Auckland trip 2010

It was time to go home to Auckland to catch up with friends and family. I wanted to show Nathan the places I grew up and give us all some time together before calving season which means we usually miss each other during the week and can go for days without seeing each other at all!

We stayed with Uncle Clive and Aunty Judy who are awesome and to me feels like home. We arrive on Wednesday 30th of June and went home to chill out. I knew the holiday would be a good one, but go like the wind and be over in no time so wanted to make the most of it.

Thursday we went to the Zoo and met up with Ang who brought Giselle. It was an awesome day but unfortunately not many animals were out as the zoo seemed to be doing a lot of renovations!

Flynn and Giselle at the Zoo

Friday Clive and Judy took the three of us up to Judy's Aunty's farm in Waipu. It was a lovely drive and we had an awesome day venturing about and looking at old place's I used to go when I was little. Mum and Dad used to take me and my bro camping to Mangawai Heads so we went there to have a look and it hasnt changed from what I remembered it. We used to swim accross to the sand dune and run all the place like idiots and and then would swim back to camp etc..

Maungawai Heads camp with sand dune...

On the Saturday we had friends over to catch up as I knew we would run out of time to be able to go and catch up with everyone individually. So nice day at home with mates and family.

Sunday we went to the shops and had a look around Auckland, just an easy day.... Nathan was infactuated with the Sky Tower.... Being the biggest building in the Southern Hemisphere and all.

Sunday night we picked up Blair from the airport. Blair is Nathans friend who has been teaching English in Kuwait for the last year or so. We had an Awesome roast pork and some red wine. These things are not allowed in Kuwait so hopefully it was a nice treat for Blair.

The next day Nathan, Flynn, Blair and me ventured for 5 or so hours down to Taranaki where Blairs dad lives and so we dropped him off there and also where my dad lives. Nathan, Flynn and I stayed at my dads for 3 nights. The weather wasn't great but it was good to catch up.

Dad pushing Flynn on the swing at the Hawera Park.

We then ventured onto Whitianga where my Uncle Derek, Aunty Dot and Cousin Lesley live. Whitianga is a beautiful place and a place I went a lot during my childhood. I always feel like I have been to another part of the world when I have been here. There is no hustle and bustle of the city - it is all beach's, cafes and relaxation. The boat in the next photo is my Uncles. This is the view from their lounge window.

Boats name: Ahurangi.

(I have no idea what this means in English)

Cooks Beach

(Just over the water from Whitianga) You would never have known it was winter this day, it wasn't as hot as Summer gets but a cracker day to go to the beach.

We got back to Auckland on the Saturday and with me feeling a bit sick decided to go back to Clive and Judys and just relax for the rest of the day.

Over the next few days we made it to Kelly Tarltons and Ang came along this time with Michael. It was a great day and well worth it. Kelly Tarltons is a place where they have fish and sea life in tanks and a massive tunnel you can go through to view the fish, stingray, sharks etc swimming all around you. The boys loved it. It was great to spend some time with a great mate again too!

Flynn and Michael at Kelly Tarltons

Stingray and fish in the tankBack at Clive and Judys house - Aunty Judy had gone and brought some toys for Flynn to play with, lucky all of the boys were interested in them and had a ball trying them out together!

Now we are home again and back into life as normal... back to reality.