New Zealand in a flash… we crossed the dateline and I didn’t even notice…

When we found out that Liz and Noel were going to still be around in NZ as we passed through, we changed our flights to take in a long weekend in Auckland and catch up with them, albeit briefly. Arriving at their pad just minutes before Noel got home from work we managed between us to consume a good array of beer in the short spell before Liz arrived in, having just completed her last day (for now) as a burns fellow at the Auckland area hospitals. Duly reminded that it was Liz’s leaving do that evening we nipped out for a curry (boy have I looked forward to having a curry and I’m only 6 weeks from home) and then a few beers and met a few of her colleagues. We were on best behaviour, at least until her colleagues left, then there was no stopping Rob on the dance floor as he gyrated away to James Brown, just like being back in Hib bar… quite scary in the public arena.

Saturday saw us following Noel on down to Mercer, a skydive centre about 45 minutes south of Auckland. We arrived in time to go and watch them take a demo into a local school fete, much amusement as they announced over the tannoy that “a chicken had escaped, but they didn’t know which pen it belonged in so they had put it back in the empty one, could the owner please come and identify it”… you probably had to be there. That, as well as all the sheep being lead around on bits of string and the children in their wellies made you realise you were definitely out in the country. Demo completed with only the tandem master being sicked on by the student, we returned to the DZ and enjoyed an afternoon of cloud watching, as is customary at DZs worldwide.

On Sunday we headed up the country a bit to the beach area where the film “the piano” was filmed, black sands and all. No sooner were the kites out and flying than the heavens opened. Liz and I attempted shelter behind a rock, followed soon after by Noel, only rob kept trying to fly his kite in vain. Eventually even he admitted defeat and we retreated, absolutely sodden, back to the car for a picnic before moving along to the next beach along. The rain had abated and the sea was teeming with kite surfers, zooming along and leaping in the air doing stunts. Rob and Noel stacked the kites for a bit more power, Liz had to be held in place to save her from being dragged (I yellow-bellied out) and Rob ended up on his back still flying the kite from there. On the way back home we popped into the city to pick up some art materials for me and chanced upon an Irish pub which seemed too good an opportunity to miss out on, an hour later we reappeared, bellies stuffed with a full Sunday Roast washed down with Guinness, fantastic.

On Monday we headed back to Mercer, luck didn’t seem to be on our side as we got a call on the way to say the plane had broken down and could we pick the pilot up from where it was being repaired. Undeterred however we made it down and I initiated myself into NZ skydiving from a Cesna 182 with Liz in tow (literally, as we exited over the huge step) and Rob and Noel whizzing round us. That done and with the customary crate of beer bought we headed back to Auckland where we met up with Gill and Alex and had an enormous Japanese meal. It was very difficult to come to grips with the fact we were on the other side of the world and not just in the UK somewhere.

Difficult that is until the following morning… Gill unfortunately had to work, but 10am the next morning saw the rest of us clambering over the underside of Auckland Harbour Bridge. “To what end?” you might ask. A few minutes later and we were each in turn throwing ourselves off the 40m high bridge like lemmings, attached only by a bit of elastic. Even Noels emergency drills couldn’t save him as he stood on the edge of the platform. Absolutely fantastic! Liz and I came back down with huge grins on our faces to replace the grey faces and frowns of a few moments before. I always said that if I went to NZ I’d do a bungee jump and if I get the chance to go back there I want to do another, next time from even higher, sorry Mum!