Ups and Downs of Life

THUMBS UP

TO: Feijoas and the fact you never have to buy them at this time of year because everyone is giving them away. There may be no scientific proof to fruit tasting better when it’s free, but it does.

TO: Who knew finding painted rocks and rehiding them around Taranaki could be so much fun. Even better Tarankai Rocks keeps kid’s noses out of their smart phones and gets them into the fresh air of the real world.

TO: It’s getting darker earlier these days and while we are no fans of the cold we’ll take any excuse to get to bed early with a good book. Also, the kids go to sleep much easier when the sun isn’t shining outside.

TO: The eels of Huatoki Plaza. Their number and star power seem to be growing day by day. We are only half joking when we say they just could be one of New Plymouth’s best tourist attractions of recent years.

THUMBS DOWN

TO: Feijoas. It’s not often a fruit is both good and bad but abundance has its downsides. Who else has had enough of feijoa chutney, feijoa crumble, sorbet, jam, cake and loaf? We hadn’t and then, suddenly, we had.

TO: Cat shooters. Last week it was Gus. This week it’s Panda. Like we said before, whoever is doing it is an ignorant mongrel and should really start hoping nobody knows who they are.

TO: The prevalence of poor parking on lower Carrington St in New Plymouth. Close up the gaps people. You don’t need two metres in front or behind unless you’re driving a tank. Which you’re not.

TO: The vandalism of the mini Wind Wands at East End in New Plymouth. It was always going to be a big ask for these to be left alone by wandering vandals but there was hope they might just escape unscathed and so prove the city could have nice stuff now and then. Looks like we can’t.