Its been some time
Sorry, my site has been off-line for ages, my poor admin is the only excuse I have…………………………………………………It’s all as fabulous as ever on the here on the island……………………………….. …………….Still swimming most days. Someone has just loaned me a pair of flippers so I’m now swimming frighteningly far, I am still really scared of the deep water and all the possibilities of what it contains, there was a school of small sharks feeding out in front of the cottage the other day, though they were only about three feet long , I got really close, they looked really sharp and pointy and nasty. Its coming into autumn now so the water is quite cloudy and stormy, when I get in with my snorkel on I can’t see more than a few feet in front of me, I could be right next to a huge shark and not even know it! Someone advised me to get into the water very quietly so that I don’t scare the fishes, so now I get in with the biggest splash possible so that the fishes maybe more scared than I am!………………………………………………………………………….Went to an unusual party at the w/e, will send photo. It was Manu’s 30th birthday party, Manu is an artist and lives up the top of a waterfall. The 2km path up was treacherous, slippery, wet, dark and frankly dangerous. But still we missed the worst bit which was a ravine that had to be walked in the past, Manu had built the most beautiful bridge, it was arched and curved with a great red ornamental handrail. Still arrived at the top puffed out and with my salad and cider pack still in tact, so that was the most important thing! There was a huge animal on the barbecue, a fabulous band came from Wellington (how did they get the big speakers, instruments etc up the waterfall?) and lots of dancing, people being very silly and the usual party stuff……………………………………………………………..It was very dark on the way down, couldn’t see the slippery or dangerous bits, and therefore didn’t fall at all, I must have been cider -aided. A friend gave me a lift as far as Gooseberry flats, which is a beautiful beach, and I took my shoes off and walked in the light of the full moon, disturbing the ducks that were sleeping on the beach and would rise up with huge quacks whenever I nearly trod on them - don’t know who was more scared the first time they did it, them or me. Getting around to Puriri Bay where I live, there was the little blue penguin waiting on the corner by the left side next to the sea, and on the right a whole lightshow of glow worms in the hedge…………………………………………………………………………Next morning -7am- Bang bang on the door- “Tsunami alert” everyone living on the beach had to get off, but apart from enormous differences on the incoming and outgoing tides, very little happened and I was back at Ollie’s Cottage by midday……………………………………………………………………………..I’m going to town next week, I haven’t ever left the Island before during my stay, but I’ve been offered five reflexology treatments and a free ferry trip, so I will go. Also that weekend in town a Succulent Woman Party at a friends house, I haven’t been to one before, and I don’t know what it entails but I’ll keep you posted……………………………………………………………….I’ll be off-island for 5 days and will come back on the eve of my birthday. Couldn’t imagine trying to organize something in 24hours so I’ve got a Chef coming in to Ollie’s to cook for 6 of us, a sumptuous 3 course meal, it will cost us all $25 a head (£10) and they all bring what they drink. I will get ingredients for irish coffees, in town, and then I’m looking forward to another great St Patrick’s night on the island ……………………………………………………………………..So lots of love to all of you, I’m coming home a month earlier than planned, arriving 21st April, stopping at Louise’s in Perth on the way. I’d forgotten I couldn’t be out of UK longer than 6 months without risking my pension………… Send any comments on my new email address gracegypsydeepwater@gmail.com