Sunset and Sunrise

Thursday and Friday saw us having a time for decorating and shopping.

On Thursday afternoon Sally returned. We went to our favourite spot looking over the Glover Park crater and Rangitoto to watch the sun set.

Sunset over St Heliers

Glover Park Panorama

Ragitoto Panorama

On Friday morning Sally woke me up to tell me that the Chiefs rugby team were practicing in the mist in Glover Park.

The Chiefs Practicing in Glover Park

During Friday afternoon news came on about a car chase. The police were chasing a gunmen on the North Western Motorway (see earlier). The gunman was commandeering vehicles. He stopped one particular vehicle, but the police, unfortunately, shot dead the innocent driver. This shooting of an innocent person is apparently a first for New Zealand.

This happened at the start of the Auckland Day bank holiday weekend. The city was gridlocked for hours. Ian was delayed, but found a way through.

Waitakere Ranges

After the daycare run Irene and I set off for the Waitekere Ranges, spefically to the Arataki Visitors centre and the nature trail. As we are now getting use to, the sat nav gave precise directions along the Tamaki Drive, through the city, along the North Western Motorway, the Great North Road and Scenic Drive through Titirangi.

The visitors centre was undergoing renovation but there were spectacular view points.

View of Auckland City through Rainforest

Tree Ferm Emerging from the Rainforest

Panorama of Waitiki Range

We ended our visit by stopping for coffee in Titirangi. The chololate mudcake was superb. We bought a eve of inaugaration newspaper. There was a prophetic cartoon of Obama getting the oath wrong. The caption read that his oath would be "Give me five. Alleluia Bush has gone."