Jura whisky and Irn Bru

bed count: 38

So, we're here in Paihia and the sun is shining - a big difference from a few weeks ago. We arrived on Friday afternoon after a visit to Sheep World (I got to bottle feed a piglet whilst Alec did the same for a lamb - v cute, pics soon) and spent a bit of time yesterday exploring the area.

We found part of Paihia which we hadn't realised was there last time and headed up to Kerikeri, a slightly larger town just up the road. We seem to have all the essentials in the area - a beach, supermarkets, a chocolate factory and a good pub.

We went down to the swordfish club yesterday evening to watch the All Blacks play the Aussies. Good match and the All Blacks ended up securing the Tri-Nations trophy for the 7th time. Yes - I am getting into my rugby. I've always have been interested, but it's much easier to follow out here as it gets the same amount of coverage here as football does in the UK.

I have always struggled to explain why I have no interest at all in football but do like rugby (you get asked this a lot in the UK, like you're some freak for not liking football) but suddenly, last night it struck me. It was the speed as McAlister (possibly) broke free and sprinted down the field for a clear Try - you don't get that in football. Footballers can't run hell-for-leather as they have the ball to dribble.

Then I got to thinking. I love atheletics. Even I find it bizarre, but whilst I have no patience with a football match I can watch Paula Radcliffe run a marathon, start to finish, and be enthralled. Add that to the fact that, growing up in the early 80s, Saturday afternoons were spent watching Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks on the telly and you have the reason why rugby is so appealing. It's just wrestling and atheletics combined! Well - okay. It might have a little to do with good looking men in shorts to...

Anyway - it was a good evening all in and we popped up for a drink with Jo and Jason and some of their friends when we got back, only to find out we'd been rumbled. Jo handed us an email that had been passed on, via a couple of people, to Jason. Turned out it was a copy of my 'Peeing it down in Paihia' post on this blog. You never know who's reading my inane ramblings.

So, just before we left Auckland we went out for a drink with Adam and Andres from 'the house'. There aren't many proper pubs in Ponsonby, so we opted for a small bar just round the corner (if you're wondering how to tell the difference between a 'pub' and a 'bar' Alec has noticed that there seems to be a strong relationship between the type of place and the number of people wearing very oversized sunglasses. No-one = pub. Everyone = bar).

Anyway. We sat and had a few drinks whilst I idly surveyed the bottles lined up against the back wall. You see, I am conducting a worldwide experiment as to whether there is a relationship between the quality of the pub / bar and the number / type of single malts they have.

It was pretty dim in there (light levels are an indication of the 'trendiness' factor of the bar), but I eventually spotted 4 single malts, 2 of which come from Jura! So, of course I immediately had to buy a dram for Adam and Andres, who are suitably impressed. It's nice to have something so familiar popping up every now and then, but I will be looking for commission if this carrys on...

Talking of which, our new favourite shop in the Northland is the Bin Inn in Kerikeri. Buying stuff out of bulk bins is still pretty common over here, but you seem to be able to buy anything in bulk in this tiny shop - just don't get the vats of shampoo and golden syrup mixed up. Not only did it have lima (butter) beans, though not that many as apparently 80% of the imports are being turned away at the moment, but sitting on a little shelf by the door were cans of Irn Bru! The first we have seen in 4 1/2 months!

Suitably impressed, we bought 2 cans and commented to the woman behind the counter that we hadn't expected to find Irn Bru in the Northland. To which she replied, 'yes - we've just started stocking a lot of English stuff'...

Ahh well.