Weather not good at the moment, but meant to be improving, so we have decided to go and park along the Manuheri
kia River at Galloway somewhere, for a couple of R&R nights. We were going to leave much earlier, but then it started to pour, so waited until it actually looked like it was clearing, rather than relying on the weather forecast, so didn't leave home until 14:11. Start odometer was 257678 - the kilometres since last trip and this one have been running into Alexandra and back a couple of times, as the engine seems to have a wee knock on idle, and Maggie has been at the "doctor" for the last week and a bit while they try and figure out what the problem is. Anyway, checked out 1st Galloway, but decided before we parked in our "usual" spot that we would check out 2nd Galloway - and we are so glad we did! As Mike said, we are only 20 minu
tes from home, but we could be in Mid-Canterbury, or other places far away. It is really pretty here, and we are within sight and sound of the River - why drive hours and hours when we have this on our back door step? And, after all, people come from all over to camp here during the holidays! We did have to go back into Alexandra, because Marielle decided to try a spot of fly-fishing and went to tie her fly on - only to realise she'd run out of tippet! Just as well we were close to town!Got back from that at 15:50, and seeing as the weather wasn't good enough to sit outside, we played Canasta until tea time (pork chops, stir-fry veggie and rice). Hit the pit at 22:05.
26 November 2008
Up just before 08:00 - slightly cool breeze but getting sunnier all the time. Spent the day fishing (Marielle caught 2 fish - chocolate size!), eating, reading, walking the dogs and just generally relaxing. Wonderful. Oh, the dogs did also contribute to the hunter-gathering: 1 baby quail (JD, still alive after being told to leave it), 1 baby rabbit (was still alive when Roxie bought it to us - but she was in the river when
told to drop it, which she did - so the baby rabbit drowned!) and 1 baby oyster catcher (Roxie, still alive after she was told to leave it). Had butter chicken with stir-fry veggies and rice for tea, bed at 21:55.27 November 2008
Up at 06:30 - going to be a beautiful day once the cloud burns off. Fishing (another 2 chocolate fish - though one a bit bigger!), reading, nana-napping and more fishing. Had to pack up and go home though, as Mike has to work for a living somewhere along the line. Bit of a shame as it
has turned out to be a beautiful day, lovely and warm and not a cloud to be seen. Oh well! Left at 14:08, home at 14:34, and Maggie all unpacked and washing on the go etc. by 15:00. Oh, couple of house-keeping things - still not totally happy with the generator. It does its job all right, but it uses so much oil, it is honestly like a 2 stroke. Definitely going to put in either diesel or LPG heating - not quite sure yet because diesel is more expensive by about $1,000 to install (but said to be "hotter" than LPG) but also more difficult to install - either need to plug into the fuel tank, or as we have seen, get another smaller (20L) diesel tank installed. LPG is simpler to install, supposed to run through a heat exchanger so no condensation and cheaper to install, but we want to get it right so maybe diesel might end up being the better option. And the other house-keeping thing - the new blind into the bedroom works a treat!
