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Day 18 + 19 – Traveling Home
The start of a very sad day as we have to say our goodbyes to Chris, Manny and the gorgeous little Reilly. We start the day by all going out for breakfast then they drive us to the Airport where there is inevitably lots of tears. Its never easy saying goodbye but when there is a grandson involved that you can only see every few years it makes it harder. Then there’s the country itself which also makes leaving very difficult.
We wave goodbye and get on to the first of 3 flights back to England. The first is a 7 hr 50m flight to the island of Bali, unfortunately we don’t stay there long before we rebound the same plane to take us the 9 hours on to Dubai. The journey is tough, not helped by some u]young babies crying for a lot of it but eventually we get to Dubai and board the final flight to Manchester. This flight takes 7h 30 m but is only half full so we have plenty of room and its very quiet so get some sleep.
So here we are at the end of an amazing holiday and truly the best experience of my life. I knew it would be good but it far exceeded what I could ever imagine. We have both fallen in love with this country and we are already planning the next trip here which really will be as soon as we can. If you’ve never been, do everything you can to make it happen as it really is something very special.
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Day 17 – Parkrun, Beach and a Special Meal
Last full day in New Zealand and its up bright and early again as me and Linda went and took on the Western Springs Parkrun again. Linda wasn’t up for pushing it and was quite happy to plod round again enjoying the beauty of the park. For me I thought id try and push it a bit seeing as id not run for two weeks. Started well but faded badly on the 3rd lap but happy with a time of 26 minutes. We went to the cafe again and had a catch up with our New Zealand Parkrun friends promising to revisit this run when we come back.
After jogging back to Chris’s we quickly got showered and changed and all went out west to Piha beach. Another black sand beach that is known for its strong tide and waves with many people getting into trouble here. A walk along the beach though as perfectly safe and really enjoyable with Reilly. We got some stranger to take some group photos of us and had lunch at a bistro nearby. We head back and let Reilly have a nap while me and Linda get some supplies in at the supermarket for the long journey home tomorrow.
This evening its time to get dressed up a bit as Chris has booked the four of us in for a special farewell meal. It turned out to be in the amazing Auckland Sky Tower. It stands at 328m tall, bigger than the Eiffel Tower. Level 50 is the Sky Cafe followed on level 51 by the main observation area where most people who visit go to for unrivalled 360 degree views of the city and a scary glass floor. The next level though is where we went, level 52, the Orbit revolving restaurant. All the tables are on a circular section that revolves slowly around covering a full circle of the city each hour. I can honestly say I’ve never eaten at a more stunning venue in my life. There are two more accessible levels, level 53 which is where the Skyjump and Skywalk are if adrenaline rushes are your thing. Finally there is Level 60, the Sky Deck. This is another restaurant but only for the rich and famous as this comes at a mega cost. We were more than happy with pour meal on level 52, something we will never forget.
Tomorrow is the day we must say goodbye to Chris, Manny and Reilly and start our journey back home, something neither of us want to do.
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Day 16 – Volcano walk and trip to the park
After yesterdays disappointment missing the ferry to Rangitoto we made sure we were up and at the ferry terminal in plenty of time today for the 10-30am crossing. The journey was only short but as soon as we got there it was clear this was a special place. It literally is just tons and tons of dried lava with new trees and shrubs growing from it. There are lots of paths around the island but we plumped for a 7 mile walk along the coast then up to the summit and straight back down the main path. Immediately we see the black lava flow frozen in time and you realise the force and destruction this will have caused. Rangitoto is thought to have erupted from the sea 600 years ago so its relatively new and that would explain why there is so much black rock on show. As we walked along the beach we also got great views of Auckland city and then we came across the Rangitoto Beacon lighthouse and McKenzie bay which is a lovely tranquil corner of the island with black sand.
We take lunch here then head off up the track. The higher we get the more dense the shrubs and trees become. At 5 miles there is a turn off for the summit which is a wooden boardwalk with 300 steps to the top. It seems to go on forever but then we arrive at the edge of the crater which is now just full of trees and bushes. The birdlife is also quite prominent up here too with green Kakapo and quite a few Tui’s with their distinctive call. Another 20 steps further up is the highest point on the island with a trig point and this is a truly amazing viewpoint with 360 degree views of the rest of the island, Auckland itself and the many other islands around here.
I could stay here all day looking at this especially with the clear blue skies. But we have to get back for the ferry or we will be stuck on the island for the night, not good when there is nowhere to shelter here as its unpopulated. The path down is a little more direct and rough and soon we are at the harbour. A short wait for the boat and we are on our way back to the city. This has been a real treat and we will come back here on our next trip down under to walk the rest of the island.
After catching the train back we then meet up with Manny and take little Reilly down to the park for an hour. Its the same park where we did the parkrun on that first Saturday and is teaming with ducks, Takahe, sparrows and black swans. After throwing some bread down for them we are soon bombarded by them all and it actually got a bit scary. Reilly loved it watching everything move, he really is very inquisitive and can’t take his eyes off anything that moves. Linda’s face is again lit up with joy as she plays with him and carry’s him around. Precious moments that she can treasure forever.
After Manny made us tea, Chris then took us to a bar that served nothing but beer and desserts and wow what a choice. A great way to end another fabulous day.
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Day 15 – Back in Auckland & Trip to Waiheke
Day 15 starts with the lovely sound of Reilly laughing while eating his breakfast, something we’ve both missed while on the road. Out of all the amazing sights we have seen on this trip my favourite is Linda’s face lighting up when she sets eyes on this amazing little man. Priceless.
We spend a few hours with Manni and Reilly (Chris is at work) then me and Linda head off to take . a boat trip to one of the islands. The plan was to go to Rangitoto but we missed the ferry by just 5 minutes and so had to change to short day in Waiheke which you would normally go for a full day. The ferry journey is around 50 mins and as we arrive the heavens open, something we had to get used to today. Despite this we head on up the hill to Oneroa and get views of one of the many amazing beaches here. The sun comes out so its off with the coats and down onto the beach for a superb stroll. Because the weather is so changeable today we have the beach almost to ourselves which is great. We then head back on to the roads and on the map it shows a village called Blackpool which has its own beach. This has got to be seen. When we get there it couldn’t be more different from the Blackpool we know. A sleep row of houses that sit on a very quiet secluded beach with absolutely no lights or rides and to be honest, nothing going on. We continued our walk around the island dodging showers with coats on then off then on again, it was exhausting just swapping and changing the clothing but well worth it for the beauty of this place.
Then our short time on the island was over and we set off back on the ferry to Auckland where we had arranged to meet up with my cousin Kay. I hadn’t seen Kay in around 20 years, 11 of which she has spent here in Auckland. She has the same mindset as Linda’s son Chris, that this is the best place on earth and no way will they ever go back to living in the UK again. We can both see exactly why they think that, its such a stunning country with a very easy going lifestyle that would suit me and Linda down to the ground. A very quick hour went by catching up with Kay and i wish now id arranged to spend more time with her. The next time we come we definitely will though.
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