Meyricke Serjeantson

February 11

Paraparaumu

Not a bad night's sleep. Very necessary after the last few days. After breakfast and a few cuddles with Matilda, who is not too well at the moment and doesn't look at her best, so is off to the doctor on Thursday, we drove into bright sunshine and blue skies. Whilst a couple of recent storms have made everything green, it has been a hot, dry summer. There was even a young musician plying her trade. I was reluctant but Valerie persuaded me to take the photograph.

Not a bad morning	Lots of plants
Fruit and veg	Great artists have to start somewhere

Paraparaumu Market on a Saturday morning is very good with some arty stuff, some plants and lots of fruit and veg.

We then drove up the road to Coastlands, the main shopping mall. The bank was shut so I was unable to sort out my money problems but I did find a machine with which to add money to my snapper via my credit card.

Butlers Chocolate Cafe offers good coffee and free chocolates so we forgot our blood sugar levels and indulged. On the way home, we bought some food for the weekend and then stopped for lunch. Valerie had a snooze while I processed some photos and emailed a few friends to make arrangements for later in my stay. Right: Coffee with free chocolate

	In mid afternoon, we walked to the complex's centre so that Valerie could use the swimming pool. I wandered round some of the garden area and then started to climb a hill to reach the trig point. Before I did, I encountered a fence, a gate and a large padlock. There was even a notice ordering trespassers to keep out. Valerie later told me that there was another entrance that I could have used.
No way through
Kapiti Village croquet lawn	A not very frightening wolf

I reversed down the hill and wandered round the village, eventually returning to the swimming pool via the lake and the croquet lawn. I was entertained by a bird sitting happily on the cardboard wolf. It obviously didn't look as fierce as it was meant to.

I walked home through the allotments	Some productive trees

The warm sunny weather was briefly replaced by some cloud and a few, a very few, spots of rain. Valerie finished her swim and we returned home to prepare for the evening's dinner party. It went well, just a small family get together. We had a quiet evening followed by a reasonably early night.