New Year of 2013@Newmarket & Simon House

The 1st day of 2013, another brand new year for P&A, and now we are counting down everyday for the end of our Backpacking Life in Australia and New Zealand.

Today, we drove around in Newmarket and looking to find some food but only few restaurants are open today, what to say, it is a BIG holiday here, I think most of the people will be taking this chance to travel. We are lucky enough to found this mexicanfood chain for our New Year Lunch, yummss~~

Continue~~~

with a precious latte, cake and the very BEST Movenpick ice cream...

Dessert Time = Our Sweetsweet Time

After travelling for so long, what else will be better than having a great meal with Peter's relatives, feeling of home.. family.., we miss our family in Malaysia too, another 2 weeks time we will be having reunion dinner with our family back in Malaysia.

On New Year's day, we were invited by Simon to have a BBQ dinner at his house. Yums yums.. and homey..

Nice chilling time with Simon at the garden. They are having their bro talk over here. The relaxing living style in NZ is just so nice, but we still like the life in Malaysia, with the wonderful choices for breakfast (roti canai, nasi lemak, kuih, fried noodles etc etc) instead of just cereal/ toast =D Maybe when we are older, AUS/NZ is the retirement choice for sure!

New Year eve@Thames to Auckland

The wave musical of Thames~~ If you see what I mean... It's there, right there, on the left! Right?!

We are making our way back to Auckland already??! Another 90minutes drive and we get to see the most populated city of NZ.. Again..We want to celebrate New Year in Auckland, with Pete's relatives..

 Pie time @ Thames

A detour from our route to this farm cafe (unfortunately, we can't remember the name of this cafe), which we were attracted to cause they are serving Lala Coffee, a roastery in the Coromandel Peninsular here. I'd really like to get a taste of this boutique roaster's coffee.. Good thing they are selling Lala coffee beans in bags too, I can get some home now! We saw many cafes serving Lala in the peninsular.. Quite renowned around here.. It's quite good with a strong body.. 

LaLaLaLa~~

Lovely birds in this cafe/farm...

After the coffee time, we drove straight back to Pete's Uncle's house, yay, free stay there for few nights =)

 That huge yellow light at the center is not from spotlight but it is a REAL full moon....  Beautiful~~ It's New Year Eve, and we are in Auckland to countdown..

Sky Tower Fireworks @ Happy New Year 2013!!

Enjoying our first NEW YEAR eve in the most southern country we've been to =) This picture is the best of the fireworks to be honest and we are lucky to capture this! Hehe... And it's so windy, lucky they didn't cancel the fireworks!

Certainly the most crowded place in NZ ever!

Ferry back to Wellington, Te Papa

Today is the day we are leaving South Island.. Really feel heavy hearted leaving this special island, with the snow mountain skyline, wonderful nature and adventures...

Our last look at the ferry while having our brekkie =)

Gloomy day

Upon arrival at Wellington jetty, we checked in at the Wellington Waterfront motorhome park since parking around the town is so expensive. Then we visited the famous NZ Te Papa Museum...*****

This museum is free to enter, and has a wealth of information about the historic, cultures and nature of NZ! We can easily spend the whole day here...

And certainly after all the hard study of NZ, we have to take a break at the Pandora Panetteria nearby... The Italian bakery with very good food and bread =)  Oh gosh, we are so so addicted to the coffee culture here.. And having a coffee break is so heavenly..

A sip of cappucino and black & white brownie pie~~ Indulgence~~

Invercargil

From Bluff, its only about half an hour drive to Invercargill. We were there on the right day, there will be a Santa Parade going on at the main street. Don't understand why there is a christmas parade when xmas is one months away? Anyhow....

Tuatara

Before the parade, we spend some time at the Southland Museum***** (located beside the I-site, free entrance). It was a must go place in Southland because we learned so much about the wildlife, especially the Tuatara, the jurassic age lizard which managed to survived in NZ until today.

They also have interesting displays of traditional Maori canoes, fishing and hunting tools.

Walking around Invercargill

Santa parade! The first parade we see in NZ.... It was... Interesting :) Nothing too funny or exaggerated....

Chilling out at the most southern Starbucks outlet in the world ;) tried the gingerbread latte and white choc mocha. Too sweet for us! Not our fav...

We spend so much time at Invercargill, relaxing our sore muscles from the three day walk that we only finish shopping for groceries at 6pm. So shortly after leaving town towards Te Anau, we stop at Wallacetown rest area for the night.

Auckland still... and P&A Big Day

 It's P&A's 5th year anniversary and we have all the good food lined up for this special day! Heheee.. Starting off with Nando's for lunch...

Then Japanese for dinner.... at Banzai Restaurant.. Though one of the cheap eats in Auckland, their food is quite good.

 

The melting salmon.. yummyyyy

P&A favorite dish!! Melt in your mouth...

 

Salmon avo roll

 Spicy garlic prawn udon.. best...

Peter's taking his time chewing that salmon... 

Ermmm~~ Melting, melting...

The second friend we meet in Auckland whom we met in Australia, Joe. We worked together at Madura Pass, Western AUS (the absolutely outback roadhouse with nearest town 500km away). It was nice catching up with Joe reliving all the wonderful experiences at Madura and we might see him again in Malaysia!

Malaysian cuisine: Bak Kut Teh 

cooked by P&A as a sign of gratitude for George and Melinda for their hospitality =) 

and see the after effects of skiing, dark tanned faces =.=

 

Saw Anson again, we paid a visit to Simon's beautiful big house (Anson's dad) after a great SzeChuan dinner treat from Simon before we leave Auckland to start our journey..

Another cutie, Darney the doggie =)

We bought our VAN!