Food: Last night we had lamb and roasted veg. Pumpkin, potato, shallots and sweet potato (which goes by yet another different name here).
The night before I cooked lasagne for Neil, Julie and Mara. Thankfully it was one of my best ones, although I did manage to burn the bottom of the garlic bread and sweet potato chips...
Before that me Neil and Steve had a super slap up meal at Tides by the beach the meals were pretty dynamic. For example I had a vege spring roll with garlic mash and a coconut curry sauce which was delicious. (Followed by chocolate mouse in a chocolate cup and preceded by a humous/bread medley.

As we go over the harbour bridge with a great view of the city I can't see the top of the sky tower because of the clouds. Not that the sky tower is pretty, it looks like a hypodermic needle...

Fact: The harbour bridge had to be widened due to a greater usage by traffic. So they built wings on it for 4 more lanes! And THEN they placed a machine at each end to change the number of lanes going each way for rush hours! So innovative are the kiwis!

Had a great weekend learning about the family and meeting the grandkids (my nephews twice removed?) who call Neil 'Neenee' which is really cute; but when you see how goooogaagaa Neil goes around Zane it all makes sense and it is so funny! Also on Saturday we went to a gourmet market in Makutana (or a name resembling that) which had a great vibe. There was:
Local apple/other fruit wines
French patisserie
Smoothies
Macadamia
Posh fast food
Mussels
Breads oils and jams
Veg
And chumyums... A treat which have a mouse/marshmallows inside, chocolate on the outside and hazelnut crumbs on the bottom. Yummmmmm.

Yesterday we went shopping for a rucksack I can use for hiking and other stuff. It was nice being the one in the know as I could show Neil what to look for in a bag (though he did advise me too on colour schemes and NZ$ value) like the weak points I learnt about in my last backpack. I got a bright orange bargain for 60$ and mum and dad treated me to this and a red/orange raincoat for my birthday. I will be well seen in any emergency as Neil says. Oh and we made the most if the new rain this morning before going running in it!

Spending the week with Neil has been great and feels like we have been good friends for a while. Oh and I've learnt so much about New Zealand, I wonder how likely it is for the Hockins to immigrate... I'm sure there is a strong need for a Hero division in the South Island... I look forward to some more paddle boarding and catch up on the way back through Auckland in a few weeks!

Yesterday afternoon Neil put on his tiki tour hat and we drove literally over to the west and my toes tingled with happiness when I finally saw the brilliant mountainous green New Zealand I had expected since the recent drought has brownified everywhere else! We continued over the top with a gadget/music discussion and then suddenly the Tasman sea appeared and the ickle beach view took my breath away. Just once, I am still breathing so don't worry! We wandered down the black sanded Piha beach and then last night we watched Piha Rescue (similar to Air Ambulance rescue in Englad) and we saw the beach on tv!!! And thennn it made a big deal of some Yorkshire tourists on kiwi experience that had to be rescued at hot water beach... D'oh!