New Zealand–the start of the next leg

Having said a sad and reluctant farewell to Australia via Brisbane Airport we flew to Auckland. We took off at about half past five for what we thought was a long flight but the clocks needed to go three hours forward again so we landed at just before midnight NZ time but only three and a half hours after we had taken off. John and Coral Walton were at the airport to meet us after we took an hour to get through immigration control and biosomething or other checks. If only we’d ditched the Fruit ‘N’ Fibre and not had to declare it.

There must be something about me but I’ve been checked for contact with explosives three times (twice in one day) and on one occasion I was taken to a private room for the job to be done and I really thought the guy was reaching for the rubber gloves. Phew!

By the time we’d had coffee and caught up with all the news from the lovely Waltons it was about a quarter to three in the morning, their time. We weren’t so bad but did run out of steam the next day a bit.

And that day was spent on a wine tour of Weihiki Island. What an idyllic place. The wedding capital of the world it would seem and you can understand why. Mudbrick Vineyard had done six just this week and 147 last year. The place was beautiful with an impressive Auckland skyline as the back drop.

We had an excellent meal in the hotel and after a hearty breakfast the next morning said farewell to John and Coral to head off for the Bay of Islands in the Northlands. The car was upgraded again and this one is the best of the lot but the journey was long and not very fast. Both roadworks and an apparent problem with the car that needed checking out at a dealer slowed us a bit.

The greeting we got at the place we were staying in Kerikeri was amazing. And the place even more so. Absolutely stunning. Owned by a delightful couple from Amersham (she worked at Newlands College where Heather trained) the place and its setting are stunning.

We only had one full day here so we took much of the time visiting the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the birth place of New Zealand, where the British Government appear to have done an unusually good job in getting factious tribal leaders to agree to work together in exchange for protection from the Brits (largely to keep the French out one suspects!). It was a totally fascinating place.

The sun is beginning to take its toll

but I shall start using after sun lotion before it has too damaging an effect.

We have a mighty journey ahead of us tomorrow with a trip from here to Tauranga to meet up with someone I taught 30 years ago and emigrated to NZ. It’s then on to Rotorua by evening to meet up with John and Coral again for a couple of days.

Please forgive misspellings of Mouri names: they are difficult to spell and even more difficult to say!