Hey everyone! Done LOADS of stuff since last 'postcard' so we're gonna have to sum it up speedily.... After I did the skydive (Ian that is) in Taupo, which was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had!, we drove over a mountainroad to the Hawkes Bay area on the east coast of the north island. This is 'Wine Country' and looks a bit like southern France, but on the very windy Pacific ocean! Spent a few days in the art deco-y Napier, including visiting the National Aquarium which was cool- there were more kiwis there too! A couple of nights at a lovely beach side campsite at Te Awanga, where we enjoyed our great new Mexican hammock! Just up the road to Hastings, where we spent a few too many days and got a bit cheesed off with it. Went back over to Taupo and met up with some NZ mountainboarders and headed back north slightly to CastleRock- there was a boardercross track there that they used for the NZ leg of the World Series last December. A great fun and really nicely sculpted track to ride. Back south past Taupo, we arrived at the Tongariro National Park- home to 3 of NZ's spectacular volcanoes. Went and visited a few Lord of the Rings locations, including a couple of very nice waterfalls. Next day we went up to the Ski fields were most of Mordor was filmed. Rode the chairlifts right up near the top of one of the volcanoes where we had great views over 'Mordor' and across to another volcano, which was used as Mount Doom in the LOTR films. There was still some snow left on the mountain so we both slid down it on our bums and threw snowballs at each other- in summer...crazy! Also, randomly met a crazy Maori mountainboarder and did some pitch dark boarding whilst slightly intoxicated! The drive then over to the Taranaki region on the west coast was an interesting one.... along the 'Forgotten World' highway and onto a 25 km gravel mountain road through jungle, with diggers on hairpin corners tearing up the ground infront of us! Finally reached a lovely little town called Urenui where we stayed on a spit of land between a small river mouth and a gorgeous little beach. A wobbly bridge was the only way to walk over to the village, all based on a hill overlooking the sea (wish I'd had my longboard with me!). We're now in New Plymouth, which is on the Surf Highway road that goes all the way around Mount Taranaki (the mountain in the picture above). There is some of the best surf breaks and beaches in NZ all the way around the semi-circular area of land... and I STILL don't have a surfboard yet- ARRRGGGGHHHH! I have ordered a custom made one from California, which is being made to my specs and should be delivered to NZ in the next few weeks.... (I know that sounds a bit flash, but it was actually cheaper to import one from the states than buy one here!). Phew, tired from all that typing now so we're off to have a beer and get ready to go out on the town in the sunshine of New Plymouth! Keep the messages coming on the messageboard and sorry to all those that have emailed us and we haven't had time to answer individually. Bye bye. Ian and Clare.