SWMBO loves these opportunities for another explanation about what goes on in the background while managing a busy motel. I hope I can do the story justice… First, a few fishy photos from the Breakfast Pool and an inmate’s email:
Hi Ross,
Thanks for arranging things with Mike – he was great! Aidan had a great time and his casting was coming along nicely.
A few pics from yesterday – permission granted from Aidan to use them if you want to š
Thanks again for another great stay!
Angela.
Our weekend was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
One exhausted French inmate, who had spent two weeks biking here from Auckland, arrived without a booking on Thursday requesting urgent (free?) medical attention. We were concerned he was having a heart attack and drove him to the local Medical Centre three times but they advised he needed to be in a real hospital. On Friday we drove him (50 km each way) up to Taupo. Late on Friday evening we had to return to bring him back (meter was still running up to 200 km). On Saturday he discovered his cell phone was still at the hospital so SWMBO made up an excuse to go shopping (km meter up to 300 km) in Taupo.
He has extended his stay as he is still slowly dying in bed here, (malingering ?) and requesting more TRM special treatment… I tried to explain to him his pleas and protracted departure (?) had no effect as SWMBO and the rest of NZ was still recovering from another recent French disaster when Barnes refereed the All Blacks’ loss to France in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final. But I digress…
Back to Saturday morning, I had promised to guide with casting instructions to introduce Aidan on the Tongariro River, for his first attempt at fly fishing. TRM fitted him with waders (left behind by Kirsten last week!) and a lucky hat to make sure he hooked something.
The only problem was – with SWMBO missing in Taupo – I was confined to official duties aka laundry assistant. Panic!
Meanwhile, in another unit, we have a Canadian inmate here for two months, Mike Pratt, who is back again to terrorise the Tongariro trout. So I offered Mike this wonderful opportunity to show off his skills and enhance his CV by guiding him with casting instructions for a novice on the Tongariro. He generously accepted his new commission so TRM’s reputation was saved.
Angela and her family have been staying at TRM long before SWMBO, at least 30 years, so we could not let them down due to one supposedly ill Froggie.
Congratulations to Aidan who easily switched into 10 to 2 casting to land and release one Rainbow trout as it was a whisker under 35 cm. We explained it is traditional to release your first trout on the Tongariro.
In the meantime, two more delightful French bikers, real bike packers, who have biked around the world for many years, arrived with their sad message. They could not afford to pay either. The story of their travels was so entertaining we let them in. But we haven’t forgiven them for 2007 yet…
Photo below of French bikers, Isabelle & Bruno Frebour, about to leave for New Plymouth via Wanganui.
As we explained to Faye, (who had commented on a yarn about another French lady we had previously posted enjoying her shower in the wilderness – see photo below) life is never dull at TRM…
