1st weekend in NZ

My flight was fine although long. I've met several New Zealanders (obviously) and some folks from England - everyone has been incredibly nice, completely exceeding the New Zealander reputation of friendliness. My host mum, Jan, is fabulous, and she has made me feel completely welcome. My first night here, she packed a picnic dinner and we ate in a park overlooking the water - Auckland truly is a "city of sails."

This weekend, my friend Laura and I traveled to Waiheke Island - a subtropical island a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland. The weather was gorgeous. We camped out at a backpackers' lodge, spent a day at Onetangi Beach (gorgeous) and ate delicious food. Food here is incredible: Almost everything is fresh, with no dyes or preservatives. Even convenience stores carry fresh-squeezed OJ, no sugar added peanut butter, etc.; this is just the regular food (not specialty items as in the U.S.)

Laura and I learned a lot on our first weekend trips:Buses don't run to other cities much after 3pm, and sometimes not at all on Sundays; also, it's very difficult to fit on regular city buses with a travel backpack. We kept getting stuck, and one lady told me I was too fat - we were cracking up (and a little sheepish, no pun intended), but it was far more funny than embarrassing.

We took some great photos on the ferry and at the beach. I will try to post some asap, but you may have to wait as I will not have regular computer access here, and I may not be able to plug in my camera, jump drive, etc.

Love from NZ