Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Amazing! Shame you’re leaving BB so soon. There is an old WW2 American gun position still in place on the main island. I’d go back there in a heartbeat!
11th Dec 2024 9:41 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73130
We didn’t get to the WW2 guns in Bora Bora, apart from the snorkelling trip we just stayed in or near the resort. Next stop was Rangiroa in French Polynesia, renamed French Brolynesia! Weather was dire, it tipped down for 3 days, every time we went out we got soaked to the skin, even with umbrellas and waterproofs. We saw the dolphins at Tiputa Straits, in the pouring rain. No pics though. Accom was cheap (by local standards) but came with very basic cabin with loads of mosquitos. Glad to be out of there and back in the IC Tahiti. View of Moreea from hotel after best part of a bottle of VC each and frites. Hic.
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Up early tomorrow, flight to Auckland and over the Date Line. What is today here is tomorrow there, it’s seriously messing with our minds, plus the thought that we’ve paid for an extra day of insurance for a day that doesn’t exist! Just got to get packed, incl all the extra t-shirts accumulated along the way.
Catch y’all on the flip side. Land of the Kiwis look out, we’re heading your way.
PS And yes, the frites were fab. With a cheeky glass or 3 of Sea Glass Cab Sauv. Great combo. And yes, SPF50 was on standby as between downpours on Rangiroa I managed to get well and truely sunburnt. Not needed as, you guessed it, it rained all the time we were in the bar.
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16th Dec 2024 5:02 am
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14482
Frites and vino plonko. Life is good. D4 HSE EU6 (Known as Jeeves)
New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!) Sold
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
16th Dec 2024 7:06 am
terryall
Member Since: 17 Jun 2011
Location: Whitstable
Posts: 1435
Why do you put body lotion on your rites? 6 LRs last one 2009 HSE D3.
Current D5 HSE LUX 2019.
16th Dec 2024 9:32 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73130
Makes a change from mayo!!
16th Dec 2024 4:22 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73130
And greetings from Auckland, where today is really tomorrow and where we came from is still yesterday. If we had remembered which day it was (as you get older which day it is becomes a moving feast) then it would be even more confusing.
Breezed through AKL passport control, no queue and a line of e-gates waiting on us, short queue for biosecurity, asked if we had anything to declare, gave a definite “absolutely nothing”, and straight into the coveted lane zero and a nice sniff from a sniffer dog and we were in. We’d seen the NZ Border Patrol progs and was expecting the third degree and full search but no, straight through. Not that we had anything dodgy, not even a teabag or coffee sachet. I even chucked out the Scandic wooden eco pen from Polish trip as the video on the flight said no wood products!
And it’s summer here, like proper summer. Still going to wear out winter stuff as too used to Tahiti temps.
Gratuitous pano from the room.
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And a HMNZS vessel one of the few they have left. Luckily they didn’t sink it. Yet!
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Looking forward to exploring tomorrow, or is that yesterday.
17th Dec 2024 5:03 am
Naki Blake
Member Since: 31 Dec 2021
Location: Taranaki
Posts: 325
Kia ora
Nau mai, haere mai
17th Dec 2024 5:32 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73130
nga mihi nui, he pai te noho mai ki konei.
And it’s good to give GoogTranslate a rest from French!
17th Dec 2024 5:56 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73130
And last night in Auckland. It’s been a good stay here, didn’t go outside the city apart from a trip to Waiheke Island and over to Devonport. We deffo like Auckland, could happily move here if it was a bit closer to home, and if the Kiwis let us. All the peeps we’ve met have been really friendly and easily over half of them have been Brits and a smattering of Europeans (non Brit varieties)
We are right on the harbour so lots of opportunity to use the ferries. Local public tpt is cheap and easy to use. Ferries are great, even when packed with Xmas party peeps. It’s still strange, Chrimbo in the middle of summer!
Pics from around here:
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At Torpedo Bay Naval Museum.
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And just round the corner Devenport navy base where RNZN is parked up. Like all of it. Apart from one ship which didn’t quite make it home after a recent trip.
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This ANZAC Class frigate did go out for a jolly but it was back for bedtime, and not allowed anywhere near reefs.
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Lots of expensive toys in the Marina area, here taken from the short ferry from W Viaduct to E Viaduct, a few hundred metres. It was free and nice views of boats.
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And Instagram dude’s $200m super-dooper yacht Bliss.
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Yesterday it was being polished to within an inch of its life, and was out in the water today. It’s bigger than the cruise ship presently at the CS dock!
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Finally, the Disappearing Gun in the North Point fort, built coz of the fear of Rooskie invasion.
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Nice little wander round the fort before heading back to the hotel for tea and medals, after buying mince pies and Christmas stuff from Woolies. We’re on the train tomorrow from here to Wellington so will have a bit of a Chrimbo dinner with roast chicken crisps and mince pies.
Oh, and forgot about the day spent wine tasting on Waiheke Island. Started at 11am, finished at 4pm, lots of lovely sampling and scoffing.
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Cheers all.
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22nd Dec 2024 2:21 am
Naki Blake
Member Since: 31 Dec 2021
Location: Taranaki
Posts: 325
Plenty of top wineries at top of South Island, Blenheim/Marlborough area. Knock yourself out!
23rd Dec 2024 11:22 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73130
Got the train booked down to Christchurch booked for after NY, day there then pick up the hire car & head back up to Renwick. Then lots of sampling, well everything within walking distance of the cottage we’ve booked.
Presently in Wellington, here for a while over Chrimbo & NY, then ferry to S Island. Well that’s plan. Lovin NZ so far.
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