For all of you who believed that I would probably just end up living in a caravan one day, well that day nearly came. As you may know, Annie has scored a month's work in Auckland. So while our holiday is soon to come to an end, we will not be returning to England quite so imminently. Annie's supreme talents got her the job offer a while back, but also required was some affordable, temporary accommodation. If we couldn't find any, then we could extend our stay by taking the job, but it wouldn't actually make us any money, so no point really.
Looking at a few of the commercial options gave us little hope. A few of the cheaper motels offered us a slight discount on a month's stay, but the discount would be very small, and the motels were in busy parts of town, although near Annie's central work location. So it was back to one of favourite places of the early part of the trip: Takapuna Holiday Park. Located across the water from the city centre, a small field right on the beach with a few cabins, campervans and caravans is surrounded by really swanky houses. How long it will last I don't know, but it should remain in business for a month. It is possible to commute by bus or by ferry, yet the whole village feels like a holiday resort. So I just need to get over the communal bathrooms and I can spend a month hanging with the kids on the beach. Sweet as (as they say over here).
Couple of nights later the reality check thankfully arrives. The clocks are due to go back, and the practicality of there being no spouse to look after one baby while I take the other to the communal bathroom in the rain. Not sweet as (as I say over here).
We have been saved by friends of friends of friends in a suburban district called Onehunga. We went to a barbecue one saturday night. I barbecued some peppers, played drums with the band, and got a tip that someone rented out some section of their house nearby. A couple of days later I'm being shown round an apartment. I try to keep calm and say 'hmmm hmm, yes' while being told that they can take the snooker table out if we'd like. But almost keel over with 'oh gosh! It's a palace!' whenever I get a chance.
I'll let y'all know more about the place once we're in there in a week or so. But for the moment: it has a remote control for opening the gate from the car as we drive up, a record player (actual vinyl), and a picture of a woman with a big bottom on the wall.
