A final present!!

I have been trying to capture a monarch butterfly for the past 10 days and today whilst looking for caterpillars on a swan plant, one came to visit!! (Thanks E & M for showing me what to look for)

We left our “weird” motel this morning with all our belongings and drove to Auckland Botanic Gardens. Within a couple of minutes I thought that I had my blip for today, a beautiful peach coloured rose with dew on it. It was in the trial bed so didn't have a name to it. I will link it later as it is too beautiful to miss. Just as we were finished looking round and were heading in for some lunch, this monarch put in an appearance and couldn't be missed.

We have now booked in to an airport hotel, returned the hire car to the airport and got the transfer mini bus back. Whilst at the airport we checked out the availability of free wifi, whilst we had a large cappuccino to boost the battery, ready for the repack of the cases.

When we fly anywhere I always pack a mixture of our belongings in each case, in case one goes missing in transit. Then we both have half of the stuff we set out with and can survive for a while!! When we got to New Zealand I shuffled the contents and did “his” and “her's” cases, which we have lived out of for the past 28 days!! Cannot believe it was only 4 weeks, as I feel as though I have been here for months!!!

Dinner at the hotel and early night, ready for the 6.30 departure for the airport, a 2hr check in, rather than the 3hrs at Heathrow.

This will be uploaded at the airport in the morning and I will say my goodbyes to New Zealand then. :0(