Dora here. Roger is in Hahei on the Coromandel with good friends Greg and Sam, after a week travelling up through the North Island. Tomorrow they will visit Auckland, conclude Wellington is better, and return here in the evening.
I'm afraid the Tongariro Northern Circuit story is embargoed until Roger is back and we can write it together. Otherwise you would miss his account of climbing Ngauruhoe. So I'm doing a bit of traditional blogging for you: sitting, writing, inserting photos of food, posting. This is a vast departure from the norm: two drafts, feedback, negotiation and a whole session just choosing the photos.
I've also drawn inspiration from my best mate Becky's marathon blog (http://www.twentysixandabitmiles.blogspot.co.nz/) which is exemplary in tone and makes me laugh every time. She's running the London marathon for Crohn's & Colitis UK (www.virginmoneygiving.com/rebeccasage).
I have been experimenting with Feijoa crumble but over-stewed the first lot of fruit. The feijoas hail all the way from Gisborne on the East coast, where my cousin Nic and his family Jo, Jasper and Freddy live, next to a feijoa tree. Luckily I have lots of feijoas:
Moving on from food, to the travel section of the blog. Some observations of Wellington:
- People say thank you to the driver on leaving the bus, even though the doors are in the middle. Having to tap off the bus provides a convenient moment in which to do this.
- Water is free. In Auckland they have to pay for water.
- There is a day when people decide it is now winter. That day was yesterday. Everyone owns a neat little autumnal Kathmandu puffa jacket.
- If you use Uber often (Uber is an app-based taxi service) you are likely to encounter the same driver twice.
And now the personal life story bit. I'm really looking forward to seeing Mum and Dad when they visit in June. The flat we have is very warm so they can use it as a thermal retreat from the Mordor-like conditions we understand prevail in winter.
Roger and I are also going to Vanuatu for the first week of June. I am excited to go back for the first time in 10 years! We are copying Charles and Lydia a bit: going up to Santo to dive the SS President Coolidge and then to Tanna to see Yasur volcano. I'm looking forward to going to Port Vila market in the middle of the week, too. I've been ringing up Air Vanuatu as much as possible, mainly to listen to the lovely gentle Vanuatuan voice.
I've got to get the flat ready to pass Roger's inspection now. I leave you with a taster of next time (and the blog would not be complete without a selfie):
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