Amazing Gatehouse connections

We have moved into a different house in Ohuiti in Tauranga for a month before we go back to the apartment in Papamoa. The rent at the resort goes sky high over the Christmas summer holidays so we have moved into a very nice student house owned by a sailing friend who teaches at the Polytec.

 

The summer is lovely here in the Bay, we have been going to the beach after work to go for a swim or to have a go a new sport - paddle boarding with Steve and Jen. Not as hard as surfing, so even Shona was ok with this one!

We had a lovely weekend with Graham and Diane who are friends from Mossyard/Sandgreen sailing regatta days, many moons ago! They are taking a bit of a pause in their round the world sailing adventure and spending their second summer down here in NZ after wintering up in Fiji. We went for a lovely walk with them round Lake Tarawera to Hot Water Beach with our Kiwi orchard owning friends from Te Puke, Roger and Janet.

Amazingly it turned out that Roger, who has lived in NZ for 11 years, knows Sandgreen and Gatehouse very well and actually knows Graham's parents next door neighbours in Ann St in Gatehouse!! What a small world!
When Graham skyped his parents it was lovely because Shona had a chat with them too and Graham and Diane also had a good skype chat with Shona's mum and dad.

It will be lovely to see them both again hopefully sailing in the Bay of Islands.