Chris and Gill arrived late last night after their 23 hour flight from the UK. As arranged, we met up with them at breakfast and sorted out our plans for the next few days. Took the ferry to Waiheke Island and spent the day there in glorious sunshine. The trip started with a guided tour of some the many beauty spots on the island and included a coffee break at "Charley Farley's" cafe, right next to a long and exquisitely beautiful beach. We later had lunch at ye...

Took a ferry out to Rangitoto, a volcanic island that is now being managed as a nature reserve. Climbed to the summit, at 259m, and hugely rewarded with totally stunning, panoramic views around the Hauraki Gulf. Also walked around the rim of the, now extinct, volcano and through some lava caves. The forest that covers the island is home for several species of native birds; we could hear their unusual birdsong but, frustratingly, we only managed to catch fleeting ...

Arrived in Auckland Airport, at mid-day, after having had no sleep on our overnight flight. Tired and a bit grumpy! Took about 2 hours to get out of the airport. NZ's bio-security checks on everyone entering the country, to ensure no adverse changes to its ecology, are very admirable. Unsurprisingly, these checks do take extra time to complete. Beautiful weather. Decided to take the bus into Auckland rather than use a taxi. This worked well as it was only a ver...