travel diary for nz

Day 1:
Hugh drove us to the airport at 10am. The queue was very very long! We only managed to get some croissant before boarding - that's our brunch!

Watch Kenny on board - the one bout toilets and plumber. Interesting and humourous, and got to see lots of places and events in melbourne, including how the ppl burn off the toilets after the racing shows etc.

Reached Auckland airport around 7pm and uncle peter is already there to pick us up. Had a great dinner with uncle and auntie at home. Delicious roasted chicken, curry and spinach - yum!

Spotted sia cargo!

Day 2:
Woke up around 7.30am and took a look at the lovely garden, with lotsa fruit trees! There's apples, pears, plums, peaches, lemons, grapefruits, mandarine oranges, persimmons and a type of fruit that is only available in nz (which i cant recall its name). Oh, we had freshly squeezed grapefruit juices yesterday and it tasted really sweet (unlike the one in supermarket) and refreshing! Unfortunately, the other fruits are not in season yet (mostly around apr to may) when we visit this time. Hmm.. must plant lotsa fruit trees in my future house hehehe..

that's tiny pears


still a long way to go - apples


i could have eaten it if i came 1 week later...




our big breakfast! uncle peter's bacon & eggs with auntie pearl's yogurt muesli

We went to the Botany for Kathmandu - I need some thermal wears for Nagoya trip and it's on sale =) looked around in Farmers too - similar to Myers in melb.

And then we went yumcha!

Looks like a dish for the emperor =p

Uncler peter then bought us to... the nudist beach hahaha... we can see Rangitoto and Brown isl from the beach too.

brown isl - a green dead volcono


Rangitoto - the youngest dead volcano

We drove passed Mission bay and wanted to try some ice creams from Molvern Pick but couldnt find a car park and lots of people are queueing up - in the end we bought some in tuppleware from Foodtown and it tastes very creamy and firm!

We then visited Michael Joseph Savage Memorial which is near the Maorist meeting place:

NZ christmas tree - pohutukawa and the honey from it is very very special and tasty!










We can see the skycity from there


green green nz...

We then headed to the skycity to look around and saw some crazy sky jump and a bungy jump thingy near the tower. and guess what, we just reached there in time for Christmas Parade =p

McD!


i wonder why i only see aunties...


cool spidey outfit =p

and we had wendy's before taking the flight to GBI.

Chili soup?!!




in the domestic airport - bringing lotsa snacks, cakes and bananas hehe








landed in claris and took a 6 seater to Okiwi






the 'airport' in okiwi


had some dinner before going to bed.. very soon..

There's no electricity after 10.30pm, which explains why we go to bed early every night - there's no toilet in the room and it's a long way to a decent toilet! But, the view is really interesting =)

Day 3
!st day of conference - woke up at 5.55am as it was raining heavily and therefore very noisy.

our cabin, without any room keys which means anyone can enter our/any room...

Presented both of my short intro and posters in the afternoon sessions and was very tired in the end of the session!

i've got good business keke


tada!

Day 4
The conference only lasted for half day - so that we can explore around the isl =D Activities includes going sailing, beaches, hotpools and Kauri dam. we went to the dam with another four angmohs from nz and aus and went to the conference dinner after that - had very fresh mussels, oysters and other great seafoods!

got some tees from a Maorist lady at the conference venue


on the way to kauri dam - port fitzroy


and we need to cross streams on stepping stones






the kauri tree


somewhere near the dam - some of us didnt went up to the dam - it's too difficult and we didnt had the right shoes!






i could only find manuka and this red flower in the highland


and lots of ferns


i think the skinny one is the male and the other the female!


spotted a beautiful bird










port fitzroy - on our way to the boat club for dinner








sitting with another three japs! the one in the middle is so kawaii =p

Day 4
Last day of ivcnz. The committee was trying hard to squeeze the talks to finish off earlier than planned - since some of us (including me!) are taking the 5pm flight back to ack. David offered to drove us to the airport.. umm airfield and the road is really bumpy!

just before leaving orama center


david drove us (and cathy!) to the beach near the airfield - it's a lagoon


the big boss


the shells are still in contact!


with cathy












boss rented a 4 wheel drive


flying back!


transfered to a 3 engine plane from claris




i wonder is that half moon bay or auckland city port




motorway!


greeen

We then had our dinner in Mai Thai - a famous thai restaurant in the city, and very delicious - mouth-watering-appetising!

how hot do u want it? volcanic??






sky tower at night

Day 5
Head off to Rangitoto today despite of the forecasted bad weather. Bad traffic although we start going into the city at 7.20am.

met an extremely friendly kiwi


hmm




Big Boat!




still waiting for the ferry - hungry but no worries, we've got auntie pearl's homemade bread rolls

The ferry dropped us at Rangitoto and we took a tutu car (similar to the KFC car in msia zoo except it's a 4WD that is at the front). It started raining and we were given some raincoat that looks like wearing a garbage bag as we need to walk up the crater and the summit.

walking on the black soil - rangitoto isl looks greyish from far, but in fact it has more greens than we expect!


the tutu driver




going back with cold and wet kiwis


had burger king - the potato balls are really nice!

uncle peter pick us up from the ferry terminal and we went to food town for mussels and snapper.

fresh LIVE mussels for nzd2.99/kg! u need to press the red button to stop the sprinkle






seafood steamboat ready to go!


some uncle peter's fried rice =p

We went 'night shopping' after the dinner and got more thermal wears from Kathmandu, and honey waffle ice cream cone for our movenpick macadamia and caramel ice-cream!

Day 6
Woke up at 4.45am to catch our flight at 7.45am. The queue are unusually very long again! Watched 'my super ex' and pirates of caribbean 'dead man chest' on the flight back. Goodbye Auckland - will be back for Mel's wedding in 2008 =D