Since we have fallen behind on the blog a bit, we are going to try to wrap up New Zealand quickly and get caught up on Australia:

We arrived in Auckland after some drama getting the camper van returned, but it all ended well. We stayed in a great hostel where Bev won a hula hoop contest and free beers (that's my woman) at a pretty fun beach-themed party. Am I in college again?

We saw the infamous sky tower and went on a free tour from the hostel where we saw a person jump off it (another high adrenaline activity brought to you by those kookie kiwis), visited the harbor and saw the yacht that won the Americas cup, explored several neighborhoods, went to a great pub, and walked to the top of Mount Eden for excellent views of the skyline, harbor, and volcano-pocked city.

We spent time in the downtown and Ponsonby neighborhoods, and we just generally enjoyed our time in a lively, eclectic city.

Next stop: Coromandel Penninsula