Wowzers! We have flown from Saigon to Brunei, Brunei to Auckland New Zealand.....arrived at 3am in the morning at a hostel! We originally were supposed to be sharing a dorm with two other people and we get the key and find the room, wake up some poor sleeping lad - the other three bunk beds look like they have been slept in already so trundle back down to reception and ask for a double room! I think we are too old for this youth hostel stuff! We get a double room and have about two hours sleep as there are mice in the roof shuffling around! Blimey crikes! What is it with us and rodents????

We almost nearly didn't get to New Zealand though as when we got to Brunei, we were sat waiting for the plane to board (20 mins to go) and the air stewardess came over and got us and we went over to a desk to be told that New Zealand had called and said that we couldn't go unless we had a return flight! Our plan was to book the flight when we got there as obviously we have no idea how long we will be here for! So anyway we then had to be walked through the whole terminal, through security, out some side door and through the arrivals to a back office where we had to book a return flight (10 mins til boarding closed at this point!). In the end it worked out ok and we got a really good deal on the flight home and just about (with a little bit of running) managed to get the plane to New Zealand!!!! Just!!!!!

So we spent our first day looking for a camper van to buy and ended up finding one by the name of 'Bob' now nicknamed 'Bobby Dazzler' from an Italian couple who have been driving around in him for the last 10 months. We got a load of maps and cooking gear and everything included so got a really good deal. The only problem is that the van itself has some weird tribal paintings down the side and basically gives the impression that we are smoking drugs as we are driving around!!!! Ha ha!!! Brad is gonna paint it at the first opportunity! We drove out of Auckland that evening and headed north up to Orewa.