Thursday 6th November. So Obama is to be President of the USA. Maybe things will start to get better now but the Stock Market still continues to fall as does the £ against the OZ and NZ dollar. Should have bought more last week when I was getting a much better rate. Ah well - who cares when you are on your hols!! Richard and Marcia take us on a drive around the Warkworth area taking in all the bays abd beaches. This whole country is a continuous series of spectacular views. We stop for lunch at a nice cafe - not your MacDonalds - allvery nice and very reasonably priced washed down with a SauvignonBlanc. Get back to the house for a cup of afternoon tea - very English - and then R and I go to a meeting of "The Grumpies". It would seem that all the Old Farts of the Sand Spit area have come to an arrangement with the local Pizza Shop - run by a pair of sisters - that encourages them to meet there on Thursday evenings for a few "Sundowners" So far as I can gather they have done a deal that gets them their drinks at a discount plus the odd Pizza is provided free as a nibble. They are from all walks of life - many of them Poms some of whom have been in NZ most of their working life - and, if you need anything done, first go to the Grumpies who will put you right. Met lots of interesting guys one of whom had been at the Melbourne Cup and had won NZ$29,000. Yes -twenty nine thousand dollars. BBQ for supper.