Gardens

Cross Hills Gardens

On Saturday even with the rain, we visited the Cross Hills Gardens. They were beautiful! I definitely will go back on a sunny day. It was cold but the hiking helped to keep me warm. The route to get to the Gardens will be a great bike ride. Nice hills leading up to the site with gorgeous views of green mountains and white sheep. Even on the worse of days, New Zealand is beautiful!

Tour of Manawatu Bike Ride

Start of the ride. It was an organized mass start. I liked seeing the young boys on road bikes! The town is very bike friendly. They had police and volunteers everywhere. They even temporarily reduced the speed limit along the route!

Tour of Manawatu Bike Ride

Yesterday was such a bad rainy cold day. The rains were hard and winds high even into the early hours of the morning. Today was the Tour of Manawatu Bike Ride. I was scheduled to do 50km. When I awoke the sun was out and the temperature was still cool but a perfect day for a ride. Fantastic Ride!! Extremely well organized. It was a timed event. Every cycle had a timer mounted on the front fork. Prizes were amazing--two plasma 42" TVs, 6 bikes, 5 $250 gift cerificates, $500 in outdoor patio furniture and all kinds of bike gear. I even won a nice Michelin 700 tire. The route was great, few hills, and a lot of head and cross winds (these are the Noreaster Winds sometimes 30-40 knots). But the sun was shining the entire day!!! Great friends. Here are a few of the pictures. How about the bagpipes at mid ride!

Owen is Home

Owen was thrilled to be home and thrilled with the new cat! He did not even take a nap today. He also enjoyed playing with the birds at the animal shelter.

The Newest Member of the New Zealand Family

Caron, Scott, and Owen returned from their vacation in Auchland, Rotorua, Mt Ruapehu, and other wonderful places on the North Island. So this afternoon we all visited the animal shelter and brought home the newest member of our New Zealand family. She is a beautiful cat--Lucy was her shelter name. Soft white paws and chest with a lovely gray head and body. She was found and brought to the shelter several weeks ago. I am positive she was someone's pet. Now she has an American family!

More Pictures of the Herb Farm