Andrew Dubber     

The birthday boy

It was Dad’s 6Xth birthday, so we all went to my sister Lee’s place for a barbecue birthday dinner last night. And we’re not talking your coals under wire mesh disposable Tescos BBQ kind of thing. This was the kind of barbecue of serious barbecuers.

Birthday New Zealand style

I hadn’t been out to Lee and Mark’s place before – a lifestyle block, complete with sheep, out in Flat Bush. It’s a huge four-bedroom home with a two-bedroom flat off to one side. Really lovely place with huge living areas, a deck overlooking a whole bunch of land — much of which is in no danger of redevelopment (apparently it’s a bit prone to subsidence).

House nearly in the country

Lee has two sons, Aaron and Lucas, and her partner Mark has two daughters, Anna and Kate, who often visit and stay — hence the high-capacity living arrangements.

There’s room to run around, play games, shoot water pistols and detonate smoke bombs — or just chill out, play on the X-Box or have a round of the new Monopoly, which apparently uses credit cards and handheld Chip-and-Pin/EFTPOS machines instead of the rather antiquated notion of paper money. You can’t buy Park Lane anymore, but Canary Wharf is up for grabs for just a few million.

The next generation organise dessert

I hadn’t met Mark’s kids before. Couple of really smart girls. Anna, the oldest, is about to start university – studying Music, and possibly History or English Lit. Kate’s determined to be a journalist. They got on really well with the boys, and Jake managed to fit right in as well, which was cool.

Mark’s a musician, so we always have something to talk about, and although he likes The Eagles, he redeems himself by liking Steely Dan as well. Sadly, his ProTools setup was all packed away, so I didn’t get a chance to be nosey in that regard, but I did have a look at his high-spec PowerMac, of which I approved wholeheartedly.

Lee bought Dad a new chair for the office / sewing room to replace the broken-backed swivel chair they’ve been putting up with for a while now, and Jake and I contributed the golf-themed gifts. Mum bought him an electric knife for the homemade bread he creates on a daily basis.

The escapee

We sang Happy Birthday, rescued a sheep who’d managed to force its way through a gap in the fence (how’s that for getting in on the lifestyle?), drank great NZ wine, ate giant mushrooms (the steak of the vegetarian barbecue world), and finished with a chocolate truffle arrangement from Devonport Chocolates, which served as birthday cake.

A really nice evening, after which I won’t have to eat for the rest of the weekend.

Having a wonderful time, wish you were here…

Tagged: New Zealand, Personal, Travel