Leaving the Coromandel, the International Boat Show (Dale had free tickets) and watching the NZ v Japan game at The Cloud were on the agenda today - and what a day it was.

Driving back to Auckland from the Coromandel we stopped for lunch at a well-known Fish & Chips restaurant and had some GORGEOUS grub were the resident cat walked around quite unashamedly scouting for leftovers - he got them too.

Well-fed and happy, we got back on the road and back to house before all jumping on bus into the city - Boat Show here we come!

We arrived late afternoon and probably only had an hour or so left of the show, but we managed it ok. To be fair the majority of stuff on display was engines, radar equipment, more engines, boats, pipes...that sort of thing so we got round the indoors bit pretty quickly stopping only a couple of times to have a look at the Jet Ski's and other smaller bits. Michelle, Darren and I stopped at one place where we were looking at portable wind up torches, think I was saying something about them being good for camping etc, when the man came over to speak to us, we couldn't have been there for more than a few minutes when we turned to leave, it was at this point that Michelle looked over my shoulder and told me to look, as I turned around I looked around to see what she was pointing at before I realised that I was on the telly! Not just any telly mind you, a Thermal Imaging Telly and sheer horror struck me as I screamed "Arghh my boobs!" before swiftly covering them in order to erase the two glowing white 'hot spots' on the screen and walking away hurriedly! ABORT, ABORT! Running through my mind we just got outside as quickly as possible.

More hysterics from Michelle and I and I think possibly even a couple of tears - I felt violated but it was hysterical! Michelle insisted she was going to tell me but I turned around a little too quickly and then it was game over!... Still laughing uncontrollably and in shock, I tried to explain to the quys what happened going through every type of imaging equipment other than thermal…

…the thing, it picked up my boobs, just there on the screen - how rude! Bloody radar, thing, the sonar it just had my boobs bright as you like on the bloody screen…

Michelle: You mean Thermal Imaging?

(Yeah, that too!)

Recovered slightly but still smiling we carried on outside looking at all the boats for sale, I started talking to two guys and was asking them about prices etc when Michelle joined me where I told her how much the boat in front of us would cost, she made a joke about 'well, if you not gonna spend at least 1 mill, why bother!?' Obvious sarcasm to which I smiled at but the two guys just looked serious….. Okaaaayyyyy, we'll be off then - sheesh! Lighten up fellas!

On to the next port of call and there was a boat called Sea Legs which is basically one of these boats that looks like a speed dingy, has two engines one for water and then one for land because it has wheels where you can drive straight out of the water onto land. They looked very good and we were all sat watching, so I just walked up to one of the guys and continuing my 'Stephs Driving Big Engined Machines Adventure' asked if we could have a go! 'Of course!' was the reply (SWEET!)

I waved the guys over shouting that we had a ride and we all got in to one of the boats, the guy taking us out was called Nick and he mentioned he had worked in the UK for a bit and he seemed like a lovely bloke, he took us right out into the harbour and under Auckland Bridge and back (let me drive!! YES) and then drove us up one of the boat ramps and back down to show us how it all worked before taking us back around into the port! Nice One!

After that, Michelle, Darren and I all had a go at driving another little boat around in the harbour just going forward and reversing etc nothing to adventurous but it was great fun - I also nearly pulled a guy into the harbour as he tried to help is 'park up' but the less said about that the better…. *ahem*

Moving swiftly on (!) we walked over Wynyard Crossing and over to the Fanzone area to get good places for the NZ v Japan game - well you can tell where this is going - standing room only - I spent most of the night looking at the backs of people's heads, slightly frustrating but I wasn't too bothered about it, what bothered me more was how rude some people can get! One woman said excuse me, (looking as if she was walking through) so I stood back slightly for her to go through when she just stood RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME and stayed there!!?? I gave it 5 seconds then tapped here on the shoulder, she turned around and I made a variety of hand gestures basically inferring that I couldn't see and she had just stood right in front of me… it went a little like this:

Gesticulation at its best - a raised eyebrow expression from me and a wave of my hand in front of my face and then a wave of it back and forth in her direction, followed by two hands raised in the 'Wtf' manner and she came back with "Yeah, I'm not staying I'm passing through" to which she moved and then stopped 3 steps away from me! Bloody cheek!

I couldn't believe it I turned around slowly and looked at Michelle completely aghast and she just laughed at me! It just after this that 'Emma' and her friends turned up…

…walking in front of me and stopping right next to me, you could tell they didn't really know too much about rugby and were completely pissed! Screaming, and I mean SCREAMING at the tops of their lungs every time ANYONE touched the ball… they were knocking people and generally getting right on my nerves, when 'Emma' started to leave and her friends felt the need to let everyone in the building know her name:

"Emma, don't leave, Emma, you've got the best spot Emma, it's all just getting exciting Emma, Emma! Emma, don't leave, come back Emma, stay!...

OH MY GOD - we get it!!!! She is called EMMA!

I started to laugh at this point because the whole thing was becoming futile and it was quite obvious that NZ were going to win so I just went and stood back with the guys and kept an eye on 'Emma'…

After the game finished we walked around for a bit and then walked back to the bus stop, around the marina and past all the boats that were moored up. It was then that we saw, sat on a bench on the phone on her own, who? Yes, you guessed it, EMMA! So she quite obviously did leave, despite having the best spot, loads of room and just as it all got rather exciting. Shame really…

On the plus side, the walk back to the bus stop did find us coming across a sign for 'Casual Parking' which Michelle and I found hilarious and took the opportunity to get some well-earned Side Boob photographs alongside!