Hugging Trees

Welcome August

The All Blacks popped in for an office visit. Okay, so it was just Ali, Dan and Richie (but no haka performed). Shame I didn't figure out who they were until they left (I am not an avid rugby fan). Didn't even get a bloody pic!

A Spring-y Welcome

Since I continually strive towards my express ticket heaven, I simply had to celebrate Daffodil Day! For a gold coin donation ($1 and $2 coins = GOLD here) ya get a sweet as lil daffodil flower. Thank goodness the peer pressure of having to wear it wore off once I returned home.

As I'm springing in to Spring since 1 September - no relation to the equinox here - it has gotten very, very wet.  Case in point:

Sunshowers are a guy's worst enemy and something I've never experienced in such high frequency. I'm tired of being wet - and not in a fun way! ;-)

Little intricacies, like the exclamation point below, I still don't understand. What am I suppose to be watching for when the sign simply states !

Answer: Watch-out! [For all the drama queens]

Evarything was all so yum! ;-)

Holidays

Drink up y'all! As pictured below, this mountain is held back by empty beer bottles. 

@Driving Creek Railway, Coromandel NZ

 We had to chug up the entire mountain all the way to the eyefull tower....

...so our eyes were filled with views like this! (OK, OK so the one above is in the mall. No worries, I'm entered in the draw to win my trip to Paris!)

Driving along the 309 on the Coromandel Peninsula was poop-my-pants terrifying. Believe me, that if I drove the car off the side of the mountain it would take quite some time to be found.

Driving along the coastline we had to stop and take pics of the views every 2k's. Even though the view was basically the same (shore, ocean, other shore) it just had to be done! To be honest, the pictures don't even do justice to what's seen by the naked eye.

Can you go 80kph (50mph) around this?!

 The road is that bloody close to the ocean, it literally crumbles to the ocean floor as you pass over. That, and you hold your breath as you go around each tight as corner.

As American as Apple Pie

Sweet baby jebus, Martha's Backyard sells all the American goodies! Little Debbie, Kraft Velveeta Mac N Cheese, Cheez-Its, Solo cups, Twinkies and everything else that's amazingly American. Prices were very New Zealand however....

Cheez-Its: 27.50 NZD / 22.75 USD
3 pack Poptarts: 8.00 NZD / 6.60 USD
12 Pack Soda: 18.50 NZD / 15.33 NZD
Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal: 9 NZD / 7.45 USD

I only splurged and bought me some oatmeal cream pies for 9.50; and promptly ate the entire package within 48 hours (I don't wanna hear any judging from all y'all!). 

Where in the world is Derek?

Get around much?

Upcoming agenda items:

• Tour the Lemon and Paeroa factory in Paeroa, NZ. It's a soft drink made of lemon juice and carbonated mineral water and I'm now addicted to it. Of course it's now made by an American co, Coca-Cola. 
• Camp at Mt Tongariro in my campervan! The mountain just erupted this past August, so it shall be a thrilling adventure! 
• Exercise. Instead of paying for 4 stages in bus fare, walk one stage. That saves 3.80 each working day AND I get my daily exercise in.
• Rangitoto Island. So I can get in touch with my natural side. 
• Organise my pictures. However, most of the time I just can't be bothered. 
• Wipe off the coffee stains on my desk. 

Ta for now!

Two reasons this blog is not kept up-to-date