Making new friends.....so easy to do :)

I wasn't in NZ for longer than a half hour, before I met up with an interesting couple, Henrietta and Stanley Theron, on their way home from Beijing, originally from South African, living in NZ for past dozen years.....I recognized the Afrikanse (Sp?) accent immediately from the month Brian and I spent in S.A. in 1974! How is that for memory??!! We bonded over travel stories on a bus shuttle from the airport....after the forty minute ride, it was like saying goodbye to old friends as the driver left me at my hotel, and they to continue on to their home on the North part of Auckland. They picked me up from the hotel last night and took me on a lovely drive to the top of a little "moutain" to view the night lights of downtown Auckland....had a great dinner together, exhanged emails, that great way to keep in touch with new and old friends (no one even barely pays attention to snail mail anymore!) .... Henrietta is a social worker and our mutual concern and interest in the problems facing aboriginals, be it our Native Indians, Maori, or the Blacks of South Africa, kept us in chatter form throughout dinner. Stanley, bless his heart, indulged our excitement at finding common soul mate material and let us rip!! ..... I leave for Dunedin tomorrow to continue my unexpected and brief visit to NZ. Explored the wine and olive grove island of Waiheke yesterday via ferry, town buses and on foot....walked a lovely long beach, gulls following me every step of the way.... enjoyed a delicious fish lunch overlooking same beach .... will post a few pictures later....still trying to figure that part out :) Finally getting this NZ accent down without having to say "pardon" after everything!! Back later, love seija