3 January 2012

NZ

Above - the new Sky Bridge at Manchester Airport. Below - a place we were not meant to visit. It's Brisbane, Australia. Look very closely and you will see Helen from "Helsie's Happenings" frolicking barefoot in her garden. The plane was meant to refuel at Bangkok.
And finally, Auckland in New Zealand. Thirteen hours ahead of us timewise. It seems a very sleepy city but characterful too in the sultry sub-tropical warmth. People have so much space here and there's greenery and birdsong and one of the most popular pastimes seems to be waiting to cross roads even when there are no vehicles in sight. Two men were guarding a warehouse full of tens. And the Sky Tower - the tallest building in the southern hemisphere soared above everything like a guiding lighthouse. Tomorrow we hope to take a ferry to the volcanic islet of Rangitoto - assuming we can escape from our hotel room with its dodgy plastic key. We were locked out for over an hour earlier this evening waiting for the staff to figure out a way of getting us in. That's technology for you - sometimes it works - sometimes it laughs in your face.


10 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I waved, did you see me?

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  3. Wow, that's a holiday and a half!

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  4. You must be one of the 1%. We other 99% are green with envy and intend to occupy Sheffield at our earliest opportunity to expose the rotten underbelly of bankers and retired teachers.

    I once knew a guy -- true story -- who wanted to fly to Oakland (California) from Los Angeles and instead boarded an airplane bound for Auckland. They had to turn around and come back to LAX after he watched the California coastline recede into the distance and finally disappear altogether before he said anything to the flight attendants. His name was Tom Thornton and we, his co-workers, laughed about it for years and years.

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  6. Like you photo of the Sky Bridge. Now who's taking shots from unusual angles?!

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  7. Welcome YP and Shirley!
    I hope you had a lovely day today on Rangitoto, without too many of those showers.
    I've never been there, so I hope you post some pics.

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  8. Do we all get to see all this when we go to Blogland? I'm so excited!

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  9. If you get the chance try get round to the Coromandel Peninsula, especially the very top. It's very rugged country and with great sea views and only an hour or so drive from Auckland. We spent five sleepy years in Auckland, not unpleasant but moving to Sydney we felt like Rip van Winkle and wondered where the NZ years had gone. The real scenery is of course in the South Island, especially the west coast and the alps.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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