New Zealand 2014

Saturday, 1 March 2014

Saturday 1st March

Just a few photos today, I will add text tomorrow as it is very late

Helen opening her birthday present early after we got home this evening.

We had been to a comedy show and she'd been to a hen do.

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Friday 28th February ~ a quiet day after yesterday.....

After a long tiring day out yesterday today is a quieter day though Josh was out in the garden early preparing the twin hulls of their catamaran for painting. He is spending the day getting 3 or 4 coats done so it can be fine sanded and finished nicely.

The two hulls of Helen & Josh's Tornado layed out and painting commenced

Josh has had to do a great deal of work replacing sections and sanding ready for the paint

A smelly job on a hot day

Drying between coats

Wet and dry sanding after three coats

Helen helping and Percy on quality control!!

Shiny :-)

More wet and dry next week before the 4th coat

Penny the Foreman

Sorry but I love this brand of potatoes ~ only in New Zealand!

Apologies Marilyn :-) !

Good variety of honey in this supermarket

Penny hungry after all her supervision duties especially when she smelt the ham I was using in the sandwiches for lunch!!

Helen gardening having washed the cars on the lawn so it gets some water.

Thursday 27th ~ Wonderful Waiheke Day Trip

Morning coffee while waiting for the ferry

Sealink ferry arriving at Half Moon Bay

Rangitoto Island and the other ferry coming from Waiheke
Rangitoto is just off the shore from Auckland but is only dormant, not extinct and could blow at any time. Disaster management here works on the premise it might erupt any day.
Not sure what they are planning for as we'd all be dead!!

First stop of the day at Oneroa Bay for breakfast

Then onto this beautiful headland on Barrier Rd to see a bach that Helen & Josh stayed at last month

This The Hut; Helen and Josh received a voucher for a weekend here as a wedding present.
It is perched on the cliff edge with stunning views

First swimming beach of the day :-) It was a very busy beach!

Percy and Helen after our swim

Then on through vineyards and olive groves

and stunning scenery.... the white fields in the valley are vines covered with netting to keep the birds away from the valuable crop.

We arrived at this World War Two site of historical importance

A good hike along this hot and dusty track

through boulder strewn hills; these are the result of a volcanic eruption over seven million of years ago.The nearest similar rocks are some miles to the north of Auckland

Some modern art!

And more superb views

Both of us on Battery Point

and with Helen

More vineyards near the car-park

and onto our lunch stop!

Tasty sharing platters and suitable lubrication!

Helen & Josh

The beach at the vineyard

Back to Oneroa, where we had breakfast for a little shopping so first we had to walk up the very steep cliff path where this handy resting point had been carved. I have it on good authority that it was very comfortable to sit on....

....and had this view with the beach peeping between the trees.

After our swim we bought pizzas from this mobile woodfired pizza oven trailer

whilst eating them we watched this mad woman ease herself into her mermaid style wet suit bottoms and then head out for a swim, presumably searching for Nemo or her inner fish
Maybe she's a Pisces celebrating her birthday!!

Finally back towards Auckland as the sun went down

The end of a perfect day out and thanks to Helen & Josh for arranging it all

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Wednesday 26th ~ Evening boat trip

This evening Helen and Josh took us out through Auckland Harbour, under the bridge and up a beautiful creek. We met up with the rest of the Puckey family for dinner at The Riverhead Inn