And so it came to pass – we breakfasted on the terrace at 11, to the anxiety (it transpired) of the landlady, who wanted us out, but we enjoyed the birdsong, the bucolic sounds of chooks and budgerigars (in an aviary) and of gently ruminating cattle – though one was incontrovertibly not a cow, being well-endowed in the bull equipment department.
The journey to Auckland was bright and warm, but nowhere fascinating presented itself and we arrived early for the hire car handover. Then began a curious search for a beer in the sun: all the bar-type places are evenings only, in the middle of commercial/industrial estates and are air-con boxes with no patio. Eventually, we found a place with a smokers’ deck in the sun, on two floors, accommodating 400 drinkers, with just two customers. The welcoming sign reads “No hats. No sunglasses. No shoes? No entry” but the sun shone, and we conformed.
At A2B, the receptionist checked the car and confirmed us on the 5 o’clock shuttle. At 4.50, the driver announced he was going off duty. A family from Christchurch went ape – their flight was 6.40. Much behind-scenes consternation yielded a young guy from the workshop willing to do an extra hour, so all was well, except he had no permit to drop us off at the door, so we trundled a while. Given the Christmas security kerfuffle, when a guy got on an aircraft with explosives moulded to his body and was only spotted by staff an hour out from the US, check-in was laborious, but here we are, chilling and enjoying the late afternoon sun, stoking up for the ten inches of snow reported in the UK. Happy Holidays and Rueful Returns!

Post Script - our postcard limerick:
Though we couldn’t be farther away,
I think of you all every day
As we tour round NZ
With no thought in my head
Of work in Warks or QCDA.