Kia Ora Tamaki Makaurau

Sunday 3 August

We awoke to a frost and South Island temperatures half way up the North Island! Yay for a powered POP and our fan heater!

Said farewell to various of the Grape Escape animals - including a darling sealpoint pusskin who spent a long while checking out Banjo! - then we joined SH1 northbound. The amount of traffic and the wide, smooth 3 lanes of motorway in each direction around Hamilton were a revelation.

We cruised along past the mighty Waikato and suddenly we were in the outskirts of Auckland! Everything looked so familiar as we swung left onto SH20 and looped round to the west on SH16 and then the north on SH18 to reach Tim & Mairi’s place in Beach Haven.

All the family were there as we set up - Louis backed Banjo up their driveway and we levelled her out with assorted chocks and bits of timber. Finn kept asking “Where’s Louis? Is he in the caravan? Can i get in?” Even as Louis was standing right next to him!

We settled in, caught up with everyone including a slightly shirty Dilligas and had dinner on the deck in the winter sunshine then enjoyed bedtime shenanigans which involved dancing, singing, interactive stories and lots of giggles! So lucky to have such lovely, generous friends 🥰