Frenchies Downunder - May/Jun 2024

 

The always spectacular BOP

We had a few days to indulge some favourite hobbies before starting our next housesit in Matata.

Clare was an Aquarobics instructor in Whakatane for 20plus years with her fabulous friend, Sue.  They popped along to the pools together, for the first time in many years, to attend a class.

 James indulged his passion for fishing, supplying flounder from the local river.  He caught them by sight fishing and dropping a worm in front of their nose.  Far too subtle for mose kiwi fishermen, but very effective.  Delicious!

Of course, there is always sourdough bread to bake ....

Chocolate hazelnut babka

Turmeric and pumpkin seed

James got out and about cleaning up the town aka metal detecting his way through a few hours each day.

We arrived at our housesit in Matata to much excitement.  We had previously visited and had dinner with Lynne, Pete and their furries and knew exactly what we were in for.  And we were not the only ones who were VERY excited about the next couple of weeks.

Kaia and Magoo - so much personality in two
small(ish) packages

Freya, the matching (and longsuffering) kitty

We had so much fun with these two.  Each day we walked them separately around the hood.  Kaia, younger and in full health, got to go around the lagoon everyday, sometimes venturing over to the beach.  Magoo, who had a hip condition, got to go and check out his favourite sniffs around the local rugby field.  We established a routine from the first day, which settled everyone quickly.

This did not detract from the fun times to be had around the house.  Just love the way she goads him in this video.

We just loved these guys so much!  It was all in together at bedtime too ... five up, including Freya.  Lovely big comfy bed for just that reason.

We had a lovely view of the ocean.

James, of course, caught some fish.  Kaia and Magoo enjoyed the offcuts.  Freya turned her nose up, which is not that hard for her tee hee.

Kahawai fillets for smoking

And there were certainly plenty of cuddles to go round.

This was such a lovely housesit in so many ways.  Generous and charming hosts, engaging and fun pets and a location to die for.  Lucky us!!!

We then decamped to one of our regular sits in Thornton.  We spent a week with some of our favourite farm dogs.

Glitch and Joey

There's a housesitter under there somewhere!
Bella getting in on the fun.

Tux remembered us from last time and took no time to settle in with us.

We had a lovely time trotting out with the doggies in the misty winter atmosphere.

 

Opotiki - May, 2024

 

Friends in the outback post of Opotiki, a rather rural town near where Clare grew up, needed someone to come take care of Maisie, their 15yo rescue for a couple of weeks.  Call the housesitting friends!!!

Maisie Moo keeping warm

We were pleasantly surprised by our stay here.  We were right on the river bank, upon which we enjoyed plenty of walks with Maisie.  She likes the many horses that roam freely here.

James made use of the river in another way.  Sneaking up on flounder and tricking them into taking a worm on a hook!  He makes it look so easy.

Feeding the whanau.  Maisie gets a
look in too.

Clare makes it into a meal to write home about.  Hardly any food miles in this!

And so the sourdough journey continues.  This time .... cinnamon roll.

James kept himself busy metal detecting.  At least making enough coin to pay for his petrol.  Someone backed into the van while he had it parked at a park.  The most surprising thing about this is that they were busy leaving him a note when he turned up!  Opotiki is not know for it's law abiding citizens.

The river bank became the gift that kept on giving.  One day on Maisie's walk, two tiny black kittens swam across a creek to be rescued by us.  We took them home for a night, fed and watered them and arranged to drop them at the local rescue centre the next day.  The cutest thing about this was that when we got them to the rescue centre, there was already one exactly the same there that someone else had rescued from the same place.  We still get regular updates on their progress.  They were super friendly and won't have any trouble finding a home.  Although, apparently, black cats are the hardest to home according to the rescue centre.  We would have kept them in a breath, but for our itinerant lifestyle.

We had visitors, Clare's sister-in-law and partner.  We took a trip up to Waihau Bay, calling into the bach at Whanarua to show them around.  James had found us a kai cart which we stopped at for coffee, sampling their lovely fresh caught snapper and sharing our home baking with them.

Oh, and we spotted a do-up ....

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and it was lovely to catch up with our friends.  Unfortunately, a couple of weeks after we left, Maisie became suddenly ill and was put to sleep.

RIP Maisie.  We loved our special time with you.

Our new buddy, Buddy - Mar/Apr, 2024

 

Our first official sit since back in NZ was in a new place for us ... Athenree.  We have never been there before although it is just down the beach from Waihi Beach, where we had just met with family.

Buddy turned out to be the best mate to show us around the area.  The house was a very short walk from the estuary which is just a short walk, at low tide, to the beach.  This turned out to be our favourite Buddy walk.

Estuary

Playing in the estuary with Bud

Some days we walked up the hill at Bowentown and looked down upon our stomping ground. 

Buddy and Clare would walk down the beach while James indulged his new passion, metal detecting.

Feijoas came into season while we were here too and we had a fabulously fruiting tree.  We ate them raw, stewed, in cakes and crumbles as well as freezing tons of them for the family to enjoy once they returned home.

Maybe you have to be a kiwi to understand this
particular passion

Buddy is a beautifully trained, loved and loving family dog.  We had a brilliant time hanging out with him in his hood.