On our last day in Auckland we went to do some wine tasting on Waihike Island! Russell gave us a lift to the ferry and after an hour we were there! We went first through the main town to a winery called Mud brick, which was absolutely beautiful, it felt like we were in an Italian villa! They also had a dessert wine which made rob happy! After we went to another vineyard nearby which also had a beautiful setting. We then got the bus from the village to the other ...

Today was an INCREDIBLE day! Rob and I left Rotarua very early as we were booked on the first tour of Hobbiton (near Matamata) at 9am. It was absolutely amazing, the guides were enthusiastic and knowledgable, and so much effort was put into maintaining the Shire, there were gardeners everywhere. It was a really pretty idyllic setting and we got a beautiful day with clear blue skies - the only problem was it was too sunny for some photos!!! Rob isn't a lotr fan bu...

Rob and I spent the morning walking around Rotarua. It was really pretty and we loved the hot springs that seemed to erupt from literally everywhere, just in the middle of roads and even in a graveyard! We walked through a Maori village there, and then up through the park. It was really pretty. After lunch we drove over to Lake Taupo, which was a really pretty drive. On the way we stopped off to do a walk for a few hours to the Huka Falls, it was beautiful. W...

Today we went with Olivia for brunch with the Henshaws. It was nice to meet the boys and their parents, and to get a proper English fry up for breakfast! And to meet Bluey of course. After brunch we took a walk with them to their local beach, Long Bay, then finished at a bakery for a nice cake! After that Rob and I set off to Rotarua. The weather turned a bit rainy but we still loved the scenery. We arrived at our motel just in time, as shortly after our bus ar...

Today Olivia and I felt a little worse for wear after the night before (particularly oli!) so we spent most of the day just chilling out and tidying for Marilyn and Russell coming back (and Rob had to go to swap the car for one that worked)! When they got back we had a lovely time just all chatting together, with Russell making a lovely Beef Stroganoff for dinner and Marilyn a gorgeous apple pie. We'd missed home cooked food! After Olivia and I sat and planned ...