Arrived at last

View of Snells Beach

View from Deck at Julie's

View from deck at Julie's

Greetings from Omaha river retreat!
Week Beginning 2nd January. We arrived in Auckland at 1pm on Sunday after an uneventful journey half way around the world. The 24 hour stopover at the hotel by the airport in Kuala Lumpur was a welcome break. We managed to stay awake until 10pm local time before crashing out for a full 12 hours. The rest of the stopover was spent mostly by or in the hotel pool. I felt as if I had died and gone to heaven!!Then it was back into the airport for the last leg of the flight. We were quickly through immigration, baggage reclaim and customs and found Rob waiting for us in arrivals. Nigel had wondered how we would find him in the crowd of people waiting in the arrivals hall but I knew exactly where he would be - at the back ready to make a quick getaway. I also knew what, after greeting us, his first words would be, "Come on let's get out of here"!Apparently Jill, our soon to be landlady had double booked so we were to spend the first night at with him and Julie at Snells Beach. It all looked very familiar as we took the motorway north until we got to the new stretch which goes through a tunnel at Puhoi before going back onto the old road. At Puhoi Rob decided to take a different route to the main road as, with it being the holiday season,he said that there would be a big traffic jam on the way into Warkworth.The next part of the journey was one of the high points of our holiday as far as Nigel was concerned. It was a drive of about 20kms on a twisty, hilly gravel road through thick bush. Rob threw the car around the corners and I was pleased that I was sitting in the back as they couldn't see when I closed my eyes!! At Warkworth we stopped at the New World supermarket and picked up some necessary supplies before going on to Snells Beach. The road looked oh so familiar. I had spoken to Julie on skype so had a good idea of what she was like so it wasn't like meeting a complete stranger. She made us very welcome and we sat out on the deck chatting and having a beer and admiring the view down to the beach. We were both pretty shattered but managed to stay awake and eat the BBQ that they prepared before going to bed at 9pm. Nigel woke very early the next day but I managed to sleep until about 7am. After breakfast we all went for a walk down to the beach and were amazed to find it so quiet despite the fact that it is the holiday season here. We went for lunch at a local pottery and restaurant before they brought us over to our home for the next 6 weeks. We are staying in the small cottage at the Omaha river retreat which is owned by Jill, a friend of Julie's. It is in a beautiful position overlooking the tidal river surrounded by 20 acres of bush. There is also a large house which is rented out but for the first few days we are on our own here.We have a bedroom and sitting room/kitchen with all that we need to be comfortable. We all sat out admiring the view, glass in hand, before Rob and Julie left and we unpacked our bags. Jill was very welcoming and said that we are almost family which I thought was very kind of her, she and Julie are very close friends. The bird life is fascinating, many strange birds that make wonderful sounds and a lot of herons roosting in the high trees surrounding the property. Jill and her daughter live in a nearby converted barn.
Next day,Tuesday, was shopping day. Rob had left me his car, a large, flash automatic Toyota which I managed to drive over to their place at Snells and we all then went to Albany mall on the outskirts of Auckland as I wanted to buy belated Christmas presents for Dannielle and Jonny. Thankfully Julie had a good idea of what they would like so I bought a Toy Story lego kit for Jonny and a pink handbag and wallet for Danni as well as the 2 dresses that I have brought her from home. Oh and we bought 2 bubble blowing kits for them as we too would like to blow bubbles!! Lunch at the Puhoi pub, a well known, old fashioned bikers pub on the way back.A rest period (!) at their place and then back to our little corner of heaven on earth. Each time that I come to NZ I am goggle eyed at the amazing vegetation, flowering shrubs such as bougainvillea and tree ferns.Tomorrow we go back to Rob's and Nigel will stay there with Julie whilst Rob and I go to pick up Danni and Jonny as well as the car that he has got for us for our stay here.