It started with the extractor fan. A faint, annoying buzz when it was on. Then it became the annoying buzz when it was just sitting there not doing anything. After months of switching it off at the wall each time it was not in use, we asked the electrician to look at it and it … More Our Beep Beep buying
My mother in law was a Southland farmer’s wife. She knew all about hard work and new ventures. During her life she was part of the team of two who turned swampland into farmland, then went bush to develop a tourist venture. While there was still some gas in the tank she travelled around the … More Nola
It came to me today as I listened to the achievements of the cricketer making 200 runs on debut at Lords, that while he is most certainly talented and possesses a formidable determination, he could not have stood out there on his own. He needed a team mate at the other end and perhaps more … More Winning
Switch on with the remote then using the playstation controller push the playstation icon to make the screen go blue. (Not an issue. A child could do this.) and you can see the list of instructions. (Isn’t that a menu? ). Click on x for Ben. (Nonono. How do I do that? Okayyyy, got it.)Use … More The Wobbly Thing.
I learnt some interesting facts in Australia one of them being that one out of ten European babies is conceived in an Ikea bed. It came, like all good information, out of a book purchased by my grand-daughter. She’s almost fifteen and thought nothing of spending money on a book she intended giving to a … More Life lessons from the library
Some words hold magic. Escapologist, King Tide, humblebee, are all words ripe for the picking but it was the moon that scored big last night. Bloody and red it appeared just after 11pm through the bare branches of the twisty tree at the end of our deck. It was very cold last night and reminded … More Blood Red Moon
I went to Australia in search of family and I am happy to say I found them. Older, definitely taller and so much more settled than I had dared to expect. We did lots of things together. Some were expensive and some were not. I was a wuss at Sea World. I held the bags … More Home
It was the youngest child’s day yesterday. In lieu of lollies I suggested chips and was told the choice was to go closer to home and have ‘okay’ chips or a little bit further and have really good ones. Everyone knows you don’t mess around with mediocre chips so I was led along streets and … More Australia 4: Evolution, Ingredients and Chips
They talk big in Oz but I have to say when it’s about rain, they’re generally telling the truth. It either doesn’t rain or it rains a lot. Today on Bribie Island (Queensland), we have thunder and lightening as well as torrential rain. Unlike NZ where these events seem to be just passing through, here … More Australia 3: Rain
I love coming to Bribie Island. You drive over the narrow bridge from the mainland and suddenly there is sparkling blue water, soft, gentle trees on the shoreline and the famous pelicans keeping an eagle eye on both the fishermen on the bridge and the boats running up and down the Pumicestone Passsge. Once on … More Australia Two: What happens on the beach, stays on the beach
