Waiting…….

It hasn’t been much of a day today, cold, wet and miserable.  Our leafless tree outside does say “winter”, doesn't it.  But we got busy in the morning and between us we did a little housework, about time too, I think.  Yes, we have to admit that  it does look better now.

A chilly wet day

Guess the highlight of our day during lockdown has been the daily Covid briefing on TV, hosted by Jacinda and Ashley.  The country was waiting with baited breath today to see if the Alert Levels would be dropped down in the coming week.  At the moment the whole country is in Level 4.  We were told that Auckland would remain in level 4 for the next two weeks, not at all unexpected as the bulk of the cases have been found there.  The rest of the country will drop to level 3 next week.

TV briefing today

Some people call level 3 “level 4 with takeaways” as fast food outlets can now open and offer home deliveries.  Cafes and restaurants can also sell click and collect food and coffees.

So we wont be able to get away in the caravan until we get down to level 2.    Meanwhile, we will stay safely tucked up at home.  We have just put in a grocery order to be delivered, nice to know we are “priority” because of our vulnerable ages, so that will be delivered on Sunday.  We can always pop around to the dairy for milk as needed, and our veggies growers offer a pre-ordered pick up service.  With plenty of things in the freezer. I don’t think we will starve!

Gemma enjoys us being home – with laps to snuggle up on and plenty of cuddles coming her way she is in pussy cat heaven.  This morning she decided a change of outlook was in order and we looked around to discover her way on top of the wall unit.  Goodness knows how she got up there!  And there was no trouble getting down, she jumped jumped to the floor in a single leap!

What is she doing up there?

Wet Weekend Rally at Carterton

Arriving a day early on Thursday at the caravan club rally at Carterton eased us nicely into the weekend.  Just a pity about the weather, low temperatures, rain and wind.  Our caravan buddies arrived on Friday and the rain hardly let up, with reasonably strong winds to make their journeys a little more unpleasant.  We were so pleased we traveled the previous day.  Nine caravans arrived for the weekend, including three prospective new members.

Yes, it’s still raining outside

We had the use of the large dining room at the camp, which we made good use of, meeting for morning tea, 4zees, and in the evenings.  Even with the heaters on,  most of us kept our jackets on for a little extra warmth.

All rugged up in the dining room

It was a fairly laid back rally, with time to do our own thing, go visiting, or whatever else we wanted to do.  A couple of quizzes tested our brain cells and the highlight of the weekend for the rugby supporters was the Super Rugby 2019 Final between the Crusaders (NZ) and Jaguares (Argentina).  The camp manager came and set up the TV for Sky Sports so all the rugby enthusiasts were happy.  And even more happy when New Zealand won 19-3.

After all that bad weather we could have predicted that Sunday would dawn clear and sunny – how often does this happen when it’s time to go back home?  The camp had that “freshly washed” look about it in the winter sunshine.

Hooking up the van we left for home after morning tea on Sunday, fare welling our caravan club buddies, and headed on our way.  What’s that?  Looks like a little snow on the Wairarapa side of the Taraurua Ranges.

Retracing our journey, we headed back through Eketahuna, which calls itself Kiwi Country.  Probably because this little town is not too far from Pukaha National Wildlife Centre, which has bred some rare white kiwis.

After a two hour journey we arrive home, just as more rain sets in, so we quickly unpacked in the rain.  Can’t complain, it is winter after all.

Telly Watching

We watched a brilliant (to us) new show on the History Chanel the other night, called “Secrets of Britain’s Great Cathedrals”.  The first episode told the stories of York Minster, and Canterbury Cathedral.  It was like a trip down memory lane as we had visited both of these famous buildings when we were holidaying in the UK some years ago.  Whenever we visited a castle, church, palace or cathedral, I purchased booklets like these in the adjacent gift shops.  Printed by Pitkin, they were reasonably priced, chock full of beautiful photos, packed with information, and light enough to tuck into my suitcase.  In fact, I ended up mailing a bunch back home  just so I would have room to buy a few more on our travels.   Watching this programme was a good excuse to find my books and refresh my memory on all the history and features of these glorious buildings.

It’s telly watching of a different kind tonight – the All Blacks are playing the French in a series of three tests.  Robin is engrossed in front of the TV so that will keep him quiet for the next couple of hours.  It was a good start with the stirring La Marseillaise, the national anthem of France, followed by the singing of our own one, God Defend New Zealand.  Then the haka – always a sight to see.  The man of the house watched the game on TV with rapt attention, sipping on a Glava or two as the minutes rolled by, the rucks and line-outs evolved and the tries were scored.  And yes, New Zealand won the first rugby test of three, so “Go, the All Blacks”.

All Black haka

New Caravan and a Wedding

Its always quite an occasion when one of our club members turn up at a rally with a new caravan.  Helen and Owen had been waiting for their new Platinum Leisure line to roll off the production line so they could take delivery.  Just in time for the Carterton rally, and they were more than happy to host “Open Home” viewings over the weekend.  This new design features a flat floor, meaning it is built a little higher so that the wheel arches are now under the floor and do not protrude into the caravan.  It is a lovely van, with lots of exciting new features, and we wish Helen and Owen many happy adventures in it.

New van for Helen and Owen

On Saturday afternoon some members took a trip out to view the Pointon Collection of vintage cars and clothing.  We had done this previously so ventured down to the local café Wild Oats with Dot and Derek for a coffee and a little something to nibble.

 

Wild Oats Café

Slap bang in the café grounds is a sculpture of Charles Rooking Carter, the founder of Carterton and a  philanthropist  who left may legacies to the benefit of the area.  He was a strong advocate for Wairarapa settlers and was instrumental in developing many public services in Carterton including the library, an astronomical observatory, cemetery, post office, court-house and police station. His most notable gifts to the town were the Carter Home for aged men, now known as Carter Court, and the Carter Reserve, an area of native bush land.

Charles Rooking Carter 1822-1896

We gathered back in hall in the evening and Barry presented us another quiz to test our brains.  This one was pictures of brand marks from earlier years, and wonder of wonders, Robin and I scraped in with the most correct answers.

Saturday night brain teaser

The highlight of the evening was of course, the Royal Wedding.  Eileen was so excited she dressed up in her finery and put the rest of us to shame.  I knew I should have packed my tiara!

All dressed for the royal wedding

Some members weren’t interested and took themselves back to the vans, but most stayed in the hall and watch the momentous occasion unfold.  There were plenty going on before the service as happy royal watchers were interviewed, and the big question, who designed “The Dress” was discussed at length.  With the time difference between UK and New Zealand, it was going to be a very long night for us.  I took myself back to the van at about 10.00pm, settled down in bed with the TV on, and watched and waited as important guests arrived, and the ceremony finally began.  It was a long night, and we finally turned the light out and went to sleep at 1.30am.

Once you turn 70……

Look what happens once you turn 70 – your birthday balloon goes down and gives you that deflated feeling.  Oh dear – never mind.

We’re having a quiet Sunday at home for a change, no rushing around today.  The morning started off with the man of the house cooking the obligatory bacon and eggs for breakfast.  Now  Robin is in his happy place – watching the All Blacks play the Argentina team on TV.  Go the All Blacks!

And I’m pottering around quietly in the background, preparing a beef pot roast in the crock pot for dinner.  And a little baking perhaps.   Hope everyone is having a restful Sunday before another busy week starts again.

The Shortest Day

June 21st is the Northern Solstice and marks the shortest day here in the Southern Hemisphere.  On the 21st the sunrise is around 7:48am and sunset 5:00pm in Wellington, giving just over 9 hours of potential sunshine for the capital. The timing of sunrise and sunset varies from location to location, sunrise in Gisborne being almost an hour earlier than in Invercargill. 

Map courtesy of Met Service

But it’s hard to believe that it is winter, as we have been having such gorgeous weather lately.  Warmish sunshine – only up to 15-16 degrees, not too bad for winter.  A little chilly in the mornings and evenings, but that’s to be expected, and we don’t always feel the need to turn the heat pump on once the sun departs over the horizon early each evening.  But the biggest bonus has been the lack of wind, the days have been lovely and calm, with the sunshine streaming through our windows all day.  The clear blue sky and lack of wind means we may well get a touch of frost some mornings – but we can put up with that little inconvenience. 

View over our back fence

And what would winter be without rugby?  Robin is in seventh heaven with the Lions Rugby Team touring the country.  They are playing against provincial teams as well as the mighty All Blacks.  There is a whole lot of rugby to keep him glued to the TV screen, and of course, his New Zealand flag is on show for all the village to see.

Go – the All Blacks

And New Zealand is fighting another sports battle – this time for the America’s Cup off the coast in Bermuda.  Emerites Team New Zealand has got off to a good start – being in the final with Oracle, but we won’t celebrate yet until the final race is a done deal.  This is exciting TV watching too – those boats can fly!

A pair of Social Butterflies

I blame the pre-Christmas rush – it’s turning us into a pair of social butterflies.  What with a blokes breakfast for Robin, a ladies lunch for me, an invitation  to a birthday bash, and then hosting a lunch for friends at home, all in the space of a few day, it’s been one social activity after another.  And things will only get busier as various clubs and groups organize their end of year functions over the next few weeks.  You certainly need plenty of stamina at this time of the year to keep up with everything that is going on.  It’s just as well that the  next two weekends are caravan free for a change.  No rushing off here and there towing then caravan behind us as we are prone to do. 

Robin was in his Happy Place today.  Nice and cozy in his Lazy-Boy chair, watching his beloved All Black Rugby boys set against the mighty French rugby team.  And the score?  All Blacks  won with a 24-19 victory over France in Paris for their final Test of 2016.

All Blacks performing the Haka

It’s a good day to be inside today – outside it is a wet and wild Sunday.  The trees are bending in the wind, the strong wind is howling around our door, the rain comes in sheets, and Mother Nature must have forgotten that Summer is almost here.

Homeward Bound

It was time to depart from sunny Hastings and head for home.  We packed up, filled up the water, emptied the waste, and got on our way.  The countryside looked lush and green, probably from all that rain we had been having lately.  Stopping in Woodville, I was most impressed when Robin pulled up behind Dr Ropata’s caravan, with that immortal saying displayed on the back.

You really need to be a Shortland Street fan to appreciate this.  Shortland Street is a long running Kiwi TV soapie, set in a fictional hospital. The very first episode spawns the most famous line in the show's history: "You're not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata," spoken by Nurse Carrie  to Dr Hone Ropata (Temuera Morrison). "This line was almost removed from the original script because it was so ridiculous," said the founding producer  "but we left it in at the last minute, and the rest, as they say, is history."

“You’re not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata”

Sadly, Dr Ropata wasn’t towing the caravan.  The vintage caravan was built by Auckland Caravan Company way back when, and the new owners had purchased it two years ago, with the famous quote firmly in place.  And there the sign stays, we were told. It is quite a distinctive little van, with pointy front windows, and lantern windows along the top.  The owners even allowed us a little peep inside.

After that bit of excitement, we hit the road again and debated where to stop for lunch.  And decided on Ferry Reserve, at the beginning of the Manawatu Gorge.  As we carefully drove down the narrow one way entrance road, towing our van behind us, a young woman jumped in her car and started driving up towards us.  Where she thought she was going to pass was beyond us.  Might has Right, so she had to back down, get her little car off the road and onto the grass, and leave the way clear for us – silly girl!

Let's go here for lunch

We had never stopped here before, and there was plenty of undulating ground, but it looked a little rough and possibly too soft.  So we stayed on the hard and pulled over onto one of the handy parking bays.

Lunch at Ferry Reserve

The Manawatu River was rushing by, and we did wonder about the caravan parked quite close to the river’s edge.  There was no car beside it, perhaps the caravan was bogged down?

Lonely caravan parked by the Manawatu River

From the reserve we had views of two bridges.  The first more modern bridge heads towards the Bridge Café in Balance.  And yes, of course we have dined there previously.  

The bridge to Balance over the Manawatu River

And to start the journey through the Manawatu Gorge, traffic crosses this lovely curvy bridge over the river.

As we did, waiting for a break in the traffic before heading through the gorge.  The road is narrow, the area is prone to slippages, and there were road works taking place.  We spotted a workman, lifted up high in a basket, goodness knows what he is doing up there.  The road was down to one lane only at this time, so we waited for the “go” signal before heading on our way.

Workman on the hill

Safely through the gorge (I always give a sigh of relief) we continued on our way as the rain came bucketing down.  It’s always Murphy’s Law, isn’t it, to put the caravan away and unpack it in the rain?  Luckily by the time we arrived home, the precipitation was down to a drizzle.  We had a great time away, but it’s always good to come back home.

Soup and Rugby

It’s a soup and rugby kind of day.  The weather is rather miserable today, wet and drizzly, and the hills are playing hide and seek all day with the low lying clouds.  Now you see them – now you don’t.  And there is no trace of the much higher hills at the back – although we are sure they are still there.  The saving grace is that it’s not freezing cold, the temperatures have not dropped too low.  We can cope with that, tucked up snug and warm at home.

 

View over the back fence

It is mid winter after all, and just a few days away from celebrating the shortest day.  No wonder soup was on the menu for lunch, bacon bones, split peas and plenty of vegetables, simmered away in the crock pot (slow cooker).  What could be nicer?

Home cooked soup for lunch

Robin will be settling down in front of the TV shortly for an evening of rugby, no doubt with a beer in hand.  The Welsh Rugby team are travelling New Zealand on a four match tour, and are playing in Wellington tonight.  That should keep him happily occupied for a while.

Marvellous Marton

The NZCA Park at Marton is a great little place to stay, and we have been there many times.  Not too far to go for a quiet weekend away, and it is on the way to the Capital for those travelling south who want to cross over on the Cook Strait Ferry.  

Marton NZCA Park

At just a short 75km trip, we arrived just in time for lunch on Friday.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing in the surrounding trees, and there were several neighbours close by in the front of the camp as we manoeuvred into our site.  More rigs rolled in all afternoon, finding spaces down the other end of the camp, and by early evening the place was quite full.  Several caravans arrived, including another Leisureline or two, and quite an assortment of motor-homes.  Some little, some big, some with bikes on the back, and a couple of 5th Wheelers too.  The sunshine didn’t last, and by night time the heavy rain came down, making the already soggy lawns even wetter.

Getting cloudy as the afternoon wore on

The sunshine came out again on Saturday morning, and while I attended the local Quilt Show, Robin stayed back in camp and chatted to the other campers – something he is very good at!  All this chatting paid off, as our neighbour Lou, proud owner of a new Southern Star, invited a couple of the neighbours in to watch the All Blacks game with him on TV.  Robin was in his element – he often laments on my non interest in sport.  I left them to it, and popped out to see a friend.

Watching the All Blacks play Georgia

Of course our team won!

We woke on Sunday morning to high wind warnings coming later in the day so were keen to get on our way home bright and early.  But not before we noticed Lou doing his washing in his dinky little twin tub washing machine, which works off his battery.  A bloke who does the washing, that’s handy!

Our weekend neighbour Lou attending to his laundry

Heading off home via the dump station, we were buffeted by winds travelling down the Foxton Straights, but nowhere as bad as it was reported it could be by the end of the day.  Safely back home, we quickly unpacked, did a quick bit of cleaning, and parked the caravan away- until our next trip away.

Worth a Second Look

There we were the other evening, sitting quietly at home watching Sir Tony Robinson presenting a New Zealand segment of his Tour of Duty show set in Dunedin.  He  visited the home of official war artist Peter McIntyre to interview the two nieces who now live in the house and there on the wall was the postcard, “It’s  wonderful what leaks out, keep your mouth shut”.  Robin had spotted this humorous drawing in the men’s loos of the National Army Museum at Waiouru in April and couldn’t resist taking a photo.  We didn’t realise at the time that it was the work of Peter McIntyre. The photographic postcard reproduces a drawing by Peter McIntyre warning against speaking indiscreetly. It shows the backs of two soldiers in military uniform with lemon-squeezer hats, standing at a urinal.  Well worth a second look, we feel, especially as we are now aware of the artist behind this amusing little piece of art.

It’s wonderful what leaks out, keep your mouth shut – postcard

In January 1941 Peter McIntyre was appointed New Zealand’s official war artist and promoted to the rank of captain by Major General Bernard Freyberg. Between 1941 and 1945 he recorded the activities of 2NZEF in Crete and North Africa, and at Cassino in Italy, where he became a major. His work was exhibited in Europe and New Zealand, and reproduced in magazines including the New Zealand Listener, making him a household name in New Zealand. His war art defined the New Zealand soldier’s experience of the Second World War. Images such as ‘German parachutists landing on Galatos, Crete’, ‘28th Maori Battalion moves up’, and ‘The wounded at Cassino’ were subsequently reproduced in numerous publications. McIntyre’s work from this period belongs to the collection of war art at National Archives in Wellington.

Immediately following the war he worked as an artist in Dunedin, producing portraits and landscapes. In the decades following McIntyre won a number of art awards, and published eight books. He was awarded an OBE in 1970, and died in Wellington on 11 September 1995.  He was certainly a very talented man.

Shortest Day/Longest Night

June 21st is the Northern Solstice and marks the shortest day here in the Southern Hemisphere.  On the 21st the sunrise is around 7:48am and sunset 5:00pm in Wellington, giving just over 9 hours of potential sunshine for the capital.  Here in Levin we are approximately 100km north of Wellington, so the times will be much the same.  Because of the way the Earth is tilted about its axis, the length of the day changes through the year. On June the 21st the Southern Hemisphere will be tilted furthest away from the sun and so it will be the shortest day of the year and the sun will appear at its lowest point in the sky.  After the shortest day, the days will slowly get longer again – roll on summer, we say.

So how did we spend the longest night of the year?  Being an avid All Blacks supporter, Robin hogged the big TV in the lounge to watch the 3rd All Black versus England Rugby Test.  I watched the ABs perform the stirring haka, (Maori War Dance) before departing to the bedroom and the much smaller TV to watch a bit of mindless drivel while the big game was being played. (I’m not the least bit sporty, much to Robin’s disappointment).  Of course we won!

Getty Images - The All Blacks perform the haka ahead of the third test.

Then we watched a bit of TV together, (something we had recorded a wee while ago), an action packed episode of an old favourite UK show, The Sweeney.  (Got to love that John Thaw).  This  British police series revolutionised the genre on UK television in the mid 1970s. Jack Regan  played by John Thaw was a hard edged detective in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan police (called 'the Sweeney' from the Cockney rhyming slang 'Sweeney Todd' = 'Flying Squad"). He pursued villains by methods which are underhand, often illegal themselves, frequently violent and more often than not successful.

Sergeant Carter and Inspector Reagan

Things were certainly quite different in police TV shows in years gone by.  Wild car chases, then both the goodies and the baddies running hell for leather.  The chases always ended with a punch up or two, guns drawn, shots fired, gunshot wounds and sometimes a fatality.  As it turned out, this was the last episode of The Sweeney ever filmed, and we got to see our old mate Jack spend a night in the clink after a trumped up charge was brought against him. With no support shown by his dippy CO, this was the last straw and he walked away from the force.

So that’s how we spent the longest night  – what did you get up to?

Caravans and campers Galore at Mystery Creek

It was almost overwhelming looking through the brand new caravans and campers on display inside the complex here at Mystery Creek.  We looked through well known brands such as Trail Lite, Jayco and the lesser known Baileys and Dethleffs.  Climbed in and out of the huge 5th wheeler Rockwoods and Ultimas with their slide-outs and all the bells and whistles.  It’s fair to say we were all caravanned out.  And for something completely different, we listened as the salesman extolled the virtues of the Krappatowa.  Aimed at tenters, we presume, this is a tow along full size portable toilet and shower combination at the back, and a kitchenette with a small sink and gas rings in the front.  Will it catch on?  Who knows.

Tow along mobile bathroom

Just as well we have purchased three day passes into the show, as it really is too much to take in the first time around.  A few small purchases were made, some Aqua Green for our chemical loo, and a new mat for outside the caravan door.  It looks huge, but this was the smallest size available.  According to the blurb, this matting will not kill the grass – this grass where we are camping looks pretty dry and almost dead already, we notice.

Robin putting our new mat in place.

While we were away checking out the merchandise, people still kept arriving with their vans, and our relatively roomy area has been filled up with even more people here to enjoy the show.  We heard unofficially that there are about 450 rigs on site.

Filling up fast

In the afternoon Robin went to catch up with members of his on-line forum who he often exchanged messages with.  He was pleased to finally meet Neddy, Zukiwi and Dene and others, after chatting on-line to them for some time.  There was excitement in the evening when we found out that there was to be a human interest story about the Camper Care Show on TV1.  Our new found friend who drives Fredrock Cafe was featured, and there was a quick flash of me walking into our caravan carrying my pink laundry bucket.  Must admit I felt rather like a TV celebrity when I started to receive texts from friends back home!  Blink and you missed it, but with the wonders of modern TV, we could replay the programme an hour later, and we sat and watched my 5 seconds of fame again.

We will be back at the show again tomorrow checking out the things we missed the first time around, such as the retro caravans on display.  And Robin is keen to attend a couple of seminars too - so it will be another busy day again tomorrow.

Life returns to normal

After weeks of watching the America’s Cup races on TV each morning,  it is now all over.   Last week the country was buoyed up with a large lead on the scoreboard, and it only seemed a matter of a day or two until Team New Zealand had the cup firmly in their hands.  But it was not to be, and over the last week Team Oracle won race after race, and our advantage was whittled away.  Today was  “Do or Die”, the last race in the series with both teams on 8 points each.  Congratulations to Team Oracle who won so convincingly.  And commiserations to Dean Barker and Team New Zealand, who sailed their hearts out, but it wasn’t to be.  We are so proud of the gutsy effort they put into their racing, day after day, in very challenging conditions.  Too much wind, not enough wind, fog, mishaps, whatever was thrown at them, they met it head on. 

So there will be no more watching TV at 8.00am every morning, while we eat our breakfast.  We all became armchair sailors, marvelling at the speed of those huge catamarans as they zipped through the water standing up on those tall foils.  It wasn’t sailing as it used to be, with these huge, quite fragile high tech craft.   The race is now over, and life returns to normal.

Three men in a car

With a cheery wave, they were off, three men in a car.  Robin, Selwyn and Peter were driving to Rotorua.  Is it safe to let them go alone, the wives probably wondered?  But they are big boys, and should be fine without their better halves there to keep an eye on them.

Selwyn, Robin and Peter

They will be attending a Caravan and Camping New Zealand (CCNZ) Council meeting tomorrow morning, so it is not just a fun jaunt for them.  Various items need further discussion and clarification, and our club members feel very strongly about them.  There are several points which need to be challenged, so it is much better to do it face to face at a meeting, instead of long winded correspondence.  So with the three blokes putting our caravan club views across, it should be a lively meeting indeed.  Can’t wait to hear all about it late tomorrow, when they return.

They’re off to Rotorua

Before he left, Robin felt that he should make sure that I could work the new TV.  He has serious doubts about my ability with any new technology!  I had never turned our new TV on or off, and he didn’t want me sitting alone in the lounge tonight, fuming because I couldn’t get it to work.  Of course, the fact that men always hog the TV remotes might well be the reason I have never discovered how to use it.  Anyway, he gave me a run through of what to do, and I have to use three remotes in the right sequence.  Hopefully I’ll remember so that I can watch a bit of telly tonight.  Or else I’ll just have to sit and read my book instead – and admit I wasn’t listening to his instructions properly.

TV viewing back to normal

Whew – it’s been a full-on two weeks keeping up with the Olympics!  We sat and watched the marvellous spectacle of the Opening Ceremony, then yesterday morning (N Z time) watched the Closing Ceremony.  Loved the music, well, most of it.  To be truthful, we didn’t know all of the artists.  How wonderful to see footage of John Lennon and Freddy Mercury – their genius lives on.  And talking of talent, the last remaining members of the band Queen certainly showed how music should be played.  Guess we are showing our age here!

How great it was to see our athletes on the dais, hear our National Anthem played when we collected gold, and see the flag raised high.  It brought a lump to my throat, and a tears to my eyes.  (But then, I always cry in movies too).  It makes us proud to be kiwis.

Our little country can hold our head up high with our medal haul of 6 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze, with a dramatic development occurring just hours after the curtain came down on the 30th Olympiad in London.  New Zealand has won its sixth gold medal of the Olympics after Valerie Adams' rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk tested positive for drugs and was stripped of gold.  Let’s hope it is not too long before the final gold medal can be officially presented to Valerie.

But it’s back to normal now, as far as TV viewing goes.  We are no longer serial TV sports addicts, instead we will be getting back to our usual viewing habits.  Life goes on.

Let the Games Begin

It was a morning of telly watching, as we, and millions around the world, sat glued to the TV watching the spectacle of the opening ceremony for the 30th Olympiad.  And what a spectacle it was, with the stadium decked as England’s “green and pleasant land”.  The “dark satanic mills” of the Industrial Revolution rose up dramatically and belched smoke as the poor downtrodden workers toiled away making money for the rich businessmen.  The centuries rolled on, with everything from votes for women and the National Health Service. 

One of the many highlights would have to be James Bond aka Daniel Craig 007 arrive at Buckingham Palace by black cab to meet Her Majesty.  He escorted her to a patriotically-decorated helicopter before they flew off and both appeared to parachute into the Olympic Stadium a few miles away in East London.  At the exact moment the "daredevils" reached the ground, Her Majesty appeared in the stadium wearing an identical salmon-coloured dress as the parachutist, to a standing ovation.

We watched as the athletes from different countries filed into the stadium, eagerly waiting for New Zealand's entry.  At last, here they are, led by runner Nick Willis clad in a beautiful traditional Maori cloak.

Reuters photo

The last performance of the ceremony was by Paul McCartney (Jenny’s favourite Beatle since she was a teenager) and he had the whole crowd getting into the party mood as they sang along to the vintage Beatle’s number, “Hey Jude”.  A fantastic firework display was a fitting conclusion to a wonderful opening ceremony.  London – you can hold your head up high.

Photo credit: Lars Baron/Getty Images

One of the benefits of now being retired is the opportunity to watch as much (or as little) of the Olympic Games as we want, without work getting in the way.  Robin is quite the sport nut, so he will be happy for hours.  I am more selective, and rather enjoy watching the athletics and the gymnastics.  You can be sure that we will both be glued to the rowing, as the Kiwis excel in this discipline.   Let the games begin!