That was the weekend that was...................

We travelled up to Auckland (that photo isn't mine by the way) a couple of weekends ago to see our dear friends from home, Iain and Lorna, (find out more here - lorna's blog ) who have now been living and working there for over a year - it was one of those weekends that just sounds more ridiculous every time I have to explain it to anyone......and it was, if it is possible, slightly crazier than New Year with them. (although not quite as drunken as far as I can remember) It was possibly our last time seeing these guys for a while as they are hanging around in NZ for a bit longer - we will sorely miss them but at least we will have memories like these to remember them by.........

No blog entry will ever do this weekend justice but I'll try my best. The story starts when I step off the plane in Auckland and get picked up by Lorna in her engagement present - the wee red mini that Iain got her. It is absolutely class and it is so small and close to the ground it gives you a completely different passenger experience. You wouldn't believe the cars here - brand new ones are so expensive that everyone drives old ones but it is really a step back in time. Wind up windows, no warning sounds for leaving your lights on (eh Lorna?)- just everything about them is so different to what we are used to back home. But they have genuine character which is definitely a big plus.

Anyway - whilst we were travelling to Lorna and Iain's new home in Devonport the party had aready started in earnest and Katie + everyone else were already having a few drinks and a barbecue. By the time Lorna and I arrived we were playing catch up and we are both very good at that game. The chat was good, the company was great and we all stayed up far too late - well actually Lorna and I stayed up much later than everyone else talking absolute rubbish about nothing in particular - we also had a wee stagger down memory lane and talked a lot about the East end of Glasgow. Drunken bums!

So onto the next day and the real madness......

Saturday was all about getting ready for the big game that night. Iain's work - The Auckland Blues - were playing their final game of the Super 14 league competition and we were all going along. The plan was to watch the game, get a bite to eat with the players and then maybe go into town.

Here is Lorna and Katie on the ferry from Devonport to Auckland City - the journey takes about 10 minutes  - we of course all had to have a quick drink to get us in the mood. It was great being at the game and even though the Blues didn't have much to play for, they didn't want to lose at home against a weak side (Waikato Chiefs).

The Blues won the game easily and apart from some stupid guy from the Waikato who had dreadlocks (so probably didn't wash very often) and really bad chat, the game was pretty uneventful. A win for the Blues then and a good way to finish off the season.

After the game Iain went down to the dressing room to watch the players get changed (only joking big man!!) whilst Katie, Lorna and I were escorted to the player's friends and famiy waiting area were we had drinks and snacks. When the team bus was ready to go we all were taken upstairs and we boarded the bus. From there we were taken to Sky City in Auckland - a big hotel and casino complex right next to the Sky Tower.

                                                            

As we were getting off the bus it was quite funny because all the public were excited to be seeing the big name stars and there we were, jumping off the same bus - nobody asked for our autographs though, I am pretty sure it was obvious that we weren't in the first team.

After a big buffet dinner (which started about 10.30pm by the way), we met Luke McAlister - you may remember him from a story about the All Blacks visiting my school and I got some of their names wrong  - if you can't recall, I called him Luke Wilkinson when introducing him at school and that was really embarrassing. Well, he completely remembered me and he thought that when I got his name wrong I was having a laugh, he didn't realise that I was actually genuinely clueless about NZ rugby. He was very nice about it though - being a multi millionaire International Rugby star and all that. (I don't think he had probably lost any sleep over the event and I am pretty sure it won't make his autobiography)

We then stayed for a while (very possibly overstayed) and played some drinking games with The Drapenator (the physio), his wife, an ex All Black/Team Manager of the Blues (Strawny) who surprised us all by giving us keys to rooms in Sky City - bonus! This was really the start of the whole madness - it would probably have made sense to have a wee night cap and call it a night - but that just wasn't going to happen.

Off we went to a nightclub in Auckand and even though I should have been able to resist, I turned into a bit of a celebrity botherer. Actually, as far as I remember it I was very polite and Iain was my photographer and I asked him a million times if it was ok, so I hope it was......here are some of the photos.....how many could you have named?

Maria Tutaia (Netball) (a.k.a Neil from the Young Ones)

Joe Rokocoko (Rugby)Strawny (Blues Team Manager and ex-All Black)Joe again.

Tony Woodcock and Kevin Mealamu  (and some diidy in the background) (Rugby)

The gang also participated in the now almost obligatory "Blue Steel" modelling competition......if you haven't seen the movie Zoolander then it might not make much sense but the photos are still funny.

By the end of the night we were all a bit worse for wear but we stayed up and went to the casino - unfortunately for me I had eaten/drank something that my body had objected to - it appears that in my old age I have developed a strange reaction to one of three things - it is either 1) A ridiculous amount of beer/alcohol or 2) Shellfish. 3) A combination of both.This is what happened........................

It was not really a laughing matter as you can see from Iain's obvious concern but I ploughed on regardless and my immune system had to deal with it while we all went and played roulette! (In reality I was probably gambling with my wellbeing)

I didn't take this one by the way - it's just for illustration purposes. For the record, Katie and I won hee haw and Iain walked away with the same amount in his pocket as he started the games with. Well done!

So, at 6am we finally called it a night and went off to our rooms - check out was 11am and we had to get some sleep. No change of clothes, no toiletries, just a place to fall over and get some zzzzz's.

The next day was quite emotional - doing the "walk of shame" (Definition - after a night out, travelling home in the same clothes you wore the night before) through Auckland and heading back to Devonport for the last time. Saying goodbye to Iain and Lorna was very hard, the reality of coming home is starting to really set in and even though we are so excited about coming back, there is always going to be that feeling of sadness leaving people and places behind here in NZ. We'll miss these guys! Thanks to them we have drank far more heavily on nights out than we would have on our own ;o) Only joking, but they really have helped us have some of the best times here in New Zealand. It's definitely exciting being somewhere new but it's always the best when you are with your mates, wherever you are.