Two more days then Carols in the Park

I’ve been having a really lovely time here visiting in NZ.  Yesterday I got Mum teed up with broadband internet, and we got her a wireless modem which means my laptop also works over here for internet access as well – it rocks!!

So far Mum and I have been spending most of the day shopping, which is very unusual for me.  I’ve been getting a bit fed up of public transport and walking but Dad didn’t want me to use the car as the carparking is so bad locally now that you have to pay for parking at Manukau City.  Yesterday and today, though, I got to drive the car and I loved it!  It’s so much better being able to make a decision where to go and just go there instead of having to walk for miles or waiting for ages for public transport!  It’s especially lovely to drive my old baby again – this is my old car from living in NZ that I gave my Dad when I left … my old Mazda 323, ah heaven … 🙂

Mum and I have really enjoyed wandering around the shops and catching up, and my suitcase will be full of cheap shoes on the return trip – Dad has been OK for the first few days, or perhaps I’ve just been more tolerant … until tonight.  It’s been pretty good this visit, though – the last time I came over here was 3 1/2 years ago, and I had to leave the room after 24 hours to chill out before I lost my rag with Dad … this visit it’s taken me 5 whole days before I lost my cool and had to leave the room tonight after telling him to get a grip and chill out.  I should have remembered all those childhood Thursdays when Mum and I used to vacate the lounge really quickly as soon as 10pm arrived, so we weren’t up to see Dad on his return from a drinking session at the RSA – geez, it’s amazing how quickly those memories come flooding back!  Thursdays used to be my favourite day of the week ‘cos Mum and I would hang out together in the lounge – the rest of the week we all spent the time in our respective rooms separately … no “family time” in this family! 😦

Tonight has been the only down time so far, though, and the fun parts will hopefully continue.  Tomorrow we’re off to have a BBQ at our closest family friends’ home – time will tell whether Dad will go, as he usually packs a sad and pulls out ‘cos he doesn’t feel like going (for years my friends didn’t think I had a Dad ‘cos he never came to anything), but regardless Mum and I will go and have a good time.  Saturday brings the Christmas Carols in the Park – Mum and I used to go to this religiously each year, and I’m thrilled that I’m here for this year’s concert … fingers crossed the rain holds off for the night!  I feel like I’m a little kid again when the fireworks start at the end of the night – I can’t wait!!

Sunday morning will see us taking off in the car for a very early morning start, when we’ll be heading off down the coast to Napier/Hastings, when we hope to visit Katrina on Sunday afternoon.  On Monday we get to do my choice of the holiday, and visit the gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers – we’ve done this trip once before, and I loved it, and I really wanted to see the gannets again and take some more photos.  Afterwards we’re probably going to head over to New Plymouth, as we’ve never been there before, where we’ll overnight before heading back up north to Auckland.  I then finish off the trip with a day of work in the Auckland office on Wednesday before flying home again on Thursday.

I’ve been feeling quite sentimental about this whole visit – I’ve loved retracing my footsteps among my old local haunts and seeing how things have changed … I’ve also loved hearing all the Kiwi accents without having Aussies being rude about it … it’s surprised me how happy I’ve been to be home and how the smaller things have touched me.  For instance, just seeing the sparrows flitting around the garden (we rarely see sparrows in Aussie) warms my heart – and as soon as my feet got out of the car when I first arrived home on Sunday I was thrilled to see big fat bumblebees buzzing around the flowers (I only ever see the little wasp-looking bees at home) … such simple little things, but such simple joy they bring …

Alas Thursday arrived and brought with it the emotional dark clouds, but tomorrow is Friday, and chance to put Thursday behind us for another week … thankfully I will be leaving before Thursday evening next week, so this will be the last one I have to endure for another couple of years!  Apparently I have to return in two years time for Mum and Dad’s golden wedding anniversary … better start getting the valium ready now! 😉

For now, however, we have lots of fun to look forward to … then I have to work out how I’m going to get all this shopping home!!! 😀