Picked up the van today, it was nice driving around and not having to get the bus everywhere! It was just in time as well, there has been some really bad rain tonight. 

  Mark keeps humming the ‘A’ Team theme tune every time we get in it, very funny. He has started to draw up the plans for inside, but we can’t do much until our freight arrives wit hall his power tools and things.

We have had a bit of a nightmare getting our stuff over here really. The guy supposed to be dealing with it nearly sent it all over by sea ( when we asked for air) which would have taken 12 weeks. Then they almost sent it to Christchurch ( about 18 hours drive away) even tho’ we specifically wrote Auckland all over the boxes.  Anyway…we should be getting a phone call tonight to let us know where it is upto, then we can plug in the loo and go!!

hope you are all well

speak soon

love Gill and Mark

(Yes Garry, I think Mark is glad about the toilet, I will get him a magazine rack to stick on the wall next to it!)

hello!

Still in Auckland at the moment, we have been looking around loads of little towns here (Auckland is HUGE!) We have been to a place called One Tree Hill ( I don’t think it is where the programme is from) Ponsonby, Western Springs and Onehunga (pronounced Oh-nee-hun-gar) which is where we have finally found our campervan!

It is currently being used as a works van, carrying around steel toe-capped workboots (?!?) so we have to wait until Monday to pick it up. It is just a Ford Transit at the moment but we have grand designs for refurbishing it.

We spent most of yesterday looking around truck and boat shops to make sure we can get all the bits of electrical equipment Mark needs so that I can plug my hairdryer in (of course). We also found a place that sold portable loos, so as a treat we are going to get one! Originally I think we were going to use a bucket ( too much information) so this will be a luxury in comparison!We even saw Solar powered showers (a bag with a hose coming off) so it will be home from home in there.

Whilst we were looking at the hardware shops we walked around all the harbour area (No wonder it is called the city of sails, there are so many boats) and Mark has decided where to spend his first million ‘bucks’.  There are some absolutely gorgeous yachts here, and some very rich people I think!

I have been trying to upload some pictures this morning, but Im not sure if they have gone on, I will keep trying tho and let you know.

best go, this is costing a lot to use!

love from

Gill and Mark

xox

edit – some pics have come on now! click here

Thought I would update quickly whilst Mark is looking at campervans/ vans for us to live in, and we still have free internet access. 

We had a really  nice day out yesterday, looking around the North side of Auckland. We took a ferry ride (urgh seasick!) to Devonport, and got some amazing views of the city skyline, including the sky tower (see link here). I took some photos but camera isn’t working at the moment so can’t add them yet. 

We learnt about ‘tree tomatoes’ from the farmers market on the pier - apparently these are the ‘original’ tomatoes (obviously) but they looked like red plums to me! Saw some very strange fruits and veggies there…I’m sure I will learn in time what they all are!!

Devonport turned out to be a really quaint little village with typical colonial-style buildings all painted in different colours, exactly what I expected of New Zealand, and the sun even came out whilst we ate our lunch. (its still pretty cold tho.)

It was a really busy little place, everyone out for a sunday stroll and some coffee. Looked at accomodation options in Devonport, but it seems like the most expensive bit. The hotel manager where we are at the moment has recommnded a hostel near here, in a place called Ponsonby. Think we will go and have a nosy there today. We have one more night in this hotel booked, but need somewhere a bit cheaper really. Will prob hire a car today too.

Last night we found it really cold when we went out for tea, it is about 2 degrees centigrade. Saw on the news today that there are still loads of floods in England, hope none of you have floated away!

Anyway I won’t waffle on too much, just thought I would update while I still can. Once we are out of Auckland we might not see a computer for some time!

Take care

love Gill

xoxo

So exhausted, so excuse the bad spelling and if I make no sense, but we have arrived!!

Flight from London to LA was really good, we got leg room seats and our own private tv screens. Wacthed about 4 films back to back and even got free choc ices! Staying in LA for 8 hours was a bit awful. It felt like the middle of the night to us, but it was glorious sunshine there. We were eating giant burgers at 3am (to us!)

Flight from LA to Auckland (vis the Cook Islands we found out) was pretty awful. I think cos we were so tired by then, it made it worse. Normal seats, and an annoying child behind made those 14 hours LOOOOOONG. I asked Mark what time it was about 18 times! The airport at the Cook Islands (Rotatonga) was interesting, they had a man dressed in typical polynesian clothes (think hawaian) playing the banjo for us, but he was singing the green green grass of home! Kind of surreal.

Arrived at Auckland about 10.00 am here (so 10.00pm Friday there) Taxi driver terrible, had to read map and direct him ourselves by ringing the hotel! Below link is where we are staying, they have put us in the Isabella suite, which is very posh (thanks Garry and Leanne!)
hotel

Had a look around Auckland yesterday but felt like poo, and had wobbly legs (which we thought might have been our first earthquake) turns out we were hungry, it was Gills grumbly tummy hehe.

Went for a mexican and felt better. Turns out we are right next to the stadium where the All Blacks played Australia last night, so no taxis for miles!! Weather just like home, it is raining and a bit chilly, but I suppose it is Winter here. Just had breakfast with some people from Bradford who have lived in Australia since 1969, so home form home really!

anyway need a rest and to find somewhere to live. will update soon.

xox Gill and Mark

Thanks to everyone that made our leaving weekend so good. Thank you for all the cards and presents and words of wisdom!

 We have updated the pictures with ones we took over the weekend:

http://www.photobucket.com/albums/bb187/lostinnz_2007/

 I know some of you will have taken better ones than we did (Andrew!) so when you get chance email them to me and I will add them on. We’re just off to finish packing and get a bit of a rest before our 31 hour flight so please stay in touch, and we will let you know we have arrived safely.

lots of love from

Mark and Gill

xoxox

It’s quite shocking how much stuff you actually own. We thought we hardly had any posessions left these days, we sold a LOT when we moved house at Christmas, so it came as a bit of a shock to pack up 5 boxes of our things to be freighted over ! (about 100kg!!) I’m blaming Mark and all his tools    ‘cos it isn’t my clothes!!

It was a strange sensation to be writing ‘Auckland’ under the home address section on the parcels…I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but at the moment its all very exciting/scary/weird…

6 days and counting…I’m off to squeeze another pair of shoes in…shhh

xoxo

edit – aha! our fist leaving present is….more tools!!! (and a lovely bracelet for me) thanks mum and dad!