Leisurely morning, as check out was not until 10.30am! After breakfast, D&L packed, while the kids built a huge marble run, which eventually noisily collapsed, all over the breakfast bar & floor!

Took about an hour to drive back to Auckland, with L testing the rest of us on our Spanish as we drove, & we were soon back in Epson. No one at home, at Andy & Gwyn's house, so we went to One tree Hill Domain, & the kids played in the park for an hour. Then we went to the café at the top of Beckenham Avenue for coffee & cake, & the kids had really good smoothies (banana (M) & mango (J)). We killed a bit of time looking around the shops in Royal Oak - L bought a $1 top, & a new Phillipa Gregory book - then returned to find Gwyn was at home. Unfortunately, we won't see Andy, as he is in Singapore, for business, until Thursday.

Told her all about our trip, over a cup of tea, met Chloe (new lodger), & Barry & Cheryl from Bristol (old friends). Ate a lovely tea (pasta, chicken & green salad), put the kids to bed, then chatted, & watched 2 episodes of Black Books & Downton Abbey, before going to bed.