We have had a great week with Charles (Chut) and Barbara in their lovely home with their warm and relaxed hospitality. Chut has been an excellent taxi driver and social secretary making sure that we have seen many friends and rellies. This has been great fun and, at times, quite illuminating!!

Chut and Barbara

Lots of rels

Wednesday 2/10/13 

Outside Chut's house

On the way to Auckland centre

 Today we set off on our cycling adventure. And guess what? It was glorious sunshine with only a gentle breeze - a perfect spring day with birds singing and flowers and blossom everywhere. We cycled into Auckland centre. It seems that everyone here lives in a detached bungalow with a plot of land so in all directions there are pretty leafy suburbs - hilly leafy suburbs, that is. But it did mean that we cycled 13 miles just to get downtown (and Charles lives nowhere near the outskirts). We then cheated and took the bus out east to Thames. We had been advised not to cycle this bit as the roads are busy and not cycle-friendly. So our real trip starts from Thames and, from now on, it's just us and the bikes. We headed up north on the west Coromandel coast on a completely flat road, never more than a few metres from the sea and chilling out in the evening sunshine. What a way to start - it could not get better than this. 

Thursday 3.10.13

Interesting overhangs on this railway

Another gloriously sunny day. We continued up the beautiful coast road, flat to begin with and then twice we climbed the NZ equivalent of the north face of the Eiger. Stunning views everywhere. Now we're in Coromandel township. Rewarded with enormous ice creams and a trip on an amazing narrow gauge railway up into the hills.