Let's do the time warp again!

One of my very favourite theatre productions of all time! Was conceived and first produced right here! Richard O'Brien, one time hairdresser of Hamilton dreamed of the big stage on this very spot!

With no prior knowledge of this it was nothing more than a "Doesn't that statue look like Riff Raff?" that drew us in for a closer look.

Of course I had to do the time warp! I really must find out how to post video on this thing. Or perhaps not. Could it get any worse?

So back to my original thought for the opening for this blog: It has been brought to my attention, by more than one person it has to be said, that the blog to date has been bit of a wine and food fest! And on reflection I can see why that might be said. And that is without a Greek salad in sight. So we have had a very abstemious weekend - nothing but water and tea! And nary a meal out. Home cooking the whole way. So what have we been up to? Other than shopping, cooking and generally being very good people?

Well, on Sunday, having set off by bus into central Auckland with no fixed idea of where we were going, we came across numerous Sri Lankans festooned in flags and team colours. Three buses later (and a sneaky bagel in Parnell - ok, we ate out once!), we arrived at Eden Park, the home of New Zealand rugby and cricket, to see the Black Caps take on Sri Lanka at T20. And a fine game it was too, marginally spoilt by us arriving late and leaving slightly early to get the multiple buses home again. And of course the Black Caps tied the match on the last ball to much delirium - but then went on to lose the super over. Whatever that means.

The last bit of which we missed, which was bit of a pity, as we were seated with a large Sri Lankan contingent who got noisier and noisier as the game went on. C'est la vie 😬, it was great to be there anyway, and to be honest we didn't care who won. And that makes my sixth international cricket stadium outside England. Do you want to know the list? No, of course you don't! Great just to be at Eden Park though. Now, if I can manage to get here for a rugby international. Maybe the All Blacks v the Lions?

And so to today. We have set off south via Hamilton to Tongariro National Park. Lunch was at the fabulous Zealong Tea Plantation and Tea House - the weekend is over, we had to eat somewhere! But with the aforementioned digs at my culinary blogging I won't bore you with the details. Ok, I will. Beautiful tea cured smoked salmon followed by braised ora salmon with NZ green lipped mussels and a tea infusion. I might have made some of that up as I can't remember the actual menu.

But it was fabulous. and we bought some stupidly overpriced tea for someone back home - you'll have to wait and see if that is you 😉

And so here we are in Hamilton. With an hour and a half available we made best use of it at the Waikato Museum, an excellent (and free) introduction to the history of the area.

Te Winika

And a display of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, which for some reason did not feature any of my photographs.

So here we are with a night in very decent Ibis by the Waikato River, a cheap and cheerful Chinese meal (we're away, what do you want us to do?!) and plans to head further south tomorrow. The glowworm caves of Waitomo, the volcanic landscape of Tongariro, the magnificent falls of Huka, just outside Taupo are all to come, before we return to North Shore at the end of the week. Oh, and I've sneaked in a visit to Hobbiton on the way back. Don't tell Nareesa.

I'll finish with the urinal banana in the Waikato Museum. Because ... well, why not?

An explanation, if you needed one. Thank goodness they tell you not to touch it!