Continuing the blogs about our recent trip to Australia and then New Zealand, where we were lucky enough to be invited to visit friends at their farm, just in time to see them shearing some of their sheep.
Here they are in the pen waiting their turn.
I was very impressed with the speed and dexterity of the sheep shearers.
And the quantity of wool they were producing that all had to be swept aside and collected in large canvas sacks that were compressed before being closed.
Then it was time for a trip around the farm. Those look like Hobbitses hills!
After the farm we headed up to Lake Taupo.
If you are looking for a way to entertain your kids why not stop at McDonald's and let them look inside their plane.
But I think I prefer the lakeside, and the peace and quiet down at Oruatua
But soon we were heading back to Auckland where the view from our hotel made me a trifle dizzy at times!
We took a ferry trip, and went for walks, and found some quite amazing trees
While we were in Auckland we met up with the lovely Trevor and Diane who were on holiday there, too. They run the Kids Lit Quiz in Newcastle.
And we also had a lovely evening and a delicious meal with Wayne Mills, the quiz master himself, who was touching base at home in between his international travels to bring the quiz to even more countries than ever before. I have no idea where he gets the energy! Hope to see you all later in the year when the UK heats are on.
Before we knew it time had come to catch our big white bird and take to the skies on the way home.
