Ok, so this post is entitled ‘Hamilton’…which is where I have just left…I stayed there for about a week and a half with Marty, Sheree and Sean and it was great to chill out with them (cheers guys!), but alas I must move on…I still haven’t heard any word on the job front yet, so have decided to hire a car for two weeks and tour the North Island…culminating in meeting Sal (and her dad!) for one last time up north in the Bay of Islands before they both head back to the UK 
(
So, this blog is just a few photos and whatever to wrap up Hamilton and move on…
Marty was working quite a lot on a big swimming pool tiling job (which incidently I saw just before I left – good work lads!) so I was either left to my own devices with Sherees car (after dropping her into work) or else at the weekend Sheree and I went to a few places…so here we go…
Last Saturday (24th Jan) Sheree and I headed out of Hamilton about 40 minutes to Mount Te Aroha – a nice ‘little’ mountain (only 952m) that could be climbed return in about 5 hours…sounded good to us…and it was…pretty tiring on the way up but the views were worth it! My left knee is still messed up (help Vicky!?) so the way down was quite excruciating, but I made it in the end…
Nice views from the summit of Mount Te Aroha…
…right over to the east coast..!!..
On Sunday, Sheree and I slept in (in separate beds!) while Marty went to work for a bit, but then he came back home and we headed for the surf town of Raglan on the west coast for some beach action…(black sand beaches – because of all the iron in the sand apparently…weird…). Anyway, I hired a surf board for an hour and was actually quite good..!!..ok so it was about the size of a small boat but we all gotta start somewhere..!!
The beach at Raglan…black sand…
Some sick surfing action…I’m thinking of going pro…
I threw myself off backwards at the end for the camera…look at the guy watching going “what the flah..!?”…haha…
Monday was a public holiday so Sheree and I went to her Nan’s house in Maungatapu on the east coast…she lives in an amazing house on the coast of the ‘natural harbour’ and has a couple of kayaks so we went out for a paddle in the morning on flat calm waters…
Nice…thats Mount Maunganui which we walked around later in the day…
This was amazing…3 foot deep water and this massive stingray glided past the boat..!?..you dont get that in Belfast Lough!!..I think Sheree nearly fell out of her boat!?
Nice spot for a house eh…the red brick one in the middle…
Nice views walking around Mount Maunganui…
…and the sun made this weird ‘rainbow in the cloud’…
On the way home we stopped at a waterfall where apparently people went swimming and stuff and there were these guys there that clearly had waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger balls than me…let the next two pictures explain…
This is the spot…I’m taking the photo from a REALLY HIGH bridge…
…which has a sign saying this…
…so they do this…!?…
On the way home we past a nice looking bar…it’s all waiting for you Pete – just get on the plane and get over for some Garth Brooks karaoke action!!
Tuesday and Wednesday were quite uneventful…I took Sheree’s car again and drove to a few different places…Port Waikato which is at the mouth of the Waikato River…wasn’t great weather so it was pretty empty…but I did drive around lots of scenery like this so it wasnt a complete waste…
Typically nice scenery you get everywhere you drive…
So that’s pretty much it for Hamilton and the surrounds for now. I will of course be back in April for the wedding…I’ll leave you with a few final pictures just because, well, I can…
Marty and Sheree’s place has a cracking big trampoline…he’s really good…
…I’m really not…
Finally, mother, I know you’re always asking if I’m eating properly…well you’ll be pleased to know I am – these have pretty much been my sole diet throughout Australia and New Zealand…I believe they are quite nutritious…
Mon 2nd February, 2009
at 2:30 am
No mss, you have been misinformed, they might look good, they might smell good, they might even taste good, but they are NOT even remotely nutritious!!You really mustn’t believe everything people tell you, especially in foreign lands!! ( sorry Marty and Sheree ha ha ) Take care.x ps Glad you decided to come out of one of those holes in the hill!
Mon 2nd February, 2009
at 5:58 am
so I’m in a bar in Istanbul, at half time during the Liverpool match in which riera clearly needs to grow a right foot but which might yet turn out alright as Terry has two left ones – and I thought I’d check what andy’s been up to – and it turns out, pretty much nothing. Well, at least the financial crisis has had one good outcome, fair play. Hope the north island tour goes well, keep er lit bro.
Tue 3rd February, 2009
at 7:39 am
Cheerio Keano! Can’t say I’m gutted to see him go but I thought we would have got a replacement in. Did you see the match?
Wed 4th February, 2009
at 1:53 am
Ahhh mss (mats special soldier).. don’t be sad about Sal and her dad going back to the UK.. there are plenty more dads out there for you.. chin up..
Burger ring vs. happy monster faces.. ?
Wed 4th February, 2009
at 10:18 am
I saw the (end of) the highlights…so saw both goals anyway!!..ah Mat, the happy moster faces – havent seen them out here otherwise there would be no competition really..!!
Thu 5th February, 2009
at 11:41 pm
I had a dream we were snowbaording together lats night…..it was beautiful but slightly nautious.
Fri 6th February, 2009
at 12:12 pm
I’ve only been away two months and you’re dreaming about me already…I’m getting slightly worried..!?