Although I intended to run at 8am, due to the time difference I wasn't up till 9, nevertheless run I was going to. Clint was working so Ais and Gina joined me for a walk and we would meet up afterwards.
I braved shorts but doubled up on top, it was another brisk day with a strong wind blowing which propelled me down the beach road and all the way up the beach, running back into the wind was quite a different matter, I do make an effective wind break, but the cold air chilled and contracted my lungs as I ran. By the time I met up with the girls I had a good glow on and was weezing like a lardy asthmatic.
We walked back up the beach and then joined a National Forestry path up onto the cliffs, it's amazing how green the place is, as far as the eye can see, rolling green hills with a copse of fir trees and the seemingly out of place palm tree groves.
When you stop and listen there is a veritable avine orchestra, the sounds are incredible it's like Harold Faltermeyer having a seizure on his synthesiser, the main culprit I later discovered is the Tui bird which like the Myna has the ability to mimic sounds, our one must have been watching a road runner cartoon, the noises it was making were wild.
Our plan for the afternoon was to take the ferry from Devonport to Auckland and visit the Food and Wine Festival ( special guest Chef Gary Rhodes no less) as well as Party Central, which is a purpose built area of bars and restaurants specifically to cater for the World Cup. The girls had decided on fish for dinner so we would also pop into the Fish Market by the harbour.
The Food and Wine festival was just poor excuse to drink wine and beer and snack, which we did most well, the harbour was alive with All Blacks ( the team) Americas Cup boats, and Kiwis.
Now the thing about New Zealanders, that I noticed, right or wrong, is that they all seem to be attending an 80's Halloween party, the clothes are tres retro in that respect- snow washed jeans with ankle zips, boxer shorts over leggings, basketball boots with jeans tucked in and of course the Magnum P.I. manly moustache.
Then you get big ass rugby playing kiwis in XXXL rugby shirts, big work boots, huge socks either pulled up or rolled down ( al la Flashdance) and then in a coup de grace they pull out the 70's soccer shorts ( think Daisy Dukes) they call them stumpies, tough to get used to.
So anyhow, we took the ferry back which was delayed as it had collided with the other ferry, Pacific not big enough?
Tomorrow is the start of a long weekend in NZ, it is obviously also RWC weekend. We are headed to Rotorua, which is the volcanic capital of NZ as well as the Maori centre of the North island- Kia Ora!
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