Don't crash into me. It's not dodgems! Come on! No kids around, so we can just let our hair down and go for it. Everybody's just vibing. This is why you live in NZ. Big ups to Tauranga. Awesome. HAPPY MUSIC Captions by Faith Hamblyn. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016. HAPPY MUSIC CONTINUES WHIMSICAL MUSIC Are you ready? This is so weird, but also exciting that we don't have any children with us. Where are we going to, my love? And we are going to Tauranga. Tauranga. Whoo-hoo! Choice! I used to love going to Tauranga. Our grandmother's old stomping ground. Oh yeah. It's where Grandmother was from. Last went there on a big boys camping trip, didn't you? Yes, well, we should just leave that one in the past. Yeah. And we should go check in. Come on, then. Let's go catch the plane. (CHUCKLES) We've gone everywhere with our kids over the past nine to 10 years, and we've never left them at home. We've taken them with us. Leaving the kids for the first time is huge. I've been feeling a little bit anxious every time I think about it. People will say we're crazy and, uh, you know, we need time out by ourselves, but we're a whanau that enjoys doing activities together, having fun together and growing together. This is really exciting. It feels like a couple's weekend already. The things that we talk about are sort of different, because the kids aren't here. And the best thing about it is I know Tauranga, but I don't know it well. So I'm intrigued to find out what Tauranga has to offer that we don't know about. It's an amazing feeling, not knowing what you're going to do. This is it. Game on. Enjoy your stay. We will. Thank you very much. Thank you. Nice to meet you. Ka kite. Kia ora. OK. So, where are we going? READS: Welcome. Tell me. Give me the good news. READS: Welcome to the Bay of Plenty. Kia ora. (GIGGLES, READS) Welcome to the Bay of Plenty. You need to do it as an advertorial. READS: Welcome to the Bay of Plenty. Very nice. I feel welcomed. READS: Head straight to the Trinity Wharf Hotel to check into your accommodation, and enjoy a refined candlelit dinner. I have heard about the Trinity Wharf Hotel. I hear it's magnificent. I see so many stars. I see five. BOTH CHEER So, as soon as we pulled in, I thought, 'Wow. This is gonna be amazing, staying here.' Walking into the room, I'm getting my excited child on, because it's gorgeous. The layout is exactly what we need. It's perhaps different from what we usually have. Oh my goodness. (READS) 'Hi, Stacey and Scott. Welcome. 'I hope you enjoy your regional escape in our city and all the city has to offer this Easter weekend. 'Regards, Stuart Crosby.' What? The mayor! The mayor? > Yeah. That is so cute. 'Scotty just can't believe this is actually a letter from the mayor. 'And I think that tells us immediately how you do hospitality Tauranga-style.' So, once we'd settled into the room, quick change into our, uh, evening wear, and then down to the Halo Restaurant in the hotel. Don't forget that, uh, just this year,... I renewed your contract for 10 more years. Remember? 10th wedding anniversary? I do remember, funnily enough. January the 6th. (LAUGHS) It's the 7th. 7th. (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) Complementary from the chef. Ooh, lovely. It's a spiced pork croquette with spiced pepper aioli. Thank you. This one is free. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. BOTH RECITE KARAKIA I feel really lucky, because I've found someone who is my soulmate in lots of ways,... spiritually, intellectually, and I love the father that he is. I feel so fortunate that my kids have this amazing dad. Disappeared off the plate just like that. Just like we disappeared from our house and our children. It's starting to sink in now. I just, uh, haven't even thought of them, actually. (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) I mean, this is major, though. I mean, both of us have been sooky-bubbas. We've never left our kids ever. It's like you kind of forget where you are. It's, like, almost like, 'Hey, welcome to Fantasy Island. 'I'm Mr Roarke, your host.' And you just think, 'Far out. I'm somewhere. This is not really happening. 'So when I wake up, there's gonna be kids crawling all over me as usual.' Ooh. Thank you. A fish and potato cake with sundried tomatoes. Thank you. And for you. BOTH: Thank you. < Ooh, yum. I feel so wholesome. It just feels... (LAUGHS) Look at your face. Is it quite good, is it? I must say, I would like to salute Tauranga and say this has been a fantastic beginning to this adventure. This would almost be enough. Like, that's more than we've had in nine years, so to think that there's even more to come` Could go home tomorrow satisfied and happy and say big ups to Tauranga, but another day tomorrow, so bring on tomorrow. GENTLE MUSIC Waking up and seeing the views that we have outside our hotel room ` uh, absolutely beautiful 360 degrees, it's just fantastic out there. Oh my gosh. I don't know when we've last slept like that. Cos we haven't slept for nine years without someone in the middle. So, what's the plan today? Do we know? We are going to... (READS) 'Work off your breakfast 'and start your day like a local with a spiritual walk up Mauao.' Isn't that cool? Yeah. It's quite steep. (LAUGHS) You sure we can not just go there, stand at the base, take a selfie, and say, 'Yes, done Mauao. Next. 'Next challenge'? I got goosebumps. That is so cool. I've never been up Mauao. You haven't been to the top of Mauao? No. < Well, it's something that you have to do. It's one of those bucket-list things is to go up the top of Mauao. Oh, that's very special. To us as Maori, Mauao is spiritually the most significant landmark in the Tauranga area. I got goosebumps. It just feels like that's how we should start this visit to Tauranga. E mihi ana ki te maunga nei, ki a Mauao. Tenei te whakaeke nei a nga uri o Ngai Tahu me Te Arawa. We greet you, we acknowledge you, and here we are, descendants of Te Arawa and Ngai Tahu about to, uh, come on to your domain, so, uh, tena koe. Kia mama mai. Be nice to us. Yes, be nice to us. Be in to win your own NZ escape including flights, car hire, accommodation and activities. Head to ournzescape.tv to enter. Whoo-hoo! Don't crash into me! It's not dodgems! This is why you live in NZ. Big ups to Tauranga. Awesome. PEOPLE CHATTER, DANCE MUSIC PULSATES They've been on the sauce. They've been on the sauce. Your party! They've been on the sauce. Your party! That's Mary's boy, isn't it? Yeah. Maybe you should say something. Maybe you should say something. Nah. I'm crap at that kind of thing, Barry. Yeah, but they're just kids. If we don't say something... (GROANS) Hey, boys? Boys? Why don't you get a lift home tonight? Oh, whatever, mate. I've only had a couple. No, no, no, no. It's too late now. I've spoken to you and I know your mum, so that means our fates are aligned. You get into that car and you get yourself killed or you kill someone else, I become part of it too. How? How? Well, it's like, um, my balls are in your hands. BOYS LAUGH, SNORT BOY: Oh, you want the balls! BOY: Oh, you want the balls! Nobody wants that. Hey, how about I drive you? What? Oh. What? Oh. BOYS LAUGH, DANCE MUSIC PLAYS ON RADIO (SWITCHES RADIO STATION) (SWITCHES RADIO STATION) YODELLING MUSIC PLAYS I like it. 1 My darling. Got this. Good luck. Here we go. Kia kaha. Our culture, in terms of our family unit, is hugely important. We're bringing our children up bilingually, so when we're together, we only speak Maori to each other. And so now how we've chosen to express our culture, with our language and how we bring up our children and how we live, is now a big part of us, but also something we want to help welcome other people into, because I think it's a really good way for all NZers to express uniquely who we are. It's actually really high. That was a good warmup. About halfway there. Ooh, you have a good glow on. Beads of sweat. Beads of sweat. (CHUCKLES) It's really important to us to be part of something bigger. In our world, clouds speak to us, mountains speak to us. I never take them for granted. This land looks after us, and we need to do the same in return. I love the feeling of the bush ` you know that special air ` and the birds. I can always hear the wairua of Tane Mahuta or the spiritualness of the god of the forest. And Tane-te-hokahoka, the birds. Kei te rongo koe? Can you hear the birds? I can hear kokako, bellbird. Tui. Tui. Tiwaiwaka, fantail. Bellbird. Oh, sorry, fantail. Kei te rongo au i o ratou reo rahiri. (LAUGHS) Ae. Welcoming song for us on to Mauao. So everyone being so active, it means that everyone's contributing to the nice energy of the maunga. Cos it is a sacred mountain, but they've opened it up. And so everyone brings their good energy up here. There's heaps of different types of people. These people look way too fit. Quick, let's go. (LAUGHS) No, wait, wait, wait, wait. Seriously, when you see them, you're gonna wanna get out of the way. (LAUGHS) Oh, look, sporty people! Keep up! Keep up! Keep up! (LAUGHS) What a fantastic thing to do first thing in the morning, to get out of bed and go straight over to Mauao and climb to the top of the mountain. And it actually in a spiritual sense made me feel a lot more comfortable about being in Tauranga. The thing that amazes me is how many people are here. There's all different kinds of people, different shapes and sizes, different levels of fitness, different ages, and they're all going up to the top of this mountain Mauao. And I think the mountain's getting energy off them and they're getting energy off the mountain. So as we've come through the bush, and then you come up to the summit, and it's like the clouds are greeting you, gods are greeting you, and Mauao, like a grandmother, like an ancestor, sort of, hugging everyone who's on the mountain. Oh, well done, my love. That was an amazing way to start the day. It's totally invigorating. And I love seeing so many people being active, and then it just all contributes to the wairua, the energy of Mauao. You feel like you're on top of the world. It's not a high mountain, but you just feel like you are on top of the world when you're up there. OK. You ready for the next adventure? READS: Head to Main Beach to experience the wind in your hair and the sand whizzing beneath your feet. Ah. Look at those wind sails! That must be what we're doing. Those things go fast. I know. I mean, especially on a day like today. Look ` it's windy. I'm very worried about Stacey when I see the blokarts, because I know she's a little bit accident-prone. And I'm thinking, 'If anybody's gonna tip out of a blokart, it will be my lovely wife, Stacey.' So, we don't know how fast it goes or how to stop, so what could go wrong (?) As fast as humanly possible. Really, Scott? And I will take victory in the first ever Grand Prix. Waiting for the green light. Go, wind! Go, wind! Go, wind! BOTH GIGGLE Go, wind! Come on! Come on! BOTH LAUGH Whoo-hoo! I got some good speed up now. Yeah! (LAUGHS) It's a force like I've never known before. You can really feel that it's the wind having its will, whatever it wants to, and then it's your job to find the wind and work with the wind. This is a buzz. And it rides so smooth. And for some reason, this is coming really naturally. I've got this. And I love the fact that Scotty can't figure out why I'm beating him. Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! BOTH LAUGH Don't crash into me! It's not dodgems! (SCOFFS) This is obviously the slower of the blokarts. Yeah. That's what it is. I was using the wind. I was using the wind. I was pulling the rope in the right places. Um, so,... (CLEARS THROAT, LAUGHS) How do we get back up there? BOTH LAUGH You hate this so much! (LAUGHS) You shouldn't be so competitive. It's not a nice trait. I'm never gonna live this down. Would you like me to show you how you get it against the wind? Yeah, why am I asking you? You just go like this. Look. BOTH LAUGH And the pull. From the wheel. Really? See, you pick it up like so, and you walk. Ooh. Nice and light. Another race? Try mark II? (LAUGHS) OK, my darling, where are we going now? READS: Satisfy your hunger. Ooh! That's always a good start. READS: Satisfy your hunger and gorge yourselves on the amazing local food at Dinner in the Domain. That sounds choice ` dinner in a domain, I'm hungry, I feel like gorging myself. Dinner is your domain. # Dinner is my domain. # We walk into Dinner in the Domain, and you immediately know this is a great vibe. This is a whole lot of people who enjoy being together. They enjoy good food, music. There's great conversation going on. We could be here for hours. People are so cool and so friendly. This whole community, you get that whole beachy vibe. It's not even the middle of summer, and just get that spirit and feel like everyone's living life how you should in NZ. Yep. It's a great way to finish the day ` I've got my ribs, I've got my pulled-pork sandwich. Ooh. Open it up. Look at this. That looks good. That's gonna be awesome. This feels like this is why you live in NZ. Yeah. Big ups to Tauranga. Day one ` awesome. It is pretty amazing, being away from the kids. I mean, I know that they're happy. I know that they're good, I've stopped checking where they are, and then there's just so much time. (LAUGHS) Well, we slept in today till 8 o'clock in the morning. Never happens. Never happens. Like, we're really busy, and then we're completely focused on the kids as well, so it's nice to focus on each other. Yes, it is. As soon as we see doughnuts, I know those doughnuts are in trouble, because Scotty will be all about them. I had to finish off on the doughnuts. I couldn't say no to the doughnuts. And since I'm throwing all my dietary plans out the window for this experience in Tauranga, I went and had the doughnuts, and the doughnuts were absolutely fantastic, best doughnuts I've ever had. Usually, I steal some of his food. This is my MO. And I always say, 'Can I have a bite,' which ends up being maybe more than a bite or two. It doesn't get much better. No kids around, so we can just let our hair down and go for it. Everybody's just vibing. 1 Cup of tea, my darling? Kia ora. Plenty of milk, as you like it. (CHUCKLES) With an amazing view. Beautiful morning. Are you thinking of going for a swim? Is that what you were thinking about? I think we'd better do whatever you've gone on the card. Yeah, well, I found another little clue. (READS) Explore the city on two wheels. Get crafty at The Little Big Markets before checking out the boutique shops on Main St. Whoo-hoo-hoo! I know! You're speaking my language. (LAUGHS) Shopping. Oh no. (LAUGHS) Hang on a minute. No, think this one through. So we've got two wheels ` bikes. Shall we get to it? Have you got your bike pants on, you're all ready to go? Balance, it's all about balance on bikes. Oh, we'll see. I've got the prettiest bike in the world, and I am way too excited about that. I love the fact that we are cycling to the markets ` so we are going somewhere, there's a purpose, it's scenic, it's something we don't usually do. We would usually take the car, because there's kids. So I love the fact that we're using our own pedal power. We're getting a bit of blood pumping. It's been nine years since we've been able to do this, so it's almost like we've gone back to dating phase. (LAUGHS) It's like going right back to the beginning ` we're going on little trips together, we're doing little experiences together, we're climbing mountains together. UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC OK. This should be interesting. (CHUCKLES) Ooh. I think I need a detox. I need some energy, sleep. Um, rongoa's always good, but I don't need any of this last one. (LAUGHS) I don't need any of that stuff. That's all taken care off. I'm in tip-top shape, feeling very food. Should I check him out? Yeah, go on. No, no, no. (LAUGHS) He won't give you a pass. I'm too tall for this test, aren't I? No, no. Put your arms out. Hold your arm against your body. Hold. I'm nervous. (LAUGHS) Feel my heartbeat's going a bit fast. You've actually got a bit of, uh, adrenal fatigue. Are you exhausted all the time? Yes. Yes. So, what's coming up for you definitely is just adrenal fatigue. So that was most recommended for men. Yeah, good call. I thought you were gonna say, 'You need this, this, this, this and this.' Why do keep on going over there? (LAUGHS) Love buying local. I think that's really important, to support people who are being creative. It's great when you buy things that have a story and that they've been crafted by people that you meet. An awesome opportunity to meet some of the local people and experience some of the local culture. I must say, good scores. Excellent day shopping at the markets, my darling. Now we can go and relax. Taihoa. Taihoa. Remember, they had the boutique shopping now, so more shopping. Boutique. Yay. Shopping. OK. UPBEAT MUSIC Walking through the streets in Tauranga tells me that you really do have the best of both worlds here. I really think they've got the lifestyle perfectly balanced. Hi. Welcome to Sisters. Oh, hello. Hey. How are you? Oh, this is gorgeous. I can spend quite a lot of time here, I think. Great. I don't know if you're gonna like it that much. But, look, we've got a boys' store next door, so why don't you pop there and say gidday to Logan, and, um, he might even give you a beer. A beer? Yeah. Say no more. BOTH LAUGH He's sorted. BOTH LAUGH Now, you take your time, as much time as you want. Logan and I will be fine. Hey. Logan? Yeah. > Hey, bro. Scotty. Hey, Scotty. How you going, mate? Nice to meet you, mate. So, your wife is next door,... Yeah. ...with my wife, doing some shopping. You'll have some damage there, mate. So I got kicked out of there and sent into here. Oh, well, come and have a beer, mate. Oh, you know, I've got a couple of hours to kill. You know how long it takes girls to do shopping. I know. Instantly, as I come into Sisters & Co, it feels very luxurious. I don't know what I did to deserve this. This feels amazing. Ooh. Look at you. You scrub up very well, my darling. So do you. You look stunning. Hard work, this, isn't it (?) Yes, it is (!) CHEERFUL MUSIC OK. Exciting, amazing day and more to come. This one says, 'Do you know the difference between swing and bebop? 'Don't be a mouldy fig; end your trip with a boogie woogie.' Well, the jazz festival's on. Isn't that swing and bebop? We're having a party to finish off this tour. JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS It's another fantastic way to end the day is, you know, have a party. We can just let our hair down and go for it. MUSIC CONTINUES What a party! There's people dancing. There's about four stages along The Strand, with different bands playing at each stage. And so we've gotta stop and have a dance. Stace loves to dance. Everybody's just vibing. It feels like when Scotty and I first got together. And then we're in this great atmosphere of the jazz festival ` people are vibing, they're having this great time, beautiful music. I love The Strand. I've always loved The Strand, because it's just this great mix of good food, great setup. You can bar hop, the playground's across the road, the sea's across the road ` what is this place? It's like an adult Disneyland. It's really just doing life right. OK. So this is our spot now. We love Tauranga. Hopefully, Tauranga doesn't mind us. BOTH LAUGH Cheers to that one. Cheers to that. We did well, my love. How have you found being away without the kids? I was a little bit apprehensive at the start, but after talking to them on the phone, I can see that they're absolutely fine. Yeah. But it's been very special on a lot of different levels. Mm. But on the highest level of them all has been spending time with you. Yeah, you just realised that was the thing to say, eh? Was it a good thing to say? (LAUGHS) Kihi? BOTH: Mwah. Thank you. Kia ora. So, waking up this morning tinged with a little bit of sadness this morning, because we're starting to get the sense that, uh, it's all over. We have to go back to Auckland. We have to go back to Auckland, we have to go back to family life, which is not a bad thing, of course, but, yeah, something that I'd prefer to do tomorrow instead of today. Going on a date with my husband 10 years into marriage feels just as special as it always has, maybe even better, and I think I'm an incredibly lucky woman to still be so in love with my husband. It feels like we've been longer, and yet it's gone really quickly. That's always a good sign of an amazing trip. Explore more of the country with Air NZ, with over 400 daily flights across 21 destinations. Book now at Air NZ. Captions by Faith Hamblyn. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016. Head to ournzescape.tv TUI SING