Tricky turns 40

The night before Ricks birthday, which was also our last night in Auckland AND the night the All Blacks played in the final, we had a bit of a birthday celebration for Tricky on the very auspicious occasion of him turning forty. Welcome to the club Rudy!

Warming up for the big family photo fest

Add a few more ...

And here we all are together. Nobody is quite sure which camera to look at though (there was a couple on the go) and I don't think anyone got a shot with us all looking at one camera at the same time.

The kids had painted a birthday card - that's us all playing rugby on the beach earlier that day. Not sure who that is with the scary hair.

Toby and Luca. Toby is starting to look a little weary from the last few days of action

Then it was time to settle in for the big game

Boys with flags

The next morning - Ricks actual birthday - we drove into the city to have a walk around the viaduct and then to head on to the cruise ship which would bring us home to Brisbane.

The viaduct was very busy - everyone was out in force to celebrate the big win

So funny, someone offered to take this photo of us, and while they were doing so another tourist just stopped quickly to take a photo of us as well - on their own camera! Talk about exhibit 'A'

We headed over to the wharf to board the Pacific Dawn, which we did just before the ticker tape parade of the All Blacks started. We got to see some of it from the decks though without the crowds.

All in all a fantastic few days in NZ - thanks to everyone for your time / bedrooms / cars etc. It is my personal mission to get back for more as soon as I can.

Visit to Tutukaka

During our stay we went up to Tutukaka for a night to catch up with Mum and Dad. Tutukaka is just lovely and we were lucky enough to have beautiful blue skies while we were there. We did loads in the short time we were there - meals out, hiking around the headland, exploring the nearby surrounds, a bit of cruising and of course the obligatory partying that night! We had a great time and I am already making plans to go back. Love it.

Showing our support on the drive up

A beautiful little beach at the marina

Me and Mum - not sure what Toby is up to in the background there

Dad's yacht

The kids quite fancied this lifestyle

A nice picture of Mum and Sophie

Stopping for a quick plank on the way to lunch

The boys

Dad and Sophie

The cruise around the nearby bays was awesome

Another quick plank at Whale Bay, which is quite possibly the best little bay in the world

Crystal clear turquoise water, but icy cold (well for us Brisbanites anyway!)

A bit of a paddle to the beach

Leaving our mark on the beach (it says Go All Blacks in case you can't read it)

The cruise back to the marina - it was all windy and salty and stuff, again, loved it.

Cruising back into the marina at a more sedate pace. The hotel in the background is where we stayed - The Oceans Resort. Highly recommend it - very nice.

All too quickly it was time to head back to Auckland for our last couple of nights.

More All Blacks supporters

Trip to NZ

In October we went home to NZ for the first time in many years (too many!) It was great to get back and see everyone again, and we had organised it so it coincided with Ricks 40th birthday and the final of the World Cup rugby. Bonus.

We left Brisbane with all the appropriate gear on

Luca and Toby had a great time catching up and there was a driveway just perfect for ripsticking on

Sophie and Zara partaking in more electronic pursuits

Rick and the girls

Linda and the girls.

We did a lot of sightseeing around our old haunts. This is taken at Waiwera.

Rick spent many a weekend here in his younger days ...

No visit to Auckland would be complete without a drive to Piha ....

.... and a climb up the rock

That's as far up as you can go these days

Yes, that's Ricks head in the middle of us! No show without Punch ...

Some of the Mason ladies

A bit of beach rugby

Pausing for a breather

Zara!

Taken from the Aratiki Information Centre in the Waitakeres

Classic New Zealand

There was lots of eating ....

And a bit of quiet time too.

Storm season starts

We had an interesting little storm here today ....

The clouds looked like they were boiling - unfortunately we didn't get video of it but it was actually quite scary watching them and wondering just what they were up to ...

And then the hail started ...

Sophie just couldn't help herself

We kept some of the evidence in the freezer

Nice.

Tomorrow is a balmy 29 degrees which should make it just nice for a dip in Ange and Zanes pool while we are there for lunch.