Mr English's tandem

Mr. English has been for a visit. He came once more on his recumberent tanderem which, it may be recalled, was not unlike the machine they were a-riding four years ago.

He had balanced his wife on the back of this recumberent tanderem, but without too much difficulty I tipped her off and occupying her seat, obliged him to pedal me up Marahau Hill while I amused myself by making encouraging comments and pointing out objects of interest at the wayside.

Normally I manage the steep bit to the grey box in seven minutes but Mr. English managed it in five. It takes me a minimum of thirteen and a normal of seventeen from there to get to the summit, but Mr English managed it in eight, whereafter he was a little puffed. The whole ride, which I have once (but only once) done in one hour and twelve minutes, he did in one hour and nine. Towards the end of the ride he tried to break away, but he was unable to drop me. This may be attributed to my Youth and Superior Musculature. I considered overtaking him on the final stretch but thought it might cause him to lose control, which would be unkind.

This warmed us up to a small degree so off we went to Stephens Bay for a swim, and Mrs. English did not fully believe my warning about the stingray, so afterwards we walked to Apple Tree Bay and peeping down from above saw two of them after which she was
1. convinced and
2. nervous.
"I'll wait till we get to Auckland before I go swimming."

Next day off they went to Golden Bay, taking 1 hour 40 minutes to ascend the 791 metres of Takaka Hill, I daresay taking sips of water from time to time

After they'd had their fill or Takaka, which means to say sampling the tofu, they returned and I snuck a number of pictures of their green bicycle for the purposes of Industrial Espionage.

Then, amid the precursor to the rainstorm that placed eight inches of rain on top of New Zealand and caused one or two problems to those motoring over Takaka Hill, off they went to Auckland. Where Mrs. English went swimming. And where she didn't meet with a stingray. Rather, with a great white shark.