Julia and I are just back from three days in Auckland where I was invited to the NZ Motorcycle Awards. A column I write is published there and apparently I'm a national hero. I certainly get more respect there than I get in Australia but my writer mates here tell me I get EXACTLY the respect I deserve.
Flash hotel - the Rendevous - with views of the harbour, but just about everywhere in Auckland has views of the harbour. There's actually a 16km walk from one side of the peninsula to the other which I had visions of doing but it didn't eventuate. Instead, we went to an island on a ferry for a decent walk and both got burnt by the hot NZ sun. We were saved only by an excellent lunch and some NZ wine. It was a bit wet on the Monday so we went to the museum and I found out a bit more about Maori culture. It kind of expains the All Blacks. We also had dinner in the revolving tower in town which combined good food with great views. I didn't pick up much in the way of a New Zealand quisine - it's pretty much like Australia - but it was all very fresh.
The speaker at the bike dinner was Tawera Nikau who played league for the Cronulla Sharks and the Melbourne Storm at the turn of the century. He's had a rough time with his wife killing herself while he was playing in England and then losing his leg in a motorcycle accident after he'd retired. He's a nice bloke, though, and was very forgiving of my ignorance of league and the details of his life. Whoever arranged the seating should have breifed me beforehand.
Finally saw "The Dark Knight" on the way home on the plane and the first hour of "Tropic Thunder" which was very funny and will have to be borrowed from the video shop in the near future so I can find out how it ends.
In other news, Nick has arrived home with no particular plans except to save enough money to travel in the second half of '09. Harry and his "special friend" arrive this Monday for a bit of a holiday and we're all looking forward to seeing them. Arrangine the separate bedrooms has been difficult, though - don't know how they're going to manage it in the Kombi.
I could live in NZ.
3 comments:
Did you bring back a big pencil?
We actually looked for a big pencil at Auckland airport but they don't sell them anymore - apparently they can be used as weapons in an attempted hijacking. Sad to say, Damian, you might have received your last. Now shut-the-#@*& up about them!
Oh, forgot to mention that Brad Forrest came up in conversation with Tawera Nikau. Tawera said he had a good run from Brad when he was playing for the Cronulla Sharks between '95 and '97 and remembers him fondly.
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