Where was everyone?
As is our usual “Kiwi Christmas Tradition”, we headed to the beach for Boxing Day. Now usually, Boxing day is one of 2 days of the entire year (along with New Years Day) when we don’t have the beach pretty much to ourselves. It’s packed. Well, packed for Riversdale – which is to say the car park is full, you have to queue to order coffee and there are actually other people on the beach and in the sea.
But not this year.
Apparently everyone was shopping – record attendance at the boxing day sales. Madness – while I dislike shopping at the best of times – my mind boggles at the thought of fighting hordes of people to “grab a bargain” (which here probably amounts to paying something akin to the correct price) when you can enjoy weather and sea like that.
I hope everyone had a nice break. We have had several days of stunning weather, which warmed the pool up beautifully, allowing for a lovely refreshing pre-christmas-dinner dip for the cook.
I am finally beginning to really appreciate the Kiwi Christmas!
Taking a much needed day off…
After 4 or 5 weeks (I’ve mercifully lost count) of working really long hours and not really being the laid back “I-don’t-have-a-job” part time blogger – we took a day off yesterday and spent the whole day at the beach.
Where our biggest worry was whether the storm that the Met Service was promising was going to materialise. When we arrived there was absolutely no sign of impending storminess:
It did start to get grey and cloudy just after 1pm, but we ended up having an afternoon nap and by the time we woke up it was once again clear blue skies and warm sunshine.
After another coffee, we decided to use the paper cups to build sandcastles with – so we hereby introduce you to the lesser-known Sand-Henge:
It was an absolutely lovely day. No phones, no laptops, no decorating, no “must sit down and get info together for the lawyers”. Just a day on the beach with us the only people on it.
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Surf and flying sofas.
It was a glorious sunny day in the Wairarapa yesterday, so unsurprisingly we dashed off to the beach as soon as we had stuffed ourselves with a decent brekkie. As my new camera takes videos, I decided to film the sea and share it. Becasue it really is so lovely it needs to be shared. Now these are certainly not Lucasfilm quality clips or anything – but the first one does have the advantage of a surprise appearance of a guy skimming across the water on a tabletop.
I want one of those!
The second one shows the sea a bit closer. I had to take the sound off because by this time the wind was really getting a bit powerful (we were hit with the edge of the cyclone that caused such devastation in Australia). It was jut too noisy and covered the sound of the sea. But you can see just how big some of the waves were – which is just how I like it.
Because the wind was so strong – after you got knocked over by a wave and came up on the other side, the wind was blowing the spray all over us. It was like being in a sea water rainstorm.
Quite spectacular.
And the interesting day didn’t end when we left the beach! On the way back, we were following 2 cars with loaded trailers. We got to a straight bit, and hubby pulled out to overtake and put his foot down. As we came alongside the first car and was about to pull in, a 2 seater sofa in the trailer behind the front car lifted up and out of the trailer and came hurtling towards the spot we were going to pull in to.
And we had the hood down!
Hubby put his foot down some more and got past the guy as I watch the sofa bounce towards the back car (it missed), and we got in front of the still oblivious driver of the front car and got him to stop. He was gobsmacked. And the kids in the back were really impressed with the coolness of the situation. Which to be honest – it really was. I guess I would have thought differently if the sofa had killed my car (or us) but no harm was done, and there was nifty driving from Hubby and the guy behind us.
Life is an adventure somedays.
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Christmas by the pool with chilled mulled wine.
This year – for the first time, the run-up to Christmas here in NZ actually felt a bit Christmassy. I have no idea why: maybe I’ve just been here long enough now that it feels a bit less odd; maybe its becuase this is the first time we don’t have immigration worries hanging over our heads and I know without a doubt we are staying.
Either way,it all felt a bit more real and relaxed.
Rather than embrace the way most Kiwis do Christmas, we have more just altered some of our family traditions to take into account the fact its absolutely scorching hot and we need the air con on max.
Kiwi Christmas dinner is more about hams and salads than turkey and trimmings. As none of us are really that fussed about a ham, it seems a bit pointless to cook it and eat it. So we have turkey and trimmings – at about 6pm when its cool enough to sit out on the patio and gaze at the view. Lunch was a rather old fashioned prawn cocktail – but with the addition of some Crays – given to us by one of our neighbors in exchange from some old pink-batts we are replacing.
See – we can do this Kiwi lark!
And while waiting for the turkey to cook, we basically lounged by the pool, relaxed and chilled.
Oh – and the mulled wine. I discovered last year that mulled wine (a favorite of mine from years at uni spent at medieval banquets) tastes absolutely delicious if you make it it advance and stick it in the fridge for a few hours. Its a great drink to go with a Christmas dinner out on the patio.
Followed by a bit more lounging round the pool, letting dinner settle before eventually managing some black forest trifle for pudding.
There are certainly worse ways to spend the day.
Now its boxing day – and another of our new traditions – off to the beach.
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First Ocean dip of the season.
We decided a day at the beach was in order after a tough week in which Hubby was ill (and I had to stay up all night checking his temperature), really busy with work, and I have been working my way through a few hundred invoices that someone things the Body Corporate of our apartment block should pay to see if in fact we should. (Mostly the answer is “Nice Try Sonny Jim!”)
So, off to Riversdale we toddled, it was a bit overcast and the sea was kinda grey rather than a lovely warm turquoise – but there were others playing in the waves. So we braved it and ran it.
It was COLD!
Positively hypothermic!
Best summed up by this quote:
When I said my quarters were cold, I did not mean, ‘Oh, I think it’s a little chilly in here, perhaps I’ll throw a blanket on the bed.’ No, I said it was cold, as in ‘Oh, my left arm has snapped off like an icicle and shattered on the floor!
Londo Mollari: Babylon5 – The Illusion of Truth.
Ah well, after 5 minutes you pretty much go numb and cant feel it anyway – then you can get on and have fun.
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The beach is open for summer :)
Riversdale today: Lifeguards out on duty and they brought the sun and beautiful turquoise seas with them. And some stellar sandcastle building.
f
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In total contrast…
… to todays devastation in Christchurch- this was the view we woke to this morning.
Hubby and I then went to the beach for the afternoon. We were supposed to be doing some work in the attic, but just couldn’t face it.
Seems the local Seagulls love my open top car as much as I do.
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Riversdale is finally going to get is Sewerage system :)
Popped to the beach today for a bit of relaxation, and noticed a whole load of workmen on the village. Actually I suppose I should call it a Settlement. Village seems too English. Anyway – turns out that Masterton Council have finally decided to build the sewerage system that they have been promising for well over 1o years. Of course its about a gazillion times more expensive that it should have been cos they dicked around so long getting reports and consultations done. And then more reports on the consultations and consultations of the new reports.
Oddly enough the other weekend we went to an open home at the campsite. It had a toilet. It just wasn’t hooked up to anything, You had to use the Camp Toilet. They wanted $230k for a 2 bed Bach (admittedly brand new) without a flushing toilet.
Hmmm. We passed on that. I am NOT getting up in the middle of the night in Jim Jams to waltz across a flipping campsite to have a pee.
I love the place – but not that much!
It’s really gonna cost the residents to connect to the new scheme, something that is causing a great deal of angst amongst the permanent population. Many of them are pensioners, so don’t have the kind of money to stump up the cost up front. And although the council is allowing a payment plan in the Rates – there is interest on that (assumed rate of 7.5% so not even competence). Gits.
Should all be completed by this time next year. 
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The unseen Wairarapa Coast
I spend a lot of time at the beach, considering that we actually live about 90 minutes drive away. This is I’m sure not a shock to most people. We have just got back from 4 days away, staying at The Dunes in Riversdale – where we always go. (I an a true believer of the premise: If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it).
However, as the weather was not the greatest (this does not generally bother me – the beach in bad weather is still soothing to the soul), we decided to actually get up off our backsides and go exploring.
So we took a trip further north up the coast to take a look at Matakoina. A local friend of ours has a caravan up there, and had told us it was worth a look. The only reason its taken so long is that – well – we like Riversdale – which defianltely ain’t broke.
So anyway – here’s what we found – the photos don’t really do it justice – but that’s because I’m not a photographer.
That hill is a sand dune believe it or not.
A spectacular rocky beach with waves crashing over the rocks in the distance.
Wish we had room to stick this pet rock in the car 
Rock Pools
Crashing Waves
The Pefect Starter Bach
Really Strange Rock Formations
Looking back (South) towards Castlepoint.
Castlepoint
Castlepoint Lighthouse
And finally – the sun setting at Riversdale.
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Views of Riversdale (for Sarah)
Looking North up the beach towards Castlepoint.
The sun rising over the sea.
The beach at dusk
The Crowds at the Beach on Boxing Day – one of the busiest days of the year.
Clouds Over Riversdale
When we stay overnight – we stay at The Dunes, owned by a very friendly lady called Caroline. It sits literally just behind the Dunes – one minute and you are on the beach. Theres no cooker, but there is a Microwave and small barbie. It a lovely little place, and really relaxing.
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