27 January: Another relaxing day at Ohope. We slept until 9 this morning, read our books, and drove over to Whakatane for a late lunch with Anna. It is Auckland Anniversary Day celebrating the date the city was established; so most places were closed. We had a very nice meal at Poppy's Cafe. We did a bit of browsing at Briscoes, a home goods store, and then back to the flat to read, watch the sea, and enjoy the company of good friends. Tomorrow we leave to head south.

28 January: We left Ohope this morning and only got a few Km down the road before our first stop at the Nukuhou Salt Marsh for a short walk. Then a quick stop at the Cheddar Valley pottery just down the road and we were on our way. We stopped in Opotiki for petrol and groceries. The price of petrol is about 2.17/litre (about US$8.25/gallon). The fill-up on our little sedan was $118. We took the Pacific Coast highway which begins at Opotiki, and affords wonderful scenery. Our picnic lunch was at the seafront at Omaio, then we drove on to one of our favorite spots, Whanarua Bay, where we stopped at the "Nut House", a cafe at a Macadamia orchard. We stayed the night in the Te Araroa holiday park and were disappointed that the fish and chip truck was closed. I had to cook!

29 January: We continued along the coastal route with many stops along the way...mostly for beach walks. The highlights were the Te Tapuwae Marine reserve and the Te Wherowhero Lagoon where there was a lovely picnic area. After lunch, we walked on the beach. The water in the lagoon is much warmer than the open sea.

Andrew Lorrey had mentioned to Buzz that the Mahia Peninsula south of Gisborne is beautiful. We hadn't been there before. What a treasure. Some of the most breathtaking sea views we have found in NZ...to say nothing of one of those roads Buzz loves! We stayed at the Mahia Beach holiday park and ate at the local pub.

30 January: Today we stopped for a photo op at Lake Tutira, spent some time in Napier looking at antiques and fine crafts, bought fruit in Hastings, and arrived "home" in Feilding around 5 PM. We are so fortunate to have a home base here.

31 January: We woke early this morning. Buzz went out for his customary "walk around the block" as he calls it. He walks the perimiter of the town. There was a time I walked with him, but those days are gone..it is just over 8km. I did the laundry, got it on the line, and off we went to the Dannevirke A&P show...like a county fair. Sheep shearing, horse jumping, crafts, home made jams and jellies, and the requisite stomach turning rides and fried foods. Made our usual stops at the antique and second hand shops on the return trip.

1 February: Today was community market day in Feilding. It is a combo craft, flea market, produce day. There was also a gala market at St Brigid 's Catholic Church. Then we took a stroll through downtown Feilding. It is a good feeling to find familiar shops still here, and a bit sad to note the ones that have gone. A bit of grocery shopping and a quiet evening finished the day.

2 February: It is market day in Sanson about 12 Km from Feilding. This market goes on every Sunday year round. We were pleased to see many of the same vendors we encountered two years ago. My purchases were a book, avocados, and a packet of ANZAC biscuits (daughter Laura's favorite cookie). Buzz bought a few pieces of greenstone and struck up a conversation with a man from Feilding who is a stone carver. They made plans to get together later today.

Back in Feilding we drove to Timona Park to watch the Mule and Donkey Show. There were donkey carts with drivers in fancy dress, and an obstacle course which trainers ran through with their donkeys. Interesting, but I wouldn't want to make a day of it!

Now it is time to organize our stuff for more travel. Tomorrow we take the ferry from Wellington to the South Island. I have booked us onto the 5PM ferry in hopes of a beautiful sunset over Cook Strait. Last time it was a howling gale, and we had to stay inside the whole trip.