2009 Journal

What happened to 2009?

Our plan to visit Europe in 2009 fell over with the slow economy, and settling into Waikanae. Nevertheless we seem to have been away a lot!

In mid-January we camped at Manurewa in South Auckland for a week to attend a Genealogy Congress. Afterwards we made a short visit to Colin and Judy Grinder in Warkworth before driving to Whitianga to visit Bill and Barbara Lee. This led to a trip across to Coromandel before setting off to be back home in time for Kerry to go to the New Zealand Masters Games. In his usual sport [Shooting smallbore rifle] he managed a fourth at 25m and a first at 50m [over 60 yrs]. A fun event each year is the Twilight 400. Entrants must complete a match in each of Putt Golf, Darts, Croquet and Rifle Shooting. Kerry topped 3 of the four events and took home another gold medal. Later in the year he qualified as an International Shooting Sports Federation official and also competed at Horowhenua Smallbore Association matches.

In April we towed the caravan to Auckland to be there for Bette Grinder’s 70^th birthday. But we were home in time for ANZAC Day at Otaki and then back in Auckland again in August for Bob and Bette’s 50^th Wedding Anniversary. Add in four weekends away with the Caravan Club and now I see why our neighbours say we are never home.

With all of this tripping about we decided we needed to switch from a caravan to a motor home. Some research and several visits to dealers’ locations ended when we bought a Spanish-built 7m Benimar Perseo 570. Imported new it had been the dealer’s demo vehicle for a year and had a few extras fitted – satellite dish, free to air TV, solar panel, leather upholstery, carpets. So now we motor off to distant places with a Fiat Ducato turbo at 100kph and no worries about towing speeds.

The new vehicle is called JILI after the motor home we drove around Europe in 2002.

Along the way we caught up with Rob and Ann Bleakley from the India Tour last year and the four of us flew to Rarotonga for a week in October. That is a great place to holiday. There is plenty of organised stuff if you want it, very good accommodation and wonderful low key shopping. Visits to Taupo, Whitianga and Warkworth filled in another 10 days and we spent a last weekend of that month at the Brown’s Bay RSA celebrating the 75^th reunion of the Royal New Zealand Artillery Association. Kerry proposed the toast to the Regiment’s heritage at the formal dinner, and a good time was had by all.

Xmas this year started on 29 November with a street party and BBQ. This was followed by a family gathering of the Wellington based members at our place on 20 Dec.

 The early date was because Lyn, Sherryn and Kerry are off to Hokitika on 22 Dec to spend Xmas and the New Year with Dean, Toni and Alex on the West Coast. Sherryn was home from London for Xmas and flew back early in the New Year when we returned from the Coast.

The rest of the family are all fit and living in the Hutt Valley or Wellington. Craig is in the workshop at Central Forklifts in Lower Hutt, Donna is at Hutt City Council, and Andrew is Driver Testing in the Wellington area. Matthew is working part time at a Service Station, applying for training in the Electrical Trade and working on his guitar skills. In their first year at Secondary School, Fraser and Jared have done very well at their respective schools and both are enjoying their music. Jared has also had a good year at sport and is playing very good Basketball. Ben will start at Victoria University of Wellington in 2010, majoring in Law and Political Science.

 2010 begins

After spending a weekend at the Wellington Rowing Champs we drove to Lake Karapiro twice in February so that Kerry could officiate at rowing regattas there. After each regatta we motored to visit friends and family or take tourist routes such as the forgotten highway [Route 47]. Lyn filled in time researching family history in Hamilton and Cambridge and we visited one of her very old friends from school days. Now the Indoor Shooting has started again but Kerry will miss the first two months because we are planning to go to London for Sherryn’s 40^th birthday in May.