For those that mildly interested we flu Air New Zealand in Premium Economy , the service was brilliant as was the food . Flight Time is about 8.5 hrs leaving NZ 9pm Thursday night arriving 730am Thursday you gain a day on the way over .
We stay at the Royal Grove Hotel it is very old and basic but it is 300yrds from the beach on the corner of Uluinu Ave & Prince Edward street , cost for two weeks was $1800 US .
I hire a Board from Big Wave Daves they give free locker so two minute walk from the Hotel , there is board storage at the Hotel first up best dressed I used this also as I brought a 666 while I was there

.I looked at Hiring a car from a place around the corner Deluxe I think it was $79 per day including insurance Alamo was around $75 without insurance . Traffic is diabolical so I gave it a miss I was told it was about 50 mins to the north shore I wold say longer with Traffic , parking is another problem surrounding Hotels do have public parking but I think it is spendy .I have always surfed publics mostly but it's a bit hairy when there's not much swell so I found myself surfing canoes @ 5am (I was first out one morning) I'd get an hour and a half in before it got too mental , there's a really good long left there and the early crew all played the game all respected one another . Last Saturday we had some decent swell so managed to get a few at Publics it was over head and the was a good size crew in the water , was a really enjoyable surf there was a triathlon on so I paddle across the bay to Wakiki time was getting on the sun was shining . Somtime ago I was told I had condition called Lupus ( my body reacts to UV) so I have had a problems but only minor as normally (when I think about it ) I have a wetsuit on . By the next day my legs had welts all over and my neck was affected also . So for the rest of the stay I couldn't go out in the sun , didn't surf for two days then I would just do the morning thing going in when the sun came up and sometimes go out on dusk .
Airport transfers I used Speedi Shuttle bang on time and phone the night before to confirm no problems carrying the board . No extra charge for the board with Air NewZealand right back home .
All in all not a bad holiday , be gee it's bloody cold back here

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So there that's about five years worth from me

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