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Published: January 12th 2009
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Skytower, Auckland City Browns Bay, Rangitoto, Retail Therapy, Rothesay Bay & Graham's 52nd, Bay of Islands, Westgate, City, Browns Bay, Poker night and hangover Friday, DVD night, cricket, Miranda, Piha.
Right guys wlecome to a whistle stop blog of all our ongoings since the New Year. We saw the New Year in in a British run pub, good times. The first day of 2009 we spent lying on the beach at Browns Bay, we're not gonna be doing that again anytime soon! I expect in the UK we would have been nursing hangovers and sat infront of the fire trying to keep warm with a dominos. So yeah was awesome to be sitting on the beach, with Jayn and her friends and then back to Marion and John's for a barbie where eeryone brings 'a plate'. Basically meaning everyone brings a plate of food for the party...there was everything from roast chicken to thai yellow curry...was good. All was going well until the quiz. We picked numbers and it was me, Jayn, Mary (Marion's Mum) and Mike....poor Mike. We weren't doing too bad...bottom but things got worse when we missed question 5....Jayn had written 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8...then when I
Eden Park
NZ Vs. Windies looked at it I said what about 5?! Mike said he wandered why everyone was talking about cheers?! Haha. Was a laugh but we were bringing up the rear....even with Joanne's help and Jo's friend.
2nd January...Jayn's Birthday. We climbed Rangitoto with Gary & Sara, and Sylvia Sara's mum who is on holiday here for a couple of months. Rangitoto hasn't erupted for 600 years but it isn't dormant. Interesting. You get magnificent views of Auckland and all the bays on the North Shore from the top although the day we went it pissed down and sadly no view. Wasn't a bad hike though, only an hour each way.
Had a chilaxy day on Saturday 3rd, just spent Jayn's Birthday vouchers for Shantons....Jayn picked up half the shop to try on, Dan was good and sat through the whole trying on session. I'm thinking of a career move to personal shopper.
Sunday we had been invited round Graham & Gill's for a BBQ in aid of Grahams 52nd Birthday...managed to fit some time in at the beach where they live in Rothesay Bay and then trundled over for food and drinks aferwards....Graham was wasted to say the
least! We knew it was all over when the Jager came out, a nearly new bottle that was finished in under an hour. Had to have a celebratory shot but we weren't too worse for wear :-)
Dan and I had planned a road trip up to Bay of Islands for a week...then a few days and then a couple of days....funds are wearing thin and accommodation and food takes a big chunk of the budget so we took Jayn's car and planned to sleep in the car but managed to pack a whistle stop tour in one day. Doug & Linda are moving up to Kerikeri from Adelaide so we know we'll be back and of course will have to come and annoy Jayn again. We left at 8.30am, filled the slug up and saw Russell from across the Marina, visited beaches on the way up, chilled out at Paihia for a bit, looked around Kerikeri...grabbed a pizza hut and then home! Home by 9pm! Great Success! A 550km round trip :-D That is something that will not phase us at all now is long distance driving...3/4 hours driving seems nothing now!
After another lazy day after the road trip to the bays we just mooched around at Jayns and went to the shops accross the road. But we of course had to do the Skytower, so that was the next day....took Jayn's car and managed to park for 10 bucks for the whole day. Bargain compared to $14 each on the bus there and back! Sod that! Headed up the tower 1st, went up to the highest viewing deck and saw Auckland from the Southern Hempisphere's tallest building. Impressive. I managed to stroll over the glass floor, Dan looked from a distance. Was cool watching people jump off the tower too! I have a photo of someone dangling in mid air attached to 2 thin thin thin wires! And then dropped, was fun to see their facial expressions! S*** s*** sh!t!!!!!! Also a new (within the last 10 years!) thing you can walk around the top of the Skytower in I've been let out for the day orange jumpsuits. We had lunch in Albert Park after the tower, and then wandered round the shops.
We had to pay another visit to Browns Bay...the beach we went to on New Years. A lovely beach, not too busy, bigger than Rothesay and not even 20 minutes away from Jayns. In the evening we had arranged to go round to Robs for a poker night. I didn't do too bad, Dan was out 1st! All had a go at winning a round except Dan, poor Dan. His new poker set from Sydney and he had gone out 1st! Things got messy that night as you can probably tell from the photos and then suffered a tad on hangover Friday. Just lounged around watched some DVDs and ate to soak up the booze. Did actually make it out the house to do a beer run!
Saturday we went to Eden Park to watch New Zealand Black Caps play West Indies....NZ played one of their best innings...275/4. Martin Guptill was the star of the show....
"Martin Guptill smashed a debut century to help New Zealand amass an imposing 275 for four in their fourth one-day international against West Indies at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
Guptill batted through the entire New Zealand innings to finish unbeaten on 122, the second highest score by a debutant in a one-day international.
The 22-year-old right-hander faced 135 balls, striking eight fours and two sixes, and shared in three valuable partnerships after West Indies had won the toss and invited the home team to bat.
Guptill became the first New Zealander, and only the fifth player from any country, to score a hundred in his first one-day international."
Great game until it got rained off shortly after Windies came in to bat, was good to watch Gayle rack up some runs in the short time he was on though. Rob played taxi and came and picked up the drowned rats and one very hungover Phil.
Sunday we went to Miranda Hot Springs, really good day up there. Had a picnic and the Hot Springs were so nice, like swimming in a warm bath. The sauna was way too hot though, think I only lasted 10 minutes in there. Got a chance to see the East coast of the North Island. Amazing how you can just drive for an hour or so and reach amazing sights out from Auckland.
That brings us up to speed! Today we drove to Piha, a beach on the west side and so therefore black sand and very dangerous rips in the sea. Lifeguards there but very dangerous currents and big scary waves! Had a lovely day today soaking up the sun and slapping on the cream after my burnt a$$. Drove back for dinner and then went food shopping! Living the New Zealand life! It's not a bad one!
We fly to Hawaii on Friday, we are flying via Fiji...not sure if the floods will affect us but hopefully Hawaii on Friday....something crazy happens with the time...we gain a day and there's only really an hours difference. And then we arrive in Chicago on the evening of the 20th.....yes the day Obama gets sworn in. Hopefully won't be too mental, have booked a HOTEL! Woohu! And Macy's here I come!!!! The temperatures have picked up from -18c thank goodness! But not looking forward to the sub zero temperatures :-( And then home isn't too far away! Love to you all xxxxx
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