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Hello everyone,
We have just arrived back at Sue and Dave's in Auckland after a splendid few days at Leigh, near Matakana. The opportunity came completely by chance. We were at a pub quiz with Sue and Dave and met a very nice lady called Laura. She very generously offered us her holiday home, or bach, during midweek as they only use it at weekends.
It was in a very small community and built right into the bush. At night it was pitch black and the stars were brilliant - we haven't seen so many, and so clearly, since we were high in the mountains in Montana. And, of course, being in the southern hemisphere there are different constellations to identify! The trip to the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre at Mount Cook certainly helped, as there we had been in a planetarium. I thought there was a band of thin, streaky cloud across the sky but then I realised it was the Milky Way!
The beaches, especially at Pakiri, were fantastic. 9km of golden white sand and all to ourselves - magic! Mind you, the drive there on the Matakana Valley Road, over 10km of unmettled roads with steep hairpin bends and precipitous drops, was challenging; it was like being on a special stage in a rally. If Dave and Sue are reading this, I really did take care of your car!
Last Sunday we met up with Michael Sheridan, an acquaintance of my friend Colin from the Vintage Motor Cycle Club, and he took us to Auckland Harbour for a classic car and bike show. It was in the yacht basin and there were some VERY expensive cars there! Modern Lamborghinis and Maseratis vied with Malcolm Campbell's first Bluebird and a replica 1930's Blower Bentley. Alas, only one 'bike, but it was a very nicely restored 1965 Triumph Bonneville. After that we went back to Michael's house for lunch with his wife Eleanor and twin boys Ethan and Flynn, aged 4. I was able to help him out a little regarding his Velocettes.
Sue and Dave have now taken off in their bus/motorhome for Opotiki for the fruit packing season, so we now have their house to ourselves. We are trying to live like Kiwis so we are walking round barefooted and in shorts as much as possible, outside as well as in! As we were taking the keys back to Laura this afternoon the schools were coming out and only about 50% of the students were wearing shoes. Of those that were, about 50% wore flip-flops.
We haven't much planned for the weekend but have arranged to go round to see Colin's daughter Wendy, her husband Chris, and their children Anya and Lucas on Saturday evening. Next week we plan a trip to the Coromandel, a beautiful coastal area south-east of Auckland, and then a trip further down to Marton to catch up with Pete Brown and family; Pete was a colleague of Denise's at All Saint's High School before they moved to New Zealand about four years ago.
The weather is still behaving itself here, though some cooler nights are promised now autumn has begun. But we still went for a long walk on Long Bay beach this afternoon in just shorts and t-shirts. The tide was out so we ventured round the north end headland for the first time and found some intriguing rock formations, part volcanic and part later, softer, layered mud deposition. The varying hardnesses of the rocks had been eroded by the waves into some very strange shapes.
We will be updating the photos in the next few days.
Best wishes to all in the UK,
Dave and Denise
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