A TRIP BACK TO AUCKLAND & OUR FINAL BOW

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This is it; the final blog for Matt and Narelle’s Grand Tour 2012. All good things have to come to an end and our tour finished just after 5pm on Monday 17^thDecember as our taxi dropped us off outside our Melbourne apartment. It seems amazing to think that we have flown well in excess of 50,000km, and driven some 15,000km since we left Auckland Airport in March. We have lived and experienced the most amazing of adventures and we have gone a long way towards throwing off bowlines, sailing away from safe harbours and catching those important trade winds. Mark Twain said to “Explore, Dream, and Discover” and I feel we can look back with confidence that we have achieved his ideal. Do we feel lucky? Of course we do. Will we do it all again? Of course we will.



Our last few weeks of the trip were spent in New Zealand seeing friends and family. I had only seen them a few weeks before when I came home to see Dad in hospital. This time things were different with Dad looking so much better and even driving the car to pick me up. I am not sure if it was something I said or just the standing I have but within 48 hours of us being back Narelle had ditched me and Mum and Dad had gone to Christchurch. Dad’s final events of the year were two children’s Christmas parties; one in Christchurch and the other in Auckland. The one in Auckland saw just less than 4000 attend and of course each child has to go home with a present so poor old Santa is pretty busy. The afternoon was a raging success and the end point to an idea thought up on the fjords heading into Oslo on our Baltic cruise in June.



Narelle ditched me to revisit her old stomping ground of Saint Kentigern College and head off with them to the Tongariro National Park for their annual Field Centre. This year the Stone connection with Field Centre entered another realm with nephew Oliver taking his turn in one of the lodges – and unbeknownst to him his Lodge Officer was to be his aunt. It was not all bad for him as he seemed to get extra slices of lasagne and a personal valet service when it came to packing. There was a certain amount of nervousness in the party and amongst many of the parents as, in the preceding week, Mt. Ruapehu’s volcanic activity risk level was elevated and while everyone was watching Ruapehu another mountain in the park had a minor eruption. However, the largest eruption was left to the media who spewed forth all sorts of facts, figures, worry, diagrams and scary comments from eyewitnesses. Their rock bottom moment was when they set up outside the Saint Kentigern gates to get comments from the students. In reality more trees were lost from the amount of newsprint used rather than from any lava flows or exploding rocks from the craters. The school coped wonderfully well with the volcanic inconvenience and although some of the activities were curtailed or cancelled not a day was lost. Narelle was back in her element cooking for 35 and after a year away could already feel the desire to return to education – that was a well-timed feeling as on the day she left she was offered a job at a school in Melbourne, which I hastily accepted on her behalf.



One of the best days while we were in Auckland was Megan’s 40^th birthday. This was a chance to catch up with some of our closest friends and have a day out on the Waitemata Harbour. It became one of the great days. From the ferry ride over to Waiheke, the bus ride on arrival, to the lunch at Mudbrick we were looked after by the best of hosts, namely Megan and Nick. The drinks flowed and the setting was superb. The view from Mudbrick has to be one of my favourite views in and around Auckland and this day did not disappoint. The sky was clear and the glistening sea was dotted with motorboats and yachts; the wine and food just added to the occasion. It was a day that just clicked and everyone was in good form. We even had a celebrity in our midst, namely Ali Campbell of UB40 fame. I say in our midst – he was actually trying to enjoy a lunch with his family after spending 13 weeks in the city recording that oh so wonderful reality show “NZ’s Got Talent”. We managed to get the customary photos and handshakes and then he escaped to get the ferry; most probably to get away from us. That was his schoolboy error as when you are on an island there is but one way off – the ferry. You can imagine his face as the now familiar pinot and chardonnay inspired group of 40 somethings wandered their way onto the boat for one last rendition of “Red Red Wine” and “I Got You Babe”. Oh what happy memories he will leave with. I think this could have been the best point to head home but we all felt more drinks at more bars were the go; hence the merriment continued for another few hours.



I enjoyed wandering Auckland while we were back. So much has happened or been transformed on the waterfront in the past 18 months. You can now walk from the Britomart Precinct to the silo park near Westhaven Marina. Some of the old silos have been converted to galleries and public meeting places. There is also the most incredible array of super-yachts from all corners of the globe waiting for their owners to arrive for the summer season. In the Viaduct basin sat the wonderful Steinlager 2, Sir Peter Blake’s famous red ketch, which won all six legs of the 1989/90 Whitbread – a boat I had not seen since we watched the race finish in Southampton 22 years ago. As I cast my eyes over her my mind thought back to a leafy cemetery in the south of England that we had visited in June. If Steinlager 2 had been ‘the’ boat of the 90s then what I saw next was the future. As I reached the pedestrian bridge the sirens and lights came on to tell all that a boat was due to come through. Next year the America’s Cup will be contested in the waters off San Francisco in large AC72 catamarans. WOW! They are monsters of the yachting world and with their 40m high fixed wing sail can reach speeds that would make most yachties nervous – there are few sailors that head to sea with flotation suits, breathing apparatus and helmets on to ensure their safety if they ever capsized at speed. The NZ boat has been regularly exceeding 40 knots in fewer than 20 knots of wind, and with some tweaking in the second design they are confident they can go faster. If it all comes to plan and the team can roll over all other challengers we may just get another chance to bring the Auld Mug back to the City of Sails.



Nine months away from NZ had meant that I had not attended Curry Club since the February meeting. I had kept up-to-date on the monthly restaurant reports and up until November had mistakenly foreseen that we would be dining in Takapuna for the Christmas get-together. Little did I know that John Lintott’s risky decision of a night out in Pukekohe on a sleepy Wednesday night would be rewarded with the highest score in 2012 and hence the honour of hosting the December meeting. It became quite a weekend. JL, Chris and I played golf at Clarks Beach to kick the festivities off on what was a stunning afternoon weather-wise. It was an excellent build up to a great night and after a few ales at the Clubhouse and at JL’s we headed for the Saloon Bar in Puke’ – a good old fashioned pub that even housed an oft forgotten mechanical bull. Amongst the families and early diners who had hoped for a quiet evening we held our all-important fines session, which led to many a tequila and beer being consumed. The amount of shots being drunk seemed to correspond with: 1. The increased levels of BS being spoken; 2. The number of old stories being retold and embellished; 3. The level of laughter at jokes only we found funny. Once speeches, fines, photos and announcements had been made most of the diners were pleased to see us leave. We left with the fantastic news that JL was to assume the mantle of president for 2013; as CV entries go there is not much higher accolade. It felt very comfortable to be back amongst such good friends – of course we all did the usual eat and drink too much, and too quickly, so that by 10pm we were sitting forlorn and bloated in another pub watching a charity boxing match. We could be deemed slow learners in this department as this was the 5^th year in a row we had succumbed to the same problem! The weekend also gave us the chance to see the Lintotts fantastic new renovation – and of course let us catch up with all of William and Rosie’s news. And thank you Rosie for letting us sleep in your room. It was about this point that I made the rash decision to join Will, Rosie, Harry, and Georgia on JL’s wet slide, which looked a great deal of fun. However even now, some two weeks later, I still have very painful ribs. I can only assume that the three pints of ale I had in my veins at the time and the subsequent tequilas softened the blow. It was the Tuesday after they really started to become painful. With my varicose veins a flame and my sore ribs I do not appear quite as rested up as I should after a year away.



Narelle also had the chance to have nights out with her old Book Clubs. She has been in two and both had their Christmas parties while we were back. One Club had their dinner at Meredith’s Restaurant www.merediths.co.nz , the other at Britomart Country Club. I guess it is nights and occasions like these ones that we will miss but we have made a pledge that we will try to return for as many events as we can. However, with 2013 looking like a year of 40^th birthdays we may have to be sensible. It appears there is nearly one a month for the first 8 months.



We did sneak away for a couple of days to the holiday house at Waiheke. We were treated to a couple of great days weather wise and we enjoyed the chance to sit on the deck and read books and go to the recently opened Oyster Inn at Oneroa. This restaurant and bar is situated in the old Skinny Sardine building, a restaurant made fun of in an earlier blog when discussing sardines being served in the tin. The new place is stunning and gives the most fantastic views out over the bay – for old times I tried their Negroni cocktail. T is well worth the visit if you are in Oneroa.



Going home at this time of year gave us the opportunity to see our niece Claudia Mary at either her ballet practice or in her first stage performance of “The Wizard of Oz”. She was a blackbird in the show and displayed all the correct moves and the temperament to assume this will not be her last shot at a stage production. Thankfully for Claudia she has inherited some of Aunt Narelle’s dramatic qualities rather than any from Uncle Matt. It is nearly 16 years ago since my one and only stage performance, which saw me cast as a tree. I nearly drove the Director to drink with my lack of talent and ability to hit the mark. However, as the tree part was non-speaking, non-moving and basically non-existent in its portrayal I felt I had been a very good tree; sadly no offers of stardom ever came from it. Claudia on the other hand took to the stage with great gusto and fluttered and performed as any good blackbird should. She has grown up a lot in the months we have been away and we even got to take her to the Howick Little Village – a colonial inspired display of how early settlers lived in late 19^th Century Auckland. I think Rachel was thrilled we could take her for a few hours as it freed up some time to complete the dreaded exam marking schedule. Claudia took us around to all the sights and even made me sit in the naughty chair in the old classroom; what I did to achieve this is still beyond me but I relented. The park itself is a great place to visit. I was in primary school the last time I went; today it is much larger and has all the modern amenities like a café and gift shop. On my last visit the teachers would have taken a flask of Nescafé and a request to go in any sort of shop would have been met with disdain.



Seeing nephews and nieces was a highlight of the three weeks. Obviously NLS spent time with Oliver on the camp – Dad and I went to see him off from the school grounds, which allowed me to farewell him in front of all his close friends. I could sense how happy he was through the redness in his cheeks as I hugged him by the bus door. His early Christmas present was a trip to Thailand – the first few days under the watchful eye of Natalee and then some “freetime” with a friend from school. He had massive plans to check himself into the Hilton Hotel, which were scuppered when he found out that 14 year olds cannot just “check-in” on their own. I was there when Rose found out she was to be a starfish in the Santa parade, chatted with Hamish about his Aladdin success, and was introduced to their new cat, which seems to have settled into a blissful existence of nothingness. Just don’t offend the cat in front of Natalee. I also watched my godson Harry play in two cricket games, which meant two very pleasant visits to Cornwall Park – the Friday night matches made all the better by a bar being open!



On our last full day in Auckland we had drinks at Mum and Dad’s, which was a final chance for us to say a brief hello to many we had not caught up with before. Dad and I managed to erect the gazebo for only its third time, and after thinking that it was going to be a godsend for shade had worrying moments as rain clouds threatened. It was a typical Auckland afternoon with the sun then appearing to allay our fears. Then with the afterglow of a few wines we squeezed the luggage we had left into our suitcases. We were at the upper levels of our allowance and had about 70kg to check in – I am not sure where it has all come from and you would struggle to believe that we had already taken delivery of 37 cartons at the apartment. However, we made it on board and made the short haul flight to Melbourne. It was a weird sensation that nine months of travel was coming to an end and I think both of us were reliving moments from the trip. For months we had been telling people that our last flight was December 17 and it felt months away. The memories and experiences of a year away are endless and we both feel very lucky to have done what we have and we have already spent hours looking over all our photos. I cannot even start to think of all the people we have had chance to meet; from strangers in airport lounges to contacts via other friends. All our friends in the UK who spoilt us rotten; Kate’s meals, Pricey’s shed, Paul’s shed, Benedicte’s ironing, Keith’s garden party, Ros and Mac’s hospitality, Philip’s Birthday dinner, Mark’s cooking, DWR allowing us to take over his house, the unforgettable fortnight in Burgundy, Dave and Peta’s visit to the Chateau, trying dismally to park my car in the Du Croz’s garage on Day 1, our visit to Bath with James and Fi, Lianne’s wedding, the Ellesmere Ball, my many tutees dotted across the world, finding David’s signet ring, Jubilee parties, metal detecting with Pricey, oh so many memories and oh so many more I have not mentioned.



2012 has given us some great moments and here are but a few.



Best Long Haul Flight: British Airways Boston to London; upstairs, flat bed – you can’t get much better

Best Tour Guide: Gordon from Trafalgar Tours; the consummate professional

Best Restaurant: Veritas in New York; my Beef in Transition entrée was stunning

Best Hotel: Universal Hotel in Barcelona

Best Apartment Accommodation: Eldon Luxury Suites, Washington DC

Best Surprise Event: Tie - Budapest Wine and Food Festival, the Space Shuttle Discovery flyby, & the Mahon Fiesta

Best Airline flown: Cathay Pacific

Best Domestic Airline: American Airlines

Best Short Break: The US Civil War Trail

Best Luggage Accessory: ‘Glad’ Snaplock bags for your clothes

Best Transport Service: Amtrak Redcaps

Best City: St Petersburg

Best Moment of Stupidity: Paul and I driving back from Angers – no ropes just hands

Best Worst Moment: Spanair collapsing without our knowledge

Best Value for Money: Our brand new Peugeot 308 through Peugeot Eurolease

Best Scariest Moment: Tie - Tornadoes in Dallas and a particular day in Singapore

Best ‘I am Going to Die’ Moment: Facing an articulated lorry with lights flashing from the passenger seat of an English car in France – it took a great piece of driving to get me back; thanks Bob.

Best Accommodation website: Hotels.com

Best Travel Agent Ever: Gerald at Harvey World Travel, Howick; patient, calm and just an all-round good guy



We have settled as best we can in Melbourne. The move is practically complete. We have nearly sorted the apartment and have enjoyed our first Christmas here. The tree was up, the bookcases still stand, the knife rack is yet to fall off the wall, the pictures don’t have too many holes behind them, and we finally have internet after a seven week fiasco with Telstra. What a first week and thankfully we were all ready to welcome John and Maxine in for Christmas – the final piece of the travel jigsaw was in place.



So that is pretty much it. I will not get emotional or sing any Frank Sinatra songs. For me the reason for writing this journal was only ever to help us remember and for us to be able to look back. I know from meeting others and reading messages left on the website that many people outside of my family have read this blog. Once I became aware of this my only aim was not to become an unheralded cure for insomnia. It is strange to write about your own experiences and I guess you have to allow yourself to be selfish for a change but I have enjoyed it immensely and I will miss the happiness it has brought me. But, as I said at the start, all good things must come to an end so I will pass over to my good mate Porky Pig to sign off for one last time as he can do it like no other.



"Th-th-th-that's all folks!"

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