A cushy status run across the ditch turns into a work trip!

[cmon0005]

Wow

. View attachment 43963

Syd F lounge has the best views of the sunrise and runway!

 

[Pushka]

Are you a pour the Moët over the cereal or keep it separate type?

Definitely separate. Its not a good look drinking from a cereal bowl.

 

[TomVexille]

Definitely separate. Its not a good look drinking from a cereal bowl.

Nothing wrong with drinking from a bowl.

 

[serfty]

Most amazing muesli. So many nuts.

...

i had that once - extremely filling - could only eat 2/3 of it ... very nice though ...

(At home I have raw muesli 4-5 mornings a week - can't come at the "toasted" stuff which is generally so full of the sugar used to "facilitate" the toasting. )

 

[Pushka]

Nice flight. No need for lunch. Just as well. The chicken dish contained more greens than I'd eat in a year.





Collected the rather grubby rental car.
Traffic awful. A two hour trip north suggested by gps to take three and a half hours.

 

[QF WP]

Great to hear you enjoying yourself and MrP enjoying see you get your enjoyment

Nice photos and I'm a little bit green with envy. Now I'd better get back to work after my cheese toastie

 

[Pushka]

Traffic car park - mini Sydney Harbour.



Nice view Dame Older?



QM2 is currently Circumnavigating NZ. Except the cyclone intervened. Missed Wellington and had to cruise up West coast instead of East. Been safe berthed here for two nights.

 

[cambriamarsh]

Welcome to Aucklands Friday night traffic! Enjoy the trip.

 

[Pushka]

Welcome to Aucklands Friday night traffic! Enjoy the trip.

Given Auckland is just a bit larger than Adelaide, the traffic is insane here. Our 2.5 hour drive took almost over 4 hours mostly with a traffic pack. Finally arrived at 8.45pm. Had to duck into the golden arches as we didn't know if restaurants would be open. Plus a bottle shop for some Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Rose which of course were delish. Needn't have worried about restaurants - there are several here right on the water. Looking forward to daylight tomorrow. Paia looks like fun.

 

[Atleastonce]

Given Auckland is just a bit larger than Adelaide, the traffic is insane here. Our 2.5 hour drive took almost over 4 hours mostly with a traffic pack. Finally arrived at 8.45pm. Had to duck into the golden arches as we didn't know if restaurants would be open. Plus a bottle shop for some Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Rose which of course were delish. Needn't have worried about restaurants - there are several here right on the water. Looking forward to daylight tomorrow. Paia looks like fun.

I left Ellerslie tonight at 5pm in a cab thinking I would hit motorway traffic and got to Auckland airport in 20 minutes. Couldn't believe it so then had to wait 40 minutes to check in to open.

Great restaurant at Auckland Quay, Botswana Barbeque. Nice location and on Thursday night I was able to sit outside and admire the Queen Victoria in dock.

 

[Deleted member]

Given Auckland is just a bit larger than Adelaide, the traffic is insane here. Our 2.5 hour drive took almost over 4 hours mostly with a traffic pack. Finally arrived at 8.45pm. Had to duck into the golden arches as we didn't know if restaurants would be open. Plus a bottle shop for some Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Rose which of course were delish. Needn't have worried about restaurants - there are several here right on the water. Looking forward to daylight tomorrow. Paia looks like fun.

Would that be Paihia ?

 

[Pushka]

Would that be Paihia ?

It would. It had been a long day starting with 6am Vintage Moet. . Flight. Ending with a four hour drive in heavy traffic, dirty car windscreen (i think they'd waxed it so it was blurry) and drizzling rain. Maccas for "dinner". Lucky the bottle shop was open. .

Woke up this morning to Bay of Islands.





No wonder the kiwis are good at water sports.

 

[Pushka]

A nice organic breakfast - $17.



Then off for a walk. Just a really pretty scenic tourist place.







Then across on a ferry to Russell, supposed to be the original capital of NZ.

Reminded me of Connecticut - just very different and quaint.

 

[Pushka]

Huge Morton Bay. Planted around 1870.







And lunch overlooking the wharf.



Its the Northern Island 400 k challenge this weekend. Lycra everywhere. All trying to get onto the Ferry, bikes et all, which only carries a few at a time. Dodged a bullet by going early.

And QM2 is here tomorrow. Buses from Waitingi which is 2 minutes away will be shuttling back and forth in front of our room from 8am. Damn tourists.

 

[Deleted member]

You're correct. It was the capital. It was also once known as the hell hole of the Pacific. Full of pirates brigands and just plain nasty people.
Russell ( and the BOI in general) is my traditional family stomping ground.
My Grandfather was the vicar of Russell for a time. The old church still has AFAIK musket holes from the Maori wars.
My other grandfather was born a few miles down the road in Whakapara. ( pronounced "Foka para") Not far from hukerenui.
My uncle until recently was farming in pakaraka. Which is not far from moewera.
One of my earliest memories was the time between the Rome and Tokyo Olympic Games. One Peter Snell was doing distance training on the road from Russell to Rawhiti. My brothers , cousins and I ran with him two days running. He had to run through my uncles Farm. He went on to win a total of 3 Olympic Gold medals all up.

 

[Pushka]

My Grandfather was the vicar of Russell for a time. The old church still has AFAIK musket holes from the Maori wars.

This Church?

 

[Deleted member]

Yep. I haven't been back for quite a while now

 

[Deleted member]

And when you get to Waitangi. Look for the made in Australia sticker on the treaty house!!

 

[Pushka]

No - sorry. No photos inside.

 

[pagingjoan]

If any of you are wondering about post 38, try the "Denpasar Dreaming" thread.
(No, I'm not getting royalties for GPH's publications. )