31 October - Back to normal or are we

So here we are, we have been back in NZ exactly a month and are back to normal, or as normal as we ever get. Summer is kicking in (first day of summer tomorrow), though we have had some cooler days and lit the fire once.

Our trip home was OK given the time spent on planes and the stopover in Singapore was excellent, not cheap but the food was wonderful and the harbor cruise at night was special, hard to think we were only a few days off Grumble and here we were back on a boat.

The rest of the trip was a long hop to Sydney and a short one to Auckland and we were collected by our housesitters - The Franklands, who drove us home and we were greeted by the pets. Poppy was happy and the Cat was aloof but the promise of continued food saw him forgive us, for whatever he thought we had done and a week on he was sleeping on the foot of the bed again. No. 1 daughter came home on the Saturday after her last exam for the year - she is now looking for work for the summer. She has been up most weekends since so must have missed us as much as we have her.

 Sunday walk at Bethells Beach, dog and kid very happy

The jet lag was handy for staying awake for the final of the Rugby and for getting up for work, which I did on the Monday,  I have started a new project, just North, a 30 minute drive, and no traffic - a drive in the country. It is an access road, 5kms into an old forest block, no traffic or Residents to deal with just us, so a lot of things not to worry about. Large cut and fills, so big dumpers, big diggers, and big dozers, diesel and dust, boys and toys.

Vicki is still looking for a job but is filling in her days catching up on things that needed to be done while we were away. Last Friday was her birthday and the two of us went to Chapati's Indian Restaurant in Henderson, an old favourite of ours but under new management, new staff and a new menu. The Nan bread we shared with Janet in Stowey Bridge is still the best we have ever had but the rest of the meal is the best Indian we have had all year 10/10 plus.

So back to the real world, our holiday is still vivid in the mind and the blog is great for jogging the grey matter.  Vicki has organised to print it out as a book for our memories and has chosen a few photos to make into canvases. TV here is still as crap as the UK  so thank god for books and the inter net.  That's about it for me, Vicki will add the pics.