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on our own
Dec. 17th, 2008 09:19 amYesterday we had "drive on the left" lessons, culminating in taking Anne and Doug to the ferry terminal to begin their long trip back to the US. The baby birds are on our own now! Although I guess the metaphor breaks down when you consider it's our "parents" who left the nest. But we are going to leave the nest as well (in our borrowed Honda Jazz right-hand-drive car, OMG, please let us not wreck it!) tomorrow; today we are doing laundry and buying groceries and getting ready to head out to the northern tip of NZ, Cape Reinga, for a three-day hike and other touristing.
We are both antsy to get moving, although we enjoyed the Auckland area a lot. The Auckland Museum was really interesting (and had the best museum food we have ever tasted!) and the Maritime Museum had all sorts of nifty stuff. Devonport, across the harbor (where we are staying) is a neat little town built on several old volcanic cones which are fun to climb and give great views from the top. There is a decent beach across the street, and Britt and I played in Anne and Doug's sea kayaks and then joined them in the water for a swim, and yes, ordinarily we would never actually get in the water in the harbor of a big city, but it's pretty clean due to the strong tidal action and, I suppose, enlightened environmental care.
Our visit with Jenine and Nat was a lot of fun but kind of short, so we may stop by and visit them again. Or at least go back to the Leigh Sawmill Cafe and Brewery (attn![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alembicresearch - apparently it's for sale) because man, that was good beer.
Right now it is apparently snowing a foot in Durango. Heh.
Oh, and happy birthday, Dad, I think. It's confusing when you're just the other side of the Date Line from everyone else you're talking with. ETA: Er, for tomorrow. That is. Darn date line.
We are both antsy to get moving, although we enjoyed the Auckland area a lot. The Auckland Museum was really interesting (and had the best museum food we have ever tasted!) and the Maritime Museum had all sorts of nifty stuff. Devonport, across the harbor (where we are staying) is a neat little town built on several old volcanic cones which are fun to climb and give great views from the top. There is a decent beach across the street, and Britt and I played in Anne and Doug's sea kayaks and then joined them in the water for a swim, and yes, ordinarily we would never actually get in the water in the harbor of a big city, but it's pretty clean due to the strong tidal action and, I suppose, enlightened environmental care.
Our visit with Jenine and Nat was a lot of fun but kind of short, so we may stop by and visit them again. Or at least go back to the Leigh Sawmill Cafe and Brewery (attn
alembicresearch - apparently it's for sale) because man, that was good beer.Right now it is apparently snowing a foot in Durango. Heh.
Oh, and happy birthday, Dad, I think. It's confusing when you're just the other side of the Date Line from everyone else you're talking with. ETA: Er, for tomorrow. That is. Darn date line.