Rob & Liz's Blessed Adventures

Hi lovelies, Yesterday afternoon Robbie and I went off to visit some friends. Robbie had made plans to go fishing with Robert, while I planned to spend some time with his beautiful wife Nelsa.  Lucky her name is not Liz or we would all be really confused. 😁 The boys set off to Cooby Dam and for Robbie it was his first time fishing from a boat on a dam.  Robert was extemely kind and supplied all the gear, as well as some excellent tuition. We received a text from them not too long after they left saying that Robbie had caught his first fish, just 5 minutes after they launched the boat.  I think our excitement would have been on a par with theirs.  We were nearly jumping up and down with happiness that they had caught something. They apparently had a wonderful time, with both men catching a few yellowbellies each. Robert also caught an eel tailed catfish, which was something new for both of them. It was after dark when they returned home, bo...

Hi lovelies, Yesterday we played tourist in our town. Toowoomba is well known for it's gorgeous gardens in the spring and the town and surrounds celebrates with 10 days of activities and floral splendor. This is the first time in many years we have ventured out to see any of the gardens and considering the drought I was pleasantly surprised at the beautiful display. Rob, Sarah and I set off with our first stop being the Queens Park Botanical Gardens.  The walk through these gardens is nearly all flat and so great for everyone,  We did offer to take another friend and push her around in a wheel chair, but she declined.  Perhaps she did not trust me to keep her on the path. 😉 We wandered through the flower beds, where there were magnificent displays of snap dragons, pansies, tulips and poppies and even kale to add colour and texture to the display.  We took a slow walk up the viewing platform to see the display near the cenotaph....

Well the last day has arrived before we fly out in the morning. A short drive to our visit to Zealong Tea Plantation for a tour and high tea. We had originally decided to visit the Zealong Tea Plantation so we could catch up with Brenton.  Unfortunately he flew out of the country as we flew in.  Bad timing really. We did have a wonderful time and Jordan was out guide for the tour.  He was a fountain of knowledge and made the tour very entertaining.  The tea ceremony was a wonderful learning experience.  We tasted 5 different teas and it was interesting to see the tea rainbow from the 5 cups. We finished our time there with a High Tea.  This was very yummy, and it was interesting that Robbie liked one of the savory ones best while I liked one of the desserts. We have had a really good time in NZ driving around, sightseeing and learning lots about this country and the people, and the differences between Australia and here.  Fo...

Evening Lovelies, Today we left the lovely Lake Taupo, and on the advice of Rob’s fishing guide we headed south to Turangi.     From there it was supposed to be a short 10 minute drive to the Saddle at the base of Mt Raupehu to get a great view of the snow.   You would think we would be a little wiser regarding the time frames from the locals, but no – so off we went. The start of the drive was quite pretty, but by the time we were ½ hour in my tolerance of sheer drops off the side of the road was beyond it’s limits, and we had still not reached the Saddle.   I will admit to being totally terrified, tears streaming down my face, and gripping the seat.   Robbie eventually managed to turn around and we headed back along the same fear-filled road that we had just travelled.   We stopped in Turangi for a much needed cup of tea and a break while I tried to settle a little.  I am just glad he took the photo after all the effort to g...

The day started early with Rob off to learn about fly fishing for trout. A brisk start to the day with winds coming off the snow-capped mountains to the south of us and a big frost. Brrrrr Rob and his guide left about 8.30am after we stood in the icy winds for ½ hr waiting for the pick to find him. They went 20 mins south into a fast-flowing icy stream. They got suited out in waders and boots and headed into the stream to try his luck. It was big learning curve with lots of things heaps different than beach and river fishing. Basically, floating the fly downstream with the current or slowing dragging the fly up stream against the current. Tricky to get the hang of “Line control” but fun anyway. No fish to be caught sadly. fishing guide After returning when headed off to the natural hot vents that feed into the cold river – big variation. This was a spot for kids and families to play swim or warm up in the stream.  On then to Huka Falls to see where...