What had already occured to me about living in Auckland was most definitely solidified over the Christmas / New Year period. Having been here nearly three years, I'm often at a loss as to, well, what on earth I'm doing here. Not in a philisophical way by any means - more in an "everything is covered in a thin layer of grime, there's no decent public transport, and ha'penny and threepence isn't a wage I'm used to" kind of a way.
Living in Auckland is about getting OUT of Auckland, in any direction (as this topographic map of Auckland and surrounds illustrates). I've spent nearly two weeks on and off in the Coromandel since late December, and it certainly lives up to it's reputation...
The first week was the one that surrounded Christmas Day, and was spent with family at my folks recently acquired bach in Whiritoa. A few people I've told this have said "oh god, how was a whole week with the family?" or words to that effect.
It was one of the best weeks I've had in a very long time.
I, like those who expressed the sentiments above, do not live in a perfect world. But surely it's the imperfections in life that make the good bits even betterer? All the planets seem to be in alignment at the moment with my family, which just sat perfectly against the backdrop of the peninsula...
I even lifted the kanga on my fishing rod, having believed someone or something must have given it the big fatwa in the sports shop I bought it in back in 2006. The abundance of life in the Coromandel proved otherwise, as my rod bought in it's first ever fish (a fairly decent Kahawai) followed by a relative Scrappy-Doo Kahawai, a Gurnard, and two more "one's that got away" due to my keen yet inexperienced fishing technique.
They should write a Country & Western song about the Gurnard.
"How can something so ugly taste so good? (Ode to my sister Lyndy.)"So with Phase One of Summer in the Coromandel, I returned to the hole-in-the-middle of the donut to wile a few quiet days away in the inner-city sunshine before heading back for Phase Two - the inagrual Coromandel Gold festival, this time in Whitianga...
TO BE CONTINUED
2 comments:
I have rural NZ envy. Australia is beautiful, and has some great scenery, but it doesn't feel the same. There isn't the serenity... Except in Bonnydoon :)
Hey L,
Killing it with your blog man. I'm mac-loving it.
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