Hi All,

We have just had the amazing experience of a cruise to New Zealand. One of the wonderful things we did was visit Hobbiton, the set designed for The Lord of the Rings movies.

After the tour, you are given a drink in The Green Dragon Hotel. It was such an amazing place!

We saw so many other great places as well. Everywhere we went it was green and lush. Only to return home to brown and yellows once again!

I'm only home for a day then I am off to visit my parents for my Dad's 80th Birthday. Think I need a holiday to get over my holidays before I return to work.

I would also like the house to stop rocking! It feels worse now than it did while I was on the ship! Ha. Ha.

Hobbiton really is amazing. I might have to watch the movies again!

Cheers all from Mrs. Dools

Hi Mrs Dools. So glad you had a wonderful cruise. It sounds wonderful, you lucky thing!

Yes I have missed you around the Forums over past week or two. So its lovely to see you back again.

Do your parents live very far from you? Presumably you are driving there, so take good care on the roads as they will be busy due to the long weekend. I hope your Dad has a wonderful 80th birthday.

Sherie xx

Hi Sherie,

It was very different being on the ship where I did not use the computer at all and had no contact via mobile phone.

We had a few days of rain on the holiday, but that was okay, gave us a different perspective of New Zealand than being in the bright sunshine all of the time. There were some wonderful rainbows here and there.

At one stage we were in a storm force 10 with greater than 50 knot winds. Something like that anyway. For all those sailors out there I may have my words around the wrong way.

To get to my parents my husband will drive me 1 1/2 hours to the city where I will catch a 2 hour bus ride then a 1 hour small boat ride to an island. The seas can be very rough on the way to the island. Just what I need right now. Ha. Ha.

I'm sure the weekend will go well. I will be sleeping in a tent in the back yard as there is no room for me in the house! Then back to work on Monday after arriving home about 1.00 a.m. Monday morning.

I will need a holiday to get over my holidays! Ha. Ha.

Cheers, from Mrs. Dools

It sounds lovely. Well, except for the storm force winds.

It is quite an effort to get to your parents place then. Car, Bus, Boat. What about a train, then you'd have the lot? And after all the effort to get there, you have to sleep in a tent out the back! What a shame you have to rush right back again for work. Not exactly easing you back into it, now is it? Monday is Anzac Day and therefore a public holiday - do you have to work that day? I know you work in the aged care industry, I guess that means you work all days. I think a week off to recover sounds like a really good idea ..............

Sherie xx

dear Mrs. Dools, have been on a cruise when they stopped using oars and that was quiet a long time ago with a couple who I still keep in contact with and will spending a couple of nights there shortly, first week in May, and I would love to go on another one, but time is running out, so I probably won't.
Not too sure if being very busy is good or bad, but if you thoroughly enjoyed yourself then that's the important thing, and then onto a special day for your dad, turning 80, what a great achievement and I hope that his life has been full of good luck and what he has conquered in life.
I really hope that he has a hobby to keep his mind busy and doesn't have to be dragged out shopping, sorry, only joking, but wish him a very Happy Birthday from people he may not have a clue about and enjoy yourself. Geoff.x

Hi Geoff,

The weekend went very well. I think my Dad had a great time and enjoyed seeing all of his brothers and sisters again. We had booked out a café for his Birthday lunch. One of my Uncles had a "turn" and collapsed to the floor. One of my sisters is a nurse and the two owners of the café are in St Johns so had emergency equipment in their car!

My Uncle picked the right place to collapse. Thankfully it was nothing serious, after a few hours in hospital ( over 60 k.m. away) he was allowed to be discharged.

Dad enjoys wood work and bush walking so he keeps active and inspired. There aren't many shops close to where they live, so a shopping trip would be over very quickly anyway. Ha. Ha.

Cheers for now from Mrs. Dools

Hi Sherie,

Funny thing you mentioning other transport modes. If my husband did not drive me all the way to the city, he could have dropped me off at a town 30 k.m. away where I could have caught a train, then a tram to the bus depot. That would have covered everything except for planes and helicopters. Ha. Ha.

Mum and Dad organise the tent so it was like a nice little oasis out in the garden. I had a fold out bed with one of Mum's beautiful quilts on it, carpet on the floor, a bedside table with lamp and a chair to put things on. I had enough room to stand up in it, but not quite enough room to swing a cat. Ha. Ha.

The weekend went very well except like I mentioned to Geoff one of my Uncles collapsed, at least he was okay!

Cheers for now from Mrs. Dools