2018 Journey

Bob and Margaret Kellett

"There are only two times in life; there's now, and there's too late!"

2 January 2018

The contract to purchase our new home at 23 Mapara Road, Acacia Bay, Taupo is declared final, so we can now act with certainty regarding this exciting development.

5 January 2018

In Napier we attend a party to celebrate the 80th birthday of Bob's eldest sister, Ellen Rose. Her daughter, Paddy-Ann, has done a magnificent job organising relatives and the many families from Wairoa who have played such an important role in Ellen Rose's life over the last eight decades.

Every family group has prepared a presentation highlighting their special relationship with Ellen Rose. It is evident that very firm bonds have developed amongst those lovely people from Ellen Rose's hometown, and it is touching to see how these close relationships have clearly been maintained throughout the years. Hayden and Euan lead a rousing Haka in their Mother's honour, a stirring performance.

Brother and Sister Presentation from Her Children

View Across to Mt Tauhara Our Wonderful Sunny Terrace

Early February 2018

Busy packing up 41 Mokoia Road, plus disposing of surplus furniture and items that will not fit at our new home. We're downsizing somewhat.

3 February 2019

Our niece Evie and Will were married last year in Almunecar, Spain, so that her father and all her Spanish relatives could attend the ceremony. Now they are back in New Zealand Will's parents host a second celebration for those unable to attend the one in Spain. A gorgeous happy day commencing with the bride and groom repeating their vows under the rose covered pergola. A splendid affair!

Stunning bride and groom! Margie is so proud of Evie!

15 February 2018

Settlement day for 23 Mapara Road. We are pleased that the moving in of our furniture goes smoothly. Just as 'Allied Movers' depart a knock at the door heralds our smiling new neighbours, Liz and Steve, bearing champagne and a big warm "welcome to the neighbourhood." We are absolutely touched and delighted by their thoughtful gesture.

After several days we have sorted ourselves out sufficiently to recommence our early morning bike rides into town for coffee, but now it is into Taupo, and the distance is now only 6km each way.

Morning Ride Into Taupo New Walks With Old Friends

2-11 March 2018

Grandsons Fergus and Varick fly over from Melbourne to spend their school holidays with us. They greatly enjoy the excellent tennis courts nearby[owned and maintained by the Acacia Bay community] plus catching up with cousins. One day we drive to The Chateau on Mt Ruapehu and hike the Loop Track to Taranaki Falls.We love listening to Varick play the piano. Fergus has a good deal of homework to complete, thus Bob is re-introduced to quadratic equations.

Fergus Studies Hard Whilst Varick Entertains Us

Taranaki Falls Walk, Mt Ruapehu

17 - 27 March 2018

Louise has secured a buyer for our caravan so we fly to Melbourne to get it out of storage and prepare for hand-over to new owners. They prove to be competent caravanners and are extremely pleased with their purchase, so the sale is completed in a most satisfactory manner.

With the money in the bank and fuel in our Jeep Grand Cherokee we then head off for Adelaide and have a wonderful time catching up with the Turnbull clan. One day Paul, granddaughter Amy, and great grandson Riley [aged 6] take us on a hike up Mt Lofty in the Adelaide Hills. It proves to be a hard, very steep climb with the temperature at 32 C. The adults agree it was challenging, and are amazed that Riley cheerfully ran back and forth up the steepest parts as though he was the energiser bunny.

Climbing Mt Lofty, Adelaide Phew! We All Reached The Summit

Back in Melbourne again we check into Hotel Grand Chancellor in the city. Drive to Ashburton to inspect the three-townhouse project Stephen and Louise are developing. Progress is most impressive, they have planned everything so well, we're so proud of what they are achieving.

Boyd's Townhouse Development Plenty To Smile About!

On 25 April 2018, standing near Flinders Street Rail Station, we watch Melbourne's ANZAC Day Parade. It is both huge, impressive and inclusive, and again we are struck with how well Australians commemorate their servicemen and women.

5 May 2018

Rotorua Marathon. Up at 5.00 am, I drive Margie post haste to Rotorua Events Centre to pick up her bib number (7303) with embedded timing transponder. Margie walks the 21.1 km 'Half Marathon Walk'. At 72, Margie is in the Female Over 45 category: she comes somewhere in the middle with a time of 3:41:1 and receives a medal at the finish line! Margie is thrilled with her result - "Even if you can't do it, you're going to do it!" is what she says to herself. Bob is proud of the example she sets to the whole family.

Ready For Half Marathon Walk A Picture of Success!

13 May 2019

Mothers' Day, and Margie is delighted to receive from her children a stunning bouquet. Later, friends from Auckland come to stay.

Mother's Day Surprise Jennie's Friendship is Golden!

18 May 2018

Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. London puts on a show that Hollywood could only dream of! Glorious pageantry, marvellous! We have a bird's eye view in neighbour's media room (thanks Peter and Kath!).

Remainder of May sees completion of various renovations, plus a most welcome series of friends and relatives call from far and wide to inspect our new home. Also, we attend Teddy's first birthday party in Whakatane. A happy get-together with wider family. Also attend "The Addams Family" at Whakatane Little Theatre. Our gorgeous neice Evie stars in the show!

Happy Birthday Teddy Ooooh This Wonderful Cake!

June - July 2018

Winter in Taupo certainly brings cooler weather, however when one looks outside across Lake Taupo to the town stretching around the Lake, and with the bush-clad Mt Tauhara a dominant backdrop, this remarkable vista gives us daily inspiration and reminds us how fortunate we are to live here in Acacia Bay.

Whakapapa Winter Wonderland

It is now the ski season. Whakapapa Skifield on Mt Ruapehu is open. Because Margie is over a certain age she qualifies for a free chairlift pass. There is an early morning shuttlebus that quickly gets her up the slopes for a great day of skiing, so Margie is again able to enjoy the exhilaration of 'punishing' the slopes!

A Great Performance Margie's First 'Desrae' Dress

On 31 June Margie competes in the local Tauhara Trail Run. Niece Fiona does the 10km Run, whilst Margie enters the 10km Walk. Both races use the same rugged, hilly trail. Margie finishes 19th out of 58 finishers, and 10th in the female category. Keeping the legs moving is basically "all in the mind" she says. "And even if I don't like it, I'm going to like it!"

21- 23 July 2018

Drive to Napier to visit Bob's older brother David, who has moved into an independent-living retirement apartment. Lunch together at nice cafe built on the site of a woolstore building where David and Bob worked together 60 years earlier whilst Bob waited for his Army call up.

Next day we call on Len, who had been a lead scout in Bob's platoon (3 Pl V3 Coy) in Vietnam (1968/69). Len is rightly proud of his family home, built in 1893. In the large hallway is an impressive series of portraits presenting some of Len's ancestors. A great morning with Len and his wife, then back home to Taupo.

The following day our neighbours take us out on Lake Taupo. A successful day of fishing!

Bob's Good Comrade, Len Trout for Dinner

5 Aug 2018

Depart Taupo. The start of our three month overseas trip. First stop being Melbourne, where the Boyds have now completed their townhouse development and are happily ensconced in the fabulous new four bedroom home they built for themselves as part of that plan.

De La Salle Parents' Night About to Hit Melb Bike Path

Margie and Peachy Pie We Love Their New Home

One week later we fly to Los Angeles, then drive south to Temecula where we had placed into storage the excess items after we sold our motorhome in 2015. We donate everything to the Temecula Salvation Army shop and therefore can now stop those monthly storage charges.

Fly on to Ottawa and a great reunion with the Welburn family. Margie notes that both Anna and Isabel now tower above her. Our grandchildren have certainly grown apace! All is very green and steamy hot at this time of year. Squirrels, raccoons, skunks and groundhogs abound!

Dwarfed By Her Grandaughters Happy Family Dinner

Anna's 19th Birthday Three Generations

Colin and Oversized Cats Toby Earns His Pocket Money

We enjoy walks around Ottawa with our grandchildren, including taking them to watch the soccer match between the Canadian and Brazilian women's teams. An exciting game, Canada won 1-0.

Master Chefs in the Kitchen Home Sweet Home in Ottawa

Early Morning in Bank Street Wet Weather Programme

Issy and Anna Ride 45km Goalie Georgia saves the Day

Ready to Shop at Ikea Anna Selects Her New Desk

Off to the Soccer Match Waiting for Kick-off

An afternoon at Ikea buying stuff for Anna's flat in Montreal for when she starts her Chemical Engineering studies at McGill University next month.

Tor and Colin's business, Welburn Consulting, is going from strength to strength, therefore keeping them both very busy. Additional file storage is now required, and Bob is delighted to help assemble the new storage cabinets.

Cycling Along The Ottawa River with out Trusty Friends

Friends Peter and Sue invite us to go cycling, then back to their home for dinner. Such a great night catching up, delicious dinner, great conversation, good friends!

2 Sep 2018

Fly Ottawa to Heathrow, where we collect a rental car and head off to a holiday cottage in the tiny settlement of Idbury in the Cotswolds. We have the cosy cottage for ten days (via Rural Retreats) and many of the famous Cotswolds attractions are very handy to this delightful spot.

Our Cosy Cotswold Cottage Busy Burford Township

Grand Entrance to Blenheim Palace Birthplace of Winston Churchill

Our Temporal Time is Limited Sudeley Castle Gardens

Catherine Parr, Queen Broadford Tower

We visit Blenheim Palace and Sudeley Castle, plus enjoy roaming through region's attractive towns and villages such as Broadway, Burford, Witney and Chipping Norton. All very pleasant and relaxing.

12 Sep 2018

Fly to Copenhagen to catch the Norwegian Breakaway for a nine nights Baltic cruise. This ship is immense, with the capacity for 4,900 passengers. Initially we wonder if it was a mistake to book on such a large ship, but the check-in procedure is the fastest and most efficient we have experienced; whilst once on board there is plenty of room for everyone and one never feels crowded.

Shopping in Copenhagen

Preparing to Embark Whoops, Nearly the Wrong Ship!

Row Upon Row at Tallin Tallin Was Wet But Wonderful

Our first port of call is the pleasant German town of Warnemunde, then on to Tallin in Estonia. The wet and chilly weather does not distract us from the attractiveness of Tallin, and once again we are inspired by the terrific struggles Estonians had to undertake to free themselves from both Soviet and Nazi dictatorships.

Fairytale Catherine's Palace Gilded Reception Rooms

Endless Ornate Rooms, But What Happened To The Furniture?

Peter The Great, Founder of St Petersburg, and His Peterhof

Margie is reading "Red Notice", the explosive true story by Bill Browder regarding his experiences dealing with the astounding corruption in Russia by the oligarchs and Putin. Next is a two day call at St Petersburg, where Putin was once Deputy Mayor.

St Petersburg, as a show town for tourists is an undoubted masterpiece. The fabulous Hermitage, the glorious gilded palaces, the Church of the Spilt Blood, are all heritages of the Czars. Nevertheless the preservation and maintenance of these special buildings by the arch enemies of the Czars, the Soviet Communists, is rather quite surprising.

Notwithstanding, in the outer suburbs one sees the mile after mile of shabby, soulless building shells comprising the epitome of Soviet era architecture, and helps illustrate how 70 years of ruthless Communism provided so little benefit to the Russian people.

We were last in St Petersburg in 2004 when it was celebrating its 300th anniversary. This time it is Margie's birthday, and we enjoy a celebratory dinner in one of the excellent fine dining restaurants on the Norwegian Breakaway.

We Celebrate Margie's Birthday

Next day we are in Helsinki, a very modern city and we enjoy their great shops. Sail on towards our next port of call, Stockholm, but stormy weather prevents us entering their port, so we have two days at sea before making port again back at Copenhagen, then fly back to London.

23 - 28 Sep 2018

Great time with Desrae and David in their lovely home at Dulwich. Our nieces, Ella and Imogen, plus their husbands Matt and Bobby, now have three children between them, and we're so pleased to become acquainted with the little sweethearts. On reflection it seems only a short time ago that Ella, Imogen, Oscar and Olly were the young ones we loved so much when visiting Desrae and David over the years. Tempus Fugit.

51 Years Together, Still Going Strong! My Lovely Little Sister!

Old Borough Market Cathedral Garden Cafe Affords Great Views

Iconic Tower Bridge Picture Perfect Ightham Mote

George Inn, Dates from 1676 The Trace Family has Expanded!

Imogen's adorable Taikanui Ella's Sweethearts, Ada and Kit

Margie Models Her 'Desrae' Skirt Cocktails at the Savoy

Walk across London Bridge, and 'City of London.' David, being London born-and-bred, proves a fascinating guide. Enjoyed together another memorable dinner at Rules, the oldest restaurant in London, then the following day we all visit the National Trust property of Ightham Mote. Originally constructed in 1330 [mote is an ancient word for meeting place], it is located in a secluded Kent valley, surrounded by gardens and woodlands, and one gained a real sense of the history that Britons enjoy and cherish.

29 Sep - 15 Oct 2018

Another cruise, this time on the Norwegian Jade from Southampton to Miami.

Norwegian Jade Balcony Vistas Farewell to Southampton

Arrival at Lerwick, Shetland

First call is at Lerwick in Shetland. We remember our great two weeks in Shetland in 2004 when visiting Louise, who was then working at the Kveldsro Hotel, Lerwick, whilst on her big OE.

Iceland Lives Up To Its Name Vikings Were A Hardy Lot!

Bus Tour through Hinterland Iceland's Geo-Thermal Power Plant

Then two days at Reykjavik, Iceland, which was our main reason for selecting this cruise. Fascinating small country, with only 350,000 population. Astonishingly modern, but also very expensive because almost everything has to be imported. A factory in Reykjavik produces prosthetic limbs which are exported aound the globe. Our tour inland reveals stunning scenery and very friendly people.

Arriving at the Picturesque St John's, Newfoundland

Our Route So Far Immigrants at Halifax, Nova Scotia

Next ports of call are St Johns [Newfoundland], Halifax [Nova Scotia], Portland [Maine], then New York. At New York we are able to walk off the ship, continue east a few blocks and end up in the middle of Times Square! This is always an exciting place to visit, and today is no exception. Vibrant and bustling, the enormous crowds help set the scene. In our travels we have always enjoyed Ruby Tuesdays, so we dine there before heading back to Norwegian Jade. Then it's farewell NY as we sail out down the Hudson.

Another Dress Made By Desrae Vast North Atlantic Backdrop

Vibrant Times Square Ruby Tuesdays, The Place to Dine

Night View of Lady Liberty Crew Entertains on Last Night of Cruise

'I'm As Free As The Breeze...' Miami, Time To Disembark

On 15 May we arrive at Miami, say our goodbyes to the lovely people with whom we had had fascinating conversations whilst partaking of the excellent dinners provided every evening on the cruise. Fly to Los Angeles.

15 - 17 Oct 2018

Two days chilling out in Los Angeles.

19 - 27 Oct 2018

Fly to Melbourne, attend 54th reunion of Bob's OCS Portsea Class, this time back at Portsea itself, now established as an Historic Place.Twenty graduates [and wives] walk again through their old accommodation and lecture blocks, then visit the ghosts on the old Parade Ground. Few of us are ever likely to revisit Portsea again, so this is a notable trip through nostalgia. As always when old comrades meet, the cameraderie is great!

With Michael, Fellow Kiwi Classmate Balcony View Still Striking

Revisiting the Parade Ground 54 Years On, Class of 1964

Junior Class Accomodation Block Portsea Overlook

Deciding our next reunion in two years time will be in Perth, WA, we say our fond farewells and depart.

In our car rental we start the two-day drive to Adelaide, arriving at the Turnbull's on Bob's 76th birthday, 23 Oct.

The whole Turnbull clan welcomes us and we're updated on all their latest developments. A great family dinner is enjoyed at favourite restaurant, Kwiksticks, followed by birthday cake at Kelly and Bradley's home.

Smiling Time with G/Granddaughter Dakota, and with son Paul

Sandy Introduces Goldie Our Three G/Grandchildren are Growing

Kelly Entertains the Family Sunset from the Turnbull's Deck

All too soon we are heading back to Melbourne. Stay a night with the Boyds, then catch Air NZ for our flight back to NZ, arriving back in Taupo on 28 Oct 2018.

29 Oct - 7 Dec 2019

Thanks to our kind neighbours' attentions, 23 Mapara Road is in excellent condition, so we are quickly back into our normal home routine, including cycling into town and back most mornings [except when raining].

7 Dec 2018

Fergus and Varick fly in from Melbourne, their parents and Ethan will arrive later on 22 Dec, and the family will stay until 31 Dec 2018.

Welcome Arrival of Fergus and Varick Armistice Day 2018

Visiting the Tangiwai Memorial Then the Army Museum at Waiouru

One day we drive right around the Tongariro National Park, visiting the Whakapapa Snowfield on Mt Ruapehu, the Tangiwai Memorial [where 151 people died in a railway disaster on Christmas Eve 1953], then the Army Museum at Waiouru.

One neighbour takes the boys fishing in their magnificent boat, and each boy catches a huge trout, which provides our dinner for several days. Another neighbour has the boys over to play on his impressive racing car track.

On 22 Dec the Boyd family is re-united in Taupo and we enjoy a fabulous family time together. We visit other family members in Whakatane, go shopping together, enjoy walks, golf, a day at the races to watch a friend's horse [run in fifth place], and great family games and conversation.

Boyd Family Together Again Visiting the Huka Falls

Evie and Will's New Home Monopoly is Still Favourite

A gorgeous Merry Christmas, with fun and laughter enlivening our house. Hearty Christmas Lunch at Wairakei Resort (Half of Taupo were there!).

Christmas 2018 is Celebrated at 23 Mapara Road

Xmas Gifts are Tried On Neighbours Call to Cheer

31 Dec 2018

We all drive up to Auckland to farewell the Boyds as they return to Melbourne.

Mother and Daughter Time Boyd Family Head Home

New Year's Eve back at 23 Mapara Road is very quiet, but we are so very grateful for the magnificent family we share, even though much travelling is necessary.

We have reached the age when five and ten-year plans are no longer appropriate, so whatever we may wish to do, the time to do it is now. Accordingly, we start planning on how we can continue to enjoy our overseas families in the coming year, plus what other activities we may contemplate.

The Time Is Now, Don't Procrastinate, Make Plans and Enjoy Life!

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