Heading north

Everyone remembers where they were when JFK died - I wonder if I will remember that I was sitting on the couch at Georgia's place when I heard that Billy Graham died.  I have the luxury today of having about 10 hours to do the two and a bit hour drive from Waihi to Auckland so I'll take the back roads and soak up some sights.  Until I suddenly realise that I am not going to Auckland, I am going to Hamilton to stay with my friends Hugh & Maureen.  So, with bags of time in hand, off I trotted by the back route (I don't think there is any other kind between Waihi and Hamilton). 
Hugh, in true Hugh style, had sen me detailed instructions with which my GPS agreed so I was confident about getting there. 
The high spot of my stay, other than Maureen's brilliant cooking, was the one day cricket international between the kiwis and the poms.  Our tickets had us sitting on a grassy bank for 8 hours but a quick appeal to the ticket office revealed that a large part of one of the stands was vacant so we could help ourselves so a couple of seats (actually 3 seats as they are very close together),  I think it was long enough ago to reveal that the kiwis won with 2 balls to spare, the winning runs coming off a six that was originally coming straight at me but that veered off to the left before I had a chance to embarrass myself on national television by dropping it.  It would have made a great souvenir, though. Hugh and I stayed up way past midnight yacking about matters aviational and so on.  It made a refreshing change to discuss political matters with someone with whom I often disagree without resorting to sulking and name calling.
 Leaving Hugh & Maureen's place after an extended late breakfast I again decided to take the scenic route to my cousin's house in Maraetai.  I was somewhat amazed not only at the route the GPS had planned as I drove along but at the length of time it said it would take.  I eventually pulled over to find out why it was going to take 5 hours only to find that I had asked for Waiheke Island rather than Maraetai.  If that was the way it felt about it, I'd ignore it and I headed off up the east side of the Firth of Thames - I'd tried to make that drive several times in the past but had never found the right turning near Miranda.  I'm glad I did as it is absolutely stunning up there.  It took a while longer than taking the Waikato Expressway but, while said road is a boon to anyone wanting to get anywhere in a hurry, I think it has joined my top 20 list of roads I don't particularly ever want to take again. 

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