Dylan's 9th Birthday

It's not every day you celebrate the last of your single digit birthdays. So Dyl splurged out with two parties on his actual birthday it was presents in the morning followed by cake at school.

Transformers and Ben Ten were big this year.

There's never enough and some hard decisions to decide who gets the bigger piece.

On the next Saturday though it was time for his actual Birthday party, this year it was a Defence Force theme. So the following pictures will explain the day away. Enjoy because Dylan and his mates sure did.

Dad doing some fine carving for Dyl's cake, Jodie and Em decorated it.

We started off with a tour of VOEA PANGAI that was once the Navy base rugby team woke up and moved on from their air conditioned recovery. Sorry!!!!

No part of the ship was missed!

We all piled onto Satisfaction for some tandem Tubing!

The action shot of the day, Blaze and Lala going down.

On the way back in the boys fell off the tube like rats from a sinking ship and had to make their own way back to the dock.

Once that was complete we loaded up the battle truck Tongan style and headed uta (bush) for some serious Army games, BB guns and all!

Sal gave the safety brief. "Don't get lost in the tall grass and remember there ain't no snakes in Tonga boys!"

First up was Kokoda, Lyndon and Sal supervised from the roof of the truck not that we could see them to often.

Next was capture the flag of course Ozzy versus Kiwi! Also in a different terrain, not so much grass so the supervisors stood more of a chance.

Lala making his move as Sal supervises, beer and all.

The Kiwi's went down 2 nil I'm glad to say.

When we got home Jodie said they all stunk Dad's included so it was out to the pool for a fresh water swim.

Jodie and Em's master piece.

Crazy kids after a long day.

The Q tribe with HMAS DYLAN 09.

Dylan done and dusted for another year!!!

Lyndon Returns to Island Life

With only one weekend left before Lyndon returned the family headed out to Pangai for the day. After a mixed day of sun and rain , true cyclone season weather and after a relaxing day with the usual crowd it was time for the return trip. We had a cruise boat in the harbour and Mark took us for a spin around it before heading home. We all agreed we are luckier living on a tropical island 24/7.

"Cruise ship diaries" comes to TONGA.

During the rain we all moved inside to enjoy our dry burgers.

Even in the rain Em is still the little artist.

That Thursday Lyndon arrived home from Australia and the kids stayed up and helped unpack until they found their presents and then left everything else on the floor for mum and dad to deal with. That Friday night we were invited around to Lola's to see her new monster house and enjoy some home made tucker. The next morning Dyl and Lyndon headed off to the markets to pick up some cray fish for Jodie's seafood welcome dinner for the new neighbours Mal and Karen. Dinner went down a treat and then we all moved down to the pool table for the usual drinks and entertainment.

Lola used to be able to touch every corner of her kitchen from one spot now she is in heaven.

Dyl getting friendly with dinner. $70 TOP ($40 Aust) for six cray's can't complain. No one would listen anyway!!!!

Lyndon's Oz visit for VOEA SAVEA's LEP - Townsville

Lyndon took off to Oz for a month to finish off some work on the last of the Tongan Patrol boats. I arrived after safe in Townsville after an enjoyable 13hr flying time. Luckly I was put up in the Quest appartments near the centre of town. Our boat was conducting refit at Ross Haven Marina, a 6mth refit and due to return home in March. During my time in town I squeezed in the floods from Brisbane (which stopped food deliveries north due to flooded roads) then we had our own heavy rainfall which again flooded the place, followed by Cyclone Anthony to the south then Cyclone Yasi a lot closer to the north. Nothing like living in cyclone alley and I thought we coped it bad out on the Island. It was good to eat out and hit the shops although most of it was under directions from Jodie to restock for our next two years in Tonga. As this may be our last visit to Oz in a while.

The first view of SAVEA ready to hit the water in 8 weeks???

The bridge at week 6.

The steering gear room with a few extra windows.

The lattest in propulsion mod's! Can you see the legs hanging out of the boat? The fitters cut a hole in the bottom for easier access.

A quick and very wet visit to see the old house and Chris. Such a green thumb until you get close and notiuce the weeds. But your doing a stella job Chris, keep it up.

Chris and his favourite toy. His little brothers truck.

No trip would be complete without an unannounced visit to the Cross tribe and how the kids have shot up.

Nothing but Blue skies????????

On my second last day Soupy turned up to meet his boat INDEPENDANCE from FSM which is to be the last vessel to enter the LEP program. Quiet proud of his boat and team.

The trouble makers on my last day with the Tongan trouble maker behind us. Looks very similar to the first day I arrived but they told me it will be ready on time?

My last night in town was Soupy's first as he arrived the night before but was falling asleep in his beer. I was no better and he and Sam nearly had to pour me onto the plane at 0500 that morning after very little sleep. The joys of catchin up with friends. We where both saying over many beers that night that we thinking Jodie and Nic are very lucky we didn't end up on the same Island??

Lyndon bunkers down for Cyclone YASI (Cat 5)

After two lots of floods and Cyclone Anthony (Cat3) to the south of us (Mackey) why not have another cyclone during my last week. I was ready in some ways I'd been trying my hardest to gather tinned foods and assorted goodies for Jodie back home in TONGA. And if needed I was prepared to eat them too but due to all the recent natural disasters the shelves looked like back home - Empty!!! The main difference was I didn't have to check used by dates on what little was available. I was one of the very lucky ones and only lost power for a little more than 24hrs. Can't say the same for the rest of town some still had no power when I left a week later.

People did what they could, some more than others.

Hard to pick an eye when they come in this big!!

The view from my room 3hrs before the eye crossed the coast. Sadly there is no sound in a picture but there was plenty on the night. Our hotel was the only one not evacuated but 2/3 of the 20 odd people remaining where defence anyway. I lucked out and awoke to soggy carpet in my lounge.

We were lucky and she crossed after high tide but the following morning brought the storm surge. All streets around the hotel went under.

The dockyard where our boat is being refited was very lucky and had only one trawler fall over and the storm tide did cover the entire yard but not as bad as originally thought. Thankfully.

A walk along the Strand 2 days later showed the real story of the storm surge. I walked this the day before YASI and this was waste height and had vegetation behind it. Could be a while till she all recovers.

Once the roads from down south opened the Energex crews moved in, to restore power. They took over the hotel next to ours and sadly they also took over the only Pub and two restaurants that were open too. It was a long wait for dinner and a beer that night.

PS Our house and Bro Chris fared well in YASI and the mighty shed and pergola erected by Lyndon, still stand!! How happy is he?

Staying at Aunty Elwyns at Mairangi Bay

Lyndon's Aunty Elwyn lives on the other side of the Auckland Harbour Bridge and that's where we headed after Nada's house. We had 4 nights there (1 extra due to our plane to Tonga being cancelled because of Cyclone Wilma) and enjoyed a lovely dinner out on the first and last night of our stay. Elwyn has a beautiful home with views out over the Bay, and it was close to the beach so we went for a nice scenic walk around the cliff tops and the kids played on the beach.

Dinner out on the first night.

The view from my window at Elwyn's.

The bay at low tide.


The view from the cliff top walk.

Elwyn spent alot of time playing tour guide for us, taking us to Snow Planet, shopping at Westfield and over to Devonport for the afternoon. Whilst we were there we walked around North Head, an old military establishment built in and under the hill to shoot at the enemy in war time. We saw the NZ Navy Base and paid a visit to the Devonport Chocolate shop for some handcrafted chocolate yummies. At night time with the kids tucked away in bed, Elwyn and I sat up till midnight watching the Australian Open Tennis, drinking great wine and having a good old chat.

At the top of North Head looking back into the city with Skytower in the distance.

Dylan and Emily playing King and Queen of the castle on the trunk of a huge tree which had been cut down, Rangitoto Is in the background

Dylan and the guns

Emily and Dylan on one of the many huge cannons around the hill.

Staying at Nada's in St Hilliers

We met Nada and Morten and their kids, Felix, Ines and Lukas in Tonga at the beginning of last year. They are from France and are teaching at the University in Tonga. Each year they go back to NZ for 3 months and this year the timing was right for us to visit and stay with them. So after we checked out to Skycity, we checked into their place for the next six nights. The weather wasn't the best during this time however we made the most of it with daily visits to the beach and playground, which was only 100m from their house. We also went to the local library and had a few small day trips around the area.

The point at St Hilliers, at low tide the kids wandered around the cliffs exploring.

The beach and playground at St Hilliers

Dylan with Rangitoto Island in the background.

Lots of sand castle building during the week with Felix, Ines and Emily.

Emily and Lukas

Other activities during the week included a trip to Parnell Park, the local swimming pool and water playground and a treat for mum - the Minus 5 Bar in the city. This is a vodka bar totally made of ice and kept at a constant -5 degrees. We were only in there for 15 mins but that was long enough, the kids got a mocktail and I had a vodka cocktail in glasses made of ice. Every month they change the ice sculptures and the kids loved them. This time there was a statue of Michael Jackson and this emu that the kids climbed all over.

Parnell Water Park

Emu ride time.

Drinkie time.