Auckland Adventure Begins!

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September 18 – Today, we woke early and took a taxi to the airport where we were given a complimentary membership to the “airport exercise club.” Our class today was running from our original gate at one of the terminal to the new gate at the other end of the terminal.



Eventually, we loaded onto our plane and were on our way to Auckland. Our first glimpse of New Zealand was through the clouds where a patchwork of green covering the hilly landscape was revealed.



My cousin, Jacquie and two of her children, Erin and Owen, met us at the airport. This was no easy feat for Jacquie as she also has one other child, Kiera that she left with ‘Nana’ earlier in the day so we could all fit into her car with our luggage. Erin who is eight, and Owen who is two, provided “entertainment” on our way to ‘Nan’s house. Jacquie negotiated driving on a busy highway, asking the children if they needed anything to eat or drink, and doing all those other parenting duties while giving us a commentary of the area, etc., etc. I know they talk about distracted driving, but really, parents have always driven distracted (or perhaps to distraction!) She really should take up taxi driving, it would be much easier.



We arrived at Nan’s house, or as I know her, my Auntie Pat. I haven’t seen her in many years, but to me she hadn’t really changed, except, I was now at her house in New Zealand! I also met Kiera, who is six. She gave me a wonderful picture she made while she waited for us to come from the airport. Jacquie’s husband, Roland arrived a short time later and we were all treated to a tasty dinner. I was especially happy to have gluten-free lasagna that tasted great!



Pat lives in a lovely home that is over 100 years old. From the front, it looks very small. (I Googled it before we came and really wondered where she was going to put us.) But, it is much longer than it is wide. The front of the house looks out onto the narrow street, while the back looks over a deep valley that is peppered with houses clutching the sides of the valley. Inside the house is divided into three sections with solid doors with handles that are the perfect height for Hobbits (or children.) She closes these doors when needed so she only heats the parts of the house that require it. To help keep us warm in our beds, she had flannelette sheets and electric blankets that were very much appreciated!





Our days in Auckland were a blur! Pat was so gracious in taking us around to see the sites. The weather did not always cooperate, but we made the most of the times when the sun poked a hole through the clouds.

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