Hey Guys,

We have been cruising round in the rain for a few days, thought we'd let you know where we'd been!!

We started by heading south out of Auckland (after a night in a city centre car park!!) to Raglan, a lovely small surfer hippy town apparently Jack Johnson and Ben Harper have places here. It is really famous for a left-hand break that happens on a local beach. We spent the day chilling out right next to the sea, watching surfing and kite surfing and polished off a few G&T's!!

Monday we followed the coastal road, I say road but it was more of a gravel track, passing the Te Toto gorge - very impressive so close to the sea, there were loads of wrecked cars at the bottom!! We also stopped at the Bridal Veil Falls, 55m high waterfalls, very impressive. After another 40kms or so of dirt roads we hit Kawhia for lunch. After lunch we nipped over the black sand dunes in search of hot water on the beach - at low tide there are hot springs that come up out of the sand, unfortunately for us though it was high tide when we got there, gutted!! Lets just hope the other hot water beach on the Coromandel peninsula will be at low tide!!

We then set off for Waitomo, a place full of caves and glow worms. This afternoon we are going on a trip that includes abseiling, black water rafting, caving, glow worm watching and climbing at the end. I am very excited although i think Sarah may be nervous about the caving - cramming through small spaces. Either way it is a good excuse for a shower as we are both beginning to stink!! (5 nights on the side of the road with no campsites!!)

Be in touch soon, Love A&S xxx