Week 17 ORR.

We were to pick up Danni on Friday afternoon so we decided to make a day of it and visit a couple of places on the way. We had wanted to visit the museum at Helensville but it was closed on Fridays but decided to go there anyway. It was  a pleasant 45 minute drive there. Helensville is just a small town with not a lot to recommend it but very good for people watching! It was, apparently, voted one of the 10 top small towns to visit in NZ by a magazine but even I, only a visitor to the country, can think of many other small towns that have more to recommend them.
http://www.helensville.co.nz/
The toilets - here I go again about toilets- were quite special. The outside was covered in murals and the toilets themselves fully automated. On entering we were instructed, in an American voice- to lock the door and to be told that we had a time limit of 10 minutes. Then we were played relaxing music! A very bizarre experience! There were not many tempting eating places but we found a passable one in the main street and sat by the window watching the world go by.

 Our next stop was at Muriwai beach. I had been there on my first visit to NZ to see the gannet colony there and wanted Nigel to see it. Sadly the gannets were on holiday and not expected to return until August. http://www.wildlifeextra.co.nz/go/nz/muriwai-gannets.html#cr
Never the less we had a walk by the beach which is in itself a sight worth seeing unique because of its black sand caused by the iron content derived from the ancient volcanoes in the area.

It wasn't too far from there to get to Massey to pick up Danni and as we were a bit early we did some shopping on the way. We went to one of the many fruit and vegetable shops in Hobsonville Road which are renowned for the quality and price of their products. After that we stopped at The Mad Butcher to stock up on some meat products. The company was founded by Peter Leitch in the 1970's and now has more than 30 shops.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Leitch_%28Mad_Butcher%29
Danni was ready when we arrived and an hour or so later we were back home. Rob came after work and  once dinner was over Danni entertained us for a while with some dancing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QHVRRSRcN4&feature=youtu.be
On Saturday morning Danni and I went over to Snells Beach to visit the Wearhouse where I bought a pair of jeans and Danni got some trainers.
In the afternoon we were booked on the 3.30 ride at Warkworth and Danni managed not to fall off this time! We didn't get back home until 5.30 and Rob was already here. We were so late because Danni loves to groom and untack the ponies before we leave the stables. It's good that she understands that there is more to horses that just riding them so I am happy to hang around whilst she does her thing.
Rob picked Danni up on Sunday morning and took her back home.
On Monday afternoon we went to the cinema to see The Well Diggers Daughter (La Fille du Puisatier) a French film with sub titles. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and we were both reminded of our neighbour back home who was so much like the father, Pascal, in the film. Once the lights came up and we went outside it took a while to realise that we were, indeed, in NZ and not back home in Castandet.
Tuesday and Wednesday were at home days and Thursday we both went shopping at New World in Warkworth.