As promised photos for your viewing pleasure LOL!

The Rangitoto ones are a bit obvious...there's a big sign saying Rangitoto!

I've noticed a vege patch theme going on, on a couple of the blogs that I frequent, so Mrs Frizz and Kim, these are for you...my tomatoes, lots and lots of tomatoes (what you can't see are the parsley and mint - there is no lettuce left we've eaten it all...and somewhere hidden in there are beetroot!) And the big half dug patch is all potatoes - the empty side have all been eaten, the other lot are due March.

Now the other collage and the single photos are of a really cool train trip we did last night. Watercare, who look after all the dams around Auckland have this little train that heads off up to a dam, via twelve tunnels and lots of bush. We chose a twilight trip, so that we could see the gloworms and the sun set. Well it was too wet for much of a sunset, but it made for very cool moody looking skies. This little train takes you on about a forty five minute journey and the guide chats about the bush - I learnt a lot - and then you stop and can walk up to the dam, where they chat about how it was built etc. You then head back down to the picnic area, which even has a BBQ. Spend about an hour and a half there and then train trip back. On the way back they turn off the lights of the train in some of the tunnels so you can see the gloworms...and the cave wetas. Hence the single photos - I needed to really crop these so those of you (like Kim) who haven't seen a weta, get a good view LOL! It only takes about thirty people, and it was a good mix between overseas visitors and kiwis - there were a couple of Americans, a South African family and a Filipino family. If you get the chance I would recommend doing it - and it was good to push me in terms of my claustraphobia - not much room in the train, or in the tunnels!

Right, drum roll please....the winners of the first birthday draw...were:

Heidi (topkatnz)
Michelle (Mrs Frizz)
Kim (heartinthecountry)

I have your address Michelle, but Heidi and Kim, if you could both email me your addresses then I will pop a RAK off to you (and yep Kim, I know that your a long way away, that's not a prob).

Right after that long post, I'd better go, there's a big pile of ironing waiting for me...