To the top and back

This was the big day out so quite an early start. Picked up at Waipapa we boarded the Dune Rider bus/truck on our way for adventure and exploration. Our driver Daniel was entertaining from the beginning and I managed to accumulate at least a dozen useful facts. Here they are:
1. Ninety mile beach - NZ road rules apply.
2. 90 mile beach is only 63 miles/105 kms in length and the buses only travel 73 kms along it.
3. Planted pines in Northland dried up streams in the 1800's
4. If dolphin bodies are found the local wifi bury them but keep teeth, jaws and some bones.
5. Lighthouse on Cape Reinga was built in 1941, automated in 1987 and run from Wellington.
6. Mary Jane Bennett was the first lighthouse keeper.
7. 800 year old pohutukawa tree at Cape Reinga does not flower.
8. Big kauri log at Gumdiggers is worth $500k if dug up and milled.
9. All buried kauri logs found are lying east to west and called swamp kauri. They can be buried over 100,000 years.
10. Paerangaranga Harbour - shipped silica sand to Auckland until 1995.
11. Te Kao kumera variety only grown in this area.
12. Nga Take means flock of birds. The Godwit flies non-stop 12,000kms return from Siberia each year.
13. In 1910 the first oil in NZ was made from peat dug up at Kaimaumau by Mr Trevor Oil.
14. Dwarf avocado trees only grow to 5 or 6 feet.

That's it for the useful facts, hope you enjoyed them. The map below shows the route that we took and the triangles are the stops we had.

Map sideways sorry.

Two months done



Janaury BJP for 2012

 I have decided that for 2012 BJP I will make a beaded item each month. Every year I spend the first 4 to 4 months making christmas balls for presents and classes. The january ball was made at Oakura beach from my own design and using quite a lot of reverse stitching (it now needs a name and I won't be teaching this pattern at all but may do a simpler one).

Febraury Ball for BJP - Tania's feathers

February's ball is a combination of patterns and I have called it Tania's feathers as it is a variation on the Tania pattern that I have. You can see the Honeycomb pattern with the feathers trim in the background. I am currently making another one as this will be a class so that I can teach my pupils the ribbed stitch which is lovely.

Home a week

Well I have been home a whole week and it feels as if it was a lifetime ago. School is back in earnest with full days and lunch at school (I have a new lunch bag courtesy of Macy's) so that was fun.
This weekend Dad and I went to the beach to see mum who has been there for the week. It was nice weather and I took some stitching but ended up making a ball for my sister in law Cathy and trying out a new pattern today. Not certain if I will make another one or even teach it but it was fun using some different colours. have to think about how the bottom will be finished.

Purl Soho - nice shop lower manhattan

Just thought I would put a couple of pictures from new york on here for all to see. We went to the 9/11 memorial site - very security conscious and long way to walk but it will be incredible when all the new buildings are finished.



Stephanie with new World Trade Centre Tower 1 being built.

From the Empire state down to WTC Plaza

Empire State, WTC from Rockefeller Centre.

Castles and beaches

Christmas day was exciting with lots of present unwrapping and even Emma got into the act with tearing open the paper. I was spoilt with gifts from Virginia and Mark as well as the children gave me a present - a felt kit to make cake pincushions. (NB: I have already started the first one). Santa also left a big bag of chocolates and little gifts for myself and Stephanie. I have it on good authority that Santa is a big choclate fan.


Luke and Callum waiting with anticipation for more presents.



Boxing Day saw us pack the car and head off to Leeds Castle. Virginia informed us as we got there that we would be doing the Christmas trail - a scavenger hunt for clues to a fairytale and then we could have fun in the play area. The treasure hunt did not include the tour of the castle which was a side trip but the castle was beautifully decorated for christmas with a chocolate room, swanlake room and even an ice queen in the bathroom. Most fun was had in the big kids play area with Mark spinning the merry go round for Callum, Luke and myself.



Today we went to look at the beach at Whitstable via Chilhum. Chilhum is a village that appears in a number of movies and television series as it is very pictureseque and good for filming period pieces. The church at Chilhum was lovely and very majestic despite its tiny size. Also straight onto the market square is the required stately home which has its gardens open during the summer for people to visit. Houses all around were decorated for christmas as well. We got to Whitstable and walked down to the harbour then along the main road where we saw a number of shops open with sale items. On the way back we walked along the beach front (typical english beach with no sand just stones) with a stop for hot chips at the harbour, then more beachside walking until we passed all the beach huts. (£20000 these will sell for). Back home again and roast lamb for dinner tonight. Yumm!!



Stephanie and Virginia at the beach in Whitstable