A Kiwi welcome

Yealands vineyard in Marlborough, where we dropped in at harvest

My Thursday morning Jetstar to Auckland happened to coincide with Mum and Duncan’s flight in from Los Angeles. I hitched a lift in their taxi, together with a South African girl they’d adopted during their journey.

I did some work while they explored the volcanic island of Rangitoto (est.1200). We then grabbed some Kiwi-Italian fare as jetlag took hold.

Meanwhile Dora was holding an umbrella over the cameraman near Seddon, the earthquake-prone town in Marlborough, back on the electric car journey. 

Friday saw us complete the coast-to-coast walk across Auckland. Mt Eden was a particular highlight, as was the museum where we stopped for some natural and cultural history. Our evening was spent finding grub in the flash district of Ponsonby, where even I felt old.

View from Mt. Eden, the Sky tower in the left, Mt. Rangitoto on the right (volcanic crater in the foreground)

The next morning (prepare yourself for some logistics-heavy narrative) I made sure they were safely ensconced on the scenic tourist train, took a flight down to Wellington, and drove up with Dora to meet them at Palmerston North, from which we drove them to Trish and Andrew's near Marton for a warm kiwi welcome. After significant quantities of red wine, familiar and delicious slow-cooked lamb and roasties and extensive UK-NZ comparisons, sleep was helped by the gentle rocking of a 4.6 magnitude earthquake.

A Sunday morning walk around the farm, feijoa-tasting and some excellent Whitebait fritters set Mum and Duncan up for their mini road trip of the North Island, starting at the Tongariro Crossing. Dora and I jumped on an intercity bus to Wellington laden down with home-grown enormous feijoas as the sun set over the Kapiti coast, turning the Tararuas pink.

This week Dora and I will get some work done while our guests do the Crossing, head to Hobbiton, rush to Rotorua, and whisk back to Wellington. 

We're really looking forward to our Easter weekend with Mum and Duncan in the Marlborough Sounds and Nelson, where we have a packed walking and winery schedule.

Sunset with South Island in the distance, on the bus back to Welly