After the sun, sea and surf in Portugal at Christmas we were very excited about going home to NZ in Jan for Chris’ sister’s wedding as we had a taste of the good weather to come and the outdoor summer lifestyle we miss so much over here. The week before we left London was the coldest we had felt all winter so this just made us happier to be leaving for 2 weeks.
The flight was hideous, there is no way to make that long haul nightmare any easier (well apart from first class, but we can’t comment on how much easier that makes things as we aren’t millionaires!)
We arrived in Auckland exhausted but really happy to be home. Chris often says NZ has a smell to it (in a nice way!!) and it is true. It smells green, even from outside the terminal buildings at Auckland airport. Much nicer than the grimy smell that London has about it that’s for sure.
True to his word we were picked up in a bright yellow van by Simon who would be our Auckland tour guide for the next 2 days. As we arrived early on Sat morning we were determined to stay awake as long as possible to fight off jet lag. A road trip to Piha beach (with a pit stop on the way to get a pie) was a perfect way to do this. The beach was lovely and rugged, so not what we expected from an Auckland beach – ie not pretentious! We felt guilty for judging Auckland in this way…just for a moment. After the beach mission we decided a good ole kiwi bbq at night with a few drinks was in order, it was brilliant. We went a little mad stuffing our faces with all the food we had missed for the last year and half but it was worth it.
Next morning after a solid sleep Chris and Simon went for a surf while I battled the torrential rain wandering down to the shops. That’s right, torrential rain! Where was my summer sun! I quickly went back to judging Auckland. Simon dropped us at the airport in the afternoon and off to Wellington we went.
Was so good seeing Mum and Dad waiting for us, it is amazing how quickly you realise that home is where the heart is and family is such an important part of being home. After some debate in the car about what to have for dinner – fish and chips or Fishermans Table, Fishermans Table won the battle, only because we knew that we could get the fishermans baskets to fulfil our desire for deep fried fish goodness that we had been dreaming of for so long.
Next day proved to be a summer scorcher, and the necessary family visits were on the cards especially as I had a new nephew born a week before I got home. Unfortunately for us Chris was struck down with some kind of bizarre illness – allergic to sun after not seeing it for so long? Maybe it was jet lag to the extreme? Whatever it was he was not a happy chappy so spent the day in bed with a fever and lack of appetite which really made me realise he must have been ill. With him tucked away in bed I was free to swim in the pool with my other nephews and sister who made the trip down from Palmerston to see us. It has been a long time since I felt hot enough to dive into a pool so I was loving it!
Next day we had a dinner planned with our friends in Wellington. It was fantastic seeing some of the old crew, and despite my best efforts it was impossible to have a meaningful catch up with all of you at once – sorry! This would be the point in the blog where Tuna could have made a debut with a photo, but as there was no suitable one taken or one from the past that was usable for various reasons (please do not feel like you have to send me the one with you in budgie smugglers laying on a holden either by the way…) he only gets a mention.
Chris departed the next morning for Christchurch to catch up with his friends and family and I followed a couple of days later in time to get involved with some of the wedding hype. The night before the wedding we were treated to an all class bbq at Adam and Tammy’s, I have to say I have never had a bbq that was so gourmet and delicious. Big inch thick steaks that melted like butter in your mouth as they were cooked to perfection, glorious potato salad, corn on the cob, I am salivating writing this. It was a night that got away on us though and the next morning (day of the wedding) we were a little tired.
The wedding day was amazing, the weather was perfect and the bride and groom were looking wonderful. It was a great wedding, really relaxed and fun and all went without a hitch. Chris shone as the limbo king – who would have known he was a master at bending over backwards? It could have had something to do with the fact there was a prize of a massive jar of wine gums? That boy will do anything for food…
Next day there was a bbq at Chris’ parents and in true kiwi style there was a game of backyard cricket set up. It was all going well until a freak storm rolled through and the hail came pelting down along with thunder and forked lightening. The cricket pitch didn’t survive too well so with no more cricket to play we decided to set off for a couple of nights at Port Levy with Adam and Tammy.
There is something about Port Levy that makes you instantly relax and be happy. It is probably down to the peace and quiet and stunning view over a quiet inlet! Worth the car ride over a windy road getting car sick anytime. We had a great couple of nights just hanging out with a spot of kayaking, a lot of eating and drinking and the necessary outdoor fire with marshmallow roasting. Little did we know there was a fire ban on at the time – oops!
The next morning it was time for me to go back to Wellington and leave Chris in Christchurch. For me it was more family and friends time and for Chris much the same, however he did get an opportunity to go for a good surf at Magnet Bay with his brand new surfboard. We both felt rushed to fit in all the things we wanted to do and definitely didn’t have enough time to spend just chilling with our friends and family. Unfortunately for us work takes precedence as we need money to have holidays.
We met up again in Auckland ready for our mammoth trip back to the UK and a little sad to be leaving. Funnily enough the airline we flew forces you to stopover in Seoul for 1 night and puts you up in a hotel with free breakfast and lunch. We weren’t really prepared for the extreme coldness of Seoul at -8 degrees as we only had our carry on luggage and no winter attire. After a brief wait outside for our transfer to the hotel we arrived to a VERY nice Hilton, way more luxury than we are used to on our travels. We ran the gauntlet outside to a little grocery store to get some Korean noodles for dinner – woooooooo – SPICY!
The next morning we woke up to snow! Snow so dry you pick it up and it basically disintegrates in your hand. Best part about the stopover was being able to have a bath, lie down flat and actually get a decent nights sleep, oh and the enormous buffet breakfast – honestly it was insane the choices you had – insanely good that is. We both ate so much we felt sick, but knowing we had a voucher to eat a free lunch at the airport we dug deep and both managed to force down another meal as well.
So, back to London we arrived, it was cold, and busy, and not home. But we aren’t finished here yet as there is more travelling to do and we need to make the most of it while we can. So the blog will continue in 2009 with new adventures for Chris and I, so hopefully you are still interested in reading about them!
