A week apart

We left Pahi and drove back down to Takapuna on the North Shore, just outside central Auckland. Doug disappeared off for a day on the river with the Auckland University boys and girls, while I headed over to the outboard boating club to sit in a classroom on a super hot day and listen to how to use a radio. Not jealous at all.

Doug managed a couple of runs on the Wairoa (a fun Class III/IV), one of which didn't go so smoothly.   This video of him on Rollercoaster rapid speaks for itself...

Super smooth. It doesn't look like a nice place to be headed when you finally pop up after a couple of rolls. The undercut apparently claims quite a few swimmers, hence the rope that Doug was able to hold on to while the lads bagged him out. 

After that exciting day, Doug flew off to Sydney to hang out with his friend Joe, and I took the time to head up to see fellow blogger (and evil genius) Lauren up in Paihia. I met up with her and a local guy called Craig at a cafe in town, but was promptly whisked off to pick up some crates at the supermarket before heading up to the prize giving for an annual rugby match between Waitangi and Russel, two fierce rugby rivals from opposite sides of the water in the Bay of Islands. With Craig's car a crate of beer lighter, sober driver Sam Farrow drove over to the ferry and crossed to Russel, trophy on board for the first time in 6 years! I then hung out with Lauren, Craig and his house mate Jared for a pretty cool weekend. 

Reunited at the airport with only slight complications at one am this morning - Doug got all the way to the airport in Sydney the day before, wondered why his flight wasn't on the boards, and realised he'd got there a day too early... I was already coffee'd up by the time he texted and as such haven't had much sleep for the last two days - Doug and I are going to spend tonight in Auckland and then head down to Rotorua tomorrow for a weekend on the Kaituna and Wairoa. I will of course be official shuttle bitch for Doug and the Auckland Uni lads as my physio says that I shouldn't to anything beyond flat water for the next two weeks, minimum, and then to build it up slow. So it'll be a while before I can join Doug on the water. In return for my services as shuttle driver extraordinaire, however, I fully expect to get a free weekend on the beer. Swings and roundabouts!

Catch you all soon,

Sam and Doug.