NZ Summer

At the end of December last year, we went back to visit my folks for about 6 days. Mum had suffered a heart attack earlier in the year and I wanted to go see my family, knowing that if we did decide to move away from Australia in 2008, it was going to be to Europe and further away from New Zealand.

We had a great time catching up with our NZ side of the family (wisely, Mum had invited them all to a BBQ so that we didn't have to go visit them individually), and we also managed to spend a night with friends on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

Waiheke is a short 40 minute ferry ride from the heart of Auckland, but it may as well be 40 hours away given that the atmosphere is so laid back and cruisy when compared to the city.

No - it's not real. Ceramic seagull in the garden

Our friends, C&C, have a beautiful holiday bach (pronounced "batch") on the hill overlooking Onetangi Beach which is one glorious 2.5km stretch of sand with safe, shallow water for families to swim in.

Onetangi Beach on Waiheke Island

It was perfect - hot, sunny weather - NZ at its best. Sitting on the deck in the sun, eating delicious fish which we had caught only 2 hours earlier; sipping on ice cold Coronas and crisp white wines.

Our Snapper catch - not bad for 90 minutes and throwing the little ones back

What more could anyone ask for? More time perhaps! All too soon we were cruising back to Auckland.

Leaving Waiheke from the wharf at Matiatia

Arriving back in Auckland City 40 minutes later