• Gerald Sheehy with his band of secret agents.

Memories and Missions Accomplished!

Last month Bad Jelly and I decided to take three of the grandchildren (aged five, eight and 11) away for a long weekend to create some memories, have some fun, use our imaginations.

A “top secret” invitation was sent by post. It told how we would be heading off on a dangerous mission to track down the Kuaotunu Killer and asked, did they want to join us as Special Agents for three days? Out of necessity, disguises would need to be worn for the entire time. Everyone could only be addressed by their allotted code name; if their real name was used at anytime they were obliged to ignore it. Pairs of $2 shop hand cuffs, magnifying glasses and bullet proof vests were required apparel. The paper instructions were not of the self-destructing type (due to budget cuts) so agents were obliged, once they had them memorised, to cover these with peanut butter and consume them.

We set off on Sunday, heading for Coromandel Town. It was teeming down. The entire team was in character and into the fun of it. Whenever we came to a bridge, someone had to leap out in the rain to check under it for bombs. Buildings with a colour in their name (The Pink Pig, The Red Fox, The Black Barn, etc) were known hideouts of the killer's associates and everyone had to duck down to avoid being seen.  Oncoming cars with 9 as the last number on their plate were likely to be the killer redeploying his troops. And then there was the problem of the “spy cows” in the roadside paddocks, who pretended to be standing nonchalantly, disinterested in passing cars. But, we could see through them!

Arriving eventually just south of Te Kouma, about 10km from Coromandel we were turned around by flood waters (which was a clear and extreme trick of the killer's). Back towards Thames and across to Coroglen from Tapu, crossing ever deeper fjords and skirting around slips. Up to Whitianga but, 10km short of the town, again we are turned around by flood waters. So we settle, eventually, for a night in Tairua. 

At dinner that night the local policeman, Paul Johnston, spots this rabble all in disguise, and comes over to “investigate”. He is immediately enlisted by Black Shadow (aged five), as back-up for the dangerous part of our mission the next day. (Thanks Paul for joining in the fun.)

Day 2: We head off to our final destination, Kuaotunu. “There it is! On the right!", yells Little Mouse. Black Shadow loses the dagger draw and is elected to go into the store with the question, “is this the home of the Kouatunu Killer?" Turns out it is, and, we are given the thumbs up that it is safe to enter. The K.K. we find, to our amazement, is not an evil person, rather it is a 5-scoop ice cream. Phew! What a relief! Well, we'd better have one.

Everyone is very happy until Black Shadow orders his fifth scoop, boysenberry, and is told it is out of stock. He storms out, refuses all ice creams and any alternatives and sulks on the outside chairs, feeling very sorry for himself. I am thinking, having spent some weeks planning this adventure, two days travelling, several hundred dollars along the way, that this result is hilarious, so I text his mother . She comes back and suggests that I tell Black Shadow that I understand his disappointment and give him a big hug. NOT BLOODY LIKELY! (I still think she must have been joking, though I am assured she wasn’t.)

Things slowly drifted back to normal over the next few hours. A stop at Coromandel water park and a dig in the sand at Hot Water Beach seemed to gradually repair the damage done by the lack of boysenberry. Please be assured that they will never run out of that again.

Isn’t it funny how when we plan something for a long time and concentrate all our thoughts on this one purchase, all our joy at getting the right result is hugely elevated, as is the disappointment of getting it wrong. The little details we thought about are so important to the finished product. That is why we have very talented designers who will come to your home to help you make sure that your furnishing choice is all that you imagined and, at the same time, give you all the technical advice that helps make your décor last and perform better. Just give us a call to arrange for a consultant to visit your home free of charge.

Oh! Don’t forget we are into the second month of our Emma J. Shipley exhibition. Call into our Constellation Drive gallery to see her wonderful Animalia Collection.

- Gerald