A Visit to Torbay

Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 10:32 pm

After arriving back at the hotel we freshen up and pickup the car from the concierge.

Then off we go to Torbay to visit my stepfather Derek. He has recently moved from Glen Innes to Torbay, much to everyone’s relief. It took a bit of organizing as he and Gwen had lived in the old place for a great many years.

So we head over the Auckland Harbour Bridge and onto the Northern Motorway. Of course we don’t have a map that goes out as far as Torbay so it will be a matter of winging it. Never mind I tell Val there will be plenty of signs. Ha, they don’t mention suburbs on the turnoffs only street names and as we had know idea of what the street names were to go to Torbay we were a little perplexed.

We do have a general idea of where to go and sure enough we find the main street after turning off at the suburb before. A few inquiries at the Gas Station and we are heading towards Derek’s street.

There is a pleasant surprise when we arrive as Gavin, my brother and his son Hayden, whom we haven’t seen since he was a toddler, are both visiting as well.

Later in the evening Derek phones my sister Laura and we head over to her place, which is quite near Derek’s.

Laura sells real estate for a living. Her eldest son Broden came to stay with me in Canberra a couple of years ago and he is thinking of going to work in the mines in Perth. Her other sons, Vaughan and Devon are still at school and are both really nice kids.

Broden has to bend down to fit in the picture as he is around 6′ 7″. Even bending down he towers over me.