NZ x2

We are so relaxed here we have decided to stay until Wednesday when we have to make our way back to Auckland for our journey home on Thursday early am. The number of people we have spoke to have all said by pass Auckland, it isn't worth the hassle. Apparently the city has grown but the infrastructure hasn't so it is a nightmare to drive into and that it has gone downhill the past couple of years. It wasn't a hard decision for us.
Michael says it is like an Olympic training centre here. Today we saw a big rowing boat with four young men in the surf, they were jumping in from the surf and immediately started rowing, it was so impressive to watch.It was so high and they all jumped together.
Then there are paragliders who climb up to the top of the mount with their parachute in a big backpack on their back, jump off the edge, circle round in the currents for a while then come down and land on the same spot on the beach. We saw a man who must have been in his seventies and a girl in her twenties float down. They pack their parachute into a huge backpack and leave. Then they are the lifeguards and their training, people running up and down the mount, cyclists, junior lifeguards training, people swimming in the sea.There is something to look at all day. There is a big event on at the weekend, two big grandstands have already been erected on the beach, I think it is the national lifesaving championships.
We have had a really nice Indian meal tonight, it was nice to have something spicy for a change.
A massive cruise ship docked in on the inland bay today,it is the first time I have seen one close up.We watched it sail away at teatime, very impressive.
We leave England and they have the worst winter ever. We leave Queensland and they have the worst rain for a hundred years, our good luck cannot continue, surely??
Adverts seem to last forever here on TV.
Mongolia has had the worst winter ever and thousands of farm animals are dying belonging to the nomads. Just thought I would put that in.
Am off to bed now . Good morning to all in the UK and good evening to everyone else.