Wednesday 9 September 2015

Time Off

Hi Everyone, It has been a week of time off from quilting as DH and I departed on Friday morning for a weekend of pirate themed car rallying.
Starting point was Orewa 1 1/2hr's south of us and just north of Auckland.


A beautiful part of the Hibiscus Coast Highway, 



Part of the Town Center at 7am on a Sat morning, no one around apart from us, looking for breakfast!!!


Our Pirate themed car outside McDonalds,
Their pancakes and Maple syrup were a great start to the day


 At the start the pirate crews began to gather, this pirate bringing his parrot in all her feathers.


The guy not in costume is Mikey, one of the organisers


My DH found a couple of kindred soul's


This Ladies Team blew the wind out of our sails!!!!
After the start our first mission was get down and dirty at this toilet block.
These are now all challenge photo's - to prove you did the mission.
Most of us took it easy on the get dirty part.


 I rubbed noses.


Steve decided to kiss!!!



Steve by this stage had had enough of his wig as it was giving him a headache so went back to his very normal pirate hat for an epic beach battle!!!
 Unfortunately we were in the top teams at that stage so not many other pirates to fight with.
The next mission, to take over a larger vessel.


We found this fishing boat in Whangarei Harbour during the the lunch stop


Welcomed aboard - it was ours!!!

After lunch there was lots more touring as we headed from Whangarei to Pahia for our night stop but only one more picture mission, a castle forthold we had to conquer half way there.


My DH conquering it all. I could not do what he did!!!


Mt attempt at conquering - top of the kiddie's slide


There were a few comments from the guys, that was a very quick decent - I nearly landed on my A--- off the bottom but it was great fun and how many years since I have done that, no idea Lol

Day one ended with the organisers having prepaid for everyone's car ferry crossing from Russel to Pahia in the Bay of Islands for our night stop over.


One of the lovely garden's seen from our second floor unit.

Day two, a 9am start just outside Waitangi. It looked like being a beautiful day but ended up being a real mixture of sun, cloud and torrential rain showers, typical northland at this time of year.


A gorgeous early flowering Pohutakawa at the start.


Looking back toward Pahia from our start point.


Locals gathering Pippis along the beach.


First mission to acquire a cannon in Kaikohe.
The instruction said think outside the box so as we couldn't find a cannon this plough seemed to work for us. rain clouds forming as well.


Mission two, build a monument to the Obelisk you can just see in the background using whatever is at hand. again no one there when we arrived so all we could find were empty beer cans. With heavy rain before and after this photo we weren't too worried about our monuments lack of size but I wish we had taken a photo of the T Bridge where this is the carpark but have since found one on the interenet.


It really is a T bridge as you can turn off in the center to drive down to the carpark.
Unfortunately after this we missed an instruction and covered an extra 40 km's  befor arriving in Dargaville where their was only one crew to help take over our next photo mission.


As you can tell I like being the pirate behind the camera,Lol


We were meant to find out the cost of a beer at this boat club.
Unfortunately it was Sunday and it was closed but I love the art work.

Our final mission back in Orewa was cancelled due to the doubtful  weather - it was walking the plank and ending up in the water at the surfclub - so warm and dry we all ended up inside,
 Outside looking in was this gorgeous seagull.


Do you notice anything different about him?
Not sure what accident he/she has had but NO feet, perfect balance and does not look like lacking food!!!

Have found out we came 10th= overall, we got a few written answer missions wrong but for our first completed rally we are thrilled with the result and our car ran like clockwork this time.

Monday we travelled back to Whangarei stopping first at the Honey Pot Bee Center for breakfast. No photo as the bee's were still only just waking up. This place is amazing as inside the honey shop they have working hives backed against glass and you can watch the working life of bee's. 
Next stop The Apple Basket - this is starting to sound like a nature trip - but no The Apple Basket is a quilting shop in Kaiwaka so this stop was for me.
I have travelled past it many times to and from Auckland but there has never been the time to stop, Today there was time, not as much fabric as I expected but some fabulous quilts on display and some beautiful patterns, I could have bought several but only indulged in two.


This is part of a xmas series, I couldn't decide which one I wanted most but think I have a home for this one. And then this one I just had to have.


I have made two of Adrienne Walker's patterns previously, Wild  Lillies and Poppies.
I just love her applique style and  know exactly where this wall hanging.will go. 
Steve said to me yesterday, thought you would be working on your LE Border today,
SORRY I got side tracked - AGAIN!!!!


45 applique pieces just for the rose.
These are left over fabric's from my Poppies Wall hanging fabric's
Put together on baking paper I will now fuse this to a lightweight interface while I do the stitching.

Hope you enjoyed our car rally, enjoy your Wednesday everyone.
Cheers Jenny



3 comments:

  1. Oh Jenny I'm quiet exhausted just reading about your trip LOL It sure sounds like you had lots of fun. Loved your out fits. That rose is stunning and I know you will make it look alive. Hugs Glenda

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  2. Thanks Glenda, We did have a fantastic time, it was great to take my wig off before dinner on the Sat
    night, too scary to do it during the day but I wanted to, Lol. Have been working on the rose today, still lots of stitching before it can go on the background which I still have to buy. Cheers Jenny

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  3. Arrrgh Jenny, What a hoot!! - Wonderful fun time. - Wendy

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