Sunday, 24 January: No trip here is complete unless we take the short drive from Feilding to Sanson for the Sunday morning market. It is a mix of flea market finds, produce, plants, and home made goodies. We had a nice chat (and bought a few things) from a woodworker, found some blueberries and a few other fruits, and generally enjoyed the atmosphere of the market. Some of the markets are quite upscale, but this one isn't. In the afternoon we thought we would drive to Kimbolton - about 18km north of Feilding - to see the bull riding event which cost $15/person admission. Unfortunately, we hadn't taken into consideration that this event would be out in the open with no shade. People in the know came with umbrellas and chairs and portable awnings. My limit was a half hour sitting on the hillside baking in the 30C (90F) sun. I always wear my hat, but it was no competition for the blazing sun.

Monday, 25 January: We had a lazy day and went to Bulls to have dinner with Jo and Rauf Rangooni. Our friends Lloyd and Krista Evans were there, too. Lloyd holds the honor of having been the first man I met in New Zealand (when we lived here) who asked me a question that had nothing to do with my children. We have always had animated discussions...often political...and tonight was no exception. We lingered at the table over Rauf's delicious curries and talked about everything from the political shenanigans of the candidates in the USA to the changing face of the population of New Zealand.

Tuesday, 26 January:  I did a couple of errands this morning, and then we went to Palmerston North to have lunch with Helen and Bob Chong. The afternoon sped by as we caught up on news of family and friends. As we talked about the many travels we have been fortunate to have, we touched briefly on the idea of going to Alaska together on a small boat cruise some time. A quiet evening at home ended another lovely day.

Wednesday 27 January: This morning we went to the NZ Dairy Cattle Judging event at the local fairgrounds. It was an interesting event because this time the Youth Judges, rather than the cattle, were being judged. Five young men each judged the same set of five cattle and gave their reasons for their decisions. Some were quite polished, others not so much. Back to Palmerston North in the evening to have a delicious dinner prepared by our friend,Bruce McKenzie. Bruce owns a book shop in town, and we have known him since we lived here. His wife, Mina, of blessed memory, was the only Jewish/Maori person we ever met. We planted the seed of an idea for Bruce to come to visit us in October after he goes to a book fair in Chicago.

Thursday, 28 January:  Today has been pretty quiet. I am reading an extraordinary book: Life and Death in Shanghai.  It is a memoir of a Chinese woman who was stripped of her home and possessions and kept in solitary confinement for six years because she refused to say she had done anything wrong at the time of the Maoist Cultural Revolution. That is a pretty simplistic synopsis. It is riveting, and I stayed awake until 5am reading. Buzz got an email message from a veterinary practice at home looking for him to do some relief work in February and March. I considered sending a reply saying he was busy judging dairy cattle in NZ but thought better of it and just said he wasn't available. Laundry, a few errands, and repacking rounded out the day. Tomorrow we will start our drive north to be in Auckland on Sunday to collect Joe and Mary from the Airport and begin the "Grand Tour".

Friday, 29 January: We had a leisurely drive from Feilding to New Plymouth with a stop for lunch at Patea Beach. The west coast beaches are hot, black, ironsand. Buzz chose not to wear his sandals...picture him almost sprinting from the waters edge back up to the grass! This spot is where the Patea River meets the sea, and is quite beautiful. We checked into the North Gate Motel, relaxed for a while, went into town to have dinner, felafel with salad, and headed to Pukekura Park to enjoy the Magic Festival of Lights. From just before Christmas until the end of January, the park is turned into a wonderland of lights, disco balls, mirrors, and more. It takes about an hour to walk around and see almost everything. The park was crowded with families enjoying the event.

Saturday, 30 January: Before we left New Plymouth this morning, we went to see the new Len Lye Center museum/gallery. The facade is a series of undulating shiny steel panels that reflect everything around it. It is really amazing. The museum didn't open until 10am, and, with a long ride ahead of us, we didn't go in to see the exhibits...another time. The drive north took us along roads we had not previously traveled. Beautiful countryside was the theme of the day. We checked in at our hotel near the airport, relaxed for a while and set off for Devonport and a reunion with Angela and Ian Symes. As with our other friends, we picked up where we left off four years ago. We were treated to a delicious Mediterranean dinner in a quiet restaurant where we sat and talked for almost three hours about everything from our families to the state of the world.