Goodbye Oz - Hello NZ

Another week another country as they say. Our last few days in Tasmania were taken up with good deeds - clearing out the elder Smiths' garage mainly. Here are the Smith family gathered together and smiling for the camera, all except Vic. Well someone had to take the picture.




We are still down under but a little bit further right - about 1500 miles in fact. Auckland is busy and hot and we've met some old friends from Burra. Not one of those "small world" co-incidences, we knew Bobby and Mabel would be here and we had a phone number for them. We spent a pleasant evening in the Queensferry Hotel (!) catching up on news of home, and comparing notes on forthcoming grandchildren and winter holidays in hot countries.

Yesterday we went up the Sky Tower, the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, and watched some slightly crazed kiwis (or tourists maybe?) jumping off. The longest bungy jump in the world it's claimed.

Today we took the ferry to the volcanic island of Rangitoto in Auckland Harbour where we shared our lunch with some very friendly small birds. Finches we think but if anyone knows better we'd be interested to know.

Tonight we had the most amazing Thai meal here in Auckland, but tomorrow it's back to pasta when we pick up the camper and head south.