I'm still in Rotorua! Dropped in a few days ago, expecting to stay just two nights, but the driving rain convinced me that another couple wouldn't hurt - and after speeding through the last few hundred miles, I deserved a rest!

After a fairly uneventful start, I met a canadian and a dutch girl who were heading to the cinema. In an attempt not to die of boredom I joined them to watch Slumdog Millionaire - and I was pleasently surprised. Especially as we got in for half price... Got soaked on the way home (thought I'd left that kind of weather at home) and then proved myself terrible at cards with a couple from my bus. I'd better work on that.

Yesterday I mainly walked. With the sun deciding to shine again I followed the good old lonely planets walk around town. Or started to, but my map reading skills also appear to need working on. But I'm convinced that I saw things that other lonely planet readers are missing out on... Got back and Julie (Canada) and Holland had got back from white water rafting. Now, I've never been taken with the idea of that - and as Holland was now sporting a broken nose and two black eyes, I was feeling slightly smug at my refusal to join them.

Still, the afternoon needed filling, so after a brief contemplation of Zorbing, we chose to 'do the swoosh'. Twas awesome. We were hoisted in a little caterpillar like cocoon up 40m then Julie had to pull the rip cord. Except she didn't really want to - so on the second countdown, we eventually plummeted.

Some culture was in order after all that excitement, so we filed onto a bus with a million mis-matched pensioners and enjoyed an overly commercialised, yet delightful Mauri night. Some story telling, war dances, chief selection and finally a meal cooked in some sort of underground oven (I forget it's name). With a bus driver who could not only remember everyone onboards name, but also their country of origin, a welcome in their language and a song (which he sang - badly). Clearly in his job description, but impressive none the less.

So that's pretty much me up to date, there is a beautiful red sky as the sun sinks which I'm going to go enjoy. Laters xx