Gin Tonics and
homegrown, marinated olives before dinner and wine
at the superb Parua
Homestay, with Mirjam and hosts Pat & Peter:
Or I could say a few more words about the area.
Whangarei
is hardly a major aesthetic architectural achievement. But it's not meant to
be. There's so much around it to make up for its ugliness. Just like someone
like me in New Zealand.
Peter's (and Pat's - and if you've ever heard The Sunny Side of the Street,
you'll be familiar with the the pleasant sound of Peter Pat ;^)) Parua Homestay
is as good as I hoped, and then some. I'm prejudiced.
To make a long story short - go there yourself! You may not get my room, you
may not be able to enjoy the company of a fascinating, beautiful, temporary
maid, but you may just have the time of your life, whatever time of the year.
For all your senses. (Depending on your company, of course.) A custard apple
from the garden for lunch… A whirlpool dip in the dark under a full moon.
And all the stuff you can learn from your hosts.
Pat collects spinning wheels. I soon realized that my trip might reflect the opening of Blood, Sweat and Tears' Spinning Wheel hit: "What goes up must come down".
But now it's definitely time for dinner.
