We'll start with a trip out of Auckland to do some twilight kayaking around Lake Karapiro and down the Pokaiwhenua Stream to see some amazing glow worms (very night sky-esque). Unfortunately, the low light didn't lend itself very well to any photo opportunities. I can show you the lovely dinner we stumbled upon in Cambridge at Alpino Cucina & Vino.
After 3 hours of kayaking, the body needed to be refueled. So Chris & I started off with this Pizza Diavola (spicy salami & capsicum).
Then onto this simple tagliatelle pasta with olive oil, rocket (aka arugula), tomatoes and cheese. Overall, an excellent dinner at a very nice restaurant that I'd be happy to revisit the next time I happen to stop in Cambridge. P.S. Pretty sure I saw All Blacks Assistant Coach Wayne Smith there having dinner too!
For Jess' B-Day, we went out to dinner at Orphan's Kitchen on Ponsonby Road. Very lovely meal here in a nice, cosy environment.
I picked, for my main, a delicious lamb shoulder dish with pickled cucumbers and a green (vaguely minty) sauce that paired well together. I completely cleaned off the plate when I finished.
And I accompanied the main with a side of roast yams with shaved pork belly. Double yum.
On a random Friday, Portland (yup, that little city in Oregon) decided to do a promotional pop up in downtown Auckland. While I sadly didn't see too much of the true hipster, Portlandia vibe, I did score a free pizza and beer!
I went for a lovely bike ride through Rosedale and Albany on a lovely Sunday (i.e. nice weather and no chores). Baaaaaaa.
We had another flat dinner out in Birkenhead for some Malaysian food. Please observe the "Before":
And the "After":
Pretty good job for 5 people I think. And the waitress initially scoffed at us ordering 10 roti. Well, no roti left behind Miss.
With the Rugby World Cup in full swing by this point, many mornings began with Rugby and breakfast. On this particular occasion, we had Loco Mocos at Liz & Ian's. Always awesome to have a taste of Hawaii!
Much to my grandma's chagrin, my Uncle has been feeding a couple ducks and they've begun to make a habit of coming round the house on a regular basis. Donald & Daisy, meet Dexter.
So that Uni course I took finished up and Liz delivered the last lecture on what it takes to release a medical device commercially. Best use of presentation images hands down (yup, Mario). She also included copious photos of animals wearing glasses. You know, because glasses = intelligence = credibility.
We had a nice cuzzie hot pot dinner at Liv & Jono's to kick off an awesome Labour Day weekend. Quality family time for sure! We even had time for this pic after Zach went to bed.
And we ended Labour Day weekend with a family BBQ at Uncle Phil & Aunty Annie's. My contribution: a Lemon Yoghurt Bundt cake. I'm not much of a baker, but I'm pretty relieved this turned out alright!
Now that the weather has started to warm up, it has made it much more enjoyable to spend time outside. That includes late afternoon runs before dinner along the Shore (with an awesome view of Rangitoto Island). So close to summer!
They did it!!! The All Blacks became the first nation to successfully win back-to-back Rugby World Cups. Hats off to Richie and the boys for an awesome tournament that saw them really find their form and composure at the business end of the tourney (when it matters most). You've made this little country of ours quite proud as always!
The most recent family picture including Uncle Michael & Aiden (visiting from Oz), Aunty Karen and Mum.
For Mum's B-day, we took her out to dinner at Takara Ramen for some yumminess. I opted to try their new Negi Spicy Pork ramen (in tonkotsu broth). I think this improved the flavour of the soup with a bit of spiciness and I would consider ordering it again. Tough choice between this one and the Black Tan Tan for next time...
We even dusted off the Magic cards for a bit of fun (including some probably tournament illegal card combos).
Remember, remember the 5th of November. Happy Guy Fawkes!!!
The aftermath of a tonne of explosives. Your Public Service Announcement for this year: if you buy poor quality Roman Candles (like those ginormous "Super Candles" in the picture) be careful when holding them in the air with your hands to fire off as the inner tube may shoot out of the bottom of the outer tube on to the ground and (before you can react) fire off a shot in the general direction of your family (and the other fireworks). Yup, just be aware.
We've entered the home stretch of 2015. Can you believe it? I certainly can't. I think we've also just passed the year mark for when I accepted this job. So far so good. I hope my next update won't be too long from now. Take care everyone!
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