On New Zealand Time

I *knew* I wasn't properly on Melbourne time!  I routinely wake at about 4 and am snoozing by 8 or 9 in the evening.  It's very frustrating!!

We're in Auckland and Rotorua this weekend.  No snoozing on the (very comfy) couch for me yesterday evening.  I was in bed at 10:30 or so and didn't wake until just after 6.  There is a two hour time difference.  I have been unknowingly on New Zealand time for the past three months.

We are here because Jim's tourist visa allows him multiple entries into Australia over the course of 12 months, but only for a maximum of three months at a time. We are nearly at the end of three months and we don't want him accidentally to become an illegal alien so a visit somewhere outside of Australia seemed like a plan.  Lindsey has come with us.  Ian's diary, alas, said No.

We oh-so-nearly went to the South Island, which Lindsey knows better than the /North Island.  But on the day I went looking for flights there were only quite expensive ones to the South and some reasonably cheap ones to the North. Just as well, as it turned out.  I think the SOuth Island has enough to do in the aftermath of quite a nasty earthquake. This will do us quite nicely.

We arrived mid-afternoon yesterday. Lindsey had arranged a hire car and had booked an Airbnb pose for us in a relatively new development in North Auckland. We are close to the sea, to local shops nd to a supermarket.  There's a Farm market tomorrow morning which we thought we might go and look at.  And today we are meeting a former work colleague of mine for coffee before going out exploring this afternoon.  I wasn't really aware that she lived in Auckland until a brief exchange on Facebook at Tullamarine Airport yesterday.  First, though, a spot of breakfast and then a walk down to the end of the promontory that we find ourselves on.