HELLO

How is it going? I wish all of you a great week at work in wonderful New Zealand. Due to the fact that we get to see each other almost every day this week I know that most of you are doing just fine…

Hopefully the weather will stay warm and nice for the next weeks! Enjoy your time and take care! Love, Serina

SO MANY GOOD BYE s …

It is a pity to see so many people leaving at once…   

On Tuesday Christoph went back to Austria after having stayed in New Zealand for 6 months. We had a little good bye party on Monday night at La Porchetta and later chilled out in the Cuba Bar. Those of you who didn’t come definitely missed his last jokes … By the way, who will now take over his role of being the funny clown in the group?

On Friday we have to say good bye to Bastian, who also arrived already 6 months ago and whose best friend in NZ became his sunscreen 35+ … J! There will be a party at his house on Thursday night, so don’t miss it if you can make it! Hopefully it won’t be the last time that we get to see you, although, for now, you’re probably looking forward to escaping us crazy people here?!

We will miss you both very much since you are awesome guys! Thank you very much for the wonderful time we could spend together, in Auckland as well as on the trips! Hope to see you again in Germany this summer!

Have a safe trip back and keep in touch!

Next week Sedina and Martin are leaving New Zealand as well. It would be nice to hear from you one more time before, thus maybe we can also get all together?!

It is also time for Simone and Annick to count the days at work since they finish their internship next week. Enjoy your remaining time and have fun!

NEW INTERNS ARRIVING SOON

Isabell, Jasper and Theresa are all arriving by the end of February. Isabell is going to work for Nuplex Environment, Jasper for Talk Tactics Limited and Theresa will take over my job for WOX. 

We are looking forward to meeting you in a couple of weeks!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ULRIKE

On Tuesday our lovely Ulrike celebrated her 28th birthday. 

Sorry to say, my dear, but as a matter of fact there is no way out of approaching the “holy thirty” soon. Still, no worries:

We went to a bar and had some drinks together. It was funny to see Georg sad being a year younger now… I think you just have to live with the fact that you are not the boss J (anymore??? If you have you ever been it???)

EVENTS IN AND AROUND AUCKLAND

If you can remember from last week’s Newsletter the Pumphouse Theatre puts two Shakespeare plays on stage. Who wants to come and join me to see Midsummer Night’s Dream on Saturday Night? The show starts at 8.00 pm, tickets are $18. If you want to check the program visit www.pumphouse.co.nz.

Every weekend there is music in the Auckland Parks. This weekend, Alberton House is featuring Ray Woolf on Sat (2 – 4pm). On Sunday you will find different concerts at the Auckland Domain: Jazz Music (2 – 4pm), the Greater Auckland Chorus and the City of Sails Chorus (4.30 – 6pm). Different bands are also playing in Jellicoe Park on Sat (2 – 5pm).

If you want to have at the program go to www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/

events/mips/programme.asp

Every night until the end of February you can go to the Open Air Cinema at Viaduct Harbor, just check the last Newsletter for the program.

This Friday Jan 21 the famous kiwi musician Dave Dobbyn gives a concert at the Auckland Zoo. It starts at about 6.00 pm, tickets are $15 for students.

If you want to go to the “big party” the right address is Ericsson Stadium, but tickets for the Big Day Out 05 are about $100. So might want to check your wallet first… Gates open around 11am.

The Aussie group Hi 5 presents a show called “Come on and party!” at the corner Queen & Wellesley Street next weekend Fri 1pm, 3pm and Sat 11am, 1pm. Tickets are $23.

LAST WEEKEND: GREAT BARRIER ISLAND

Friday afternoon we set off for our weekend trip to GBI. Some of us wanted to safe money and thus took the cheap Subritzky ferry, which really took ages to get there… When the Fullers ferry overtook us Diana said: “That slow tanker over there can’t be them!” Well, we made it - in double the time…

On the Island, we rented a little bus which almost fell apart! In the end the door was completely broken and Robert did a good job keeping it shut. Still, our car was soon as dusty inside as outside… considering the main road being an unsealed dirt road! George turned out to be our perfect driver, especially when he copied the kit kat advertisement and acted like a crazy Indian.  Thank you very much for driving!

After my great endeavours to persuade some of you to go hiking we all walked Windy Canyon (which was not that bad, right?!). A little group went further up to up Mt. Hobson which was absolutely worth the way as we had an awesome view!!!

It was really hot that day and although we put sunscreen on we still got sunburnt! While we were hiking, the others preferred to go to the beach, but it was too hot and they couldn’t stay there since there was no shade at all.

In Claris, the only so-called town, we got some ice cream, cookies for the girls (which of course melted in the sun while we were at the beach!!!) and lots of cold fresh and clean water (just remember the yellow tab water… ) to survive the rest of the day. Later that day we went to famous Medlands Beach, one of the best beaches that I have seen!

George had the best idea ever and brought along a ball – thanks very much! We had heaps of fun playing beach volleyball, although the ball was probably more in the sand than in the air, I guess J.  

It was also lots of fun to be in the water with all those nice waves… well, we girls were quite busy holding our bikini tops where they are supposed to be!

On Sunday we went to the beach again, almost burnt our feet since the sand was very hot and melted in the sun. Everybody tried to catch a little bit of shade – just as much as possible! Again, we had ice cream (which seems to be the only food on such a hot day) and rode our bus through the bushes.

GBI is a world heritage area that is still quite unaffected by too much tourism. It stores the beauty created by nature as the roads and towns do not have the status we are used to and that is what makes the island a big nature resort rather than a sophisticated place.

I really enjoyed the weekend, especially the mountain hike J (alright, to be honest the beach was almost as good as the view from the mountain) !!! I hope you had as much fun as did, too!

WEEKEND SUGGESTION FOR 28 - 31 JAN

I reckon, we still plan to go to the East Cape, but sadly nobody got back to me with any ideas or suggestions where to go and what to visit. Well, if you don’t come up with something I will go for what I think might be interesting. I will begin to organise the trip the next few days… as soon as I have some detailed information I will let you know!

That’s it for today!