The long journey home has started. I'm now in the Air New Zealand lounge at Auckland airport - they code-share with Singapore Airlines - after a long drive of two hours and a short flight of 30 minutes.

It's raining and, as I'm dressed for travelling and don't have anything warm, it's cold!

Managed to get my 34 kg of baggage on the short flight without any grief and even got these checked in through to Heathrow.

I'm either going to be a walking zomby by the time I get home or feeling as fresh as a daisy... what do you think?

See you in Singapore.

Well, I'm still in Ahipara. I'm using the Mark's computer.

Yesterday, went off to visit Gum Diggers Park - this an area where gum or resin from the Kauri tree was extracted from pits and used as a sealant on ships, etc before man-made alternatives became available about 75 years ago.

The Kauri trees are slow growing trees and live for over 2000 years. So, its at the opposite end for the scale to Lylandii. The trees grow very big and the wood is almost without knots, etc. So it looks great.

At the Kauri Kingdom shop they have used this wood to make furnature and even a spiral staircase.

Now, when I say a staircase I mean a staircase made from one piece of wood!

Last night, discovered that the local NZ brew - Lion Red - is potent are all!. So, remember this - don't drink more than twenty bottles of it!

Tonight we're going to the club-house and having a drink before an early night and the long journey home.

My wife tells me that my laptop has returned from being repaired (don't ask), so I'll need re-installing all my software before I can load anymore pictures.

enough

Busy weekend.

Been down to Whrangarei, Tutukaka & Piahia. Buying up nearly every T Shirt, diving the Poor Knights & eating pies respectively.

The Poor Knight dives were fanastic - plenty of life and clear blue water. OK, the water was cold (16C) and lumpy, but worth it. Definately, worth coming back to when the weather is warmer.

Managed to watch the All Blacks beat the Aussies in a typical NZ bar. Lots of people drinking and getting into the game. Being Kiwis there weren't as loud as an English crowd, but everybody had a great time. And the best thing was the Beer Sofa - there was a free draw to sit on the beer sofa and watch the game drinking as much beer as your want!

Now, that's something that needs to catch on!

New Zealand are into pies - straight meat pies, meat and cheese pies, curry pies, etc - Again, something that needs to catch on.

This is probably my last entry until I get to Auckland airport - yes, going home on Thursday to my new job!

After my trip into town yesterday, today was out of the Quad-Bike and a trip along the beach.

I probably need to explain that the "town" has a centre of a couple of streets and nearly everything you want can be purchased there. Or, to be more precise, everything you can get is there.

The beach is empty by UK standards in both directions for about one hundred miles, by NZ standards, it's a busy day with at least half a dozen people out there.

Anyway, the Quad-Bike takes a bit of getting used to, with your right thumb controlling the accelarator and your left foot to change gear. I managed to get a top speed of about 60 kph (about 35 mph) on the straight bits during the two hour trip there and back.

I've also booked my return flight to Auckland - there's only one flight a day from Kai Taia and that gets in too late to meet the Singapore flight - so, it's leaving at 08:30 on Thursday 31st to meet to 11:20 flight from Whangarei (pronounced Fangarai) to Auckland.

Enought from me, it's time for a beer!

I've been here three days or is it two?

During the day it can get quite warm, so it's T-shirts & Shorts, but as soon as the sun starts to set (about 5 o'clock) then it's jumpers and track-suit bottoms quick!

Managed to meet nearly everybody in Ahipara and consumed more beer than is probably good for me!

People are really friendly and are prepared to help in all sorts of ways such as using Anton's, the neighbour, car to go diving yesterday with A to Z Diving over at Whatuwhiwhi.

It wasn't the the deepest dive (only 12 metres), but it was my longest with over an hour. I was in the clean blue water, we managed to find two crayfish (lobster), but couldn't take some because their had eggs. The water temperature of 15C felt warm at first but after 45 minutes began to feel cold through my 5mm semi dry. So, I cancelled to 2nd dive and drove home with the heater going full blast!

My sister and I are planning to visit the Poor Knights where there's more life and a couple of wreaks - probably me and her my the time we leave!!.

I managed to find an internet cafe in Kai Taia and that's where I'm logging this. Also managed to get "free" access by selling my Compact Flash memory adaptor!

The internet access is via satellite, so while downloading to fast, uploading is crap! I'm trying to load a jpg and it's taking forever.

Well, I've arrived in NZ... they should do something about passport control - over an hour!

The Singapore / Auckland flight was sthe same as the Heathrow / Singapore flight. Good.

After 36 hours, I feel a bit tired and I'm probably a bit smelly.

Only another 3 hours and I can "freshen up".

OK, I'm now in Singapore Airport.

The flight wasn't as good as flying BC with Qatar Airlines, but it went quick enough.

The food selection was very good - separate courses served on proper plates (with plastic knives & forks!) - and the staff able to attend to everybody in real time (that is, no sitting there with a food tray from three hours ago!).

Singapore Airlines have their new SpaceBeds in BC. These almost fold down into a bed but don't go horizonal, you still have your head above your feet. Unfortunately, being six feet and five inches tall means that the legroom when the seat is fully extended is tiny. Probably OK for anyone under six feet, but a problem for me.

Now on the the airport.

Singapore airport is big. the Raffles Class lounge is also big probably bigger than the Virgin lounge at Heathrow, but again it's one room, divided into sections, but one room. And because of security the luggage lockers was out-of-bounds.

I've done my shopping - Radios, Cameras, gadgets, gadgets, gadgets! - OK. I've got a T Shirt and some stinky stuff form my wife, but the gadgets don't look to appealing, so I haven't gone mad.

It about mid-day at home and early evening here... time for a beer!

Hopefully, next entry will be from Auckland (only a 4 hour wait there).

This entry was meant to have been logged yesterday, but the stupid computer at Heathrow Airport wouldn't let me!

Heathrow Airport!. When did that happen?

After the job thing was sorted and a start date agreed, I realised I had another three weeks of doing what I'd been doing for the past months - waiting.

A few phone calls including permission from my wife and I was booked on the Friday flight to Singapore, the Saturday flight to Auckland and the Sunday flight to KAI TAIA where one of my sisters lives.

Now, as you probably know, I don't easierly squeeze into a standard economy seat and I've got a wheel-barrow lots of money... so it had to be BC (that's Business Class for all you charter flight people).

As I would be travelling for over 36 hours (excluding getting to Heathrow and waiting for the first flight), I felt that I needed the extras (business lounge, extra legroom, wifer seats, better food, blah, blah, blah).

So, where's my assessment of Singapore Airlines Raffles Class lounge at Heathrow -

Not as good as the Virgin lounge.

OK, so what's the Virgin lounge like?

The Virgin lounge is mucher bigger with separate areas for TV, the bar, food, internet, etc. With additional facilities like a hair-dresser, shoe-shine, etc. And there have a running buffet with the times for the next serving of hot food clearly on display.

The Singapore lounge is one big area with the bar / TV area is the same and the food selection isn't great.

Still it's "free". That is, included in the price.

Remember most airlines share their lounges, so you don't have to travel BC Virgin to use their lounge. We travelled Qatar Airlines and that was excellent.

This entry is something like the entry I originally did at Heathrow.

Sorted!.

Monday went very well, I noticed one of two former employees in their visitors book. And yesterday an offer was made!

OK, OK, now what should I do?

Yes, that's what I think and I start in two weeks!

Also, earlier this week.

Attended a usergroup meeting in London. The heat & humidity on public travel isn't funny anymore!

The missing kitchen cupboard arrived - this is to box in the boiler that was replaced last year - and was installed on Thursday... this was prefectly timed as it gave me something to keep-me-busy while I waited on the outcome of the Monday interview.

When all the recent warm weather, I agreed with my wife that a Air Conditioning system would be ordered as soon as the job thing was resolved. Guess what I'm ordering today!

The MSN Group - DSGLifeboat - is proving to be a big success! With over half the possible members having signed up in less than a week and some interesting topics being discussed (Beer Festival, Pensions, Holiday Pay, Opportunities, etc).

I still hope to contribute to this BLOG (and the MSN Group) as they've been very useful forcing me to think about what I've been up to. Maybe with my new job there will be even more interesting things to read about?

Enough from me, keep looking.

Yet another busy week.

I've setup a MSN Group - DSGLifeboat - for all the boys and girls thrown overboard by DSG. I'm afraid that membership is resticted to former employees only... so you know how to join!

I've also been playing with a bit of html and javascript... so who knows, I could get a job in computing with these skills.

Managed to get to Hemel last Tuesday for a Curry with a few people. Best thing was not having to get up the next morning!

The worse day last week was Wednesday... went to see Bruce Almightly. What a load of tripe!.

I've been busy round the house and finally dug out the roots of an ivy plant. This was also the home of one or two ants... boy, did I have ants in my pants!

One of the things in the pipeline actually happened... expect the results by next Monday. Still waiting on the other things.

I've also been busy watching my collection of DVDs and Videos.

Enough from me, keep looking.