It often happens that when you visit a place you'd never been before, you end up going there again a week later. This week we returned to the Hamilton temple with two lovely ladies, mother and daughter. Jackie lives in Tikitere, along the highway to Okere Falls, where we went last week for our anniversary.
This is Manawahe, the word for "relax" in Maori, the gate to where Jackie lives near a kiwi orchard.
We went to visit Janet and her stepson, and ended up being offered two extra dinner tickets to the Te Puia dining room. We didn't turn that down. The food was fabulous.
It is the last few days for the mission nurse Sister Kari Pickett and her husband, Elder Pickett. They have been good sports about living on the North Island's east coast in Gisborne, which is a four-hour drive to just about anywhere.
Replacing them are the Coverstons, on the left. They will be living in Hamilton, somewhat nearer the "Mormon Mile," as the locals call Temple View, where the mission home is located. Sister Middledorf and Sister Sorensen are on the right.
We didn't find Weet-Bix all that appealing for breakfast, so I tried making these Chocolate Slices with crushed Weet-Bix as the base. "The most requested Weet-Bix slice recipe" as it says on the NZ food blog I got this from. All I can say is that the frosting was good, but not good enough. I'm afraid it tasted the way it looks--like ground up pressboard with butter added.
I've always liked this "Please Indicate" sign on Highway 30A on the way to K-Mart, Mitre 10 Mega, and the sushi restaurant. I'm thinking that you're supposed to indicate you'll be going straight by turning on your left blinker, instead of following the curve of the road to the right. I'm trying to think if I've seen anything like this in the States.
We watched for awhile and didn’t see many people indicating, which apparently means turning on your left or right turn signal.
We often walk this way but it's a nightmare trying to cross the highway on foot.
We walked to Mitre 10 looking for a utility rack for the garage wall, and saw Elder Rooks's favorite associate Andre. He was glad to see us, too. He said the sign for ANZAC day at the front of the store had pictures of two of his relatives who died in the fighting, John Bartlett and Jack Lord. Their pictures are in the middle of the poster. You see a lot of people wearing the iconic red poppies on their lapels.
On the way home we saw this gorgeous camellia shrub. The flowers look like single Japanese peonies.
Our great bunch of monthly Family Home Evening attenders. We are hoping these can continue after we leave in July.
The missionaries had a Missionary Day activity for youth interested in going on missions, so they could see what a day in the life of a missionary was like. It always starts out with some sort of exercise, which in the case of the Elders, is basketball, whenever possible.
Here they are giving lessons from Preach My Gospel. Sean, on the right, may have a hard time as a missionary when he has to wear shoes every day.
We visited this lovely lady to give her a message from President Winiata. My attempt at a selfie is not very flattering, in my case.
Wednesday morning we set out for Tikitere. This is the wooded area where Jackie lives.
She and her late husband Paul converted this dairy barn into an amazing house. He passed away from cancer last November, and she wanted to go to the temple to make sure that ordinance work is done for him. We were happy to go with her and her delightful mother Moira.
A view of Mokoia Island from Hamurana, on the way to Hamilton
The view from the front steps of the Hamilton temple
We stopped in Cambridge on the way home, passing by St. Andrew's Anglican Church
We had lunch at the Clementine Cafe at Amber Garden Center. It was good food and good company. Jackie worked as a prosecuting attorney for the Rotorua police department before she took leave of absence to care for her husband. Her family history includes English convicts and Maoris.
A stop in Tirau at The Interiors Barn to do some shopping. Elder Rooks kept telling me I had no more room in my luggage. Which is true.
Inside the converted dairy barn. I love seeing the original trusses.
A wall with masks from of many travels, including two years in South Korea
Although we didn't visit the geothermal Kakahi Falls, I'm including this picture because Tikitere is famous for not only the falls, but the Hell's Gate mud pools. You can go to the Hell's Gate Spa and get geothermal mud all over yourself.
From Wikipedia: "'Hells Gate', its most commonly known name, was used following the (1934) visit to the geothermal reserve by noted Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw," who was told that was where he was headed since he was a practicing atheist. "What he saw at Tikitere moved him to believe that this would be the gateway to hell."
Picture by Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia
This depicts Rūaumoko, the god of earthquakes, volcanos, and seasons.
From Wikipedia: "Tikitere, the Māori name for the area is derived from the tragic action of a Māori princess, Hurutini, the young wife of an abusive and shameful chief, who threw herself into the boiling hot pool that bears her name today.
Upon finding her daughter's body floating in the hot pool, Hurutini's mother cried out a sad lament "Aue teri nei tiki" ("here lies my precious one"), which was shortened to Tikitere and became the name from the thermal reserve and the surrounding area."
Picture from Hell's Gate Rotorua Facebook page.
Friday we and the four Elders came to help the Connellys finish getting their house ready for renters, as they leave this week on a six-month MLS mission to Brisbane, Australia, where there daughter is currently serving
Elder Rooks installed two deadbolts, although he didn't have his usual tools with him. Liz Connelly was quite impressed at his skill and the finished product.
Another selfie, this time with Liz. We will sorely miss her and her husband Brian.
Since I was cleaning out the fridge and freezer, Liz hoped I would take this frozen rainbow trout off her hands. I did, and we ate some for dinner last night
Mr. & Miss Pukeko seem to still be in the honeymoon stage. He was putting food into her beak.
But then this interloper showed up, with designs on Miss Pukeko
Mr. Pukeko vigorously defended his claim. If you can see in this picture, Mr. Pukeko took a run at the interloper, who flew straight up into the air.
He got the message and hasn't been back.
