To New Zealand via bomb scares,floods and car thieves

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Finally we jumped onto our flight, after checking in a full 9 hrs early! Due to the fact that we had to check out of the hotel and jump on a couple of trains to changi ( its quite easy, without 2 backpacks)
Our first flight was to Brisbane, so while killing time walking around the airport we notice a suspicious looking bag near a stair well to an emergency exit. It consisted of a paper shopping bag and a handbag. We walked past about 3 times and then walked away wondering what we should do? In this day and age you cannot be sure.
Eventually we went up to the information desk around the corner, it had 2 very silly looking people on it.
hello Sir, can i help?
yes, there is a strange bag around the corner!
Yes sir lost luggage is in terminal 2
no, there is a suspicious bag around the corner, unattended!!
terminal 2 sir, you need your luggauge tags!
i think there is a bomb in the bag around the corner!!!
oh!!!!
well that seemed to do the trick, and after watching them run around for a while poking each other and peeping around the corner at the bags, they ran into the duty free store and summoned the "Brave one"
who walked straight over and looked in the bag, we are not sure she followed protocal though.
Any way, it turned out somebody just decided to leave all their stuff, purse and all, and go for a sight seeing trip around the airport.
We where expecting to see a small robot come out and blow the bag into hyper space...................

Brisbane is currently on evacuation warning due to the floods in Queensland, but everything went smoothly and we arrived in New Zealand at around 3.00pm local time, and after going through customs and Bio scanning ( do not bring dirty camping gear to NZ, you will be shot) we met my good old school friend Jamie, who had driven to collect us from the airport. Once in the car park we where asked by a local couple with about 6 children, if we could break into their car for them; as their key was for some reason not working!
Well , well, Jamie and i originated from the depths of teeside, so a challenge such as this was easy. Without going into details, the window was open about 3cm, (not possible to get your hand in, without two other people pulling down on the window) so we fiddled around a while each of us taking turns in our attemted method.
Eventually the door flew open and we let go of the window, only to realise, after a loud cat like scream, that the lady still had her arm jammed between the window and the door, whoops!
They promptly thanked us jumped into car and drove off into the distance. We hope the car belonged to them!!!!!!
We drove to Jamies house in Orewa, Auckland, where we had a BBQ and a few beers. It was not to long before the jet lag and days excitement caught up with us. This is a very beautiful area and Jamie has been so kind to borrow us his beloved camper van for a couple of days to explore the area😊

13th january, tawharanui
we set of northwards in the campervan to the nature reserve, on the way to the area we had to fill up diesel, however i failed to take any notice to where the diesel actually went in, so, once i had stopped at the gas station and opened every cupboard and door at least 3 times, finally after a lot of swearing i opened the cap that said "DIESEL" amazing how these things work.
when we arrived at the reserve we had to gain entry throughy an automated 3 metre high electric fence.
Once parked up we headed for the beach, found a sea cave and went for a walk, at one section we could here screaming lambs, that was the after effect of one of them leaning against the electric preditor fence, "friedlamb.com"

January 14th friday

Ilona is going a nice brown colour, i however, have chosen beetroot red, jesus its hot, and we have decided to send back a box of equipment that we will not use, i.e down jackets!!!
we plan to add a kit test on our next blog for any real backpackers out there, that are planning a New zealand trip, we have learnt a lot already!!!
we went far a longer walk today,Ilona is surprising me with her fitness as the bags are heavy.
We didnt have much food with us so we divided two meals into four, so hunger was a big part of this mini trip. I can tell you after walking all day with a 15kg pack on, and then tucking into a meal the size of a postage stamp will take some getting used to. Funny how much food becomes a focus, especially when it is impossible to over indulge. Good. but we are constantly hungry!!!
We finally got our packs arranged, sent some items back, set up a solar shower as it was so hot.
Just as Ilona was showering out side the camper with the travel shower, (we didnt know how to put the water heater on in the van !!) two hill billys turned up to ask for a place to bring in "the shiniest most polished camper bus on the planet" The lady, a term i will use lightly, had one tooth. The man, had 1001 crap home made tattoos, one of which was an upside down bird. I pointed to a spot about a km away, and said "the Ranger said that would be ok"
So off they went, we had our peace.

tomorrow we travel south by bus from Auckland to cambridge.
then we plan to walk to the rock climbing area, about 46km. oh god!!!!

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Photos

fresh in town!
grand tour down red beach!

fence for dinosaurs??
one of the little sheeps almost got electrocuted. and screamed like a trapped pig,,

Comments

[mam]

[e-mail]
who is that Gipsy Rose Lee the fortune teller

[mam]

[e-mail]
having your first bath !!!!!!!!!

[mam]

[e-mail]
see ilona has found you a new home !

[richard and ilona]

cant find anywhere to plug in camera charger.

[richard and ilona]

jworking with the bubbles, we miss the brussel sprouts

[richard and ilona]

my new calling,

[Jamie]

NZ
Was really cool to catch up with you both this week. We are all very jealous of your upcoming adventures. Take care on your travels and you know where we are if you need help with anything. Look forward to reading your blog as the trip progresses. J K and A.