Biddy's Blog: 2014

New Zealand for an early winter!

We came home in our May holidays to see our sons night market happening and to see what else needed to be done for their wedding in China in June. We drove DINK1E down to Wellington and enjoyed beautiful scenery all the way down.

Looking across Lake Taupo.

Bradley holding the menu for the Friday Night Market stall.

Jing Jing doing what she does best ...making yummy Sichuan Street food.

Bradley pouring water into the pot for cooking.

Wayne enjoying the yummy food.

Harbourside Market and Wayne is enjoying a pulled pork sandwich.

Then it was down to Blenheim to catchup with the middle son.

On our way to catch the bus back to Picton, the stream was looking beautiful.

Fascinating clouds appeared in the sky.

Sunset at Lake Rotorua.

Farmland between Paeroa and Thames.

My daddy posing for this photo.

My mummy posing with her scarf.

Khota Bharu

We took a long drive and found this sitting Buddha.

I love the shutters on the buildings.

Looking inside an old war tank.

Strange bug.

A great place to stay...such friendly and helpful people.

Another colourful bug.

It was election time and flags were everywhere.

Scene from one fo the many bridges we crossed.

Blue sky, not something we saw very often in KL.

We were excited about our trip to Khota Bharu and picked our car up from the airport and proceeded to find our accommodation. We overshot the turn off so went down to the end of the road and came back and again missed the turn off. Wayne pulled over as if to do a u-turn and we were hit by a lorry right on Wayne's door. I thought he had gone but he started moving and we were helped out of the car over to the side of the road. Thankfully, Harry, from our accommodation was passing and stopped to help and translate. He dropped us at the hospital so that Wayne could be checked over as he had no memory of the accident. They let us go after a few hours and we were taken to the local Police Station to give a statement. Our car hire firm picked us up and took and translated while there. The changed some words on the statement and as it was in Bhasa I couldn't read it. The constable watching had previously told us that he had no English but was able to say to me "Please tell the madam that there were no changes!" Finally we were taken into the office to sign it all off and hopefully get out but we had to pay 500 ringgit to the kitty before they would let us go. When outside our car hire man gave Wayne the keys to another car and told us to drop it back to him at the airport when we were leaving. Wayne looked confused and said he couldn't drive so I took over the driving for the weekend. Wayne was concussed, had a sore shoulder and bruising. i had a nasty cut on my leg. Thankfully we were alive and this helped us make our decision to return to New Zealand at the end of the year.