Good Day mates!

How are you? Did you have a good week so far? I’ve seen most of you quite often in the last few days so I think you are doing just as well as me.

There was not so much happening last week, therefore – no worries – the newsletter won’t be very long! Hope you will enjoy the rest of the week! 

OUR GROUP IS SHRINKING…

It is really sad that Christoph, Bastian, Martin and Sedina, who is in Fiji right now, had to return home last week. Hopefully you had a safe trip and will keep in touch with us. Too bad we never met Martin, who stayed south in Wellington, but we had heaps of fun with you other guys.

Unfortunately, Simone and Annick are leaving us next week as well travelling around the country. Wulf will return from his south Island Trip Friday Feb 4 and fly back to Germany a few days later. Well, I guess, we will have some more good bye parties soon?!

EVENTS IN AND AROUND AUCKLAND

As already announced in the last Newsletters there are free concerts in the Auckland Parks, this weekend music is played on Mt Eden on Saturday 5.30 – 9pm and again in the Domain on Sunday.

Due to Auckland’s Anniversary there is lots of different events going on throughout this weekend coming up. Various special deals are offered at the harbour, e.g. free steamboat rides (included in entry fee) with the Maritime Museum, different cruise specials into the Hauraki Gulf, sailings to an island. It is definitely worth it to go down to the harbour and watch the annual Auckland Regatta taking place at Auckland Anniversary Day.

On Monday there is a free day concert in Coyle Park, Pt Chevalier 2-6pm.

Also remember the Open Air Cinema at Viaduct Harbour and the Open Air Shows of Shakespeare in the Park in Takapuna.

The Zoo puts on a concert again next Thursday Feb 3 at 6pm. Maybe it is best to ask Caro for further information, tickets are $15 for students.

There is the big Buskfest 2005 coming up soon in Feb 4-6. International street performers will give three days of street entertainment both day and night shows at different places in Auckland (Viaduct, Princes Wharf, Vulcan Lane, Aotea Square). Best of it is that it is free…

Besides music there is also other stuff going on, e.g. the Waiheke Island Wine Festival next Saturday Feb 5. Tickets cost about $60 including live music, entry 4 venues, glass and festival bus.

AUCKLAND’S 165th ANNIVERSARY

Auckland Anniversary Day and Auckland Reggata, which is the largest single-day Reggata in the world, takes place in January since 1840 and always falls on Monday closest to January 29th.

When the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by local Maori chiefs at Karaka Bay in 1840, the Lieutenant Governor of New Zealand, Captain William Hobson, was invited by Ngati Whatua Chiefs to establish the new colony's capital in Auckland. A sailing regatta was held to celebrate the occasion, marked by the raising of the union flag, a tradition still observed every year on Auckland Anniversary Day.

Some unknown, the reason why the Reggata takes place on Anniversary Day, is that having drunk the Queen's health under the flagpole on Bastion Point, said, "Let's have a race."

Although Auckland only remained the country's capital for 25 years Anniversary Day continues to be marked in quintessential Auckland style, with a spectacular salute to our maritime roots, filling the Waitemata Harbour with sailing boat of all kinds, and a plethora of events both on water and on-shore as you could already see further above.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

On Friday night, Steffi, Diana and I went to see Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the Open Air Amphitheatre in Takapuna.

Although it was quite challenging to understand everything due to old Shakespearian English we enjoyed the play very much. It was worth the visit!

OUR NIGHT AT THE BOOGIEWONDERLAND

Saturday night we decided to try something new and thus we ended up in that dance club. Although the music was a little bit “odd” sometimes it was absolutely fun there and I think we might go back there again ?!

Before, as usual,  we had some drinks in Albert Park. After more wine in the club Diana got a little bit too much (again?) J and she tried ever shoulder of our boys to take some comfort… No worries, after another cookie and a sandwich she was just fine. Sorry, Diana, to pick on you but I just had to…. 

PIHA

On Saturday Robert, Diana, Ulrike and I planed to go into the Waitakere Ranges to do some hiking, but ended up staying in Piha for the whole day…

Robert didn’t really feel like hiking in the morning because he was still quite blue from that night before. Diana was also very sleepy for what ever reason J and decided to take a nap while we went up the Lookout Track.

We had a great view over Piha beach and the handsome surfers, did some climbing and watched the water splashing through the rocks. Of course, not to forget our main action of taking pictures... all formats landscape and portrait, with sunglasses and without…

Too bad that one of us girls left the keys inside the car and locked the doors… Well, so what else should we do??? Luckily, I had my cell phone (which was charged unlike Robert’s) with me and Uli and Robert took their wallets with them so we could at least have some ice cream and a cold drink! We called the AA Service (you can apply for a free AA membership for 6 months with your German ADAC membership in NZ) and they sent an agent to unlock our car. Although he was supposed to be there in about 1 hour it took him almost 3 hours. Since Piha is a surfer beach with lots of handsome sportive guys we girls didn’t mind waiting too much, but poor Robert didn’t have the chance to look at too much, sorry J !  

We still had a very nice and sunny day that we enjoyed a lot, only if the sunscreen hadn’t been in the car and our shoulders less sunburnt… !!!

NEXT WEEKEND SUGGESTIONS

Does anyone of you have any special ideas about what we do next week? If not I would suggest not to go on a big trip Feb 4-6 since we are all complaining about money?! What about visiting the Wine Festival on Waiheke Island on Saturday?

We could also just simply go to the beach and enjoy the excellent summer weather on Sunday? We can go out at night and try another bar (maybe Rising Sun on K’Rd)?? We could BBQ again or spend some time in Auckland, finally – after we have probably seen more of the country outside Auckland – visit the Museum, Mt Eden or whatever you haven’t seen…

Those of you who still want to go to Cape Reinga could do that as well.

I would like to go to Rotorua the weekend following that one (Feb 11-13). 

That’s it for today!