The Frog-Eyed Sprites

Here we are, the Frog-Eyed Sprites venturing along the treacherous back roads of the Far North.

Sunday driving?
Pah!

This is rally racing at its best, complete with salt liquorice and Molly the Dog.




This is a fmaous spot called Mt Bledisloe; it's a hill that mostly you drive up and only have to walk the last 100 metres until you get to a funky ceramic compass, about three foot across. It tells you how far to all sorts of useful places (London, Suva, Ruapekapeka, Kaitaia...errrr). Lord Bledisloe owned all the land round here once upon a Governor-Generalship but gave all 1000 acres back to the people of New Zealand in 1932. This 'trust' land became known as the birthplace of the nation and was the site of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi...and there my knowledge ends. Google Waitangi.

So, after a jaunt up a hill, some posing with Sprite cans on our arms and a few pieces of salt liquorice we hit Lily Pond Farm. This place is under-10s heaven: guinea pigs roaming free among a llama, a donkey, an emu (did you know they have DRUMS in their tummies?!), a couple of scrawny lambs and goats and a blind highland cow called Jock. I was so beside myself with excitement that I forgot to take any pictures. Still, it was hot and dusty at the farm, so instead of hitting the main road we turned right past Captain Bucko's place and down to the swimming hole. Later I learned that this is one of the most polluted swimming spots in the country but at that stifling moment I couldn't have cared less. It was COOL and WET.

Molly made an exhibition of herself chasing sticks while Marg, Jonny and I swam in our underwear. Jonny was wearing shiny green boxers brought for the dog (who rightly turned up her nose at the ignomy of such attire...jonny didn't seem so perturbed though). Sophie was wearing white knickers so declined to take part. I won't damage you with pictures of us in wet underwear, but this is the spot:



And then, instead of having just a hot dog, we had a hot, tired dog.



We then drove for hours, ate cheese and rice crackers, took the back road to Kawakawa, answered lots of silly questions and finally...sat down for an official sponsor beer.


We didn't win even though that's the only reason we took part. Apparently the bonus questions at the back were part of the rally and not just there to disctract the back seat drivers...

Photos that could've been: Sophie in a bunny suit; Marg apple bobbing; Jonny kayaking to glorious victory earning us our barbecue vouchers and ten extra points.