Point Chevalier

Although we watched television till ten-thirty, I still had good a night's sleep and was away by nine am on the early ferry. It was that sort of visit, tight and tidy, the way Norma is, and I respect her for that. A single wealthy heiress has to look after herself after all, and her three beloved animals.

Boarding the ferry at Waiheke,..

On the ferry I rashly decided to have a coffee and it was rather like hot dishwater, so much for the on-board coffee. My conversation with Norma last night was educational in the extreme, learning about her family sheep farming dynasty in South Otago, about the three Cross brothers, of whom her father was the eldest and most influential, who left a fortune in trust to be used for the future generations. Norma is indeed a very wealthy woman and knows well how to control her finances, even if sometimes she seems to spend a lot she knows exactly where every penny goes.

I slept in the upper bunk bed last night in the rumpus room, as the noise and extreme 'luxury' of the Zebra bed was not to my liking at all. I dreamed the night away and woke refreshed even after having watched two hours of gory murders in 'Silent Witness', Norma's favourite TV programme.

Arriving early at Auckland wharf...Huge Cruise ship docked..

Seated at the oh-so-chic Ortolana's at Britomart waiting for Pam. The clientele is rich and happy, many well-heeled Asian people are using this stylish venue for their Sunday morning brunch. Conversations around me are about visits to Sydney and Melbourne, the choices of the well-travelled and rich.

Pam certainly knows how to pick the right café as the food looks perfect and is largely home-sourced.

We have an excellent omelette, and it was followed, on her insistence by the most exquisite dessert made next door by an exclusive pâtisserie which would rival Fauchon in Paris on the Right Bank Quite the perfect start to tha day.

A short car ride with the aid of Pam's GPS TomTom took us to Coyle Park on Point Chevalier, the  picturesque venue of Auckland's Big Gay Out. Well it did not disappoint, they reckoned about ten thousand people of all colours, dress and orientation were there,  visiting this great celebration of being Out and Queer, and colourful and bright it was. Dozens of stalls dotted the green verge of this long wide peninsula and the air was heavy with Gay Pride. Centre to the action was an enormous stage where various local Diva Drag Queens, both Maori and Pakeha, entertained a wildly enthusiastic crowd of well wishers. Except when our very contentious Prime Minister John Key took the stage to a reception of loud boos and a spray of pink glitter from the friendly but heavily anti-National Party audience. He really showed himself to be the political fool as cartooned in the  newspapers. Thinking to endear himself to the gay electorate he was decked out in a garish mauve Polo shirt, obviously pretending his gay-friendliness. 

Btw, John Key, it is well known, wants everyone to be his friend, however this is his ultmate weakness and a fatal flaw. He made a somewhat fatuous and irrelevant speech in less than three minutes and then was quickly ushered from the stage. The crowd erupted, enjoying the derision and metaphorically crying for his blood.

On to more serious entertainment then appeared on the stage a great R and B group which seduced Pam completely. She actually enjoyed the whole spectacle enormously, while taking multiple videos and selfies on her latest i-Phone six.  By four pm we were exhausted and the show had only just started, but not for us, we were finished, and we wended our way through the always laughing amorous whanau of takatāpui to take our leave. I had seen most of the people I had wished to, and some I hadn't expected to, so it was a good net-working day.

I rang Robyn from the car who said she was ready to have us at her home about fifteen minutes away at Glendene. It had been an eventful and tiring day, so after a short rest and catchup Pam drove home leaving me with Robyn to chew the fat. After all I hadn't seen her for about a year.

Robyn then made a light delicious meal after we watched the whole afternoon spectacle again on Prime Television. History had, in some weirdly delicious way, been made that afternoon in Coyle Park, and we had been there to witness it. Tomorrow will be tame in comparison, or not...who knows?

Somevisual  beauties at Coyle Park

Pam with her Filipino friend...

A couple of stand-outs in the park...