weekend.08
Weekends are so important. They allow you to de-stress from the previous weekdays events and recharge for the next.
So for the next 52 weekends I'll be keeping a photographic log of my exploits on those two most valuable days of the week. You never know, 2008 could turn out to be an interesting year.
So for the next 52 weekends I'll be keeping a photographic log of my exploits on those two most valuable days of the week. You never know, 2008 could turn out to be an interesting year.
Mt Taranki
Marlborough Sounds
w/e06 (saturday) - Marlborough Wine Festival
We extended this weekend with some annual leave and flew down to Blenheim in the Marlborough region to meet my parents for the infamous Marlborough Wine Festival. We spent the Thursday and Friday touring round the winerie’s celler doors sampling the wines on offer.
The actual Festival was on Saturday, at the Brancott Estate Winery, where again we sampled more wine. The day was goregous and we spent the most of it sitting on a blanet in the sun drinking wine and eating some reall nice food. There were a couple of NZ music acts playing like Nathan Haines and Koru but it all got a bit blurry towards the end. Nearly a perfect day if I didnt get a full glass of wine spilt on me by some random drunk guy who was struggling to stand up.
Nice, a lamb shank and a glass of Marlborough’s finest Sav.
Zoe, Mum and Dad
Some green things - not sure what they are but I think i’ve seen them somewhere before.
w/e05 (sunday) - Rangitoto Island
We took the Ferry over to Rangitoto Island just to get some more demanding trekking done. Rangitoto is a massive 260 metre high volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland which last erupted about 600 years ago. Its a good steady 30-40mins walk to the summit and when you get there it has the most stunning views of the whole Auckland Area. It was a humid and over cast day in the city and it look like it was going to pour it down. But out on the island the sun was burning hot which made the trip a little harder. Altogether we walked for about 4.30 hours with a quick break at Mackensie Bay for a swim!
The largest forest of pōhutukawa trees in the world
Standing on a main lava flow looking up towards the sumit
Extremely friendly Wax Eye
w/e05 (saturday) - Watching the city go by
Pretty much did bugger all all day. Nuff said.w/e04 (monday) - Visitors pt1. Auckland Anniversary day
It was first Public holiday of the year and to make the most of it thought we’d show Mum and Dad more of the Auckland Region. So we decided to drive to the Tawharanui Regional Park - another of my favorite beaches.
The beach wasnt too busy, and i mean busy by NZ standards. The water wasnt too cold either and I would’ve stayed in a lot longer except for the bloody great big shadow that kept swimming around my feet. I know Rays are mostly harmless but its just something I cant get used to seeing here in the water.
After having enough of the sun we headed off to Leigh SawMill for some food and after we had said goodbye to the parents as they headed off up north to start their tour, we headed of to Goat Island and sat until the beach was empty - well mainly to avoid the long traffic queues back to Auckland.
Tawharanui Regional Park