I got to spend some lovely time with my Uncle and his family in Auckland so in a similar theme to the Perth blog a lot of my time was spent playing with my cousins so don't expect a full on hectic blog like the one from Melbourne to Sydney. Although with a 4 year old and a 2 year old my life was pretty hectic, especially when they both want pushing on the swings! At the same time!
I was up long before my alarm so rather than just lie in bed I decided to get up and catch the train (only 15 mins) to airport.
It was a kiosk sel check in style check in and I managed to click 'yes' to are you carrying dangerous goods by accident. After explaining to the nice lady what is done she printed me off my boarding pass.
There is meant to be free wifi at Sydney airport but after walking to the furthest gate it wasn't working so I ended walking all the way back to use an iPad in the apple store to let mum and dad know that I'd got to the airport okay!
The flight was delayed boarding which was rather annoying but once on board we had the cool hobbit safety video! The crew were elves and all the orcs where playing with their electronics and had to turn it off! Everyone paid attention to it!
Had a good flight... I watched Last Vegas and the crew serving my area was English and he recognised my accent so he kept coming back to refill my tea. I think I had 2 more cups than the people next to me!
At auckland airport I had green and red pen written all over my entry card and had to go have my bag checked as I had walking shoes in it and nz is really strict with is bio-security.
Finally got through and met my Uncle who drove me to his. We had a Japanese takeaway for dinner which was delicious and my little cousins (4&2) decided to help us out. Can't believe a 4 year old can use chopsticks better than me!
I thought my causing it to rain curse had gone but apparently not as when I was trying to sleep it was chucking it down so I couldn't sleep. Silly tin roof!! I spoke to C until I remembered that I had ear plugs so could easily block it out! Only took me nearly 2 hours to remember that.
Day 118:
The ear plug helped in the morning as well as I couldn't hear the kids so managed to lie in until 8.30!
We went food shopping in the morning and then met H at the gym she owns and went to the local cafe (it's name) for a lovely lunch. We spent the afternoon playing on the swings with the kids in the garden before taking the dogs and te kids for a walk around the golf course. Having to push the tric uphill with a child fast asleep at the wheel turning it hard right was rather tricky on the way home!
As it was Uncle M's birthday on Sunday (the same day at C's) we left the kids with the baby sitter and went out tonight to Soul Bar, a lovely fish restaurant in Auckland city on the waterfront. We shared delicious salt and pepper squid for starters, I had a lovely fish with mint and mango salad followed by the best creme brûlée I've ever tasted (white chocolate and raspberry). It was a lovely evening.
When we got home I watched Catherine open her first 21st birthday present on Skype a day early (personalised birthday love hearts!).
Day 119: happy birthday Catherine and martin
Before Uncle M's chocolate croissant birthday breakfast we skyped mum, dad and grandad so they could wish him happy birthday.
We went to the pool for the kids swimming lessons and then to Devonport to a swing park on the beach with views to the city, so picturesque, before going to a cafe for lunch.
Lunch - French toast, bacon, strawberries, banana and maple syrup. So tasty!
We came back and packed up the car ready for the beach and went to Shakespear national park (no 'e' at the end as it's named after a local wealthy family and not the English play write). We spent 3 lovely hours on the beach where I got to jump in the waves, build sandcastles and make art work in the buckets out of sticks, shells and feathers... with my little cousins obviouslty! Although I can't say that I didn't enjoy myself although I think I'm going to have amazing abs after spending an hour bending down to pick them up and then jumping them over the waves.
We came back, had some dinner and I bathed the kids and managed to wash their hair without any screaming as Helen said there would be. I thought it was because I was special, turned out it was just beginners luck as they hated me washing their hair every time after this.
I also cannot belive C is now 21! I don't feel old enough for my little one to be 21! It's so scary. I had a lovely birthday skype with her before going to bed.
Day 120: first baby sitting alone!
This morning I was most definitely out of favour with the kids. As we did the veggie shopping I kept getting 'want mummy not Rebecca!'. I couldn't even plug them in their car seats!
We met up with H's sister and baby Alice (only 5 weeks old) for coffee before having lunch at home and then dropping the kids at kindy. I've been put on their car insurance and so whilst H went to work I drove the car home. I stopped at the supermarket to get a toothbrush and when I came back to the car I couldn't get the handbrake off. I thought the Hale family curse had struck again (when we where here before the clutch broke whilst we were driving one of their cars). After a very panicked call to dad it turned out all I was doing wrong was not lifting it up before putting it down. Silly doesn't quite cover how I felt!
H came back in between clients and we went on a nice long dog walk before she went back to work. At 4 I got to pick up the kids from kindy and did my first bit of babysitting and I was back in favour. Woo hoo :) it was really good fun if completely shattering! We played with bubbles, swang on the swings, ate our snacks whilst colouring in and sticking stickers in the colouring books.
We went to get Uncle M from ferry from work. Having the kids waving at M reminded me of C and I sitting in the window waving mum or dad home from work. It's something so simple but I always enjoyed it.
We had dinner when we got in and then after a bit of TV I had an early night as I was shattered!
Day 121:
The kids were at kindy all day today so in the morning I went for a long walk alone around the headland and once Helen had come home from work and we'd had some lunch we took the dogs for their long walk.
We then picked the kids up from kindy and after getting the sandpit sand we came home. H played with the kids whilst I made dinner for us all.
After the kids had been bathed, read a story to and put to bed the adults watched The Croods, a U rated film but one that's definitely aimed at the parents taking their kids along to see it. So many of the jokes would have gone over a kid's head but we found it hilarious!
Day 122: to Thames
Today H, her friend and I went on our tiki tour (without the kids) to Thames to deliver some gym equipment and to pick up the old equipment to go into H's gym.
We strapped the new 100kg gravity machine into the car and off we went to Thanes. The guy who we were delivering it for was a bit elusive about the gym we were delivering too but said we would be fine. It was up 30 stairs to get to the studio and the PT who run it is blind so couldn't exactly help us carry it up! And there was no lift... Just lots and lots of stairs. After carrying up all the boxes and then taking the slide board off (which I then carried as it was the lightest part) the other too had to lift it up a step at a time. Luckily there are both personal trainers so problem the best two women for the job. We did have a guy try and help us but we decided that since he was in his 80s, was quite overwieght and ha a walking stick it was problem better we did it ourselves.
We then had to get her old one/ H's new one down the stairs. It was pretty scary to watch them haul it over the lip of each step. How they managed it without dropping it I'll never know!
We had a breather at the bottom of the stairs and the lady from the post office came out and told us "you can't leave that thing there as someone might trip". "Oh and here and you've left some rubbish" (a piece of bubble wrap that we ran out of hands to hold on to too). Did she now hear all the banging as it came downstairs.... We clearly needed a breather before we strapped it in the car.
With lunch from Cafe Melbourne inside us to give us back our energy (we decided against the cafe that had its menu in picture form on the wall) we drove back home to install the machine in H's gym.
H had to work in the evening so I looked after the kids and then we went to get Martin from ferry. I forgot bubbles this time to keep them amused whilst we waited for the ferry to arrive so instead we played chase away the seagulls!
Day 123:
In the morning I looked after the kids and then H dropped me at the bus terminal so I could get the bus into Auckland. After getting myself a HOP card (like an Oyster card) I got the bus into the city.
I started at the water front and went into a few of the souvenir shops (and bought myself a lovely ring) before walking down Queen's Street (the Main Street). I found a little coffee stand which sold a lovely coffee and a (well 2 since I bought another one as the first one was so good) macaron so I sat there to eat my lunch.
I thought rather than walking for half an hour I'd jump onto the free city bus to go to the Auckland museum. So I turns out there are 3 different coloured buses doing 3 different routes and I got on the wrong one! So after figuring out where I could change and then waiting whilst the new bus stopped at a bus stop I regulate the service it would have been quicker to walk!
The museum was pretty cool. I missed out all the natural history stuff as it was very similar to Melbourne but they had some great Maori, Pacific Islander and NZ civil war stuff which was really good as I new very little about most of it and hadn't even heard of the NZ civil war!
After the bus disaster getting to the museum I decided to walk back to the ferry terminal. That meant I got to see some cool streets (oh if only I had the money to shop in some of those shops) and I got to go through Albert Park where they were setting up the laterns for the Chinese latern festival.
I met up with Uncle M at the ferry pier after he'd finished work to get the ferry back home. Back at home and with the kids we did lots of colouring in before bedtime. Some of my art work was deemed good enough to be pinned up! GCSE in art I clearly being put to good use.
Day 124: Friday
In the morning, after getting both of the hyperactive kids to sit still for long enough to eat breakfast, I took the kids to kindy and then after skyping W I took Benson on a long walk across to beach. He didn't seem to realise to let go of the stick so I could throw it and he decided to walk through something very smelly on the beach right before we headed back. After attempting to clean his legs I went back to kindy to pick up the kids. H beat me there and after we shut up the gym we visited the kids 'Nan Nan's' house lunch. The views from her house across the bay was amazing. I could definitely live somewhere overlooking a bay and all the boats below.
We went and did the food shopping then I went to pick up Martin from the ferry and the Japanese for dinner. After the kids had gone to bed we relaxed and watched Hancock on the sofa with the dogs.
Day 125: Omaha beach
Whilst H was at work in the morning, Martin and I took kids to a posh farmers market and then we drove further north to Omaha beach via a coffee shop which had a great kids climbing frame that was clambered all over. There was a ramp with cars that you sat on down it. Pretty sure they all had one wheel broken on purpose so the kids couldn't go too fast down the ramp.
Omaha bech was lovely. After scootering along the path to a quiet part of the beach we jumped in the waves, made stick art and threw a frisbee around - my uncle was a warwick bear and we're training up my cousins to be frisbee players too!
Omaha beach
We bought some delicious French bread from the bakery on the way home for lunch and then spent the afternoon in the garden on the swing and doing arts and crafts. I made myself a beautiful pipe cleaner tiara! Oh and I made one for Chloe too!
We then bounced on the trampet before having a yummy roast chicken dinner, plum and apple crumble (yum!).
Day 126:
Got up in the morning and uncle M and I took the kids for their swimming lessons. We came back and after playing "Rebecca is not a human, she is infact a bouncy castle so we must jump onto and over her" we got ready to go into the city to a restaurant called Euro for my (day early) birthday lunch.
It was such a nice restaurant and all the staff were so knowledgeable without being all stuffy. The kids loved the toilets there. I'm pretty sure they kept asking to go just to look at the tropical fish tank on the way in through the net curtains and to use the posh towels. When I took them they loudly announced "Rebecca go wee wee now!". Trying to shh them and the lady also in there just laughed at us!
The food was fabulous. Yes this will turn into one of my posts about food but bear with me as it's worth it. For starters we shared Peking duck pancakes and a zucchini flower battered with mozzarella. Main course for me was a duck and mushroom risotto and desert was a melt in the middle chocolate pudding with gold leaf, chocolate ice cream and a orange crisp. Mmmmmmm just about covers it. And it was in a lovely location on the harbour front by the maritime museum so we were able to watch the boats go in and out whilst we ate. I'm so glad the sun and warmth came out for my birthday. Far nicer sitting in a dress for my birthday than being freezing cold or wet and wrapped up in a million layers.
When we got back we enjoyed the garden with the kids and whilst they were being bathed and put to bed H and I took the dogs for a nice long walk along the beach. Such a lovely day.
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