Dead Calm

I still don't have a camera.

Today it is indeed Dead Calm here. The kids have gone back to school, both of them apparently very happy about it. You can tell I'm thrilling company.


Andrew recently had a significant birthday. He complained about it a great deal. So we had to get him a good present, and we settled on a kayak. This pic is actually him and Phoebe in a hired kayak in New Zealand (taken by my mother); his new kayak is much nicer, although it's not a streamlined fibreglass racing number. Think Volvo stationwagon as opposed to Aston Martin. Of course he would have preferred the Aston Martin, but [insert cliche].

We also had a lovely lunch for him (if I say so myself as executive chef) at his parents' place (which conveniently has a beach that we could casually leave the kayak on).

This weekend we are heading down to Tassie - we're only going for one night, so I think that counts as jetsetting, doesn't it? It's our friend Phil's 40th, so we're joining him for lunch to celebrate. And to get our dose of Tasmania, although I'm hoping they're not sharing South Australia's weather (apparently 40 degrees at ten o'clock this morning).

Summer Holiday

I would like to put up photos of Christmas and our holiday to New Zealand, but I can't. On our way to NZ, Andrew's backpack was stolen - we lost the camera and our iPod plus a few other things. That camera travelled through Peru and the US with us (not to mention more mundane places), and took at least a couple of thousand photos. Sod's law meant that I didn't pay for the tickets, so we weren't covered by my automatic travel insurance. Sigh.

Anyway, we stayed in a staggeringly beautiful place (pics from their site). Despite some shortcomings in the accommodation and the management, it was lovely. We walked, we ate, we read books, we kayaked. Most of us immersed ourselves in the freezing water (about fifteen degrees, I think) at least once. Well, I went in once. My brother insisted on swimming regularly. Freak. My mother and stepfather wimped out.

I particularly enjoyed the lack of television, radio and computers. It was more challenging for Andrew (media junkie) and the kids, but Hol and Phoebe learned to play poker (tea bags for chips) and pool, so that kept them moderately entertained. My mother taught all and sundry how to prepare fantastic meals from what might look, to the unitiated, like leftovers.

We spent two days in Wellington on the way back. I'd been told by various people that it is a cool city, but I had my doubts. It is New Zealand, after all. Well, I take it back. We loved it. Small, picturesque, funky, full of bookshops and great places to eat and drink.

And now we're back, ready for another year ...