hello,

We have crossed into the north island and experienced the delights of wellington. It rained and galed alot.. very exciting stuff! I think the high light was probably the Te Papa museam. It is massive with loads of stuff about volcanos and earthquakes, plus a Giant Squid in a jar!!!!!!!

Onwards and upwards (and quite alot to the right, sorry, west) and we reach the magnificant Mt Taranaki in Egmont national park. It is a jinormouse volcano with a lot of snow on it and we had an awsome walk in the snow and ice! Mt Taranaki stands on the edge of the west coast and there is a Maori story about how he came to be here. It goes alittle like this.. he used to live in the middle of the north island with aload of other god mountains untill he got into a fight with another montain called Mt Tongariro about a lovely lady god mountain that they both loved. There was a lot of fighting and thunder and lightning (i think this is where queen may have found there insperation) and Mt Taranaki lost. He was **** out by Mt Tongariro and walked to the east coast carving out the Wanganui river as he went. But before you all get to sad the story has a happy ending... when he got there he saw Pouakai, a beautiful range. And settled himself down beside her and they had lots of babys! the end!

We traveled along to where Mt Taranaki came from and visited Mt Tongariro and Mt Nqauruhoe (Mt Doom) and Mt Ruapehu. It is the most amazing national park with these massive volcaons sitting in the middle looking menecing. There still really active and tend to go off every couple of years.. but unfortunatly they didnt put on a show for us.

Next we visited Lake Taupo and the craters of the moon, which is bacically a very steamy and creepy bit of valley full of thermal vents. And this was the start of our stinky thermal journey. The fact of the matter is that alot of the north island is very stinky because of all the sulfer but it does mean that its hot pool ahoy in pretty much every town we stop in!

Next we hit the East coast with a quick look at Napier all very art deco since it all fell down it an earthquake in the 1930's. And alittle futher north the seaside town of Gisborne which is the first place to see the sun in the world everyday and also the sunnyest place in New Zealand.

And finally we are here in Rotorua, the stinkyest of all the places we have been so far. You cant walk down the street without stumbling across a pool of bubbling mud!

So yet again i leave you with the knowledge that we are off for a soak in some thermal hot pools! Woohoo.. traveling rocks!

love love xxxxx