Sorry about the 'F' in fog...

As Michael Fish once said... and that is what we said when Qantas told us when they said our 'plane was delayed en route from Sydney to take us from Cairns back to Sydney for transfer to Auckland, NZ. (Keeping up so far?) Anyways, we had one and a half hours to transfer at Sydney but with the original ex-Cairns flight being delayed by the same time we had zero time to transfer. Qantas assured us our luggage would be with us. Lying B$#@%!@S. 15 hours later our undies caught up with us.
Trish managed to set off her panic/safety alarm on her pedometer before take-off at Cairns which freaked all the other passengers as we could not find the bit of plastic to plug back in too shut the thing up. Even the steward looked worried. Upshot was that we made it to Auckland around 2am Sunday morning, caseless.

Auckland; Small city, very clean and seemingly friendly although whilst having our first coffee on Sunday morning one of the locals left the cafe and gave me the finger! Welkommen auf Auckland! He was bigger than I so we left it. (Could have had 'im anyways...) Managed to find a Singapore style eaterie nearby so we can both eat a good evening meal for around GBP3.00 (Euro 4.50 / USD 5.00). The food is too good to miss, is cooked in front of you and there is lots of it. On our first wide awake full day we wandered into Parnell village and then the Auckland Musuem where we met our first Maori whom I now have a photo of trying to cut Trish's throat with a big knifey thing. We also took a stroll down to the harbour but the bridge ain't as good as Sydney's.





This morning (Tuesday) we flew down to Rotorua in the smallest plane you ever saw. It was possible to stand in the aisle and touch both sides of the fuselage and you had a clear view of what the pilot was up to. Spectacular flight down (Trish kept her eyes shut) over old volcanic grounds and chasms and over lake Rotorua. The hotel here is a bit posh 'cos it overlooks the lake. Before check-in we took a trip out to a geo-thermal area (geysers, bubbly mud, steam et al) and stood on the thinnest part of the Earth's crust anywhere in the world. Well, that is what our Maori guide said. We have just checked-in proper and are about to take a relaxing slob in a pool heated by the hot bubbly lava beneath us. At least I can blame the bubbles on something else this time.

Tomorrow we plan to visit a Maori city buried by a volcanic eruption in the 1890s so will probably produce our next electronic missive from Auckland.

Notes to you all...

Bill and Pennie - Good to speak to you this morning. Pennie we trust your 61st birthday went well and do not worry. Your age is our secret...
Anthony and Noeleen - Do not let Smudge near the sheep with his large tool. (Ewe know what we mean...)
Crazy Gary - Possibly the nicest American we have ever met. Good to hear from you, Sir! We hope all is well for you. We are back in L.A. in a week and a half then New York for eight days. No doubt if you were not too busy driving au-pairs about we could have a beer together! Kermit is kind of behaving himself and we hope to plug some photo's on here shortly. Keep your pecker up, old bean.
Mol and Deckers - Mucho fridgeo magneto to comeo.
Dan - Wherefore art thou?
Man of Steele - Are you also man of Medway. If so, how is Lairdy?
Mad Mike - Staying loony here....


Speak from a sweltering (13C) Auckland before we have to suffer the paradise isles of Fiji.


Arrivederci gang.

Paul, Trish and the Kerm
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