Holiday far away, to stay, on a holiday, far away. Let's go today (Weezer)

Huka Falls and boating on the river by Te Rangiita

Wie geht's?

Jacky and I have just returned from our brief trip away from Maple Grove (huge thanks to my school for shouting us a two night stay at the Millennium hotel in Lake Taupo). 

We returned to a few familiar Taupo haunts and recharged for a couple of days.

Taupo (pronounced Toe-paw) has been a holiday destination for me and my family, off and on, for many years. My earliest memories are of motel stays on the way to the Chateau Tongariro but then for 4 or 5 years dad took us to his work colleague's place in Te Rangiita - a little settlement on the way to Turangi.

My parents then bought a section and built 'The Taupo house' close to Rainbow point on the fringes of the Taupo township.

Our children know this place well - we had many holidays there as they were growing up.

Rituals like Rainbow Point Store ice creams, the Lions' Walk, trips to the video store in town, the swings and mini-golf, cricket in the front yard, and visits to Huka Falls and Craters Of The Moon were part of our holidays there. As Keegan said recently - Taupo: The Greatest Hits!

Each time I'm visiting Lake Taupo I get flashbacks to events of the past.

As we drove to Huka Falls I remembered as a very young boy causing dad some instant angst. I have always loved puns and word play, so as we drove past a sign for the Lake Taupo Lookout I said from the back seat - Lake Taupo LOOKOUT!!! (shouting this last bit).

Oh Boy, did I get a scalding for that one.

Te Rangiita era - GNP. Photo by me.

Funnily enough a lot of my memories are from the Te Rangiita stays at the Jackman's house from when I was about 10 to 15. A beautiful spot and carefree days spent fishing, reading, mucking around in boats.

Sounds like a retirement plan right there! 

Love and peace - Wozza

I pawned my watch, I paid my debts and I crossed the Rubicon (Bob Dylan)

Photo by Aimee Burrows on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

Thought for this one I'd revisit some of my poetry from long ago and far away. 

Three at random, over the next three posts, and the link between the natural world and my inner world is very obvious.

Here's the first one from around 30 years ago:

1. Mist

There's a mist on the lake - night isn't too

far away.

Faces of the past come to mind

as if the mist has called them.

 

They were maybe always there -

in the rarified air.

Lake Taupo lies somewhere beyond the mist -

keeping its secrets.

 

It's been a cold day - lazy drizzle

As I stood on the river bank - listening

to the sound of the reeds on the rushing

water and my line

making darts in

and out of the

currents - in the

shallows and 

in the ripples.

 

Coldest part 

of the country

apparently - as

I stood under the shelter of the blackberry

bush and let the rain

come down 

 

back to the river,

 

back to the faces.

 

 

Love and peace - Wozza