Well, 2010 is over and I think I need to start my adventure as the new possessor of a Super Gold card with a new blog I will call LizziesJourney2011 and include a link to it from this blog.

I am back in Auckland for good now - semi-retired, although have a few loose ends to round up from our project in Australia and a couple of part time contracts in the offing. I will enjoy that - even my new office at home will get a bit claustrophobic if I spend too much time here. I miss the company of my colleagues and new friends in Sydney but hopefully will get back in touchsee more of friends and family here in New Zealand.

After returning from Oz in mid December I had a busy time sorting out unpacked items, creating a new office for myself in the room closest to the road, entertaining friends and family, christening the new BBQ ( even in monsoon like rain) and then after Christmas taking the bus down to spend time with Jonathan and Olivia and Callum. Callum the speedy crawler will soon be Callum the speedy walker I suspect.

On the way down, Peter and I had a Christmas meal overlooking Piriaka on the Wanganui River - some fond memories of exciting canoeing trips including close encounters with rocks and willow trees - but the water level now is so low with extraction for hydro schemes that this section is no longer really canoeable.

Had a lovely few days in Palmerston North - playing with Callum, introducing him to a paddling pool, doing some gardening, sorting out some computer stuff, playing scrabble on my new scrabble set ( I will never be as good as Olivia) and an interesting side trip in the bus out to the East Coast at Porongahau and Akitio - lots of sheep stations and Aberdeen Angus. Peter and Jonathan did some home maintenance and it was a relaxing gentle time.

Saw the New Year in quietly but with faith that 2011 will be another year full of challenges and adventures ( even the unasked for ones).

Glanmire December

I returned briefly to Sydney to finalise the project report at the end of November and it was a good time to say goodbye to many of the friends I had made during this trip - so many people went from acquaintances and colleagues to friends -Robin and Penny, Betty, Elizabeth and Phil, Anne, Gunilla, Joan, Keith, Tim and Rosa - thank you for so much for hospitality and some wonderful memories!


Once Peter arrived he headed up to Glanmire, and the trusty car made its last trip over the mountains. After my conference I joined him up there and it was great. Samantha had her dance recital and she looked so different with her hair slicked back, and in her pretty costime - hope Catherine sends me a photo of the dancing girl - we were not allowed to take photos in the theatre which was a pain but understandable.

Josh and I made playdough volcanoes with baking soda and vinegar ( see below but you need to turn your head on the side) and both boys proved theya re still hot shots at Kuan Kan the card game. Josh also makes a mean cheese muffin - he must just about know the recipe off by heart by now. Sean is growing up, nearly as tall as his mother, good at school and I was there for the 11th birthday sleepover. Samantha and I enjoyed our walks as usual, wish I had the camera when we saw the 1m long goanna!

Brian and Lorena came out for tea, good to see them and have time to just sit and chat. We didn't get flooded in like most of NSW so managed to get the Christmas shopping done and put under the tree.

Back down in the train, through the Blue mountains which were a sea of yellow daisies and lots of fresh growth on all the gum trees. Good to be met by Kiri and Adrian - we had oodles of luggage to take back to NZ.

Overnight with little Pete and his daughter Kiri - and then off back to sunny Auckland. ( well the sun lasted about 2 days and it has been raining ever since!) If this is climate change - yuk!

Report almost written and so a quick bus trip

After spending the last two weeks devoted to my computer trying to get the first complete draft of our project report done, finally made it at 6pm on Friday - so a quick meal and we were off. The first night we stopped at the Gulf Harbour parking lot by the boat ramp. A grey morning, but very still and the fishermen were out in droves. After a leisurely start we drove up through Wenderholm for lunch, and on to a great little patchwork shop in Kaiwaka "The Apple Basket" where the applique and embroidery on this prizewinning quilt reminded me of the beautiful work Diane does.

Afternoon tea at Mangawhai with my brother and his wife and then Peter thought we might go up to Kerikeri and see his brother. So off we went, stopped in at the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa - unreal having a toilet as a tourist stop - but they are quite unusual!! Tiles, glass, bottles in to the wall and even some stained glass!

After parking over night at Bill's place and admiring his almost totally self sufficient garden we headed back home via the scenic route. Through the BAy of Islands, Paihia foreshore beautiful in the sunshine this morning, then over on the Opua car ferry and in to Russell for the lunch stop.

Carried on driving round past lots of beautiful beaches, the one in the photo is Oakura, and through the hills to Whangarei.

After a pretty straight run down we made it home by about 6pm, a long day - possibly too much driving but Peter enjoyed catching up on all the family news ( although most of it seemed to be who had died!)

I am off to Australia tomorrow with Peter to join me in about 10 days. Be good to see the family again.

Gosh, not long till Christmas - just a bit more work and I will be a lady of leisure! Well almost.

Well another adventure. I flew into Los Angeles on the way to Washington and arrived just after a beautiful sunrise. Uneventful flights - that is always a bonus and I did get some sleep. Then on the Washington DC where I met up with Anne from UTS. We had one night in a hotel on ly two doors away from the apartment I spent 6 weeks in while on sabbatical. We travelled over to Arlington the next day for the beginning of the conference.
Conference went well - I think finances were hitting some of the US universities as some of the people I expected to see werent there which was a pity. But lots of other good conversations and met up with some familiar faces. Might be my last US conference so it felt a bit like a farewell performance. I think our presentations went well.
Found out the Washington International Horse show was on at the Verizon Center ( usually houses basketball) so Anne and I dashed away on Friday evening. Metro station at the door so it was easy - and lo and behold I found a stall selling Ariat boots which Cas wanted - right inside the entrance! And there was one pair which fitted! And the price was not dreadful!

horse show was great to watch - very patriotic announcer who cnstantly spoke of fundraising for our "Wounded warriors". The Jack Russell Terrier race was hilarious! They ran so fast a couple went head over heels!.
Dressage to music was like dancing and all in all a great evnening.
HAve just spent Sunday morning at Old Town Alexandria - very Goerge Washington oriented and LOTS of historic buildings.
Leaving in two minutes for Dulles airport - hope another uneventful set of flights.

Back in Auckland-

Back in Auckland , after Catherine and her friend Rebecca did a marvellous job of packing up my bits and pieces in Sydney and removing them all up to Glanmire on the ute. Feel a bit like a displaced person - keep looking for things in the wrong place, andunpacking and sorting took a while. Finding stuff from the shift will be an ongoing process, but a marvellous opportunity for cleaning out. Set up my new office - the photos below are the view from my sunroom/office. Weather a but wild and woolly after a promising start. Peter has been doing heaps to the garden, we are going to have a splendiferous veg and fruit garden on our small patch!

Took the opportunity on Saturday night of running away in our bus/motorhome - the cream and black one in the photo, to go to the hot springs and park overnight on the shell banks at Kaiaua - known as the seabird coast - but not too many of the migratory birds have shown up yet. Got a bit cool and windy on the Sunday so set off after a very leisurely start, home via the Pokeno markets.

And now it is down to work - at my desk by 8:30am and off for an interview this afternoon to claim my "NAtional Superannuation" entitlements - my how the time flies - I do NOT feel like a pensioner!

Engagements, banyan trees and central queensland

The last five days have been busy but very interesting. They started with a breakfast on the beach on Saturday at BrightonLeSands with my friend from Brisbane who had bought an almost new Landrover Freelander - wow, I have never seen so many electronic extras - and what a lovely ride!

Then followed an engagement party at the Ettamogah pub - if you cant see the words in the photo they say...

Beer mate....

It tickles the palate, it tickles the tongue, it cleans out the carby, it eradicates fruit fly...Pattersons curse...cattle tick...codlin moth... and tastes good too mate!

Renee has grown into a lovely young woman and got engaged to her high school sweetheart - Courtney is also growing up, and it is hard to believe it is over sixteen years since she was born.

An interesting evening, people (including me) sneaking a peak at the big screen with the NRL semi final decided by one point difference - and passionate supporters on both sides. Tigers versus Dragons.

Then, next day flew up to Rockhampton - beautiful flight, although I was surprised by the amount of water lying on the low land surrounding Rockhampton. Lots of "occasional water". My friend Liz's husband picked me up and we visited the Botanic gardens which were amazing, the banyan trees were the biggest I have ever seen and several other species most unusual. They also have a native animal zoo, with wombats, koalas, Monitor lizards ( goannas), snakes,wallabies, beautiful parrots and birds = quite a surprise!

The house was a beautifully restored old Queenslander, amazing - it is for sale - I would really love to live in a place like that - fabulous! Magnificant kitchen, theya re both engineers and I have never seen such an efficiently designed kitchen, it won awards, justifiably! Inside all beautiful varnished floors, and use of timber, lots of space and feeling of space and air and somehow a very loving feeling. Rockhampton is known as the Beef capital of Australia, and there are statues of Brahman bulls all over the place. I did my patriotic bit by taking my host to dinner and we had Wagyu beef steaks (the smallest on the menu at 200g) - really nice!. Rockhampton is much prettier than i thought it would be and the university campus is lovely.

Oh yes, I did do two days of flat out work and flew back to Sydney Tuesday night in a storm with plane delayed, missed a conection but got another. So I am tired but once again, grateful for lovely experiences.

Back in sydney and new photos of Callum!

I am back in Sydney after an overnight trip to run a focus group in Melbourne. Knee is getting better, but still way too sore if I move the wrong way - but i am being really careful.

Lovely surprise when I found lots of new photos of Callum on Facebook - isnt he a cutie! - I just love the one in the towel. At 5 months old he is so alert and perky! I am looking forward to seeing him much more often.