After b/fast, D walked with the kids to the "beach" (shore of Arapoa River) whilst L performed her morning Pilates! Swapped one of M's books before leaving, and she was not impressed!

Drove east, to Brynderwyn, to pick up the SH1 and head south. Bought cheese loaf & French sticks @ Pukekaroro for tonight's "French Picnic", then found a nice deli @ Kaiwaka (cheese, pate & "champagne"), next door to a great café (Eutopia) - funky design & fabulous hot chocs!

South to Wellsford (for a brief "guided tour" as we tried to get our bearings and find the right road!) then east, through the Omaha forest. Sang "Happy Birthday" to Mum/Heather/Grandma at exactly 12 noon (12 midnight UK time)!

Brief stop at Pakiri beach (big & sandy!), then to Goat island & the marine research station. $70 for the glass bottomed boat tour around the island - just excellent! Saw snappers (blue!), chain selp jellyfish, eagle rays, red moki & mau mau! Really informative commentary by the pilot (Ivan), who answered all our questions & was an absolute wealth of knowledge! He suggested that we should check out the new "Interpretive Display" within the Auckland Uni buildings on the cliffs.

After the boat tour, we sat up on the cliffs and ate our packed lunch, and fed the ducks & seagulls! Then we went to the Uni, and spent a fabulous hour chatting with the staff, and getting shown the displays, models & live creatures! We got to see & stroke (!) a sea urchin, starfish, sponges & crabs (hermit & red rock). The kids went off with a member of staff for 20 mins & were absolutely enthralled - especially by the models of the deep sea fish (1000-2000m deep) and the sound tunnel (John Dory, Gurnet & whale song, amongst others!)

Eventually dragged ourselves away for the drive south, back to Auckland. Very tense atmosphere once we arrived back at Andy & Gwyn's, in anticipation of the NZ v France Rugby World Cup final.

Huge relief once the final whistle blew, with the All Blacks winning buy a single point. We slipped off to bed after the match, while the Kiwis' partied on, late into the night!