Sep 20th 2010

8am start on the InterCity Bus to get to Hamilton,  change of bus in Auckland.  Total time 6 hours. With all the sniffing, coughing, crying, whining and complaining (and that was just from me!)  I have decided to not take the bus later in the week to go see Ernie.  There is way too many weird people on these busses - just cant get greyhound thing out of my head.  So got the car and told them I will drop it off in Whakatani on Saturday.  Problem solved - unless this weather keeps up and there are  more flooding and land slides - stay tuned we will find out.

It was a good start getting the car - went to the wrong side to get in.  Yeah only used the windshield wipers a few times to indicate - getting used to that again.

Stopped by to see Cathy and tell her I was alive and well.  It was too late to go see mum so went to  meet Jane at work.  I wondered around the supermarket until she was finished.

Did some running around that Jane wanted to do and I went and picked up some of the things Rick left behind.  Poor Jane thought I was moving in!  I have taken over her home.  But it is so good to spend time with her.

Off to bed and will go see mum tomorrow.

Miss you honey,  love you loads and be safe and get better soon ok.

Sep 19th 2010 take 2!

Another early start for the 8 hour tour day - at long last I get to go to the top of New Zealand.

Something I have wanted to do my whole life.

Boarded the bus and "Spike" said I would be helping him clean the bus later on - like hell was the answer he got,

but it set us up for a fun day.  All ages on this trip as they combined their 3 tour options onto one bus instead

of have 3 busses out on the road with only a few people on it.  They handled that really well and made sure all

age groups got what they wanted.

We started with an hour and a half drive then morning tea,  picked up some old favorites - caramel square, chicken sandwich and

yup a flake bar, ahh to be home.

Then on to 90 mile beach.  We have had such storms that the Tasman Sea was just raging.  Spike said he had never see the beach like

this.  The sea foam was huge and the rouge waves came in and the drive through them was just so exciting.  90 mile beach isn't actually 90 miles,

its 64 miles!  Will remember the story and add it in later. 

We were going to the spot to park the bus on the beach but along the way we passed another bus that was stuck in the sand.  Spike wanted to help

get him out but couldn't stop in the same space cause he was worried we too would get stuck - so he drove a bit further down hooked up the toe line

and then drove back and did circles until the guys could hitch it to their bumper and tadaaa one bus unstuck.  We went further down the beach and parked to go down to try and dig for pipi's but no chance of doing that - way too windy. 

Off to the sand doons - ahhhhh what fun, of course I was the first one to say yup I was doing it.  Even with all the different age groups onboard there was on 4 of us game enough.  1 young guy around 21, 1 young Japanese girl, 1 crazy travel agent and 1 older lady.  Off we went,  the climb almost killed me but knowing how much fun I would have I kept going.  At the top Spike went over the rules again, not much to it - hold on, don't let go and dig your toes in.  Sounds simple enough huh!  So the older lady went first,  she got half way down and wiped out, she went one way and her glasses flew off the other way.  Great I get to go next.  The slide path we were going down was straight down and if you went fast enough you would go over a small stream and land on the bank on the other side.  So far everyone from the other busses hadn't made it so was feeling a little nervous.  But off I went (with an additional push from Spike!  Thanks!)  oh it was so much fun,  hit the bumpy part one had came off but grabbed the boogie board again, dug my toes in and sailed across the stream and was yelling at the people bank to move as I was heading right for them.  Whoot Whoot for me I did it - so still feeling the thrill I went up again along with the lady who had wiped out,  she had sliced her nose with her glasses and given herself a black eye but up she went but only half way this time.  I got to the top and just reminded myself how much fun it was.  Off I went and this time stopped right in the stream but was still impressed.  Sandy, cold, wet and laughing my face off we got back on the bus and headed toward Cape Reagiga.  We were asked to eat and drink all we wanted on the bus and to please not take anything onto the path to the lighthouse as it would draw bad sprits.  New Zealand believes the top of the island is where the sprits go to say goodbye to family and the country and then onto the spirit life.  

What an amazing place - yes a sunny non windy day would have been amazing but with the fierce winds, wild Tasman and Pacific Ocean meeting it made it exciting experience that I will never forget.  At the lighthouse I shed a tear or two for the family and friends that have passed and then another one as I looked at the sign post and saw Vancouver pointing in the direction of home.  I went off the path,  being a rebel again, and felt the true power of mother natures wind.  As I joined the path back to the bus I meet up again with another couple from our bus.  He is a kiwi and his girlfriend is from Scotland.  He had spent most of the day trying to engage me in a debate about how awful America is,  I had asked where in the USA he had been and only to LA was his answer.  Told him that I know many Americans and they are amazing and the land is wonderful.  He was very insulting with his comments on a bus full of American tourists - but I digress - on the walk back his lady asked when I was going back to Vancouver,  I said I was going home on Sunday - well he went off - how could I call myself a kiwi and call Canada home.  Well enough is enough I turned to him and said I was here to enjoy my country and not to debate politics.  Can he lover his mother and his father and that's how I feel about my countries I love them both just like a mother and father or a brother and a sister.  Walked off and could hear his other half letting loose on him.  As he got on the bus he did apologize to me and in the good higher sprit I told him "No Worries Mate".

We had lunch and made a stop at the Kaui Store - nice place to see but no way in hell could I every afford the things they have in there.  Nest stop the Kaui forest. 

So amazing to see these thousand year old trees.  So happy they are doing their best to save them.

Another couple of hours and we were back in Pihia.  Carla had arrived so we went to my room and talked about our days and had a couple of drinks.  Early dinner and then off to bed as we both have another early start.  Turns out Carla will be on the same tour I did today and Spike will be the guide again.  She will have a blast and Spike was going to take care of her.

Note about the Kingsgate - well it is in a good location,  it is under construction.  Carla's room was in the block that has been done and is very nice.  Mine is still in the "to be done" area,  I do however have a little kitchen and that was nice for a cuppa tea first thing in the morning.  The internet is only in the Lobby and you only get 20 min free a day.  People are very nice and yes I would stay there again.

Moving onto Monday 

Sep 19th 2010

ok so am alive but just exausted - so will blog all the excitment tomorrow from hamilton
carla and i just had dinner sleep now!

Sep 17th 2010

What a day - kinda,  it is over a day as we somehow have lost Thursday!  Don't know were it went but there you go - its Friday.

I have to say this was the best 14 hours on an aircraft I have ever spent.  Drinks before take off, instructions on how to use all the buttons, dinner order given, we have the option to keep our seats upright or reclining for take off - posh huh.  Being the rebel that I am I went for the recline position, just to say I've done it.  Three movies "Maraduke" "Sex in the City 2" and "Prince of Persia",  One sleeping tabled and One seat made into a bed and I'm off.  Carla and I did do a bit of giggling over all this fuss but it was amazing.

Got woken up just before Breakfast (overall not that impressed but ok),  watched another movie "The A Team" and wow we were landing at 530am.

Got through security fast and then onto the luggage collection - avoiding that bloody beagle dog,  he's a food sniffing dog and well those who know me you know me and airport dogs are not friends!  Anyhow when my luggage arrived I found that one of them had been cracked.  So off to baggage we went,  must admit it went quite fast and then onto the bio security.  Now that took about 15 min.  I warned Carla that my friends would be there to meet me and that within 2 min there would be 4 children attached to every part of me they could reach.  She laughed as she witnessed this phenomenon of child swarming.  Amazing since its about 630am on a Friday morning and the kids have to go to school in a few short hours.  Carla said hi and bye as she was catching a bus into town to her hotel, so we parted ways at the airport. 

Big thanks to Angie and Rick for coming to collect me.  Got back to their place and am feeling amazing.  Peeled the kids off me and sent them off to school and the adults off to work.  Sat for a little while and listened to the wind and rain.  Yes we have arrived at the start of a huge storm front.  Had a shower and was standing outside waiting for the bus by 930am (yes I took public transport - don't judge me!!!!)  I am doing the top 3 must see in Auckland tour. The Auckland Zoo, Pride of Auckland afternoon cruise and the Sky Tower.  Should I start with the bus trip?  Well it was a hour and a half through the suburbs of Glen Eden to downtown Auckland - Wow.  The driver was so funny,  till a guy ran in front of his bus to make sure he stopped.  Driver- "What the hell do ya thing your doing {hard to type with an accent),  ya know that's how ya get hurt and the bloody bus driver gets the blame, happened to one of my mates yesterday ya bloody fool"  nothing from the runner, just paid his fare and sat down.  Welcome home LOL.  Got to some parts of Auckland and I started to remember where we were.  Driver took me to the train station,  he miss understood me that I wanted to go to the InterCity bus line - oh well we grabbed a drink and a mince pie and then got back on the bus and he took me to where I should have been.  So even with the travel time I was still 2 hours early for the tour so wondered around the Sky Casino, yup same layout different country. 

 I had checked in for the tour and had been given my Sky Tower pass so decided to do that first as apposed to the end of the tour,  yup more rebel behavior, just wait till I get home.  I soooooooooooo wanted to do the sky walk but I had 2 things against me - One the walk around the outside of the tower wouldn't finish in time for me to get to my bus tour AND the 90 mile winds had closed down the walk.  So going to the Observation deck was my only option.  The sun had come out so it was really good to walk around and see the city from so high up.

Boarded the bus and off we went to the Auckland Zoo,  haven't been there since I was 16 years old.  Just as we pulled up the sky's parted and the rain pelted down.  Now is the time I am regretting not taking my lovely rain jacked and wondering what was I thinking when I put on my denim jacket.  Thank goodness for the umbrellas given to us.  One benefit was the Zoo was empty so it was like our own playground as there was only 5 of us on this trip.  Kiwi house first,  I found the female in the corner but nope she wasn't going to look.  Moved onto the tigers,  there are 3 tiger cubs that are 6 - 8 months old and even in this rain they were out and about - then we found mamma tiger.  Went indoors to see a up-close demo of native animals,  don't worry Franki no snakes we don't have any.  This was when the worst of the rain came over thank goodness.  We moved onto the giraffes and zebras and then to see the lions.  Wow one of females came out and came up-close to the glass for us to get the most amazing photos.  I personally believe she could see the zebras through the 2 sets of glass and was thinking about lunch. 

 

 

 

 Since we are on a tour and timeline we then had to leave to get to the docks for our yacht cruse - did I mention the storm?  We jumped onboard "Defiance" -  hmmm are you seeing a pattern here?  As we were being told what was going on and we put on our pretty blue weather protectors I looked up and there was Carla standing on the dock.  She had come down to see if her evening cruise would be going ahead - well the answer to that was no it wouldn't.  We asked if she could join this tour and yahoo she was then wearing the same crazy blue water thing I was,  minus the life jacket.  I just felt better wearing a life jacket in these kind of winds and knowing that my darling husband would kill me if I didn't take care.  So off we went in 120 mile winds into the harbor,  the only yacht to do so I might add!  again Defiance - good name????

It was an amazing 90 minutes and I got such a kick out of watching Carla take the wheel and then do a tacking move (sorry if that not the correct sailing language).  At times we were sideways it got really crazy out there.  The more crazy part was when some person without a brain let me take the wheel as we headed toward the Auckland Harbor Bridge! They even let me do a turn.  Ok so my hands were over my eyes and the captain really did it but hey who's going to know.  Others had a go at the wheel as well and then we headed back.  Carla took us back into dock and she just looked so happy.

 

 

 

 

Back on land Carla took off to wonder the streets and to have dinner and I got picked up by Rick and off we went home,  not before collecting some drinks for the night.  Dinner was a nice family affair,  sat around talking for a while as we listened to the rain, watched the lighting and counted for the thunder.  I made it to bed by 9pm. 

Ok lets think about it - this is DAY ONE!!!!

Sep 15th 2010

Here we go again another adventure....this one started many months ago when Kristine in our office won 2 tickets on Air New Zealand.  She spent many weeks trying to work out if, or when she could take advantage of this wonderful  opportunity.  No matter what she tried it turned out that she couldn't.  Thats when Kristine  approached Carla and I to see if we would be able to use the tickets.  As excited as we got it was hard to find space and dates that we could travel together as that is part of the ANZ rules.  Carla has never been to New Zealand and I of course will be going to see family.  How can Carla and I ever repay Kristine (and Catherine for giving us the time to go) for her kindness?  Not sure but we will find a way.

So here we sit at the airport with 2 hours to go - I guess you would feel sorry for us until you find out that we are indeed in the Air Canada Lounge.  Oh did I forget to mention the tickets are First Class?????

Sorry My Bad!  Yes there will be photos at some point.

While in New Zealand Carla and I will go our separate ways and meet up again at the end.  Though we will be doing some of the same trips we are using 2 differant companies, so it will be interesting to see what our thoughts are on the 2 companies.

I am going to post as much as I can but please understand that internet may be limited so everything may come at once.  Thanks for following and will talk to you soon.

















Sharon and Carla