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Published: June 16th 2006
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15th January 2006
We landed in Auckland just after lunch time after a relatively short flight from Tahiti. It was all a little bizzare as we landed in New Zealand and although it was only an hours time difference we had lost a day!
Sarah and Gareths former next door neighbours Steve and Lynn who have emigrated to NZ met us at the airport which was great. They took us into Auckland and helped us find a hostel for the night (all of which seamt very busy) and then we headed off to the viaduct with them for lunch.
The viaduct is a really nice relaxed harbour side area full of restaurants and bars. The harbour is full of expensive yachts and it's great to sit in the sun with a beer watching the boats come in and out of the harbour. After ordering drinks we ordered food and actually got what we thought we'd ordered, having actually understood the menu fully unlike what sometimes happened in South America! It was good to catch up with Steve and Lynn and see familiar faces again.
I think we are going to like New Zealand. At first impressions it
Hen Night 1
Me, mum and sarah is very clean and friendly. Although we loved South America it was great to get to a developed country where your guarenteed to have a toilet with plumbing and water which you actually put toilet paper down the toilet.
Our stay in Auckland was pretty short, we spent the days sorting out tax codes, looking at buying a car and finding jobs and in the evening meeting up with Steve and Lynn, who gave us a tour of the Northern bays of Auckland including a trip to a traditional English pub with a picture of Bramall Lane football ground on the wall!
We also went out on one of the former Americas cup Yachts NZL41 around Auckland Harbour. We expected a leisurely outing on the boat for a couple of hours and a sail around but oh no, this was a hands on trip. The passangers had to help out with the grinding, the bringing up and positioning of the sails. It was good fun but we got a bit sunburnt. I think it gave Andy a bit more of a taste of sailing. After meeting Robert, Be, Tom and the rest of the sailors in Venezuela he
has decided he wants to learn to sail and have a boat when we retire. Along with an apartment in Buenos Aires, a villa in Mendoza and all the other things that would be nice that we see along the way!
After a short stay of only a few days it was off on a long flight back to the UK for my sisters wedding. As we were short on time getting back for the wedding we flew from Auckland to London via Sydney and Singapore with only a short leg stretch at the two stops. The flight back wasnt too bad, it was the jet lag for the rest of the week that gave me hassle.
We arrived back at London Heathrow at 5.30am on Friday the 20th January. It was cold and dark but it was great to see my sister who met us at the airport and after big hugs we went back to her house where Andy and I had a full cooked breakfast and a beer (to us it was evening dinner time by this point) before going to bed for a few hours kip.
That afternoon Andys brother David came to
The Night before the wedding
Friends and family gathering before the big event sarahs house for the afternoon. He had been working in London and got the last flight back to Belgium where he was going on to meet Alex for a skiing holiday, unfortunetley his flight got cancelled and instead of speeding down the slope the next day he was stuck in a hotel in Heathrow, but thanks for coming over Dave it was good to see you. My mum and dad then arrived and it was great to have our family around us again.
The next day was the Hen and Stag parties, and us girls headed off into central London for a pampering day. Unfortunately due to jet lag both Andy and I woke up at 4.30am so before the day had really begun we were exhausted. The hen do consisted of pampering at Harrods beauty salon, followed by dinner at Kettners Champagne bar and then boogying till late at bar come nightclub.
By the time we got back we were all exhausted and quite drunk. On our return we found Andy just going to bed, who told us that gareth had been tucked up snuggly in his bed for quite a few hours after getting quite drunk
early on. He had left the Comedy club early after consuming a few too belgium beer with dinner at Belgoes in Camden. Leaving Andy with a group of Lads he'd never met before.
We then returned to Sheffield to complete a list of little things we wanted to do before we returned back on our travels and one of those was to have a tandoori king prawn Biryani from the Amraj our old local Indian resturant, so we popped over to Dean and Lauras new house curry in hand and had a pretty good night of catching up on all the gossip.
The rest of the time we were home we spent with our relevent parents catching up and also had a gathering at the Devonshire Cat, where in fact we had had our leaving do. It was cool to see the people who could make it.
We soon had to return to Sarah's for wedding preparations. Friday was a hectic day involving the final arrangements and wedding rehersal, where Andy met Sarah and Gareths dual personality minister! He was nice to everyone else but suddenly changed whenever he spoke to Andy!
After the rehersal there
was a gathering at sarahs house for Frineds and Family involved in the wedding. Everyone went off early and left just me and Sarah and Andy (token chick for the night) to spend Sarahs last night as a single woman at home. It wasnt really that interesting for Andy as we had a glass of wine and did our nails and he wasnt much up for being in touch with his feminine side that evening.
Sarah and I were up early, and as the morning progressed the house got bussier with the arrival of the hairdresser, the beautician for our make up, mum and dad. The morning went so quick although we had been busy all morning Graham and Elaine soon arrived to take Andy, myslef and Mum to the Church. The morning was cold and crisp with a bright low winters sun, a perfect day although very cold for Andy and I who were acclimatised to something about 30 degress higher than the days temperature.
We waited at the church and Sarah arrived looking beautiful and a little nervous. The ceremony was lovely, and seemed to pass very quickly, returning down the aisle following Sarah and Gareth
The Happy Couple
for now anyway!! I couldnt look at Dad for fear of following him into floods of tears. It wasnt long until the new Mr & Mrs Noble proudly went into the Church Hall to meet the two hundred or so friend and family that had come to the Church to see them get married.
The day was fantastic, followed by and excellent meal, tear jerking and humourous speaches followed by copious amounts of champagne. The reception venue was packed a testiment to the popularity of the new Mr & Mrs Noble and everyone boogied away to the live band.
The evening passed quickly and it wasnt long until goodbyes and then Andy and I returned back to Sarah and Gareths house with them. Sarahs neighbours and friends who were staying with them came over for more champagne. After further drinks and also the newlyweds opening cards and gifts we finally went to bed at 4am.
After goodbyes again to friends and family we jetted off back to the otherside of the world with the newly weds!
We had a day stop off in Sydney for a leg strech where we went on the ferry across to Manly to take
The Tear Jerker!
Father of the bride's speech and not a dry eye in the house! in a few sights, including the Sydney harbour bridge and the opera house. After that it was a quick catch up for a beer with Jon Buckley a family friend who is now settled in the the land of Oz, and then back on the plane.
We were back in New Zealand where our travelling adventures begin again and Sarah and Gareth at the start of their honeymoon.
Unfortunately not all the photos we want on here are loaded yet, but we will update soon and also catch up to where we are in NZ.
Hope everyone is well at home,
Sue & Andy
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