Campbells Bay, New Zealand

Temperature: high of about 50ºF, low of about 30ºF
Location: Just north of Auckland, on the North Shore



We chose Mexican for our last meal in the US.  Sniff... farewell to chips and salsa.  Then we were off to the international terminal of LAX.  Having just become members of the British Air frequent flyers programme, (we thought we saw something about executive club in the list of perks), we made our first ever visit to an executive club.  We were immediately turned out on our ears for not having accrued millions of flight miles (or paying millions of dollars for first-class tickets). It turned out to be a better view in the general terminal area because of the lovely sunset.

This sunset went through so many glorious changes that it kept drawing crowds over the space of 30 minutes. Meanwhile, the executive club members were watching TV and sipping champagne in a windowless room.
airport sunset
Four in-flight movies and two plastic-wrapped meals later, we arrive in Auckland before dawn.  The flight attendant told us all we were naughty for missing church, but we should be excused because we missed Sunday altogether.  We took off on Saturday night, and arrived 12 hours later on Monday morning.  That wacky  international dateline.  This picture captures the blurriness of the moment pretty well.

Here we are: a couple of jetlagged, unshowered, disoriented travelers, trying to "push through" the first day to get on the right sleep schedule.  The beach is a fine place to "push through," but we barely notice the world around us at this point.  For all our ability to appreciate natural wonder after 36 hours of travel, we might as well be in a closet.

Julie looks up from her beach combing.  She says the numerous bits of weathered beach glass are almost too easy to find.  It cheapens the thrill of finding it a bit.  Back in Duxbury, the beaches are picked so clean of beach glass, finding a piece is worthy of a high-five. The formations in the foreground look and feel like clay in places, so I'll just say they are clay.
 
I just love the shapes that appear out of the sand and water.

We spend a little time in a grocery store, browsing all the unfamiliar sauces and crisps and household items.  Here's a nice one for Greg:  Steers brand Monkeygland sauce.  Yum!
(The ingredients look a lot like ketchup with a few fruity bits.)

And finally, this isn't a New Zealand photo at all, but a shot I took just as we left John and Lisa's house in La Center, Wash. It is my nostalgic slug shot.  I've only been a day or two from home, but still feel the need to remind myself of those cute Northwest slugs.



How to contact us:
    rfd@finninday.net
    jfd@finninday.net