Pauanui Part 1 (i.e. before we actually get to Pauanui)

What up, crazy people?
I have a new update about what I did when Oliver came up to see me.
First though, thank you for all your lovely birthday wishes and gifts.

Any who, Oliver came up to see me over the weekend. Sensibly this time we hired a car so got to do a few more interesting things.

We spent the first day just relaxing and settling in.We drove up the coast a bit and Olly found a swing. He was very proud of his discovery. Observe -

 Because I am a lovely lady I worked a super long day before hand so I could take the Friday off. We went walking  up to a kauri grove. The weather held most of the way with it just starting to get a little cloudy on the way back.

 I don't really like this photo much but Olly seems too so I've added it in. I call it "shocked on a rock". We also saw a big black crayfish looking thing in the water. I'm not sure what it was but I think Mum talked about chasing Nana with them when she was little.

 Us hugging one of the Kauri. It's so cute (fluffy)

Sadly I have no photos of the rest of our day. We drove up around the coast back towards Auckland to a famous fish and chip shop I had evesdropped about. It was really really good fish and chips. By that stage it was raining so we sat in the car on the waterfront. Super Yummy!

On the way home we got to witness a ridiculous traffic jam stretching 1 km back from the one lane bridge into Thames. Happily they are building a new bridge.

Then, because we are boring, we went home and watched Glee.

Got to go....To be continued

Weekend on the Coromandel Peninsula

Hello again.

I'm here to update everyone on my weekend. Oliver has now gone home (sad face) so I need something to do to keep me busy.

Anywho, we spent the weekend on the other side of the peninsula. It was pretty fun.  I've decided I will tell the story with photos. (The one at the top is us at Hahei beach)

This is us setting off. Note the grapes Oliver refused to leave behind despite having no room in his bag

Us at the bus stop, still with grapes

The view from the ferry at Whitianga. The bus took us to Whiti and then we had to cross on the ferry and get a shuttle. Was a bit of a mission as all the shuttles were being used for a wedding. But eventually sorted something out. I sulked briefly, probably making Oliver think twice about our south east asia trip.

Having made it to Hot water beach we hired a shovel and got digging. Unfortunately it's actually quite a small bit of beach and all the good spots were taken. Our pool was just cold, which actually worked out well when we made friends and their pool was too hot.

Oliver with his grapes, we gave some to the ?german people who let us in the pool. It seemed to cement the friendship. So they came in handy after all. Also Oliver seemed to enjoy them.

I would like to show you a nice photo of us in the pool but my feet are right by the hotwater spring so mostly it's just me making ouch-hot faces.

See - just ouch faces.

We stayed the night just up the road at hahei. We stayed in a caravan. There was a mouse, I thought it was Olly. There may have been some screaming. In other news, the beach there is amazing. The next few photos are of it.

 

On the way back home the nice shuttle driver took us up to the lookout. It looks over Mercury Bay. This is the place where Captain Cook first took the transit of Mercury and figured out New Zealands co-ordinates. The shuttle driver even took our photo for us

 

We also visited an old pa site. The track up to it is cut through the old shell middens and you can see the layers.

On Sunday after we got back to Thames we hung out at the water front and went to the movies. The theatre is really cute and old fashioned with chandeliers etc

Cinema

Us in the bird hide.

And that's all folks

First Post!

Hey everyone,
I have arrived safe and well in Thames. Olly is sitting next to me and I have roped him into helping me set this up. I have brought myself a styley new camera so expect photos.

The trip here was pretty good. We stayed one night in Auckland and went up the sky tower just before it shut. The view with all the lights was amazing. The backpackers was pretty noisy.

Everyone at the hospital is very nice and making quite a fuss of us because of the earthquake. The room is heaps better than Timaru. And the view along the water front is exotic, with lots of mangroves.

Over the weekend we are going to try to make it to hot water beach, that place where you can dig your own hot pool.

I hope everyone is keeping safe, love to you all
PS Have posted something for carly and katy

 Me and Olly up a tree on the water front in Thames

 Same tree but Olly wanted me to upload this as it's his new favourite picture of us together

 Thames Firth, still don't know exactly what a firth is but will look up

 Me creating this blog

 Our room in Thames Hospital Hostel