“The Future” in this aspect is comprised of what the next plans are for coming days of travel and adventure which means much time spent on computers booking transportation, motel and activities. I have wonderful guides and collaborators in Johanna, Michael and Lynn who helped me in the morning figure out all the logistics and now I’m set for a northward adventure starting Wednesday. That trip will include the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and a 3-hour ‘swim with dolphins’ along with visiting Paihia and Russell. But “The Future” also gets complicated because I have one confirmed school visit for Tuesday (tomorrow) at Balmoral school in Auckland and a possible visit to another school next week. I think we got all the bugs worked out!

Our visit to town (Oneroa Village) today started with tea at The Red Cross tea room. For $1.50 you can get a cup of tea and two biscuits served by volunteers who have likely worked in the tea room since the 1960s. It is a step back in time! Also for $5 you can become a member of The New Zealand Red Cross to support their efforts which includes refugee support and more local endeavors. The tea room also includes a small library which J&M helped organize a few years ago. The building also contains the local clinic for any emergencies or ills.

After tea we meandered through the small commercial area of Oneroa. Our first store is where I bought mosquito netting to hang over my bed and also one for J&M. Without the netting, each morning has been an examination of the many red dots that appear on face and hands. Michael’s taken to calling me Typhoid Mary and I’ve suggested we get a sharpie and play connect the dots. This is all a bit of exaggeration since there are really only about three dots. Luckily I don’t have a reaction to the bites but Johanna does. The netting will help a lot.

Michael headed back to our house with grocery purchases and Johanna and I continued for a beach walk and a visit to the local, new beautiful library. The library has a fun sculpture in front of a shell made completely out of…flip flops! The building has a lot of glass and native wood and is designed for natural cooling by sea breezes. Besides the library, this complex of buildings contains the local cinema with couches for seats, a community art gallery and a music museum and performance venue. Lastly, the old phone booths are all refitted as free WiFi spots. That’s recycling!

It was actually quite hot today, somewhere between 85-90F. Johanna and I walked back home but left soon after to walk to the local marae (a sacred area of the local Maori tribe). Usually you’re not allowed to enter without invitation but Lynn said that it was okay, Johanna was hesitant. We got there and it was after hours so we decided to come another time when someone is there. The entrance to the marae is decorated with a beautifully carved gate. The two side posts are called ‘po’. Where this marae is located is also a wide open beach that is a major migratory stop for many bird species.

And now the fish and chips! Lynn came over and we went into Oneroa for our feast. Good thing we got there when we did! They had been hit hard by crowds, were out of snapper (fish of choice) and they closed the kitchen after our order. We got ‘hokey’ (shark) instead and it was very good! It was served in the traditional British way: wrapped up in newspaper and then you eat it out of the paper, no forks. It was a lovely evening again. The sunset on the water was so beautiful. Oh, and don’t worry about me being held captive in the pincers of the public art sculpture!