I am tired, not having slept well about 50% of the time over the last couple of weeks. This has been further complicated by the work I have been undertaking inland from Paengaroa, having been working there on and off since April.This work finished this last week and I am feeling like I am more than ready for a few weeks at home. Must say it has been an incredible winter with regards to the rainfall and the ability for my outside job not to get shut down. After many many days in the Bay of Plenty sun I have pronounced sock tan lines. A couple of weekends back, one lady asked where I had been on holiday.
What can I tell you? – there is at least one Peugeot in Paengaroa, a 405 that appears to be in excellent condition. Others were spotted but I am unsure if they belonged there or were simply passing through on the state highway.There is a disparately high number of utes, though I think that is common in small town NZ, and the population is made up of a league of nations, fruit pickers from all of the Pacific islands being common, at least at the time of the year I was present. I can also highly recommend “The Trading Post”, a great restaurant with an excellent Crispy Duck Salad amongst many other fantastic meals on the menu, with dishes going on and off the menu once or twice a week. Favourites of mine also included what is the best seafood broth three of us agreed we had ever tasted – and I also was very keen on the crème brulee. The restaurant is so popular that people travel from throughout the BOP and it isn’t unusual for Paul (the owner) to turn away 25 to 40 people on Friday and Saturday nights. If in the area, I highly recommend it, but make sure you book! Tuesdays to Saturdays opening only.
Whilst I have been away, Don has had some serious play, getting to test drive, compliments of Sime Darby, the new 308 GT and 308 GTI – the diesel and petrol hot rods in the Peugeot garage. I was fortunate enough that Don brought the GTI around for me to get a gander at it and a brief urban test drive. All I can say is that I have never driven a car that performs like that, – and that was before Don shifted it into Dynamic Mode that lets loose all of the car’s power. It is a beautiful machine; practical with its 4 doors, comfortable and runs like a skinny hogget. You simply are not going to catch it. I do wonder if the law enforcement agencies – or possibly the manufacturers of speed cameras – helped fund its development. I have never driven a car that is so focused on performance that it can only be designed to lose your license in it! The car is effortless in reaching the speed limit, and I found that if I did make an effort the car accelerated quicker than I could change the gears, something I have never had the difficulty of doing before. I am sure given ownership, or simply just enough time, it could be mastered.
We are rapidly approaching the Bastille Day dinner (after I have written this – prior to you reading it), I look forward to having seen some of you there. Then comes our AGM at the Sime Darby quarters in Mt Wellington- Penrose. I encourage as many of you as possible to make it. Without numbers at the AGM the club ceases to exist. Some new blood in the Committee wouldn’t go out of place either.
Brent.