Hope all is well at KMCC.  I viewed all the pics from Colin’s farewell, looked very convivial. Wish I could have been there.

We are heading south in WA and spending a few days in Geraldton about 400kms north of Perth on the coast. It’s the first town for a couple of months in our travels big enough (35,000) to have a croquet lawn.

Played two games of GC starting at 5pm while still about 24C and sunny. They have three lawns in the middle of town. The surface is a little uneven and spongy; the balls bounce easily when hit unevenly.  

It’s impossible to get practice time when you are a visitor. I don’t like to ask, It would be anti-social. You are too busy being introduced and answering questions, so my first hit, with a borrowed mallet, was hoop 1. To Colin’s and others credit from KMCC, my training put my teams ahead 7-3 and 7-4 and I scored more than my fair share of the hoops.

I’m back soon. We managed a room in MIQ in the first lottery. I’m told 30,000 kiwis applied; 3000 rooms and 5000 people got in. We were very lucky, so we expected to win the local $30 million lottery, but no. We fly back 18th October then MIQ for two weeks, we will ask for Huka Lodge or Wharekauhau.  

I’ll start bottom on the ladder. - again! 

Article added: Thursday 30 September 2021