Auckland

On Saturday it was very rainy so instead of walking up to Mount Eden we drove to the top. Mount Eden is a volcano which does not erupt anymore and the crater looks quite deep and shaped in a circle covered in grass. I expected it to be black and all burnt. When we were up at the top we stayed in the car for a bit because it was raining so heavily then got out at the car as soon as it stopped being so heavy and walked around the crater.

After that we drove to the Winyard Quarter and Viaduct Basin in the harbour and we had coffee and stopped to talk to some people that Terence and Bronwen knew. We saw some men with tattoos on their faces which is a tradition in Maori New Zealand that tell people what family they were in and their family's history. The women had it on their chin. The kids were doing a thing with balls on the end and wrist flicking and mum tried it and wasn't that good.

Then we got a gelato and came home to have a chicken dish with aubergine and a side of salad.
                          

Today we had Brunch at the Officers' Mess in Takapuna where I had bacon, sausage and tomatoes which were very nice together. The weather looked like there was going to be a shower but there wasn't and it seemed to turn out even warmer than when we arrived.

After that we went to the tunnels at North Head, Devonport but before we started we found some pieces of cardboard and found a hill that you could slide down. You did it by holding onto the cardboard and scrunching up your legs so that you could get moving without having to move at all. I had a go and I had even more fun that Mum and Terence because all they were doing was screaming. It was so so fun.

Then we did the walk which was quite long and quite hot because it had got very warm when we were walking and we didn't have any water to drink. We went in tunnels where they would hide and keep their guns when there was a war. 

We walked back to the car and got into our togs (swimming costumes/swimmers) for a swim. The sea at Cheltenham Beach was very cold and quite shallow because I could stand up and I was out quite far to be honest. It was nice and refreshing because it was so hot. 

I felt a bit dehydrated so we drove to Takapuna Beach where we had a hot chocolate, lots of water and an ice cream and walk. We went to where the rock pools were and I found out that this area used to be a forest. The volcano erupted behind it and all the lava came and burnt the trees down about 200,000 years ago. There is another volcano on an island opposite which was formed about 600 years ago and the name translates to blood sky.

Then we went to the fish market and bought a coke for me and some oysters for Mum and Terence and some mussels and fresh fish for dinner. Mum and Terence ate their oysters while we were there while I drank my coke.

Supper was rice, vegetable sauce and fish which were all yummy and tasty. Then we played Pit and spoke to Granny on Skype and had to say goodbye to Bronwen and Terence because they have to go to work tomorrow.

Thanks for reading I will be arriving in San Francisco

tomorrow so won't be posting more on tuesday 

!!!! :-)