Sunday, 11 March: We left the Black's with plans for them to visit us in Hudson to ski the White Mountains next winter and headed north through Dannevirke stopping in Norsewood to check out the woolens at the factory there. On we drove to Hastings and the Bluebell Cottage and lodge..a two unit motel hidden in an apple orchard. The owner met us with a big bag of apples she had gotten from the orchard. It seems that apples for the export market must have 75% color when picked. The rest are left to rot or to be picked by friends of the orchard owners...it costs more to have the apples picked than they can get at market for those less colored. It seems crazy to us. Makes me think about the biblical rules about gleaning. Monday, 12 March: It dawned cool and blustery, but we set out to Te Awanga and the Gannet Safari bus tour to the Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colonies. There were only six of us on the tour, and I got to sit next to the driver. He was, as all of the guides have been, very knowledgable, and the day was excellent. There are three colonies, and one gets to them by travelling through a private preserve where there is a very exclusive golf course and lodge. Rooms at the lodge start at $1300.00 per person, per night...or you can have the managers "cottage" for $13,000.00 and up per night dependng on the number of people. Two of the gannet colonies are only visible ffrom a height, but the third, Plateau Colony, is separated from the public only by a small chain fence about 10 inches high. The baby gannets are just about ready to make their maiden flight. The amazing thing is that they never practice flying before the day in late March or early April when they leave the ground and fly non stop for 14 days to Australia! The only practice they have is to stand facing into the wind flapping their wings madly. Once the chicks have gone, the parents head north to the Bay of Islands for a warm winter holiday before returning in the spring to produce the next generation. It was a four star adventure. In the evening, we went to dinner with old friends Brian and Margery Cobbe. We spent a delightful time catching up on each others families, and margery gave me some great fundraising ideas! Tuesday, 13 March: On our way north, we stopped just south of Napier at the Waiohiki Arts Village...a shop/workshop for a group of very talented New Zealand craftspeople. I was immediately attractred to a wall hanging by weaver Heather Turner, and now we need another suitcase to check on the way home. We went to a couple of antique shops in Napier and then continued our drive stopping at Lake Tutira for a picnic lunch which we shared with three swans, a goose and several ducks! We stopped in Wairoa for the night and were ready for sleep by 7:30PM! Wednesday, 14 March: This morning we left Wairoa and took a side trip to Lake Waikaremoana. The 60k drive takes about an hour an a half, and you must return the same way. The lake covers 54 square kilometers (about 21 square miles) and at its deepes it 250meters deep. It is set in Uruwera national Park, the largest remaining native bush forest on the North Island, and is a beautiful and serene place. For those so inclined there is the Great Walk... a four day tramp around the lake. For us there was a visit to the DOC visitors center, a stop at the Motor camp, and a picnic at the Bay View campsite. The first glimpse of the lake is so breathtaking, it makes the whole drive worthwhile. On the way back I commented to Buzz that the return trip is like a new journey altogether because you see the countryside from an entirely different perspective. We drove on to Gisborne and checked into the Waikenae Beach Holiday Park and went for a walk on the beach. Had a great dinner at the Roast Stop on Wainui Road, and came back for another walk to the beach for the sunset. Thursday, 15 March: An hour at the Gisborne public library and I was caught up wtih email and facebook. We continued north along the coast with stops at Waihau Beach, Tolaga Bay, and Waipiro Beach...three beach walks in one day! We stayed at a motel in the TeAraroa Holiday Park...a simple place in a wooded setting with a caravan selling take away meals they deliver to your unit. A walk to the beach after dinner completed the day. Friday, 16 March: More beaches and a stop at the Pacific Coast Macadamia orchard at Whanarua Bay. I got a bag of dry roasted nuts, Buzz chose a bag of nuts in the shell. It turns out you need a hammer to crack the nuts. We drove on to Awakeri Springs where I had visions of a long soak in a thermal pool, but there was no accommodation available; so we spent the night in Whakatane. Saturday, 17 March: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today we only had 86km (about 50 miles) to drive to get back to Audrey's. It took us four hours! We stopped at a few beaches and at Maketu to buy pies for lunch. The Maketu pies are famous all over the North Island. You can get everything from mince (ground beef) to smoked fish. We each got two of the snack size and headed to the beach for a picnic lunch. At 1:00 PM we arrived at Audrey's door. It is so like coming home. We unpacked the car, did the laundry, and Buzz fixed the laundry sink. A quiet evening of catching up brings another week to a close.