Relaxed Lunch at the Beach

The sun was shining, the sea breezes were blowing, and Petone Beach  looked welcoming as we stopped in the car park to eat our lunch.  We had noticed during our recent UK trip that we had to pay to park at the beach.  The parking meters have not yet found their way to the beach front in New Zealand.  Away in the distance we could see the Inter Island Ferry making it’s way back to the ferry terminal in Wellington, no doubt filled with happy travellers from the South Island.

The Inter Island Ferry

A group of youngsters were splashing about in the shallows, with the ports of Wellington and suburban houses on the hills over the other side of Port Nicholson as a backdrop.  We noticed office workers with security tags dangling from their clothing taking a brisk lunch time walk along the esplanade.  More energetic people were jogging along in the hot sunshine.

Boys at the beach

Others like us were enjoying their lunch.  A solitary seagull was keeping an eye out on the diners, waiting to swoop as soon as someone threw a crust away.  Then away he went, high in the air, to land by the tasty morsel and noisily claim ownership of his prize.

I’m waiting for a snack

While Robin sipped on his cold Coca Cola I could get my coffee fix from the coffee hut conveniently parked close by.  As well as serving coffee, fruit smoothies were also on the menu.  The young girl was doing a roaring trade as customers queued up to get their drinks.

Get your coffee here!

The reason we were so relaxed at Petone Beach was because we had just come from an “Unwind and Relaxation using Self Hypnosis”  workshop at the newly extended Cancer Society rooms  in Wellington, given by Dr Patrick McCarthy.  Just entering this building brought back feelings of apprehension and anxiety to me.  Four years ago we came here day after day to use their facilities before heading over the road to the hospital to undergo  many weeks of cancer treatment.  However, Dr McCarthy soon put everyone at their ease as his melodic Scots burr told us jokes before he took us through some relaxation techniques.  Now it is all a matter of practice.  Dr McCarthy has an impressive list of achievements, and is much in demand for his skills in self hypnosis for patients who wish to take this type of treatment further.  We just got a taste of what can be achieved with a short session.

Cancer Society building

Hanging on the wall  by the reception desk was an artwork donated by the actor Grant Tilly.  “A Dawn Chorus”  beautifully depicted many of New Zealand’s  native birds, and was painted in acrylics on timber and aluminium.

“A Dawn Chorus” by Grant Tilly