Monthly Updates, The Changing Seasons

What’s been happening? – April 2021

Suzanne

A few people have mentioned that April was a sort of strange month. I would have to agree, especially regarding the weather. Warmer weather meant it was easy to forget that it wasn’t summer and Autumn was in it’s second month.

We had another road trip, not by choice this time; there was an appointment with an oncology specialist at Auckland Hospital. A busy city is Auckland, and luckily our few days there, we didn’t need to use public transportation or the car to get to the Squires appointment. We stayed at the Cancer Society Lodge, which is approximately 500m from the hospital. Without repeating myself, head to my previous blog post.

Apart from our trip to Auckland, we have enjoyed spending time together and walking around the neighbourhood and local beach. Brunch has been a real treat, with outdoor seating making the outing more relaxing, and who doesn’t enjoy food when it’s cooked by someone else? The mentioning of food has brought me to the subject of growing it. With our need to keep our lives simple and our human interaction even more so, I have decided to opt-out of being socially active, and the community garden is one of those activities. A hard decision to make, though on medical advice, is best to keep the seasonal bugs at bay.  Less pressure all round.

Snap Shots around the ‘Hood – Tauranga

A few kms down the road has me arriving at Fergusson Park in all it’s autumn glory
The changing landscape sees the developing Elizabeth Tower Apartments making their presence known. A huge complex for NZ with apartments, townhouses and shopping underneath.
Another demolition starts making way for what is rumored to be another apartment block. We shall see.
Homes without Letterboxes are becoming more visible as more money is being spent developing our city.
The view from a Home without a Letterbox.

Senior Women into Shooting Hoops [S.W.I.S.H.]

This month, one of my best decisions was joining up with the local walking [fast] basketball team—what a lovely bunch of women who made me feel very welcome. I even managed to dunk that ball into the hoop twice. Well, once into the opposition’s hoop, it still counts as one in my book. I did wonder why there weren’t any mad arm gestures in front of me. As mentioned, I have opted out of group activities until we come back from Auckland and the Squires immune system is in a better state. I have a team t-shirt arriving soon to keep me motivated and focused and working on my fitness. Watch out, girls, I will be rearing to go on my return.

Joining in with Su from Zimmerbitch – The Changing Seasons – April 2021

Published by Suzanne

Travel and Life Musings from New Zealand and Beyond. . . . . . .

36 thoughts on “What’s been happening? – April 2021”

    1. Thanks and yes agreed, we do need to see how life is for many who have fallen through the gap and to make housing accessible for everyone. If that is at all possible.

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  3. Walking basketball! That sounds like fun. I used to coach my son’s team, and miss not having a hoop and someone to shoot with.

    Sending all good wishes to you and the Squire.

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    1. It is fun and very competitive and taken seriously by the team members. I certainly felt like I had achieved a workout 🙂 One of the woman who happens to be 80, still coaches basketball with her grandchildren. She’s played representative basketball and basically hasn’t given up the sport since she started as a teenager.

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  5. Fergusson Park looks almost English and very autumnal! But I am not so keen on the rest of the photos. I hate high rise buildings. A shame you have had to give up the allotment and the sports, but understandable. I’m looking forward to seeing that t-shirt 😊

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    1. Many of our parks are very English/Scottish especially the more established ones. I was wondering when someone would mention the other photos 😊 my intention was to give you all a view from the not so pretty side of our city and the homelessness which for me is becoming more apparent here in NZ. In my opinion, it’s only been the last 10 years that it’s become a social problem that hasn’t been rectified.

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        1. She is just one person and has no magical powers, that I know of, yet 🙂 Our house prices are so out of balance it is scary for those still with a mortgage and house hunting. So, pleased to off that treadmill! Our child poverty is another story. We aren’t immune to life’s hardships and unfortunately we are now catching up with the rest of the world.

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          1. My son who lives in Brisbane with a Kiwi wife turned down a job opportunity in Auckland because he says that the salaries are much lower than in Australia and the house prices are higher so for now they are better off where they are. They would like to move to NZ at some stage, but not yet.

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      2. So Tauranga is suffering the same fate as Auckland. Poverty and homelessness have become such huge, horrible problems even in small towns. I got talking to a lovely young man in Cambridge recently about his journey into homelessness. It’s heartbreaking to see your young in such desperate straits and so grateful for whatever help we give them.

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        1. With the average house price now sitting around 900 thousand, yes, it’s getting ridiculously expensive. Tauranga is feeding on itself, without housing where is the job market? Entrepreneurship and retirees from Auckland 🙂

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        2. Oh yes, the homeless have such complex needs, it is hard to know where to start. I would say most kids are safer on the streets than with their families/whanau. The problems were hidden deeply in the family years ago, with the family structure not so tight the problems are a community concern.

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  9. Good on you for joining that team Suzanne. I can understand your wariness at the social aspects though and I wish you all the very best, and to the squire too. Take good care of yourself. xx

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  10. Pingback: The Changing Seasons, April 2021 | Zimmerbitch

  11. You have changed my image of Auckland. I know you have a difficult road ahead so sending you courage for the journey. The weather has been strange here too. We have just had the driest and frostiest April on record.

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    1. Nothing stranger than folk and the weather, so they say. The photos were a different side to Tauranga.
      I hope your Spring weather warms up sooner than later.

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