Mother’s Day Dinner

We left dreary and damp Pahiatua behind on Sunday and travelled up to Hastings, where the weather can almost be guaranteed to be fine and sunny.  This area is not called “The Fruit Bowl of New Zealand” for nothing.  When we arrived, Robin had to carefully back our caravan down the long driveway of my sister Kathleen’s house.  Ooops, I wasn’t watching that tall tree which was growing out over the driveway, a couple of small branches won’t be the same again.  Once we were safely in place, with the legs wound down and the power plugged in, we went inside to meet the rest of the family and enjoy a cup of coffee.  As it was Mother’s Day, Kathleen suggested that we all go out for the evening meal to celebrate.  We agreed, what a good idea!  At the appointed time, we piled into two cars and drove over to Napier.

Breakers Restaurant in Napier

Breakers Restaurant was full to bursting with lots of families out celebrating Mother’s Day.  There were three mothers at our table, myself, Kathleen, and her daughter Lisa.  Robin and brother-in-law Dennis, plus Lisa’s children Adam and Kate completed our family group. 

Out enjoying our Mother’s Day meal

The meals were very generous and several of us enjoyed the rolled stuffed roast pork meal.  Adam had a huge burger to munch through, and young Kate enjoyed her smaller child’s meal.  But why oh why do we always think we need to have a dessert as well?  Probably because everything sounds so nice on the menu, and then we struggle to eat it after our big main courses.  We never learn, do we?  The restaurant decorations lean heavily towards a surfing theme, and Robin was pleased to see a poster showing just the sort of surf board he used in his younger surfing days.  He was a member of the New Plymouth Old Boys Surf Lifesaving Club at Oakura Beach, New Plymouth, for several years.  There were none of those motor powered boats that are available these days.  Way back then the boys had to paddle out the heavy fibreglass canoe or swim out with a lifebelt attached trailing a line behind them and then those on shore would pull the lifesaver and patient back into the beach.  Today they use a inflatable motorised boats.

Mural on the wall

After our meal we drove down Napier’s Marine Parade to look at the lights.  The fountain was playing and looked beautiful as the lights kept changing colour.  Couples were cuddled up close on the seats as they looked at the romantic display, and there was a posse of photographers (us included) lined up to capture the ever changing colours.

    Fountain playing on Marine Parade

Marine Parade is lined with Norfolk Pines and they were strung with colourful lights.  The evening air was warm and mild and the lights made everything look so nice.  I had received Mother’s Day phone calls from my children Michael and Nicky earlier in the day, so everything was fine in my world.  Hope everyone else had a Happy Mother’s Day too.

Norfolk Pines on Marine Parade