Our report on the waterfall had the wrong date - this should have read the 22nd, but our later report may explain why. We arrived at Rotorua and found the Princes Gate Hotel where we had a two bedroom apartment booked. We were just settling in when Sallie asked if Peter could turn her Radiator off, as along with the sun, her room was like a Sauna! Not possible as the hotel heating system was supplied by the natural hot springs in the town, which we think was near...

Our report on the waterfall had the wrong date - this should have read the 22nd, but our later report may explain why. We arrived at Rotorua and found the Princes Gate Hotel where we had a two bedroom apartment booked. We were just settling in when Sallie asked if Peter could turn her Radiator off, as along with the sun, her room was like a Sauna! Not possible as the hotel heating system was supplied by the natural hot springs in the town, which we think was near...

We left the Coromandel Coast and set off for Rotorua, our next stop. To begin with we drive through pleasant farmland on nearly empty roads then we reach the foot of the range of hills that have flanked us to our left and see a waterfall sign. We decide to deviate from our route and explore. We are so glad we did as the Wairere Falls (photo) are spectacular to say the least. We parked the car & set off up the side of the mountain. The signs said that it would...

Yesterday we said goodbye to the Bay of Islands and started our journey south down the northern coast of North Island to Thames on the Coromandel Coast. It was a long drive but on arrival in the late afternoon sunshine we find ourselves at a lovely spot named Grafton Cottages where the self contained units looked like tree houses & carved into a very steep hillside. (Photo above) As it was a drive away from any restaurants & we had spent quite enough time...

Today, we went to the proper Treaty Grounds, not the place full of ancestor poles that we saw yesterday - this was the real deal and with a Maori guide we explored the history of the partnership between the Maori people's and the British. The treaty between the two nations was signed on the 5th February 1840. In the late 1920's. The site had become run down and was put up for auction. As the NZ government declined to do anything about it, the land was purchased a...