29th December

On Friday evening Len and Val received an invite to join some friends of theirs, Pat and Diana, the following day on their boat for a trip round Auckland harbour and a bit out into the Hauraki Gulf. The invitation was extended to include Joanne and I so our plan to walk up Rangitoto was postponed for a later date ("the volcano will still be there next time we visit Auckland").

The trip started with a little jaunt round the harbour taking in the skyline and having a closer look at the Russian tall ship currently moored at Princes Wharf before we headed out past the various parts of Auckland, past Rangitoto and out into the gulf. We stopped in a quiet bay for a spot of lunch before we headed out further. I had my new camera with me so was loving getting to take lots of shots. I don't know how people managed before digital cameras and the "snap loads and hope one of them looks perfect" photography methodology.


After a bit we pulled up, dropped anchor and broke out the rods. Time for some fishing. Diana went for a dip while we were getting set up (beautiful blue water but still a little cold for anything more than my feet I thought). I've only done it a few times but the more I do it the more I enjoy fishing. It was a more successful time than when I was out with Tom back in July too. Pat caught three small snapper and one big enough to keep, Val caught the same I think (although I was impressed with her managing to bring up two fish at the same time on the same doubled-hooked line), but Len didn't catch anything, not even a small one to be thrown back. I had a successful day too, catching four fish in total, three snapper (only one was big enough to keep) and a huge trevally. Well, I say huge. It was quite big. The biggest fish of the day, that's for sure. I hope Pat and Diana had a good dinner out of it.

The weather all day was just perfect. I love tripping round on a boat, a bit of fishing here, a bit of kayaking there, and a whole lot of relaxing.

Pat and Dianna dropped us on Waiheke Island so that we could get the ferry back. They were staying out on the boat for a few more nights. The trip in on the ferry was just awesome. As the sun went down the sea, the islands and the distant Auckland skyline made for some beautiful photos.


We arrived home at about 8:30 and after quick showers all round we were out of the door again before 9, changed for dinner. We headed over to One Tree Grill, one of Len and Val's favourite restaurants and I can see why. The food was just perfectly cooked, perfectly flavoured and perfectly presented. We all agreed the best meal we've had in a restaurant for a long time. I had pork belly roulade with roasted yams, broccolini and pernod-scented apple sauce, followed by sticky prune and walnut pudding with amaretto butterscotch and vanilla bean icecream. Joanne had the pork followed by chocolate mousse with a plum granita. I'm drooling sat here just recalling what we ate.

It was nice to go out for a meal to a nice restaurant. So far here in Chch it's been difficult to enjoy nice (more expensive) restaurants. Most of the friends we're making are either younger couples or couples with children or in both categories. I'm not saying that they don't like nice meals out or enjoy going to 'posh' restaurants or that other 'non-posh' restaurants don't do great food, just that they tend to have different priorities for their time and their spare cash, if that makes sense. Whatever. It was nice to go to a nice restaurant and enjoy an exquisite meal.