Let the youth engage in youthful activities

Mana has become quite the skilled speed demon on her bike now and as a result of this new found freedom (and speed) I'm forced to "run" after her........that was until today when I dusted off my old Edwards"Pro Slalom" skateboard which I brought as a birthday present for myself when I was about 11 or 12 (yeah you do the math)

Although gathering dust Ive still been using it (if not for the intended purpose) for moving house/Flat furniture and other heavy bits and pieces.

But it wasn't until Dad and I did a engine change 10 or so years ago (balancing a 350 cubic inch V8 engine on a skateboard 12 inches wide was nothing short of incredible) only then did I start to realised the true potential (and usefulness) of a simple board with wheels.

Anyhoo back to the story at hand,off we headed for a quick lap around the neighbourhood,both of us were enjoying our new found freedom (well she was.......I was simply rediscovering my youth)

We arrived back home safe and sound beaming with youthful smiles and I.........tripped over the curb.....with the "How old are you?" ringing in the back of my head I limped inside........

Up North

Continuing on.......

We left Paihia and began the LONG drive out toward the West Coast (I can remember doing this journey years ago with the family and my best friend Albert and had painful and boring memories of how long the drive was.....plus that was in Dad's van so you can imagine how much longer this leg would be in a bus!......so yeah a little worried about my girls following .......but I need not had worried.

Was a bit on the windy side as we busted out to the entrance to the Hokianga Harbour on the West coast but we still managed to get a couple of whanau shots inbetween the wind gusts of us.

Then it was on to the famous 1200 year old "Tane Mahuta" (actually not nearly as impressive as the ones on"Pop's tour yesterday.....but cool all the same)

We stopped off in Dargarville where my passengers discovered that the packed lunches that had been prepared for them for today's lunch were still sitting in the carpark waiting to be picked up!!

So a stop at the Kauri Museum was called for the (by now starving and alittle cranky) students could feed "The hunger".

All in all a very enjoyable (althought long) couple of days "Up North"