North Island life is more hectic than South Island and this seems to have leached into our existence. Not getting around to writing the blog ...somehow not managing to fit as much into our days here. Not a good sign ! South Island was definately the more "warm &fuzzy" place to be ...real tourist heaven and a magical place, a real paradise in all senses of the word. It definately had one feeling at the edge of the world...in a very good way. It is said that ...

Not just one cruise liner, but three...the Hapag Lloyd Bremen, the Queen Mary and another huge liner ...could not see the name ...but on the radio they said that 8000 people would arrive via the cruise liners. Quite something ! Met up with Lyn and Simon and drove the approx 4.5 hours to Taupo along the desert road. The landscape has changed dramatically from the South Island, but is dramatic in a Karoo type of way, especially the purple heath and the fine black ...

Arrival Wellington Ok...this must be one of the worst campervan spots around BUT it is on the Waterfront of Wellington. It is basically a parking lot with plugs on a main road, with office blocks looking down lon you, no shade and 4 showers and 2 toilets to share amongst about 30 campervans. No other facilities...and it is the most expensive park yet. But...it is in the centre of Wellington and just around the corner from the hotel Lyn and Simon are staying in t...

No blog last night, as we were being treated to a wonderful roast lamb with a very special couple in Nelson. Dirk and Henriette emigrated to New Zealand about 20 years ago, with their 3 children and live in Nelson. They are both Maths teachers at a school in Nelson. Definately Nelson's gain and Kayelitsha's loss (as this is where they were teaching in the late '80s and early '90s. Wonderfully hospitable and passionate people, who now live in the town which was...

Too lazy to write a blog last night. Went for a magic walk in Okarito, just outside Franz Josef Town, before heading up to Punakaiki. Okarito has a windswept beach and huge lagoon and not much else. There is a beatiful walk along a track made in 1860 by a land surveyor to a beacon, with amazing views over the wetlands, lagoon, glaciers and Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, the 2 highest peaks of the Southern Alps. Amazing to see the snowcapped peaks surrounded by dens...