Not all beer & skittles

Today brought a mixed bag of things to do.  I was a bit groggy when I got up at 6 this morning - it took me until nearly 8 to be ready to roll, not that I needed to have bothered as nowhere I intended to go opened until 9.  And so at 9:30 on the dot I parked outside New World supermarket where I planned to shop later.  First job was to try to open a bank account with the Auckland Savings Bank.  The lady there couldn't have been more helpful and even found the account I had opened in 1989 and said it might be easiest to reactivate that.  OK, provided you don't want 14 years of fees for doing so.  Neat way of proving my address was that she wrote me a letter and mailed it and told me to bring it in when I got it.  OK.
Next job was to find the place we're staying over Christmas - as it fronts onto Orewa Beach that was dead easy.  Except I couldn't find it - having the address would have helped.  But I did get to walk the entire length of Orewa Beach, there and back (6 km).  Being a bit hot around the head, a haircut was called for but the only two barbers I could find were either occupied or offered all manner of bizarre services like having your favourite rugby player's initials carved in your hair so I gave that idea away.
Next serious job was buying some groceries (lamb, lettuce, tomatoes, apple juice, milk, baguette) to avoid starvation.  Needless to say I made a prat of myself by being unable to operate the self checkout machinery.  Why was the banknote slot at knee level?  Also lashed out on a lotto ticket - top of the slippery slope but, with a whopping 5 million buck jackpot, how could I resist?
Home to lunch of a highly healthful corned beef & tomato sandwich washed down with organic milk and orange juice (not in the same glass) and a pint of water.
I had planned to register with a doctor and a medical lab but I need some more info from the folks at Mission which I won't get until tomorrow because it's Sunday in Asheville.  The afternoon brought a drive to Gulf Harbour with the roof down and a check on where the ferries go from.  Two wonderful signs - one at the jetty saying "Please buy your ticket at the office before boarding" and one at the office, abut 200 metres away, saying "Closed - please buy your ticket on the ferry".  I didn't want a ticket anyway but at least I know what the rules are now.
It was low tide when I got back to the bach and I had been contemplating whether it was possible to walk to Orewa along the beach / rocks at low tide - the waves do crash very prettily along the bottom of the cliffs at high tide so I wouldn't try it then.  So I walked back to Orewa and briefly considered swimming across the river that divides Red Beach from Orewa.

It's about 100 metres wide and flowing at a good 5 knots so I thought better of it - the path going over the bridge looks a safer idea.

And so back home to discover that kiwi television rises to the same intellectual heights as American at 5:30 - the only sport on was an American football game.  You have to pay to watch cricket which is sacrilege.  So I set about cooking dinner which I then ate on the deck. I am now absolutely buggered so I'm going to watch a DVD, maybe, and hit the sack.