I've returned from holiday

Hi there

Well, I've been to Auckland to see the two stage musicals, "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" and "Billy Elliot".  I was a fraction disapponted in "Priscilla".  This was a production from England, and the version I saw about ten years ago at the same theatre was the Aussie version before it had been workshopped for the West End, and Broadway.  I figure last week's production was a bit jaded, extra songs had been added or deleted (I have the Aussie version soundtrack), and the so-called Aussie accents sounded too British.

"Billy Elliot" was great.  What great dancing (more about this in a future blog).

Then I went to Waiheke Island (45 mins from Auckland by fast ferry) for five nights.  I was staying at a holiday home practically on Oneroa Beach.  I swam every day  .I didn't take my camera and had to make do with my cheapy mobile phone, please excuse quality of photos.

Oh, and I got covered in sandfly bites.  Then I got bitten on the arm by something.  Still ... somehow I managed to enjoy myself!

Oh, and I bought two dresses.

 above:  I was staying about fourth house from this end.   Below: three views from house balcony.

 Below: holiday house, taken by me standing in the shallows.  It's the house behind the  tidy hedge.

Cross fingers for me for tomorow please.  I'm going to the eye doctor and the decision will be made as to whether I can continue driving....

Waiheke Island sandflies

Hi there

I've just returned from Auckland.  While there, I went swimming on Waiheke Island (two different beaches), and at Mission Bay, and also Takapuna Beach.

Oneroa Beach on Waiheke is lovely and so is (the water at)  Palm Beach.  But Palm Beach has sandflies.  Lots of little hippity-hoppity sandflies.  Most of them wanting to surround obviously only me.  I decided to laze up high on a wooden bench, but they surrounded me up there, too.   Who knew the little blighters could jump so high?

Cutting short my enjoyment of a lovely afternoon, I stomped angrily back into the changing shed where a fellow swimmer pointed out that I was in the centre of a ball of sandflies.

"Oooh, they're in your hair!" she shrieked.  "Go-get-a-shower!-go-get-a-shower!" 

She all but pushed me out of the shed.

Water is scarce on Waiheke but I stayed under that outside shower a good ten minutes.  I didn't care about passersby looking meaningfully at their watches, or even if they were staring at my big thighs. 

All I could think of was that I must have looked awfully like Pigpen, the character from the Peanuts comic strip ...

***
PS:  I don't know what sandflies are called outside of New Zealand.  Maybe 'midges'?

PPS:  no lasting effects from my bubble bath bathroom flood, except I was up till 2 am washing and drying dozens of towels.