Hitting the ground running

After a 19 hour overnight train ride, then 10 hours in Bangkok, then an overnight 10 hour flight to Melbourne, then 12 more hours at Melbourne airport due to a delay, and yet another night on a plane, we arrived in Auckland, New Zealand at 4am to a welcomed chill in the air. We finally lay our weary heads on a real pillow at my Aunty’s Auckland house at 5am.

The crowing of roosters in Thailand were replaced with the New Zealand sun shining through the window, which woke us at 1pm. There was no time for jet lag, we had to get some winter clothes before going out that night, as boardies and barefeet weren’t going to cut it in New Zealand winter.

Mandy and I attended the well known kiwi band ‘Fly my pretties’ that night with good friends Barney and Lindsay. Wow, what an introduction back into NZ with some good quality kiwi beats. Then it was out for a night on the town in Auckland.

The following day was Barneys birthday and he had taken the day off work, so the four of us went for a birthday lunch over to Waiheke Island, and what a day. It was great to get out and see some beautiful NZ scenery.

On the Saturday I had some family time with my sister and aunty. We did ventured out on a road trip down to the cool little surfy town Raglan for lunch and to view the rugged west coast. Then it was back for a triple wammy birthday party for Barney, Griffs and Lynsy. The party was like we were back in Korea, with an underground Korean dinner followed by a Korean styled singing room; let’s just say that soju (Koreas answer to saki) was the winner on the day.

Waking up on Sunday morning feeling like a swine flu victim, I medicated myself with a glass of champagne at the champagne breakfast my Aunty had organised. Then it was off to meet my Irish mate Teddy Rabbit who I had lived with in my Spanish chapter, he now lives with his beautiful kiwi wife in Auckland.

Today being Monday was spent with Aunty Jill on yet another road trip to show Mandy the rolling country side on a drive up to Walkworth for lunch. Now I’m at the airport waiting to fly back home to Nelson to stay with mum and dad for a week. And I’m sure there is more of the same waiting for us there, hiking and road trips, I can’t wait.

Anyway, it’s been great being back in NZ so far; trading in the bare feet for shoes ($20 Thailand rip-offs – gold), wearing my jacket instead of having my bustling muscular chest glistening in the sun, having hot showers instead of cold, continuous electricity, eating actual food instead of refugee camp rice – ummm red meat- and having people understand me. Although I do miss the Thailand bum guns, I have found myself sitting on the toilet and reaching for the bum gun to give my bottom a cleansing squirt after attending to business, but having a sinking feeling when my outreached hand bumps into the toilet roll, but hey you can’t have it all.