Wednesday the 6th we reach Rotaruro, famous for its "geothermal activity". Its another clear and hot day Needing a little RńR we camp alongside a hot pool resort in the Waikite Valley where we camp for cheap and have all day access to the pools. It our first night sleeping in the van. The mattress is paper thin and the next morning my body aches all over. This does not bode well.

Tuesday the 5th we head for Tauranga where Duane's parents live. They've kindly offered us a bed in their gorgeous home. Yet another night we don't have to sleep in the van. We could get used to this. On the way we stop at "The Shire", used as a filming site in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and now also The Hobbit. For what it is its overpriced but still fun. We reach Tauranga and make a quick stopover at Mount Maunganui while here. A quiet seaside resort where...

Monday the 4th we're off to the beach with Matt and Hannah but not before enjoying a hearty breakfast and then stopping off to see a waterfall just because we can. We reach the beach in the afternoon, the sand is dark and sparkling from high iron content. We walk it and enjoy each other's company as we go along. As the the day nears its end we buy fish and chips and drink some beer while seagulls watch our every move.

Sunday the 3rd we collect our camper van, the smallest you're ever going see, I bet its listed in the annual Guinness World Record Book. We travel through to Duane, Julie and their baby girl, Jess for a BBQ NZ style. I love meat. On the way there we note how dry New Zealand is at the moment. The North Island is currently in the grip of a drought so the green lush valleys of New Zealand have turned to a gold and dusty yellow. The flip side of the drought is nice, ...

Arrived in NZ on Saturday 2nd March. New Zealander's reputation for being friendly starts right away with warm and humorous welcome from border and customs officers and its still only 430am. (They say something about the queen) Where I come from is illegal to smile this early in the morning and to say what they said about the queen. Out hostel is in the centre of Aukland. Our repatriated Kiwi friend Duane acts as our tour guide for the day. As cities go, Auklan...