2nd May 2016

You know you’ve got a great life when you’re in no hurry to leave it.  From our incredible family, to great waves, enjoying walks on the beach most days, fantastic friends, awesome staff, the most beautiful dog in the world, clients who are more like friends…..yes, life doesn’t get much better.  But it’s always good to chuck a bit of adventure in there….plus after 28 years of marriage, you need a few different stories to tell!

The family seeing us off at New Plymouth airport

After a good night’s sleep, having packed our gear last night, we awoke to a mild, cloudy morning. On the agenda was to get Rufus out for a walk, but first a nice breakfast. Temperature outside was ideal and we enjoyed taking our hairy beast for a final stroll until our return in August.  Picked up some duct tape from the supermarket (to use on the boxes at Auckland airport…….or to kidnap some high profile celebrity and bind them up, whilst we held them for ransom).  Once home it was some final last minute jobs and we were heading to the airport….on surprisingly quiet roads for that time of the day.  Check in at New Plymouth was a breeze and with family there to farewell us it was a relaxing half hour before we were finally in the air.

Touchdown in Auckland to 20 degrees and pushed our trolleys under blue skies around to the International departures. Here we emptied the extra bag we had brought with us into the two bike boxes (along with the celebrity we had kidnapped on our way around to International departures) and checked them into the Emirates counter, without any fuss at all…..obviously the gag and duct tape had worked…!

Bikes and camping gear all packed up and ready to go

One of our oldest friends (and I mean that in the nicest way) was on her way to pick us up.  Shaz…we love you and we thoroughly enjoyed our long lunch at Moreton’s in St Heliers, overlooking Rangitoto. 

With Shaz in St Helier's - a great lunch with a dear friend on a stunning day with a cracking view!

Back to Sharon’s place where she dropped us, before heading into work, to be replaced by Roger, the other half of this formidable duo, who at 4.30pm piled us into his car for the return leg to Auckland airport, where we currently sit, awaiting our boarding call for our outward journey to Dubai.