Sunday 1st It was a fine day. Willie and I went to Ti Point to spend the day. Jane, Mr & Mrs Jack Cruickshank & Malcolm drove down to the Goat Island beach to spend the day there.
Monday 2nd It was a fine day. Willie & I were picking fruit all day. Willie hauled it down to the wharf in the evening.
Mr & Mrs Jack C & Malcolm rode up the hill to John Greenwoods and staid the night.
Tuesday 3rd It was a fine day. Willie hauled the fruit down to the wharf. Mr & Mrs J Cruickshank & Malcolm returned from John Greenwoods in the afternoon.
Wednesday 4th It was a fine day. Willie and I were picking fruit.
Mr & Mrs J. Cruickshank & Malcolm returned home to Matakana in the afternoon.
I went down to the Steamer in the pm. Mrs Simpson, Flo & children walked over from Ti Point in the afternoon and staid the night.
Thursday 5th It was a fine day. Flo & children returned home in morning.
Willie hauled some fruit down to the wharf in the morning. Willie & I were picking Beurre Bose pears.
Friday 6th There was a heavy shower of rain after breakfast, but it cleared up. We had an early lunch and we all went down to the Steamer, Willie hauled some fruit & Mrs Simpson’s luggage.
Mrs S returned to Auckland in the “Kawau“, when we were going home it poured with rain, I took shelter in the Library & Willie got wet going home, Jane went up to Joe Wyatts and staid tea.
It rained most of the afternoon and blowing strong from SE.
Willie thought the Beurre Deil pears would all be blown off so he & I picked the big tree the far side of the orchard and put them in the passage.
Saturday 7th The spell of dry weather has now broken, it was raining all last night, and the wind blowing a gale from SE. this orchard is very much exposed and consequently the ground is strewn with apples and pears. Willie picked up a lot of Pears of all kinds that were on the ground and were not bruised and put them in the bath. It was raining and blowing most of the day, and the sea seems very rough outside.
Maggie Harper brought up two Telegrams for Willie, she reported that Revd Mackie had arrived in the district to hold service tomorrow morning
There was to have been a Cricket match in Charlie’s paddock this afternoon, but on account of the weather it did not come off.
Sunday 8th It was raining and blowing all day. Revd Mackie was to have held service this morning, but none of us stirred out.
I wrote a long letter to my sister Jane to go by first mail.
Monday 9th It was misty rain first thing in the morning, but afterwards it cleared up and in the afternoon the sun was shining. The wind also has gone down and it is very calm.
In the morning Willie picked up a lot more pears, in the afternoon I was washing them, Jane wiping them and Willie packing.
In the evening Willie went down to the village to meet the “Kawau“, but she did not come.
Tuesday 10th It was fine, but a dull day. In the morning I went down to the village to get the mail, but the “Kawau” had not been in, while I was down there the “Daphne” came in from Auckland, but she did not bring a mail, she was on her way to Mangawai and was going in and out with the same tide, in the pm Willie hauled 26 Cases Fruit and a box of Eggs down to the wharf. The “Daphne ” called back here again about 4.30 and took all the fruit and 3 passengers.
Wednesday 11th The wind has got round to the SW, there were some heavy showers during the day, but it was very fine between.
The “Kawau” arrived here from Auckland about 11.30, she then went round to Big Omaha. I went down to the P.O to get the mail.
Willie hauled 8 Cases Fruit down to the wharf in the afternoon, the “Kawau” was rather late in coming round. I was digging out convolvulus in the orchard . Alma came here from school and staid the night.
Thursday 12th It was a fine day. In the morning Willie picked 5 Cases Beurre Diel pears in the farm orchard and in the afternoon picking Vicar pears in this orchard. I was digging out convolvulus in this orchard.
After tea Alma returned home. I went to the Library & Post Office in the evening, Willie also went down to the village.
Jane went to sleep at Joe Wyatts to get up early tomorrow morning to go with Mabel to go to the Tennis Tournament at Warkworth in
J. Salt’s express.
Friday 13th It was a beautiful day. In the morning I was digging out weeds in the orchard, Willie walked down to the wharf and found that the “Kawau” had landed some empty fruit cases for him, so he carried 4 home and packed 10 Cases of pears.
In the afternoon he and I burned off the barley paddock and it burned splendidly. Later in the afternoon Willie hauled the 10 Cases of Pears down to the wharf and sent them by the “Kawau” and hauled a few cases home.
Saturday 14th It was a beautiful day. In the morning Willie was picking fruit, in the afternoon he went out fishing with Miss McKenzie & Miss Butler, he brought home a few fish.
Jane returned pretty late from the Tournament, none of the members of the Leigh club who competed pulled off any of the events.
Sunday 15th It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing in from SE.
Minnie rode over in the morning and she and Jane rode up to spend the day. In the afternoon I went to see Alex Haskell who has not been very well , afterwards I went to the Hall to service, Revd Jory (Wesleyan) officiated.
Willie staid at home all day.
Monday 16th It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing from the SE.
In the morning I burnt a heap of convolvulus & sorrel in the orchard, afterwards I dug up a strip of ground below the house that was in beans . In the afternoon I went down to the village to get the mail.
Willie was packing & picking pears all all. [sic]
Miss Butler came in the afternoon staid tea and she and Jane went down to Tennis.
Tuesday 17th St Patricks Day. I went to Auckland in the “Kawau” leaving Omaha at 9.30 am, there was a bit of a roll on until we got to Tiri after which it was very calm. The first part of the voyage gave me a shaking up and although I was not sick, I felt very bad. We arrived in Auckland about 2.30, Alan Wallace was on the wharf to meet me and we went straight across to Devonport where I received a hearty welcome from Mrs Wallace, Alan & I took a walk across Duder’s paddock down to the Narrow Neck beach, up Vauxhall road and across the Race Course.
Wednesday 18th It was a fine day. I went over to Auckland in the 9.20 boat, paid several accounts and got a few things at Smeetons and went down to the “Kawau” which was leaving for Omaha and gave the parcel to W. Frearson to take to Willie. Went up to Ponsonby in the tram and had lunch at Mrs Simpsons, did not see Fred. Called at Mrs Coplestones and returned to Devonport in the pm.
Thursday 19th When I awoke in the morning it was raining steadily, but it cleared up after wards and was a fine day. Showery in the afternoon and a heavy downpour in the evening.
In the afternoon I went over to Auckland to transact some business returned to Devonport for tea, and went back to Auckland in the evening to be present at the induction of the Revd C. A. B. Watson as vicar of St Paul.
Friday 20th There were a few showers during the day. I went over to Auckland in the morning, returning to Devonport in the afternoon.
Saturday 21st It rained all day. There were to have been some Cricket Matches, but on account of the weather they did not come off. I did not go out anywhere.
Sunday 22nd It was a fine day. In the morning I went to Trinity Church, Revd Reeve, Vicar of S Sepulchies officiated.
In the afternoon Mr Wallace, Ken, Alan & I took a walk to O’Neills Point.
In the evening Mr & Mrs Wallace & I went to Trinity Church, the Vicar, Revd T. Evershed officiated.
Monday 23rd It was a showery day. I went over to Auckland in the afternoon. We went to spend the evening at Mr Petersens and spent a very pleasant evening.
Thursday 24th It was a very showery day. Alan & I went over to Auckland in the afternoon, I took the car out to Onehunga to call on Revd M. Kirkbride who was at one time a settler at Omaha, but unfortunately he was not at home.
In the evening Ken, Alan & I went over to Auckland to see McMahons Pictures which were very good. It was very wet coming home.
Wednesday 25th It was a showery day. In the afternoon I went over to Auckland, went up to where the Cemetery Bridge is being built, the Governor, Lord Plunket wa going to lay the foundation stone, but it rained so heavily and I was getting wet, so I went on to Mrs Simpsons, Ponsonby, we all went to All Saints School room to a social as a send off to Archdeacon Calder who is going home to England for a holiday. I staid at Mrs Simpsons.
Thursday 26th There were showers in the morning, I came down in the city and went across to Devonport by the 11 am boat.
Friday 27th It was a fine day. I went across to Auckland in the morning and staid all day, visiting all the auction sales, I met James Greenwood in the market , returned to the Shore early in the afternoon and called on Mrs McKenzie of Domain Street at one time a resident of Omaha.
Saturday 28th I went across to Auckland early in the morning with Ken Wallace, took the tram up to Kyber Pass, walked to Mt Eden station and took the train to Henderson and then walked to Jos Greenwoods place about a mile from the station. Mrs Duncan Matheson & Mrs Donald Matheson arrived soon afterwards, they returned to Auckland in the afternoon Joe driving them to the station , but I staid all night. In the afternoon Joe showed me over his orchard, and then we went to West Bros and had a look round their orchard , just before dark Willie Wright dropped in having come from Whitford that afternoon. Duncan also came later in the evening to spend his weekend holiday.
Sunday 29th There were a few showers in the morning, but it was fine in the afternoon. In the morning Joe took Willie Wright and I to see Mr Buscombe’s orchard of 27 acres in extent which was kept in splendid order, in the afternoon we all went to call on Mrs Harden a sister of Canon Haselden, she has a beautiful flower garden. In the evening we all went to church, Revd McLean preached, they have a very good choir.
Monday 30th It was a fine day. Willie, Duncan and I returned to Auckland by the 8.40 train. I went up to Mrs Simpsons for lunch, and returned to the Shore in the afternoon.
Tuesday 31st It was a fine day. I bid good bye to the Wallaces who have been exceedingly kind to me and went across to Auckland with Alan, I took by baggage to the Settlers Co‘s office and left it there, went about Queen Street shopping, went up to Mrs Simpsons for lunch, and in the afternoon took a picture down to the Settler Co and waited for the “Kawau“, the “Daphne” came in first with several passengers from Omaha and reported that the “Kawau” was some distance behind, so I did not wait but went up to Mrs Simpsons to stay the night