books I am reading or loved

  • among the cannibals
  • extreme birds
  • pacific patterns

Thursday, February 15, 2007

feb 2nd Auckland

Well we had high hopes for this day, but it all fell apart. We decided that we were going to move hotels so we could be very close to the airport, since we had to be there at 5am. Josie and I decided we would take the bags to the new location and then go and pickup the girls and head off to the museum. Well the freeway goddess had other plans. We located the location of the hotel on google search only to find out that we were in the right location from the map but the hotel was not there. To make a very long driving story short, what should have taken us 20 minutes tops (hitting every light) took us 3 1/2 hours, thats right 3 1/2 hours so needless to say we missed the museum and had to get quickly ready for the cirque. The cirque was amazing as always and our dinner was fabulous. Auckland's visit was short but it was time to head home...

Feb 1 Auckland

Josie's mom is going to watch the kids so we can shop!!! We hit the streets running
(there is a lot of ground to cover) we start the morning navigating the freeway's of Auckland, the goddess of overpasses got us to our first destination of Ponsonby Street safely. After several hours of walking the streets we jump back into the car to again navigate the streets to get to our second shopping destination of Parnell street. After a long day of browsing we head home for Josie's birthday dinner with her family.

Auckland Jan 31st

Well we have arrived in Auckland, Josie's mom Jackie picks us up at the airport. We go to Jackie's house for lunch and then I go back to the hotel for a nap while the kids go play in a park. I head back to Josie's mom's for dinner. We are to bed early to get ready for a head spinning next day!

tuesday the 30th

Today we spent the day doing errands like buying oil paint for future paintings. Shopping along Lambton Quay, picking up supplies for a deaf school that Josie and the family help out at. We ended the day with a family dinner and then home to pack our bags.

From tuesday 30th

Monday the 29th

Today we woke up and knew it was a perfect day to drive the coast. The sun was shinning and there were no clouds in the sky. We headed to Paekakarik to walk along the beach. We then went for tea and to browse some galleries. Once we were finished we continued on to Paraparumu a little sea side village that hosts galleries and skate boarding parks. Here we went for lunch and a play in the park with the girls. We headed home to enjoy a family bbq, where I made my mom's famous fruit cocktail cake.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Sunday

We start the day with a lovely walk through a cemetery, I could have spent the whole day there. Very inspiring I would love to take my pencils and sketch book out and sit and draw. Then home to get ready for the teddy bear picnic. It was a lot of fun till the winds picked up and started to blow things over. Lastly Nanette, Grant, Josie and I went to see Menopause the Musical and I laughed so hard I cried. Very funny and bang on!!! Watching my mom go through it they covered all aspects in song!

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Saturday

Well we decided that Josie and the girls were going to go swimming and they are going to drop me off at Cuba street so I can explore some more!!!! I decide to leave cuba street and weave my way through the downtown core. I didn't even get lost!!! After checking out an art store and looking for painting supplies Josie picks me up and we head back home. We have a fabulous dinner, and then Josie, Grant and I are off to a play. The play is about a local author that died in the early 1900's, Kate Mansfield. The play was a one woman show and the actress was spectacular. After the play we went out for a night cap and then Grant showed us the authors home, which is a historic landmark in Wellington.

Friday in Wellington

We decide to spend some of the day on Cuba street. A very funky area of the downtown core that supports local artists, clothes designers, tattoo artists, cool cafe's and more. Stephie and Freya were troopers but I don't know if the day will make them into future shoppers or non-shoppers. We went home to have a feast of fish and chips, which were great. I had never had kumara chips before, they are a sweet potatoe, very good. After dinner we packed up snacks, drinks, wine for the adults and we headed down to the Botanic Gardens to listen to a night of Jazz. It took awhile for the crowd to get into it but eventually we were up dancing at the front of the stage. I predict that Freya may have a future dancing at raves.



Te Papa Museum

My first full day in Wellington begins at the Te Papa museum. A very cool interactive museum that stimulates the senses or in my case over stimulates the senses!



Wellington

After a very long flight down to the southern hemisphere I have finally arrived to New Zealand.
I arrived January 24th Wednesday (left Vancouver the 22nd) Josie and the girls welcomed me at the airport and took my weary body back to Josie dad's house.
We had a wonderful dinner that night and I was welcomed by Josie's family; Grant, Nanette, Catherine, and Caroline.