Eastbourne

We took a long hike out to Pencarrow Lighthouse today. This was the first permanent iron-built lighthouse in New Zealand. The original structure was a small 2 bedroom shack where a Mr. and Mrs. Bennett kept an oil lamp lighting in the window all night. Unfortunately Mr. Bennett died and left poor Mrs. Bennett to keep the home fire burning - literally. She was the first and only female lighthouse-keeper in New Zealand and was uncermoniously kicked out of the place as soon as the newer more luxurious lighthouse was built.

Eastbourne park is fascinating, it has 2 quite large inland lakes that were created when the tital marshes were damed up by a combination of sea build up and some earthquake damage. These freshwater lakes are only a few hundred feet from the open ocean. The second photo shows the lip of the lake separating it from the ocean. The hillsides look amazingly like California. Except that the lovely yellow stuff you can see is furze bushes (gorse) - the scurge of the New Zealand countryside.

It turns out that the gorse actually has a benefit, it keeps sheep from eating the seedlings of the native bush. If left untouched the native bush seedlings will grow up among the gorse eventually starving it of light and killing it off. Here is a photo of some Manuka (tea trees) growing up through the gorse on the Eastbourne peninsula.

The last picture was taken tonight on our evening walk with Molly.

Paddy's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's day. March has been a bloody depressing month. We have both been working our asses of trying to solve world hungar, Western Imperialism and the global credit crunch. This is about enough to drive anyone to drink - and therein lies the source of our depression. We had the great idea to give up alcohol for Lent. Now wasn't Lent supposed to be 40 days, well by my count, they have slapped on another full week. So here we are, about another 17 days to go -not that we are counting or anything.

So Paddy's day came and went without a drop of the Uisce Beatha touching our lips. The Leprauchans did come and decorate the front door though.


It is time to hit you with another sunset picture. We never tire of the fabulous evenings we have on the deck sipping a glass of Kiwi Blue sparkling water.

It makes the gross kitchen wallpaper and the miserley landlady worth it all. Here is a closeup of the wallpaper. It has started to grow on me. Should I paint over it? I kind of like the scary baby on the tins.

Plimmerton Beach Walks

One of the best parts of where we live is instant access to the beach. These pictures were taken on a recent morning, walking Molly with the first cup of jo for the day. Molly had a hard time getting her best angle.

Finally we figure out how to both face in the same direction. Plimmerton village, and the Love Shack are in the background.

Molly heads for her favourite watering hole. This tastes so much better than the stuff in the toilet bowl. The seagulls are happy to share their bath water.

Molly and Fred

O'Leary Exposure

The O'Learys have complained that the blog has a distinctively Murphy slant. This following section is dedicated soley to the O'Leary family.

This is a recent photo of Fred showing off his tools beside his new "Garth" BBQ

Peg's rest home does a lot of activities to keep the residents engaged in life. Last friday they competed in a Wearable Art competition at the rest Home. Peg helped make this wonderful creation - the CD pirating Bride.

Peter performs the Heimlich maneuver on one of the nurses.

Now you understand why I limit their exposure.

Jetlag in Ireland

I decided to return to Ireland reather suddenly as my Mother had not been doing so well. The first port of many calls was Sydney. Where else do you go when you have an 8 hour layover in Sydney, but Bondi Beach. The actually have a sea water swimming pool built on the cliff in Bondi Beach. The best part is drowning, firstly there are at least 2 lifeguards for every person. And imagine being saved by a guy wearing one of those caps.

36 hours later I arrive in snowy Dublin having set foot in 4 countries. I was greeted with several inches of snow. I love the "Goodbye" as you leave Dublin Airport.

If you don't believe in the effects of global warming, look what is happening to Ross Beach. This sand spit used to be 4 miles round and stood there for hundreds of years, now the sea has left a huge gaping hole in it in only 2 months. I fully expect most of it to be eroded next time I go home. Oh did I mention that I am never going home again until they invent time travel. My butt and stomach can't take all that sitting and plane food. On a positive note, I did get to watch about 8 movies, in the end I was reduced to watching Four Christmasses - I can barely stand one Christmas.