Visiting Portishead

I thought we had too many photos yesterday so didn't put this one in. This is for all you ruralites in NZ - who have lots of pairs of gumboots outside your back door. Don't you wish they were yours? They actually are china and one was a bit broken but they look quite classy anyway. I can just imagine them in my sisters farm in Eketehuna.

Anyway, today we got up very late - had a leisurely breakfast in the sun and went to Portishead - not a long drive if you know how to find it and follow the map!! Quite a long drive otherwise. Before that I was filling our brand new thermos for a cuppa during the day and it exploded. I was really pleased that I didn't get any in my eye. We will take it back tomorrow as it must have been faulty as I filled it with warm water first. We decided to go for a walk and met a really nice couple who were staying for the weekend with their daughter. Their daughter had gone out, and when they returned after walking the dog they found they had been locked out. So, they drove the car down to the beach for a walk. They recognised we were New Zealanders by the way we said 'yes' - apparently they think we say 'yeeeees'. I am not convinced. Anyway Joan and Geoff are there names and we continued our walk with them along the hill and through the bush. She kept saying she didn't know what she would have done if she had put the roast on before walking the dog - a very overdone NZ lamb would have been the result. They had lots of interesting stories and have been to NZ three times. They seem to have been through most of the country and can't speak highly enough of it. They like other Britons asked why we were here when we had such a beautiful country. They gave us there address and told us to look them up when we are in Devon which won't be too far away I imagine. Anyway, Portishead was quite pretty on the sea (mud and a few little cliffs). There was no wind and rhododendrons growing right be the sea. There were a number of new residential complexes being built around the marina and the lock. The radio controlled yachts racing in the lake was quite fun to watch - there was one man who looked as though he won most of the time (he is the one with the red shirt and white hat - but I now noticed there are two wearing the same shirt and hat). Joan pointed us out the birds nests under the eaves and we saw little birds going in and out. They are made of mud and twigs I suppose. She originally thought they were swallows (little birds the size of sparrows but black and white) but then decided they were something else but we can't remember there name. I would imagine that most homeowners wouldn't be pleased to have them nest in their homes. The wetlands are apparently home to a number of migratory birds from Russia. Geoff said that there has been talk of putting a dam across the Severn to harness the tidal waters for electricity. It seemed like a huge construction project, one which in NZ would probably never get resource consent.

We are so enjoying NZ export quality pears here - far better than the ones we could buy at home.