New Zealand - Thanks for the memories.

After such a wonderful adventure with our friends from Tonga and enjoying all that the Northern Island had to offer, (well what we could squeeze in anyway)`it was time to jump on the ALL BLACKS plane and make our way back to Auckland for the night before heading home. We also managed to get in some last minute shopping before jumping the red eye the following morning.

 Dyl with his squashed Kiwi dollar and the ALL BLACKS plane from the world rugby cup.

 Em squeezing in her last Donut King treats for breakfast. Can't get these back home.

 Jodie was running on empty after an afternoon of last minute shopping near the Auckland airport so she slept while the rest of us enjoyed in house movies.

 You know your fun is over when you get home and all that is left is to unpack the luggage.

 Em had left herself an Easter egg surprise to unpack so apparently she couldn't help unpack the bags.

No holiday is complete until you catch up with friends over a few wines and have a debrief. Yep we're home and back to the 5 Fines.

NZ - Te Papa

Te Papa is an interactive museum in Wellington for the entire family. So while Dom and Lyndon took the kids for the arvo, the girls headed to the coffee shop for some well deserved kid free time.

We knew we where in trouble when we entered the main foyer. The kids just shot off.

Em took great pleasure in tracing our road trip from Auckland to Wellington on this life size floor map.

Where else in the world can you climb through a life size whales heart?

While we waited for the interactive 4D rides, the kids pointed out the location of the Windy city.

This is a collection of traditional Maori hooks. My how far have we come and I'm guessing you needed a lot more patience to hook them with this gear than we do today. I'd never get the girls out in the boat fishing if this was the tackle options of today.

NZ - Petone Bowling

On one of our last days in Wellington and NZ for that matter, we decided to do something the kids couldn't do in Tonga. They came up with Tin Pin bowling. Just has it that on our way back to Petone they spotted this very trendy alley. One family thanks, yes that is two adults and five screaming kids.

 Everyone from Evie to Lyndon had a go, some assisted, some not so, but everyone was supportive.

 With all the disco lights and music playing in the background it was more about the colour of the ball rather than the actual weights.

 Evie thought she had the best seat in town, only problem was no one else could use them for bowling.

What a team. The expanded Quirke tribe - Winners all round.

NZ - Karla's Farm

During the BBQ the night before we worked out that Lyndon's cousin Karla lived just up the hill in the Upper Hutt area. She invited us all up to check out their place and for the kids to feed the animals, well, didn't  that go down a treat but due to our other plans it was an early start.

Jodie had to borrow one of Dom's winter wollies (his favourie puffer jacket) and this is the view up their valley.

OK kids grab some food and follow the pied piper.

First stop once we climbed down the hill was the friendly goat.

Then we moved onto the big billy goat. Karla even showed the kids how to talk to the goats.

Next was the sheep but they were a little more flighty and had to be fed over the railing.

The Quirke tribe and one lonely Beatson (Ex).

NZ - Wellington

This was our first view of the Bay of Plenty as we came over the hills from Upper Hutt toward the Walton-Frances house down on the coast line at Petone. They have a great little place right in the middle of town and only minutes from the city. Our stay here was now one night shorter and we had the Graham's, Lyndons cousin Karla and Rosie dropping around for a BBQ. It was a great chance to catch up and for the boys to stand around the BBQ in the freezing weather all rugged up, bar Tiny, who decided it was still T-shirt weather. Mad Bloody Kiwi!!

The view as we came over the hill. Now which village do you live in Dom? Just follow us oh and don't get lost.

The girls all together again after nearly two years for Rosie.

The kids hit it off like they were all back in Tonga still and they all ate like they were Tongans.

The Tiny and Quirke tribe reunion, Dylan was already in bed and Jordon was off at Army camp.

These boys have obviously been back far too long as it was bloody freezing. Nice military hair cut Darcy. Tiny must be so proud. One in, one out - Enjoy your last days in the NZ Army Tiny and we're sorry we can't make it back for your discharge parties.

NZ - Martinborough Wineries

After many days on the road and thanks to the madness of John and Margaret, the four of us got to enjoy a kid free day in the vineyards of Martinborough. We had made plans to visit at least four wineries and to have lunch at one, which one was the only question being a Tuesday? Only time and tasting will tell. Jodie and Dom volunteered to be our tasters and Hannah and Lyndon the responsible driver and navigator.

10:01am we were at the cellar door of Schubert Wines and asking the all important question, are you open yet?

Bottoms up, the gang enjoying the spruking of the salesman. Would you trust a bloke who wasn't drinking?

Time for number two, Tirohana Estate.

Now this place had stepped it up and had a dinning hall but again too early and anyway it was also shut as everyone was out picking fruit due to the late run this season.

Number 3, Vynfeilds Winery had a more rustic feel and by this stage our tasters had now become instant experts. Jodie also spotted a poster of all the cellar doors and was now on a mission to collect as many signatures as she could.

Jodie got a few points wrong and put herself in the corner with the dunce hat, made entirely of wine labels. How appropriate.

These vineyards are so close we could have walked them all, but that would have been silly as it would have mae the last few a looonnng stagger.

Finally we arrived at number 4, our lunch destination Alana Estate, specialising in wild game meals. Jodie was found sampling our choices for the liquid part of the lunch.

The weather changed so quickly and we moved inside next to the heaters and enjoyed a wine while we waited for lunch, under the warmth and comfort of a mohair blanket.

Jodie thought she was a judge on Master Chef NZ, she went with the Duck - absolutely amazing.

After a magnificent lunch and a beautiful bottle of wine it was on to number 5, Ata Rangi.

Now this was the most rustic of them all.

Signatures had now taken a front seat over tasting, to the point that Lyndon had to drive back to the first few wineries to get them signed too.

Back to Tirohana Estate just a touch less sober but with a groovy poster for them to happily sign.

Sadly we missed Schubert Wines (they were already closed) and headed into Hannah favourite little coffee shop for a pick me up before facing the kids. As we entered town there was a pub called "Reload" just like our little one back in Tonga, but all grown up. One day hey Trish and Alo.

As luck would have it the actual chief wine maker from Schubert Wines was in the house and after a few tense minutes they realised that they had not made the cut, their cellar door was not on the poster. It just so happened though, that the girl on the left was his advertising manager. "Make it happen, I want to be on that poster" was the call by the owner. Next thing we had a post-it note and with some creative art work they had their first cellar door on the poster thanks to Jodie Lee Quirke.

NZ - Martinborough - Visiting Twin Tubs

On our way from Lake Taupo to visit the Twin Tubs (Margaret and John Bath) in Martinborough we crossed a big crater where the New Zealand national ARMY mmuseum and training base is located. The boys were very excited to see all the Tanks, you could say nearly as excited as Jodie was to see all the Wineries around Martinborough. It was great to stay with old friends from Tonga and to have us all in one house. It was a real flash back to a many a Hash House Harriers BBQ with John and Margaret telling each other and us what to do. We had such a great night that they even asked us to stay a second which we did and was very helpful after a day of touring the local wineries. 

 The National ARMY museum.

 Even more exciting was the opportunity for the boys to climb all over the tanks.

 Dyl and Jack liked this one because it had the biggest canon.

 When travelling with a car load of kids it's hard to pass by a play ground as big as this one. As the girls say they aren't Monkeys?

 The boys found this huge flying fox. Only problem was you had to run it back up to the next person.

 After a big play we finally got to enjoy some silence in the car.

We finally arrived, an hour late and John & Margaret had cooked up a storm but they didn't mind at all, they sere extremely happy to us all. The girls were straight back into the Tongan gossip over the kitchen bench and a bottle of vino. It was like Margaret had never left, she seemed to know more of what was happening on our Island than we did an she had been gone for over 6 months.

 Thanks possibly to many wines and beer after the kids had gone to bed and us adults were up talking about the good old days, John & Margaret decided to look after our kids while we headed out to the vineyards for the day. Just look at these Innocent faces "Have fun mum & dad you can trust us to be good." In Johns famous last words "what trouble could they possibily be???"

 "Club Racket" reunite for a grand slam championship with John. Nito would be proud.

 Peas in a pod. More like planning on how to get the boys.

 John found another play ground for the kids to burn of some energy.

 For the boys, John took them out to check the possum traps that his local Rotary Club has set up in a nature strip.

 Margaret has incorporated parts of Tonga into every section of their beautiful new home.

Thanks for a great stay Twin Tubs.