March 5 to 12
Paraparaumu and Wellington
March 5
Paraparaumu
A quiet day. A little shopping in preparation for the evening's dinner party and then some planning and cooking. After lunch, we drove up the road to a large shop which sells outdoor furniture, arts & crafts etc. I bought some presents to take back and Valerie left some pictures to be displayed and, she hopes, sold in their gallery. It is a fun place with lots of clever and unusual stuff.
 |
 |
|
|
We returned home and completed preparations for dinner. Sue and Steve arrived and we ate and drank, accompanied by a very sharp shower, which continued on and off well into the night.
March 6
Paraparaumu
Another quiet day. The retirement village odd job man arrived to fix a loose tap and a malfunctioning door lock. We did some more odd jobs and I repacked my bags.
Outside, the sun had returned but there was a reasonably firm "breeze."
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
After lunch, leftovers from last night, we drove a couple of kilometres up the road to a car park by the side of the Waikanae River. In glorious sunny weather, we set off along the river bank, which doubles as a foot and cycling path. This ran through lots of light woodland.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The river was there but photography was restricted by the trees, which someone had thoughtlessly planted on the banks.
We encountered a few people on foot and a few on bikes but it was very quiet. Above us was a large earth mover working on a quarry which, in a previous life, was a large sand dune.
After two and a half kilometres we stopped and retraced our steps to the car. It was a peaceful walk, not exciting but relaxing on a lovely afternoon. We drove home and collapsed on the sofa. The evening continued in a similar way. The sofa in front of the TV.
March 7
Paraparaumu and Hutt City
A good sunny morning, although cold to begin. Matilda decided that the padded bag for my laptop was a comfortable bed.
Right: Matilda found a new bed |
 |
Eli, Valerie's grandson, was dropped off for breakfast and then his ride to school. We had a visitor for an early elevenses, after which we set off to walk to the shops. Valerie knew a "short cut" along some narrow paths. Unfortunately, she hadn't walked this way for several years, during which time the grass and brambles had grown considerably.
 |
 |
|
|
|
We made it, however, emerged onto the main road and immediately encountered a lady selling watercress from the back of a car. We bought some - she gave us a deal - and continued to the supermarket and the diy store for some routine shopping. On the route home is a bulk food shop, where you can purchase all manner of stuff out of "bins" and put it into bags or containers. It is a very useful shop and it would be wonderful to have one in the UK but I fear that our hygiene laws would prevent it. |
 |
|
Just round the corner is an Asian supermarket, purveyor of all foodstuffs from the Orient. This too was excellent. We have similar shops at home but not as close.
After lunch, we rested until Valerie collected Eli from school. We kept him entertained for a couple of hours, playing games on the dining room table and then throwing gliders around in the garden. A couple ended up on the roof but eventually made their way down again without anyone having to scale a ladder.
Nick came to collect Eli, leaving Valerie and I to have dinner, mainly centred on the excellent pork buns we had bought from the Asian shop. We then followed our usual custom of collapsing in front of the TV until bed time.
March 8
Paraparaumu and Hutt City
A dull morning, in which I waited at the end of the road for a bus, which took me to the railway station. I waited a few minutes for the train, which arrived on time and took me into Wellington.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
A few minutes walk away is the Astoria, guarded by its array of water features. I met Judith there, decided that I preferred the old, slightly dingy, decor and we had a couple of coffees and a lot of conversation.
We went our separate ways, Judith home to Kelburn and me in search of a bank. The branch I was looking for had vanished but I soon found another. Even better, there was a lady from Southend inside who was able to solve all of my internet banking problems. She couldn't have been more helpful.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
After another few minutes walk I reached Dixon Street and a small Vietnamese restaurant, where I met Jo for lunch. We had a good 90 minutes, ate well and then headed off. I walked for 25 minutes to the city's best wine shop, where I found a good bottle for tonight's dinner. A bus then took me to the city centre, where I had a coffee and a bun.
At the railway station it was busy. The schools were pouring out and many people were leaving work. Trains on the Hutt Line were starting to be cancelled and replaced by buses. Unfortunately, a train holds lots and a bus holds a few. I didn't even try to board the first bus but waited twenty minutes until the next one.
I did get on board with loads of others and stood in the aisle while the bus stood in the rush hour traffic for almost half an hour. Two ladies offered me their seats, which didn't make me feel good!
After Petone, lots of people got off so I sat down. By the time I reached my stop, Wingate, I was one of the last passengers remaining on board. If I don't have covid after that journey, I never will have it. Mind you, I have said that after my previous rail replacement buses, almost all of which have been dangerously overcrowded.
I finally reached Sue & Steve's where we had an excellent dinner accompanied by excellent wine.
March 9
Hutt City to Paraparaumu
We left Sue & Steve's at 09.00 and drove back to Paraparaumu along the new motorway. Valerie stopped at the charity shop at which she works on Thursdays. I did some shopping at Coastlands, the local mall, then crossed the road to the station and caught a train to Pukerua Bay, a couple of stops down the line towards Wellington.
My plan was to walk the six kilometres along the Flax Path to Plimmerton. It was dull and humid but with a gusty wind appearing at intervals. Luckily, I had decided to start at Pukerua Bay and walk downhill, meaning that the wind was in my back. Walking uphill and into the wind would have been much harder.
The path isn't exciting and is sandwiched between the State Highway and the railway line. It passes through lots of trees and the Taupo Swamp, an area of wetland and flax, after which the path is named. It was quiet and I only encountered a runner, three cyclists and two ladies walking dogs.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
After something over an hour, I reached Plimmerton and used the tunnel under the railway line. This has been redecorated and the men were busy re-hanging the pictures, mainly produced by the local school children. They seemed to be making a good job of it.
Right: The children's mural |
 |
I crossed the main street to the cafe on the corner, had a coffee and a scone and waited for the train to arrive. This happened and it took me back to Paraparaumu just in time to meet Valerie when she left the shop. We joined one of her colleagues in the pub round the corner for a drink - cold and fizzy - before returning home for lunch.
The afternoon was quiet but at 18.15 a taxi arrived to take us to the centre of Paraparaumu for dinner at 50-50. This is a small restaurant, reasonably spartan, with a chef/owner who has worked in Michelin starred restaurants in the UK and Japan.
 |
 |
|
|
The food was more than up to 1* standard, as was the service. The photos, taken with my phone, cannot do justice to the flavours but they can indicate the quality of the presentation. An expensive evening but value for money.
March 10
Paraparaumu
An early start as Eli was dropped off for breakfast before school. After this, Valerie set off for the Art Society and I had a lengthy but successful search for the old phone containing my UK sim card.
 |
I then set out to walk to the centre of Paraparaumu Beach following a route I hadn't tried before. There had been some rain overnight and it was gloomy and humid outside. I walked along a series of suburban streets and walked and walked. I finally reached the sea but realised that I was a very long way from the centre.After another half hour, I finally reached the stream which marks the start of the village centre, took some photos and walked into a cafe almost opposite last night's restaurant for a rest and a coffee. The former was much needed. The latter, a trifle disappointing. |
 |
|
|
|
Outside, it was starting to drizzle so I donned my waterproof and approached the bus stop to check the timetable. Fortune favoured me as one arrived immediately. I caught it for a couple of stops, bought a bottle of wine and then walked the final kilometre home.
Valerie returned home and we were starting to prepare lunch when the phone rang. It was Eli's school to say that he was poorly and could Valerie collect him. We both suspected covid so I barricaded myself in my room and started packing. Eli appeared, was soon collected by his elder sister, and taken home to his Mother. She gave him a covid test, he passed and we all relaxed. By now, I was feeling terrible.
In mid afternoon, we collected some tools and spent a couple of hours at the allotment, fixing new netting to keep the rabbits out of the vegetables. By the end of this, I was exhausted and spent a couple of hours snoozing on the sofa. We had a quiet evening in front of the TV.
March 11
Paraparaumu
|
A lovely sunny day. Ideal for doing nothing. We paid brief visits to the market followed by the vet's to do a little shopping. Back at home, we pottered, did nothing very much, had lunch and Valerie washed the car. In late afternoon, we set off up the road, a couple of kilometres to Brian and Maria Antonietta's for an excellent dinner.
Right: A lovely morning |
 |
March 12
Paraparaumu to Wellington
Yesterday's sun had been replaced by cloud. I completed my packing, checked the house for missing items and Valerie drove me to the station to await the rail replacement bus. This arrived more or less on time and we trundled into Porirua, where the bus abandoned us and I had to manoeuvre my case up and down a couple of flights of stairs in order to board the train. Not good. The train did arrive on time, however, and we arrived into Wellington on time.
It took me a little time and some more walking with my bags to find the bus stop. This had reverted to its normal position following the completion of some road works. If only I had known! The bus soon arrived and took me to Newtown, where I had a short, uphill, walk to Jane & Robert's.
|
The sun was now shining brightly so, after lunch, I helped (watched?) Jane playing gardening before returning to the house to process photos. We had a good dinner with excellent wine before having an early night.
Right: A very productive garden |
 |