Making hay while the sun shined
Two days of brilliant sunshine helped people make the most of the last weekend before the work year begins in earnest.
Beaches around Taranaki were full as people enjoyed this week’s hot days and clear skies.
Today may bring a few showers but the sun is back tomorrow and Wednesday, with a few showers returning on Thursday and Friday, according to Metservice.
Grant Penney’s last day of his Christmas break included a spot of fishing, time in his Omata garden and sharing a few beers with friends.
Penney, who works for an oil company, went off Port Taranaki in a boat with friends on Saturday morning.
‘‘It was pretty successful. We caught some tuna and some snapper,’’ he said.
‘‘I normally like to spend the last day doing not much at all, finish off any jobs I’ve got to do, then I can spend the day chilling out.
‘‘You don’t want to be running around like an idiot on the last day of a holiday. The whole idea is to take it easy.’’
Petroleum engineer Dave Rawlence, of New Plymouth, who has been working through the break apart from the statutory holidays, is looking forward to his favourite coffee shop reopening today.
‘‘The office was a fairly relaxed place over the holidays but it will all start again with the meetings.’’
Asked for his tips for easing back into work, he said: ‘‘Coffee. Our local coffee shop has been closed over the whole break. Once Escape opens up again, I’ll be happier.’’
He spent Saturday at the New Plymouth Yacht Club and sailing in a race around the Sugar Loaves in his laser yacht.
‘‘I was last but I’m usually last, and it was a good sail with a bit of swell, not too choppy.’’
The beach was the place over the weekend for Megan Thomas of New Plymouth, who heads back to her work at the Van Dyck pancake factory today. ‘‘I’ve just spent the last couple of hours at Back Beach with my partner and my dog,’’ she said yesterday.
‘‘I’ve had a good long break.’’ She and partner Wayne Jacobsen, who has worked through the break, had several good weekends planned that would keep the holiday feeling going a bit longer.
The start of 2019 has been much gentler than 2018, where the first few days of January saw widespread flooding, high winds and flights cancelled across much of the country.