2000 Biking New Zealand

Day 23, 30 December 2000, Saturday
Auckland; Dee & Keith Gordon

We have had a most mellow day. Charl and I, spoilt with a room of our own each, rose not too early and breakfasted with the Gordons. During which we decided what to do with our rest day. This included making several phone calls to book a bus to Kaiwaka north of Auckland, but south of our intended destination for tomorrow, Waipu. And packing up some of our stuff and driving out to the airport to put it in storage there – considerably lightening our load for the last leg of our journey.

We then took a long and lovely drive – just the four of us; Craig being away with his girlfriend Daisy, and Tanya having gone to spend the day with a friend. Via a very attractive visitors centre north of the city –with stunning views of Auckland and forests and ferns and bays, and a large Maori carving with rampant willy. To Piha beach – all black sand and surfers and dangerous rips. With lovely but unobtrusive homes tucked into lush native bush. The Piano was filmed on the next beach north of here. Then to Mount Eden for more city views over the grassy crater and glimpses of the other extinct volcanoes that dot the city. Could see clearly the bridge over the harbour from Eden, complete with additional segments from Japan added when the bridge got too narrow for the traffic flow and affectionately known as the “Nippon Clip-ons”. From there to one of Auckland’s many beaches (Auckland, known as the City of Sails, is a mishmash of bays and coves and promontories) for scallops and chips and coke. Home to collect Chelsea the staffie for a walk on Bucklands Beach – past a big reassembled wooden home which Dee and Keith had seen being brought from elsewhere in two sections – one travelling by truck, the other by barge. Also passed the South African butcher who supplies homesick South Africans with sympathy and boerewors. Dee and Keith were taken aback to see a fat man paying a visit there – apparently a very well-known butcher with a large chain. Looking to buy out a lucrative store? With 50 000-100 000 South African families apparently resident in New Zealand, perhaps.

And ‘home’ at last for a picnic tea and more good talk. And a surprise visit by Craig and Daisy who said the weather had been awful and had forced them off the beach. The Gordons are undoubtedly happy to be in New Zealand and have learned a lot about their adopted country. They told us a local joke: New Zealanders are well-balanced – they have a chip on each shoulder! Dee and Keith have always been good people. And they have matured into great people. Easy to talk to, well-informed without being pedantic, at home with themselves and others. Mellow.