Weekend Escape: Gisborne Getaway

After a tiring week at work we decided it would be nice to spend the weekend on the East Cape with Dora's cousin Nic, his wife Jo and their children Jasper and Freddy*.

                                                                                                        We shot straight to the airport from work, boarding a toy plane for a flight up to Gisborne. Only hours before our arrival the city had been written off as a tsunami-devastated wasteland by international media. However, we found that they'd exaggerated somewhat - Nic hadn't let the 7.1 earthquake interrupt his morning shower.

I headed out for a morning run, taking in sand dunes, hills and a soft sandy beach before I realised my ambition exceeded my fitness levels. We breakfasted in the sunshine and played a variety of games with the kids (2.5yrs and 8 months), such as 'hide the (toy) lawnmower with Jasper' and 'stop Freddy eating leaves'. A picnic on the beach beckoned us all for lunch, where Nic taught me 'Kubb', a Scandinavian stick-throwing game. In return, I taught Nic how poor my hand-eye coordination was. Dora and Jo diplomatically called a draw in their game [so we could spend more time cuddling Freddy! - Dora].

Dora and I walked back along the coastline, taking in the surf, surfers and scenery. It was surprisingly warm in sun, which we enjoyed into the evening on Nic and Jo's new front deck. Whilst building towers out of blocks for Freddy to knock down and admiring Jasper's tool kit and workbench.

That evening we watched 'Boy', an iconic kiwi film that uses dark humour to convey the difficulty of life in some parts of the East Cape. 

  

On Sunday we awoke to Nic blowing up an inflatable kayak. Dora was taken on a tour of the garden and chickens by Jasper and we visited the idyllic Wainui Beach School, where Nic and Jo teach. Nic, Jasper, Dora and I then headed up a nearby creek in the aforementioned vessel, found a sword embedded in a stone in a field, a long-dead cow and lots of mud, and returned home. Bacon-and-egg pie, then a pleasant afternoon stroll up to a farm, with goats Nancy and Charlie whom Freddy was very excited about. After dinner we screened 'In the Loop', an iconic British film that uses dark humour to convey the ludicrous incompetence of  the political decision-making process.

Jasper susses the surf

The next morning, back to work via an early flight. Thank you caffeine, but an even bigger thank you to Nic and Jo for being as good at hosting as they are at parenting (i.e. incredible). We wish we had a photo of us all, but we were having too much fun!

Next week we'll tell you about our football socials and a cycle around the Rimutakas. The week after that you'll be treated to Weekend Escape 2: Whisked to Windwhistle. 

*this laissez faire statement is purely for literary effect - our weekends are actually worryingly well planned out from now until late April 2017 (no joke)