Sunday 11 February 2018

Road Trip North

Wow it's 99% humidity here today after 5 days of rain - it feels like the tropics.
It is hard to find enthusiasm to do much, so time to update the blog.

Fortunately it didn't rain for the weekend a fortnight ago when we had to travel north for our band to play at a wedding. We thought it was a great excuse for a weekend away and checked out a few places on the way.

Kaeo Public Library


One stop was the little township of Kaeo (pronounced Ky-oh). There are a few shops on the main street, and there was a market happening. I bought three Agee jars for food storage for $1 each. That was ok with me, because years ago I had sold a lot of these when moving for $1 each.



There is a jandal fence in Kaeo - which is something New Zealanders seem to do. Around NZ there is a bra fence, a hubcap fence and a bicycle fence - and probably plenty more. What's their purpose? Who knows - solidarity? something quirky to do with items no longer needed?



Cottage, central Kaeo
The thing Kaeo seems to be most renowned for is serious flooding over the years, being on a river flood plain. It is also close to the lovely Whangaroa Harbour.  

The wedding we played for was further north in Oruru, which is pretty much a farming community. The 80 year old barn is on the family farm and beautifully rustic. The bar was made from an old grain silo.



6 comments:

  1. What a wonderful place for a wedding dance! I love the lights and the skull on the barn. I had never heard of a jandal fence before. I've seen the bridges in Europe with the locks on them -- something similar I guess. I'm curious about what the sign says.

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    1. Well, blogging is certainly educational! We googled and learned the jandals are what we call flipflops and Aussies call thongs, quite a different thing from a thong in America. Also lots of photos of NZ jandals fences. Thanks for educating us! 😂

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    2. Yes, I thought the pic of the jandals would explain all. The sign says "A living tribute to the humble iconic New Zealand jandal. Feel free to add your jandals to the fence. You can buy a new pair from us, so no need to go barefoot. KAEO FARM AND FUEL.

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  2. Oh WOW, my kind of wedding venue!

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    1. Mine too - one of the best I've seen, but so grateful that it didn't rain. They also had clay bird shooting and had some of their photos taken in the paddock with a tame deer. The bride wore cowboy boots under her gown.

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  3. I hope you aren't in the path of the cyclone that seems to be headed for New Zealand. Thinking of you and hoping you and your home are safe.

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