happened to us all a few times in our l...

Before I get into the meat of this blog, I wanted to write that we have now left Keri Keri and stayed the first two nights in the van at Waitangi, Bay of Islands. Surpassing all expectations, we spent a comfy quiet and warm night.........Lesley did not have to use the $ 2.50 hot water bottle that she'd bought in Gisborne. She has got quite tired after the weekend course, being quite physical wrestling with Annie, on top of a flu like bug she has picked up in Gi...

Quite a lot has happened since the last blog and I'd rather be concise than long winded. We've arrived in Keri Keri, Northland, with our motorhome, hired en-route in Auckland (note the step up from previously planned 'campervan') which the company kindly upgraded from a 4 to 6 berth. I thought just to fill you in with a few details of this van which we have rented until mid December. It is classed as a 'heavy truck', and we think of it as either 'The Beast' or...

As part of our desire to get into the Gizzy way of life, and not remain in the sweet but unvibrant community of Wanui, Lesley has been to the Gisborne West Rotary Club for the past two weeks. It may be the norm, but she'd forgotton that a visiting member is required to give the next week's talk. That's a whole lot better than buying the club a round! So we spend a couple of evenings on the computer, picking off from Wikipedia a few photos relevant to Lesley'...

Before I get into the main body of this blog, I wanted to tell you about an issue to do with Maori rights. The Tuhoe people of Te Urewera, to the west of Gisborne and south of the Bay of Plenty insist that they never signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. This treaty between the British and Maori set out an agreement and still today it is seen as fundamental tenet of New Zealand Maori rights. The treaty having been legalised in 1984, Maori could now address ...