We’ll really part two was a holiday weekend in paradise! Te Anau threw me the best weather I have ever experienced in Southland and as Russ always said “might as well see the place while you’re here”

The power of the mind, and muscle memory dragged this old body up a mountain! Pam and I took off on an afternoon adventure to tackle the Key Summit track in the Fiordland national park! With lockdowns and human restrictions and for some, the “Fear” of covid, this wonder of the world was devoid of humans, tourists, kiwi holidayers and vehicles.

Yes it was strait up and down, well zigzagging up and down….a few corner rests and taking our breath away – in more ways than one.,.

Waterfalls….

Hobbit trees….

Tarns….

360 degree views….

And Drink stops!

A four hour round trip, and back to the homestead in time to watch the “Blues” snatch a narrow win in their 2nd Super rugby game….again followed by a fresh seafood dinner supplied by the hunter and gatherer “Guy” from his fishing trip to Stewart Island!

Surprisingly enough the legs held up well, maybe a hangover from the last few months of unloading containers!

Sunday, was an excursion into town “Te Anau” a usual bustling tourist town, sleepy and quiet in this whole new world of masks and isolation!

Pam and I soaked up the sunshine and a delicious Pie while waiting for the ferry to come in and catch up with a mate who we worked with 35 years ago in the ski fields! Skipper of the gloworm caves tour transporting the half a dozen punters who are brave enough to venture out!

A cup of tea on the ferry and back to the homestead…to pack up and leave my luxury abode…the air BnB at Pam’s house that she gave to me for the weekend! Anyone heading south needs to look up this amazing accomodation and spend a few nights in “Atriu Apartment” to soak up the mountains and lake!

Sunsets and sunrises to die for! – and no this is not a postcard!

A 400k round trip for Pam to drop me to the Queenstown airport, so I took the wheel (of the truck) on the drive up to share the load!

Pit stop and viewpoint as we rounded the southern end of Lake Wakatipu on our way to Queenstown..a food stop and evening flight back to the big smoke!

It seems ages since I reached out with adventures and there have been so many twists and turns in this world I barely know where to start!

Let’s begin with now, where I stand (or rather lie as still in bed) in the Fiordland world of long time dear friends, waking to the lake and mountains climbing in the ranch slider to my super king bed in their gorgeous AirBNB appartment!

Sunrise this morning promising another Stunning Southland summer day – and it’s Saturday – work trip over.

Wind back….the last few weeks have been tumultuous, as we battle an upsurge in cold like symptoms (omicron or the usual change of season cold?) and the fallout of COVID lockdowns and restrictions, further crippling our economy and dividing friends and family! Here is not the place to share my views but I can say I have happily babysat dog, while my family has been away to support restoring reality to our world!

Work has been busy as we wind up for the year, with online packaging solutions escalating, while more and more retail are suffering under our strict regime and restrictions. Some who are too frightened to leave home, others who are restricted due to their “health” choices, and others who, irrespective of their health choices, are succumbing to this “dreaded” disease and must isolate, with everyone else in their house, for 10 days, even if they are better after 3!

Meanwhile, those who fight for their Jobs, For their families and for their children and health are beaten up by our boys in blue, who, curiously enough, are free to work without vaccines while the rest of essential workers (nurses, doctors, teachers etc) cannot!

Ok, opinions aside, and an opportunity to leave the bubble, flight booked and (negative RATs in hand) Dans sanding mask limiting my breathing ability, a two hour flight and touching down to another world in the Deep South of our country!

Room with a view from my Queenstown apartment, speights in hand as the sun sets over lake Wakatipu – preparing for a busy Thursday visiting clients! My chauffeur(and friend Pam) from Te Anau joining me for the duration.

Next morning it was off to Wanaka, stopping at Cromwell on the way to collect another girlfriend, for a sales trip, girls day out!

Rachel and Pam, at Rachel’s crib on the edge of Lake Dunstan, Cromwell! Certainly off the grid for Thelma!

First stop, a winery in Bannockburn – Te Kano wines…

No wine tasting at 11am, and back on the road to Wanaka…roads quiet, and towns quiet, devoid of tourists.

The gals did their best to support local business, clothes shopping at my first call and lunch and refreshment’s at my next one

And here they are, filling in time while I did my business! Needless to say my chauffeur became the passenger after this stop as I took the wheel.

Temperatures now hitting the higher 20s it was off to the Wanaka landmark!

Tree in lake! The Gals, both being keen swimmers and Southland girls(lake temperatures no deterrent), stripped off and swam! While this Northland girl lapped up the sunshine in this magic spot.

5.00 o’clock looming we headed back to Cromwell and made an executive decision to forgo the booked accommodation (in Queenstown) and continue the girls day out!

Hot tub by the lake, fire lit, bubbles and beer and lots of laughs! As we rolled into boiling fresh lake water before hitting the pillow for a great sleep!

Up early friday morning, back to Queenstown for some computer time, pack up and check out before 11am. A client visit in town, and a couple of successful visits on the way, lunch and coffee and on the road south for the weekend!

Arriving back at Pam’s piece of paradise for the weekend! Yours truly ensconced in their rental apartment (very spoiled) and Guy (Pam’s hubby) arriving home shortly after from a fishing trip to Stewart island, laden with Blue Cod, oysters and paua. I was a little help as the filleting and packing process filled in the next two hours and all rewarded with a fabulous dinner of fresh fish and oysters, before three tired Kiwis retired for the night!

Rain causes writers block, and since my last story we have celebrated, commiserated and ploughed through a busy January and early February of 2022, albeit in yet another semi lockdown as the latest Covid(yawn) hits our world.

Russell Rose has bloomed in our balmy summer and Mary Rose is on her second round…

Tendered with loving care and lots of watering, followed by a week of humid rainy weather they are enjoying being part of the action at the waiwera homestead! Dan and I have conversations with them every day!

Last weekend we celebrated my granbabys first birthday, with balloons, cake and family at KatiKati, on a very hot humid day, the precursor to a very wet week.

Tuesday was the two year anniversary of Mum passing and a day of memories of the adventures we shared….high on the list our special times in Malta!

On Wednesday Dad turned 88 and a celebration on Saturday is planned with a 2022 version of the traditional “Bonnici Day Out” at his new abode. Praying the weather gods are kind!

Meanwhile the renovations are full steam ahead on my little home in Waiwera …. While building is a battle, with material shortages, resourceful Dan is keeping the project moving.

The Tiny house demanded a roof shout as all hands were on deck yesterday (in the rain). A big day today as new windows arrive and I can roll into winter (in a couple of months) with the luxury of double glazing!

Two long weekends have given me the opportunity to spring(or summer) clean my house and rearrange the lounge! a long overdue activity.

Border openings with our Australian neighbours will mean we can connect with friends and loved ones in the near future, I still have the dream of connecting with my family on the other side of the world later in the year…and escaping some of the kiwi winter! The world is not so very different if we don’t embrace the fear!

The last two weeks of January 22 have tested us kiwis in more ways than one.

Not really getting a break from work, and with home jobs keeping us busy as we prepare for the home improvements…we are lucky to have a beach at the end of our street where we can take dip in the sea to cool the body temperature as we paint, garden and dig around the section!

We painted the fence and built a garden…

We celebrated mums birthday by planting her memorial rose and she bloomed

With a new Russell Rose to keep her company…

About to burst into its yellow flower….and more planting with the colours of summer

Then the big boys rolled in (dog not to be left out)

Time to remodel the front lawn….Dan enlisted his little brother (and dog) and the foundations are set and sealed! 50 bags of concrete!

Mum and Russell Rose overseeing the project….meanwhile the Katikati kids arrived on Saturday for the long weekend at the cottage. The old peugeot(bike) has been stretching its legs up and down the road for playtime with my grand baby….

Batboy mastering his Batman bike….as he nears the end of his first year, he has found his legs can run, jump and climb and his world is a busy place in between breakfast, lunch and dinner, daytime naps and nighttime sleeps!

Meanwhile the whole country has had the brakes put on – red lights flashing their restrictions with the next COVID wave roaming around the countryside. O-Micron – probably about to put the nail in the coffin of the small businesses who have managed to survive thus far!

Again hospitality and tourism taking the biggest hit – we’re thinking that our government takes pride in being the fun police – ensuring cafe after cafe has to close its doors for good, events and festivals cancel before the first note can be sung, Soon we will be unable to escape from our island surrounded by sea as airlines are forced to cancel empty flights – with limited numbers of Managed Isolation allocations for returnees….I do wonder why one would rush here to be locked in at every opportunity.

Most of us (sheep) have played the game and jabbed ourselves with god knows what, and with every new variant we are being told to boost jab….maybe we have all had placebo’s if one needs more and more? Seriously is this working we ask ourselves….but hey so long as the world knows we are at 90% vax, we are safe right! Good old media propaganda!

Thank goodness for summer, Roses, grand babies, dogs and projects…..our world has warmth and colour, cuddles and laughter! (And a 40 hour work week) – what more do we need!

1000Kms round trip, last weekend, meant family time with Russ’s Brother and sister in law….Wanganui provided a glorious day on Saturday, perfect for driftwood foraging on the Wild West coast! A boot load (and back seat) of treasures – ready for landscape inventiveness!

Graeme has Mr Nicks (Russ’s Dad) escort van back on the road, leaving us with the new van to go to the market….Bringing back memories of family holidays in Nelson and this being our mode of transport (with two babies – third one not produced) – two sand chairs in the back as kiddie seats! Not illegal in those days! We all survived and had a great time!

The Wanganui market – a must do if down that way – didn’t disappoint! The usual bucket of local bush honey for George, meat for dinner, local krafts – the ones who don’t have business cards or websites, just amazing talent! Followed by coffee on the riverfront!

Back home to a late lunch snack, and preparation for the after church lunch party on Sunday!

The sun trap all tided up and 5 o’clock beer o’clock – the good old dash of janola (bleach) water and a broom with lots of elbow grease! Beer o’clock fairly earned!

This activity was followed by a Brenda cook fest with her planned menu items we could prepare the evening before, and 11pm bedtime! Another dash to the supermarket Sunday morning, more food prep all ready for the lunch at midday after Church! An afternoon of tea coffee and copious amounts of food digestion….needed a Nanna nap before tea (leftovers)!

Monday morning and back on the road to head home for my week off! List of jobs, a few ticked off, but some great jigsaw time, op shop visits and Georges birthday dinner last night!

Even built a chocolate log! X 2 as it was too long for one plate! Note: will be able to recycle the candles for my birthday later on this year (in reverse)

So far a covidless summer, beach swims and great washing weather… a few windy days heading our way as the pacific sends a cyclone south…with surf on our usually calm east coast beach! Certainly not boating conditions – but soon I need to go for a ride and let my boat know I haven’t abandoned her!

As the crescent moon disappeared into the dawn on 2022, I lay in the cottage (lounge bed) with dad sleeping peacefully in the bedroom, looking out the window as the sun rose on what would be a hot summers day.

2021 ended in a blur of work life and not much else life and Dad and I asleep in front of the TV by 9.30pm watching (with our eyes closed) the 50 year old original movie “fiddler on the roof”

I picked up Dad on my way home from work on New Year’s Eve, for a few days at the cottage – easier than my house, no steps and more beds!

New Year’s Day gave us…the Dad routine, then a drive to visit the resting place of Dads brother “Uncle Doug” followed by a tiki tour around the Mahurangi heads area that the Bonnici family’s haunted in the 60s and 70s (and longer for the Doug Bonnici’s)

Jamiesons Bay, with a view and a memorial to residents passed…

At ground zero, where many dinghy, sea biscuit, and kid escapades unravelled!

We then visited an old friend of Dads in the neighbouring bay, and headed back to waiwera in time for lunch and a steady stream of visitors (to see Dad) for the afternoon! Dad managed to get a nap around 4pm and I prepared the vege and meat for the roast lamb on the Webber!

Barry, Dan, Lexi and George joined us for dinner and we all sloped off for an early night, some being sleep deprived from New Year’s Eve shenanigans!

Dad is stirring so here’s to showers and breakfast on another glorious summers day!

It all began with pressies and breakfast for the Waiwera residents, Sue, Dan, Lexi and George…..Then A little food prep, and Ovin (Georges friend) and Michaela arrived. Dan and Lexi went off to Lexi’s family for a Christmas feast and the remaining four strolled to the beach for “two!” Swims…a quiet beer in front of the peaceful cottage and returned to my house for a lunch of “Ambrosia” and “Trifle” – satisfying the sweet tooth and cool in the heat. A pot of butter chicken for dinner and afternoon naps! Perfect untraditional and very relaxing.

The weather gods gave us a perfect kiwi Christmas Day!

Boxing Day dawned with another bluebird sky and the journey to Katikati to visit with the other kids in the family was a pretty easy run…biggest issue was where to grab a coffee and food(for George) as all he roadside cafes on the way were closed….a casualty of COVID lockdowns or the holiday break? So it was McDonald’s in Paeroa (an hour out from destination) for refreshments!

A pass by Georges house(investment) in Waihi, as brought sight unseen in lockdown and arrived at Jaxon’s around 1pm. Lunch and pressie time (round two) and a stroll to the beach(estuary) for a cool off…

Back to the house for (paddling) pool and play time

One little man scored the lions share of the new toys, camp chair, wheelbarrow, soccer ball and red bands!(gumboots – which impeded the newly acquired walking skill and didn’t last long on hot feet)

The next morning George and Sue ventured a bit further south to visit mums best friend, Barb, in Tauranga, and had a lovely morning catching up and eating her homemade scones.

Another warm afternoon saw Gran’ma Sue and George undertake the sandpit renovation project…Digging out old sand, pulling weeds, trimming hedge and building a cover!

Every kid needs a Sandpit! And our little man mastered climbing in and out and digging….great start! This of course meant wheelbarrow time was a must….

The long weekend came to an end with the journey home, ready for work tomorrow(for me at least)….accident prone Bonnici style – I have a sum-what sore twisted knee from digging! Might make container unloading this week a little challenging!

The 12 days of Christmas have brought a new level of busyness to our lives…

Floyd, the gold plated dog, came home on Wednesday after a four day stint in dog hospital, a result of eating something that didn’t agree with a canine stomach. But we are all very happy he’s come and back to his usual habits of barking at the poor neighbour while he hangs out his washing!

Work has been a combination of long days and evenings cooking (after daily supermarket shops) to create interesting soft food for a broken jaw (George!) Vege pie seems to be the winner! Followed by ice cream and custard.

Last week we had a storm for most of the week, which created chaos on the roads and my three hour round trip became four most days! It also sent little twisters roaring down the sides of my house, throwing deck chairs against the gates and rails and ripping out the Christmas lilies from their pot!

Thank goodness the weekend saw the sun come back – sunblock out, and swimming weather. Jack and Steph stayed at the cottage for a couple of nights and I got to play with my granbaby who has learned to walk since I was last able to see him.

A whole new Gran’ma Sue world, swimming, beach time and his first swing! The trampoline was an escape exercise, not sure about that one! After the initial hesitation of seeing a great big human in real life (after only seeing his Gran’ma on a phone screen for 4 months) he warmed to this old human!

Uncle George was no problem as he just became an extension of the chair. FYI George is only not smiling as the jaw screws don’t yet allow!

Now after a (sun)day of work catch up, tree trimming and weed spraying it’s an early night for yours truly to hit the road at 5am! Hopefully half of Auckland has escaped the borders and the motorway traffic will be kind!

Countdown to Christmas….

That time of year, when lights sparkle, and the kids are writing letters to the fat man in red! Humans scramble to meet last minute business mayhem, balancing family, friends and deadlines….the world is rushing and stress levels rise. And in a partial lockdown COVID divided vaccine driven environment – tensions seem higher than normal.

However, in the Bonnici-Carter world, there is no time for division, we need all hands on deck, and celebrate the Christmas Lillie’s in bloom as we race in and out of the drive!

In brief, my work…warehouse man walked out and I became logistics person- with a 3 hour round trip each day (no more working from home) ….. while still trying to hold up my sales role….then the accounts lady had a family emergency and voila….I added all the daily accounting to my workday! Job applicants are few and far between so I don’t see an end to it anytime soon!

Then the weekends have been filled with…container unloading, helping friends shift, cooking and weekly housework catch chores…with a breath catch before the next week starts!

Accidents and illness kick in….just to add to the fun of pre Christmas festivities!

One of Dans work team of three has post vaccine heart and blood clot reactions, and ends up in hospital, and the team of two is doing the work of a team of three!

Accident prone George, breaks his jaw and last week underwent surgery to screw it back in place- banded together and six weeks of soft food- scrambled eggs for Christmas lunch! The challenge now is to produce the 6 meals a day in soft food form that George requires.

And Floyd (my fur granbaby) gets sick

2nd trip to the vet in the last 24 hours, and finally last night he stayed in overnight as had stopped eating and drinking. I just wish he could talk and tell us what hurt – he just looked so sad. Waiting to hear how he is this morning.

Now is usually the time when I give you all the things we have done and milestones ticked off as we wind down to Christmas. We thought 2020 was a strange year as COVID reared it’s ugly head, but 2021 has had more to answer for, as the governments have taken control of our lives, divided families and friends, created unnecessary health issues, instilled fear in people who hesitate to carry on living their lives and crushed NZ business.

In my world we have no time for playing their game and none of us have had to stop working…I have a grand baby down country who I haven’t seen for several months due to a government ring fence around a super city!

Wishing my family and friends in other parts of the world a peaceful and happy pre Christmas time.