We’ve just had a mid week trek over the Rimutaka Hill to Featherston for Anne’s SLG December get-together. As it is a 2 hour drive each way from Levin, making it quite a long day, we were invited to bring our caravan and spend a relaxing couple of nights in Featherston. Luckily that dratted wind which has been plaguing motorists for weeks had dropped a little making towing a caravan not quite so hair raising as it sometimes is. However, we noticed a new sign had been erected since our last trip over the hill warning motor cyclists of wind danger.
We enjoyed a pleasant evening with our hosts, and the next morning joined them in welcoming our our SLG friends when they arrived for Anne’s outing. After a cuppa and a catch-up we pooled cars and drove up to Masterton for Christmas Lunch local Cossie Club. We weren’t the only group there to enjoy an early Christmas lunch, the place was packed with revellers. In walked a trio who looked familiar – it was the JNX Rebervnation band who had entertained our 60s Up group a couple of weeks ago. We told them how much we had enjoyed hearing them, and they went on to perform their magic for another group.
We found our table, pulled the Christmas crackers, read out the jokes, and donned our silly hats. The menu was a choice of hot ham or roast pork. That was easy, He chose ham and I couldn’t see past the pork. Served with roast veggies and lashing of gravy, we all declared the main course was delicious, and all the plates went back empty. And what could be more festive than Christmas pudding, custard and ice-cream for dessert – yummy.
Back we went to Featherston for coffee and Christmas cake, and for our Christmas gift exchange. Not so much an exchange sometimes as a smash and grab. It goes like this – the gifts are put into a basket, and everyone gets a to roll a dice. When you finally roll a six, you can then chose a gift. Everyone looks to see what you have, as the next one to roll a six can then either choose a new gift from the basket, or maybe your gift is what they really fancy, so they take it off you.
Some gifts were highly prized and changed hands several times. Including a very looooong box of chocolates won by Ashley, taken by Robin, back to Ashley and finally Robin retained them. They got down on their knees as they kept rolling the dice hoping for a six to claim ownership of chocolates. He is sure to share them with me, so I hope they taste good after all that effort to keep them.
We brought our Chatter Santa in from the caravan and he was quite a hit, repeating everything he heard, including all the laughter and giggling. Mind you, it was all done in a very high pitched tone, making everything seem so much sillier.
As the day came to an end, all the other guests collected their Christmas gifts, said their goodbyes, and headed off home. Not us though, we were having a nice peaceful evening in the caravan.
2 comments:
we have done that trip...it was scary enough without a caravan!
It's no trouble when it is your local road - just what you get used to, I expect. But it can be a bit of a worry in windy conditions.
I can remember when I had my first drive over the hill just after I got my Learners Driving Licence. With my two young children in the back seat I was in a line of very slow traffic and stalled the car. Couldn't get it started again properly and I kept going backwards - luckily someone came and helped. I was too upset to remember about hill starts! So scarey.
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