Waikari-Hawarden Garden Club Trip

12 February 2018


I have noted before that Waikari has been a tough nut for me to crack socially. It's not a town, so there is really no gathering place where one might see people regularly, other than the pool in Hawarden and church, which are exactly the places I have been going and where I have met a few people. It always takes a while to break into a place, and it took the full 6 weeks here.

Last week I was included in a book club by some ladies I met at the pool. It was so nice. Sarah was the hostess and I joined Nicky from Amberley (she lived in Hawarden for many years), Laurel (from South Africa but now in Hawarden), and Kate from Hawarden. The group operates a little different from my running book group in Colorado. This time, their first meeting of 2018, everyone just brought the book they had been reading. Other times the group might pick a theme, like biography or Maori, and readers choose what that theme means to them in terms of the read. They described another month where a member had picked up a heap of books from one author at a second-hand store so everyone read a different book by that author. Clever.

Monday 12 February, I was invited along on a Garden Club trip to 4 gardens. One was a professional garden in a historic home and museum complex, the other three were personal gardens. It was a really nice day, but warm! By the third garden, everyone was looking for a seat in the shade! I really enjoyed being out for coffee and a sweet with these nice ladies and I thank Jean Malby from church for including me.

Original pottery works at Homebush, the Deans family homestead in New Zealand. Deans is a founding NZ family. 

The museum has all sorts of collections, all beautifully displayed and clean!

Pond in Homebush grounds

Waikari-Hawarden Garden Club members

Part of the garden an Homebush included beautiful forest with Gian Sequoia.
This arbor is used for weddings.

The original Homebush home place was destroyed in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and a new home has been built.
A great-grandchild of the Deans lives here with his family.

Drawing of the original Homebush home place.