OFF WE GO

 Stew's company gave every employee an extra day off, to be used in November.  I can't remember why, but thanks!

So, Stew has taken today off work and we are possibly going to Rotorua.

Thats the plan right now... but it could change yet.

Here's something really random.

Do you have a favourite knife in your kitchen?

ABOVE:  This is mine. It's a bit big and chunky for some things.... like stabbing people, but chopping up veges and the like?  PERFECT.  

I am sure you really wanted to know that eh?  It's called SHARING.

ABOVE:  side note.  Do ya reckon paint helps strengthen ya nails too?  Yeah or nah?  😂😅😆

So anyway... I suppose we shall get outta bed shortly and see what the day brings.

9 am:  ha ha! Ain't left yet, but about to.  We are going to Rotorua, then after checking out a couple of shops there, we are going to Tauranga.

And then... who knows where we will end up for dinner?  lol.

We are just gunna take the day as it comes.

...

OMG just spent a bit in the fabric shop in Rotorua! I actually bought my first ever Quilt kit.

ABOVE: I got a freakin CAT quilt kit! WTF is it with cats lately? I don't even LIKE cats. 😒🤣😅

ABOVE: Selfies at Lake Rotoiti, just out of Rotorua. Its a stunning little lake. We are now heading over to Tauranga. 

3.34 pm... and YES, we are having a really lovely time here in the Bay. 

We had a delicious lunch at a Turkish Kebab shop.

Then we checked out the beach.

Quite a stiff breeze so we didn't linger there.

Next stop was the Bernina shop at its new premises.

Very nice shop. Probably a quarter of the fabric they used to stock, but I did find a couple of fabrics to buy.

Then we thought we'd head home. I umm'd and ahh'd about us stopping at the Waipuna Op Shop in Greerton... we almost didn't.

So glad we actually did cos we found the perfect little seat for our front door.

It had only come into the shop today... must've had our name on it!

ABOVE: It's solid oak. Needs re-padding and covering... but it's  gorgeous.  Very happy and a bargain at $35.

6.30 pm: And we are home.

We had thought of going to our favourite Indian Restaurant in Cambridge on our way home, but we went through there a bit too early for dinner.

We had a fairly late lunch (1.40 pm), so yeah, won't be having anything for dinner till much later this evening.

Now.  More photos from our day trip:

ABOVE: Lake Rotorua, quite dismal looking today.  At least from this view it was anyway.

ABOVE (X's 3):  Lake Rotoiti... it was so pretty.

ABOVE:  A lovely view of the countryside somewhere south of Te Puke... on our way from Rotorua to Tauranga.

ABOVE: Not too many people on the beach at the Mount this afternoon.  While it looks nice and warm, it wasn't really.

ABOVE: The New Zealand Christmas Tree, our gorgeous  Pohutakawa, starting to bloom red for summer.

ABOVE: On our way home we swung by Lake Karapiro.  This park has evolved quite a lot in the past 4 years, new carpark, tar seal roading, playground, toilets etc.  

But the water edge has not been developed at all, so you step off a grass bank straight into the water, and the bottom is soft and muddy.

I hope they do something to protect the bank's edge, or it's going to crumble.

ABOVE: Look at that.  I didn't go nuts at the two fabric shops we visited!  Though that quilt kit was just a bit expensive!  

But, I can use the cat patterns over and over again, and I will.

Not long now till we think about dinner.  Won't be the lovely curry (Butter Chicken for me) that we had anticipated.

Probably fish 'n' chips!  Never mind.  I don't have to cook, that's the main thing.

9.30 pm:  And that's our day done.  Dinner was fish 'n' chips... nice and easy.

Been watching TV since then.  And off to bed in an hour or so.  An early night.