North Island counter-attack!

For me Auckland was a little like a home coming...11 years after I left! Some things were different (like good friends being married and babies) and other things were thankfully the same i.e. Lloyd is still naughty and Zinny (the collie) still alive and everyone still knows how to party.

Meeting Allanah (exchange sister) at the airport was strange, but good - mainly because she was pushing her lovely little 2 year old Matthew in a pram. We soon caught up on the basics of what had happened in the last 10 years and then didn´t stop talking all afternoon. Simon and Matthew played every game under the sun and man does Matthew have the most wicked laugh...a bit chucky-ish! Michelle came to pick us up and we went to her home in Howick and for a really lovely dinner in the village. Nic - Michelle´s boyfriend - is the fastest drinker of beer in the world (no really, he should enter a competition) Dinner of delicious NZ lamb was a fabulous welcome to the North Island.

So, Friday we were intending to go into town and see some sights, but after a late morning, some washing and a few emails, we decided a wander into the village was all we could muster up (stocking up on drinks and supplies for a weekend away) After some local grub we headed off to the beach for the weekend. Thanks for smooth driving Nic, Simon and I napped most of the way!
At Opoutere we found Alicia, John & Adrienne and Greg & Gweneth just as I had expected...a few chardonnay and beers later! Much of the evening´s conversation was about how naughty I was as an exchange student - I don´t remember being all that bad, but I clearly made an impression!

The beach is mainly about drinking, eating, relaxing and talking...which we did in abundance. A Sat morning fry-up was just perfect - baked beans and everything. Then off the Whangamata for the Beach Hop (festival of hot rods, motorbikes, dragsters and scooters of the golden era)

After a long walk on Opoutere beach with Alicia, the weekend descended into typical beach BBQ / drinking / laughing at each other chaos. The only non-traditional item was Allanah and Kevin announcing the pending November arrival of a new Johnson clan member. I could hardly believe it when all had gone to bed except Simon, Lloyd and myself - we were left to decipher the tunes Lloyd was playing on his guitar. The Sunday morning brought rain to the lovely beach spot, so all soon packed up and headed back to the city - to an evening by the fireside with some local snapper and chips...new favourite fish for me.


Thanks to Michelle for lending us her car, as this enabled us to head off south to Tauranga and Rotorua for two days. Jeremy, Kym and their little Jake live in Tauranga, so it was well worth the visit (not much else to do there) and Kym´s Roast Lamb and Lemon Meringue Pie would be worth the visit on any day of the year...Simon even had a second slice under duress!

Rotorua was next and 11 years later it still smells really bad. John Booth is Fire Chief for Rotorua, so we were able to visit him for a beer and a bed. Adrienne had also left us a great tourist summary for the highlights and residents cards so we could get in for free at everything (they were terribly suspicious of the English accents, but we did an okay job at a few white lies)
Wai-o-Tapu geothermal area was wonderfully interesting and covered in bubbling mud, smelly geysers and tropical coloured sulphur pools. I have visited twice in my live now and never again (like a thousand rotten eggs I tell you) but the Waikete Valley hot springs provided a great reward for 2 hours at Wai-o-Tapu and left me feeling nice and sleepy for the drive home! Here is worth a mention of Michelle´s car CD collection - songs from 1998 that I know all the words to, but am not sure I should or why. The retro tunes made for many giggles and kept me awake for the journey this time!


7th May is Michelle & Alicia´s birthday and it was celebrated in style at Gwyneth & Greg´s with bubbles and Chinese food. Having the extended crew together was great for more trips down memory lane, but yet again it was the two of us and Lloyd up latest with a drink or two to finish - great tipsy debates about global warming everyone.


Our New Zealand farewell was killer burgers at Rock Fire with the twins and Nic in Howick on the Thursday evening and then Friday morning at Lolly-pops playground with Allanah and Matthew. Simon and Matthew spent most of the morning in the ´ooose´ (house with coloured balls) until Matthew wet his pants and they came back to find mum! Sad to say goodbye to all in NZ as only Lloyd, Nic and Shelley look like they will be heading to Europe any time soon, but it was great to catch-up with the old crew and set a few records straight after so many years. The only thing that made it easier was that we had finally managed to wash all our clothes in preparation for South America (thanks Nic & Shells) and the last day poured with rain.