Hi all, Gen here,

After a gruelling 26 hour journey we finally landed in Auckland. Cold, windy and wet, it turns out a tornado hit the city just hours before we landed! I chuckled when the shuttle bus from the airport to our hotel was playing Crowded House. We tried to savour the hotel (our last night with a proper bed and our own bathroom for a while before we collected the van) but after a zombie-like wander around the city on the hunt for food we collapsed into a 13 hour sleep!

Mildly refreshed and after the largest tea and croissant I've ever seen, we bussed it out to the suburbs to collect the van. A quick tour of the van's charms and a stock up on food in the local countdown and we were on the road - glad Ror was driving! We made our way to Takapuna beach holiday park, where we stayed for the next few days. Beautiful location, although a little exposed to the howling gale force winds and torrential rain! After our first night we bought extra blankets. Sleeping in a van is cold. We hit the tourist spots of Auckland, including the Rugby fanzone and the Auckland museum and met up for some beers with a Blainey (OK, a Blainey's second cousin I think). N.B. I can highly recommend the buses of Auckland - the most hi tech and informative i have ever seen!

We left Takapuna to begin the journey to Dunedin. First impressions of NZ roads - winding and quiet, you can drive for ages without seeing another soul. Stopped off for a night in Raglan - apparently the surf capital of NZ although not quite warm enough for that yet! A beautiful spot and a holiday park that reminded me alot of Hi-de-hi. There was an outdoor stage and a tannoy - I kept expecting to be called campers. Met some friendly Irish guys that are following their team around the country. Three of them are sharing a campervan, but two of them were sleeping in a tent - made me feel a whole lot better about sleeping in our van!

We drove down to New Plymouth and met up with two lovely, lovely friends of Cassie's - Alex and Craig. We stayed with them for the weekend and much appreciated sleeping on a proper mattress, under a roof and a steaming hot shower! We were lucky enough to see Mt Taranaki against a cloudless sky as we wandered around Pukekura(sp?) park. We had a great time and Alex and Craig were incredibly generous and hospitable, with what were two near strangers arriving on their doorstep! Thank you!

After a brief lunch stop in Palmerston North (very grey skies but an impressive town square), the next stop was Paraparaumu, a shabby (but not chic) holiday park with grim showers and resident chickens, ducks and cats. We were pointed in the direction of a good pub to watch the England match in though so not all bad. An early start to drive down to Wellington to catch the ferry the next day. Weather was miserable but brightened up on the ferry crossing and we saw dolphins swimming next to the ship. very cool. The drive from the ferry to Kaikoura was pretty horrendous. Needless to say I wasn't behind the wheel! High winds, unlit roads and torrential rain. Very glad to arrive in Kaikoura.

4 hour walk around the Kaikoura peninsula yesterday was beautiful (saw some NZ fur seals and some menacing cows), and whale watching today was pretty cool - we saw an albatross and 7 Sperm whales, which is apparently quite a few!

Tomorrow we head off to Christchurch for a look around and then on to Dunedin for the big match (in a covered stadium - yay!).

This. is. awesome.

Rory - AAARRRGGGHHH! New Zealand rocks!!