Sunday 30 March 2014

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

Where, I wondered to myself (there was no one else here to wonder to), did that quote come from.  Then I gradually remembered a bit more and a bit more and then it all came back to me.  It's a nursery rhyme: To Market, To Market.

Pauline's and my annual Northland Adventure ended only too quickly yesterday with my flight from Whangarei to Auckland and then from Auckland to Napier.  As the plane few over the Auckland CBD (Central Business District = City Centre = Downtown dependent upon one's country of residence) I realised how huge Auckland seems from the air.  The area it covers stretches right across the country albeit at a very narrow point.  It has a population of only 1.4 m people but covers an area of 1,086 km².  Hong Kong by comparison has a population of over 7m but covers almost the same area (1,104 km2 ).


The photo covers slightly more than the CBD.  It emphasised to me however just how things have changed with the advent of Google Earth.  Now one can not only see almost any city in much greater detail from the air but one can zoom in on any address and have a really good look.

I arrived home early evening and then after dinner with The Family and a few phone calls I downloaded my photos and my ribs and I went to bed (although it turned out that the recliner is still the only comfortable way to sleep).  Today (Sunday) is the last day on which the Croquet Club's championship matches can be played so guess what I shall be doing today: not blogging unfortunately unless I get some time this evening.

14 comments:

  1. Ooh ~ you did not find new ribs then on your trip to Northland?
    Enjoy your Sunday on the greens (pitch?).
    Is this last month usually a crazy month for you GB as you do all those things for a 'last time' ~ at least for 6 months?

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    1. Carol I didn't find new ribs but last night (Sunday night) after two matches (both best of 3 games) I was so tired that I slept IN BED last night for nine and a half hours (except when I woke because of cramp!). Croquet is played on 'lawns'. Yes the last month is usually even more crazy than the middle ones although not with croquet because most of the club championship games will have been played by the end of March. This year my NZ stay has been an even busier than usual though.

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  2. That's a very beautiful city. Look after those ribs.

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    1. Auckland is beautiful Red. It's a very green city and, apart from the CBD, is very low-rise too.

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  3. I bet that recliner was welcome, hope that long awaited sleep helps you get through the match today with success.

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    1. Thanks Pauline. The recliner has the advantage of being at the right angles for the ribs however last night I slept in bed! For nine and a half hours!

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  4. Have looked at NZ from Google Earth. It still looks delightfully peaceful despite Auckland and Christchurch!

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    1. It is very peaceful Jenny. The size of NZ is pretty much the same as the UK. However the population is only 4.2 million of whom probably about half live in the three main cities (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch).

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  5. You're playing (or have played) the Croquet Club's championship matches in spite of your ribs?

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    1. Yes, Meike, they are improved enough now to play. Only Association Croquet, requires a real strain on the ribs and I probably won't play that for another week or so.

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  6. Welcome home, GB. So sorry the ribs are still troubling you

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    1. They are a lot better today thanks Frances - just aching - so I seem to have got off pretty lightly. I'm told 6 weeks is the usual recovery time for ribs. Mind you I still jib at the idea of sneezing!

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  7. A birds eye view of any city is always a view to be enjoyed.
    Glad you made it back safely and now out and about playing croquet despite your aching ribs....we Geminians don't know how to keep quiet do we?

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