Big holiday - post 5

Day 8 (Mon 23 Oct) - A quiet one

A day or rest/recovery and a whole series of Max and Paddy.

Day 9 (Tue 24 Oct) - Waiheke island

Decided to walk from OG's pad into Auckland city, which took round about an hour. This place really is very anglicized. They can't get enough British TV, the irritating Richard Hammond's autobiog is in the window of the bookshops etc etc. Though it is a bit like Oz as well. They have quite a few Oz shops and they strangely call linen 'Manchester' as well. They don't call steel 'Sheffield' though - I did ask! Wonder if they say 'Liverpool' instead of 'football'? Probably not at the moment actually...

When I got to town I hopped on a ferry for the 35 min trip to Waiheke Island (not Waikiki as I said a few times - which is in Hawaii). Is generally 5 degrees hotter than the mainland, my Lonely Planet tells me, and the whole island is totally and completely stunning. I had my camera out every ten seconds it seemed and felt the urge to say 'wow' out loud on several occasions despite being on a solo wander. I took a fairly tricky three hour hiking route around the island and, despite a few minor difficulties (e.g. turned around to look at the scenery and realised I'd walked right up someone's driveway and was standing in their garden), all went smoothly.

Me at some high lookout on Waiheke.

Wine Science!?! I did the wrong course.


Someone said NZ was like Wales. Don't
remember Talacre being like this.

Another non-Wales like fine scene.

Relaxing on the ferry on the way back to Auckland.

When I got back, I headed off to the quiz I'd heard so much about. Tuesday night is quiz night in NZ it seems and loads of pubs have the same (very professional) interactive quiz on at the same time. There's no entry fee and you get a free 3 pint jug of beer for your troubles as well. Think every Tue night of mine would be booked up if you had the same thing in the UK - probably with several teams entered. Unfortunately, 'Disaster for Lunt' blew it and came last - by 11 points. At one stage, we had 0 out of 5 on the true or false round. How embarrassing....

Me, OG and Jo doing badly at the
quiz we've heard so much about.

Well poured OG.

Last by 11 points. How embarrassing. Thank
god I'm leaving the country on Sunday.

I mentioned to a few of you that I might be going to an Auckland brewery for a piss up. Owen failed to organise it. This will surprise none of you that know him. He does however have some other fun and games in store for me though in the coming days. Watch this space.

Oh, and we played a spot of rugby.