When we arrived in Auckland on Thursday we set about trying to recover our suitcases that we'd posted over from Bris. We had to fill out forms at customs, MAF (biosecurity) and DHL. It took a while but we got them without any trouble, especially when I flashed the old NZ passport. After that we drove down to Raglan to the surf school where we were supposed to be parking up for 3 nights. When we got there though it was very hilly and the van kept slipping on the gravel, it wasn't finished and there were still building materials around, there wasn't really a proper toilet/shower block close by and it was all out in the bush with nobody else staying there but us. So we decided not to stay and drove back into town and stayed at the holiday park there, way more comfortable. Since it was so late and we didn't have food in the van yet we got fish and chips, Gurnard, such nice fish! Yum!
The next morning when we checked in for surfing we explained about not staying and they understood and didn't make us pay, phew! Surf lesson was fun but we were both pretty rubbish and I twisted my ankle which didn't hurt that much till the next morning when I got up and couldn't walk! We had booked hire of boards and wetsuits though so i took a body board out instead. Waves were rubbish though and when we got back to the site it rained all avo. So we just chilled out in the van, read and played bananagrams.
We gave up by day 3 but discovered a cool church to go to instead and then drove to cuz Donna's house where we met her family as well as cuz Tanya's.