Doing Lunch

We had a trip down to the Hutt Valley, our old stomping ground, recently to meet up with our SLG friends for lunch.  This group has been meeting each month for an outing for about 30 years now.  In our earlier years we would climb hills, tramp around the coastline, and do all sorts of energetic things.  Go to exhibitions, walk around displays, explore the countryside.   Sadly, the years are starting to take their toll on our collective knees and hips these days and several of our group now have to rely on a walking stick.  But we can “do lunch” very well with the best of them.  Which is what we did, meeting up in Lower Hutt at the Glass House Café, tucked away inside the California Garden Centre.  Such lovely surroundings.

Glass House Café

Ashley had organised our outing this month, and we had a full muster in attendance.  Always nice to catch up with everyone again.  The meals were very tasty, and I particularly enjoyed my yummy hot smoked salmon, and Robin munched his way through a Big Breakfast.

Here we all are

After our lunch some wandered around the extensive garden centre and gift shop, so many lovely things there to tempt you.  Since we had the furthest to travel, we opted to head for home.  There are always plenty of road works in evidence.  This particular site is the huge job of Transmission Gully motorway, scheduled to open in 2021.  The 27 km four-lane motorway will run from Mackays Crossing to Linden, through Transmission Gully. Four interchanges and two new link roads will connect the route to Mackays, SH58, eastern Porirua and Kenepuru.   The concept for a motorway along the route called Transmission Gully had been mooted for decades before serious discussion on the option started in the late 1980s.  Robin always used to say, “it wont happen in my lifetime”, looks like he will soon be proved wrong!

Mackays Crossing, Paekakariki

No trip along the coast road would be complete with out a snap of Kapiti Island.  We stopped at a rest point coming down Pukerua Hill for Robin to check something in the car, so I took the opportunity to step outside and snap a few photos while standing still, instead of madly clicking out of the car window as we whizzed along. 

Kapiti Island

As we were making good time in our return journey, we decided to invite ourselves around to Geoff and Eileen’s home for coffee.  The dairy cows were also visiting over the fence in the next door paddock.  They were so curious, and several of them came up to see what I was doing.

The cows came calling

Then we joined the traffic again and drove the final 20km home.  It had been a nice day catching up with everyone, and thanks for the coffee break, Geoff and Eileen, much appreciated.