Friday, April 5: Sunny but cool, interesting clouds developing during the day
Walking: 10 km
Jocelyn’s
No need to get up early this morning but had forgotten to turn off the alarm so it was breakfast @ 8:00, then down to the bus to return the PLB.
So much bus riding for $6.9! Both trips took longer than an hour, and one change of bus (I had memorised the street plan of the change and was relatively confident I was at the right place) involved an unlabelled bus stop, no number, no timetable, no nothing. But I got there and and recognised the surroundings from the pick up trip with Rayna, now nearly eight weeks ago.
Before starting on the return trip I had to go to the loo, which was at Botany Town center, not far from the bus stop, then I thought that PaknSave should be on the program, if only for the vegemite, but also got beer for two nights, as BRB’s American Pale Ale, 18th Amendment – beer of the trip – was also on special offer.
This loaded up I embarked on the journey back and was back here just after midday. Jocelyn was working on a trip to Liverpool to visit her daughter’s graduation in July and we chatted a bit about travel, London in particular, and how to travel from there to the puddle.
This afternoon’s occupation was finding a clothing bin to throw the old hiking gear and the runners into, then down to the beaches to find the ice cream shop again, which I did, although this time I didn’t the vanilla honeycomb (= hokey-pokey) was quite as good as the first time (Milse Ice Cream was the brand by the way, and the shop was at 237 Tamaki Drive). Came back up to Mission Bay and then up the road to Eastridge.
Remembered I had to check in online to get a seat on the plane and the check-in was open @ -48 h, so I went in and there were very few seats left, even fewer of them optimal, so I am stuck in the middle of three. Actually just changed that in both flights to being 2 or 3 of 4, so don’t have an extra passenger trying to climb over me as well. Also tried to manage that the other middle seat was free as well, just in case.
After that it was time to decide on where to get the last burger. Went to the Eatery (Eastridge) and NOA Chargrill & Burger for the Angus burger (ordered: Well done) and baby potatoes for a total of $31.5. Burger was served so that it had to be eaten with hands, but there was a paper lining that could be used to keep burger and hands separate so that was useful. The pattie was thoroughly cooked, although it did retain some red color, that can be done with nitrate. Potatoes were OK, and the beer was lovely. Can be recommended. One last $100 was collected from a bnz ATM.
