"They found Paradise and put up a parking lot" - Joni Mitchell (Big Yellow Taxi) We landed in Tahiti already confused because we left New Zealand on Monday and arrived in Tahiti on Sunday (crossed international dateline) …Were we younger? Had we discovered the secret of eternal youth? Tahiti had always been our ultimate vision of a Paradise Coral Island and whilst they had not "Put up a parking lot", the main town (Papeete) was a disappointing introduction...

Carl & Marie sent us on our way with a great fried breakfast at about 11.00ish and we made our way to the Coromandel area. The route around the Coromandel was unerringly picturesque but that had become the norm for NZ - The highlights were Cathedral cove about 26km away from our hostel and then a 45 minute walk to the beach. Very lovely beach, big waves and great structures so you could walk through the "cathedral" as the tide was going out. Spent a coupl...

We arrived in Rotorua via a stop-off at a thermal baths - We had a private pool for an hour and the water was from natural hot springs created by geo-thermal activity …… Serious pamper time. Rotorua itself is the centre of geo-thermal activity and has several examples of bubbling springs and spectacular mud pools and an ever present smell of sulphur. It is also the home of Carl and Marie ex-residents of Earlsdon (sadly missed in that part of the world) and...

Time to return to the wild so we made our way to the National Park, South of Lake Taupo to tackle the Tongariro Crossing, seventeen kilometre hike weaving its way through the base areas of three volcanos before climbing to the peak of Mt.Tongariro where the Emerald Lake and the Red Crater provide a spectacular outlook, then completing the crossing by descending the other side. Because of an eruption in August 2012 which rendered the area unsafe, we were not all...

Wellington is billed as "The coolest little city in the World" and it pretty much is. Lots of stuff going on, a hill for Heather, plenty of bar/restaurants, two cathedrals (old & new) and an excellent museum with free entry. The city itself has a really good vibe and lots of impromptu entertainment like high diving into the quay, points being scored for whoever gets the most spectators wet. Rainbow Warrior III, the Greenpeace ship was in port …. The ori...