What do we like most about NZ?

That you can have cereal with fresh milk for breakfast? That supermarkets have cherry cake and baked beans? The friendliness of the people - and the ease of communication with the locals? The views and clean countryside? The non greasey fish and chips? Knowing that you are at your destination during a bus ride, simply becasue there is a sign announcing the name of the place. Could it be that we so like NZ, just because it isn't South America? Suddenly we feel more carefree than at any time so far. A wallet could be left in a pocket. You could go to the toilet without taking in loo roll, soap and then still having to sanitise hands afterwards. (I'm really not going to cope well with the toilets in Asia!) So, anyway, welcome to New Zealand. A country where it is possible to put your camera on the table while having dinner, and not have it nicked!

We like New Zealand.

I just wanted to write a short entry about the highlights of NZ so far. That really isn't possible - pages would be needed to do it justice. We are having such a great time. So, this short entry will have to do - we need all the time to have more adventures and to see this stunning country.

We travelled north from Auckland, getting as far as the Bay of Islands. Many seasonal workers arrive to this region for the fruit picking and processing. We met one couple on a gap year between uni and work, and they'd earned enough to pay for their campervan in 2 weeks. For us the weather this far 'north' was very kind. We had a really good summers day (as warm as the recent weather in the UK) for our Kayak trip around the bay. It took a little while to get used to the foot controls of the rudder in order to steer, but apart from that, the person at the back of the 2 crew boat had an easy time, watching the poor unfortunate at the front supplying all the power. Stunning views, thankfully a calm sea, and an ice cream in the 'port' that we'd paddled to.

For the time of year we were very lucky to have 'shorts and T shirt' weather on the Coromandel Peninsular (well recommended by RP who visited the area a couple of years ago) - some beautiful walks along the cliff tops to Cathedral Cove and Gem Bay. Both were pretty well named, we thought!

Coromandel is also home to the Hot Water Beach. Twice a day, at low tide, hot water springs up from the sand. And I mean HOT. We joined the throngs of other people just before sun set, each armed with a spade, busy digging a small hot pool in the sand. Some pools were much too hot even to put a toe in, and thier owners had to dig down closer to the sea. While leaping into the ocean to cool down, Jim spotted a ray traversing the wave. He stopped immediately, and needless to say, stayed out of the sea that evening after that! Unfortunately Jen had a stinking cold (arrr) - caught no doubt from the 16 hour flight from Santiago, so wasn't able to join in with such enthusiasum.

Continuing the theme of geothermic activity, we completed the 3 day tramp around the northern circuit - including the Tongariro Crossing: This our first Great Walk, and a pretty special one, with views of 2 volcanoes (including Mount Doom, made famous in Lord of the Rings) and various pools of different colours and different temperatures.

We stayed one night in Rotaura - another town famous for its hot springs and a nearby gesyer, which blows at 10.15 every morning when a member of the staff of the park breaks the surface tension with a washing up liquid solution. We found a nearby deep river gorge more spectacular , with guarenteed water flows (fed by a huge lake system) and great canoeing potential. We pitched our trusty tent in a campsite with beautiful hot mineral pools, next to a stream with hot water flowing, and hot mud bubbling up. It was probably the most uncomfortable night yet! We were simply too hot. The therma rests were actually insulating us from the heat below - and possibly stopping us from getting burned! We took up the tent early the next day, lots of condensation and some kind of vent in the ground with moisture all around was apparent. Was it there yesterday?

Wellington is also a really cool city. - Yes, finally a city I like. It has been a long time. There's lots going on culturally, it is in a wonderful setting with the harbour and ocean, and even the traffic isn't too bad. We found one museum that was free, the Te Papa. It has 7 floors, all about NZ. We were really taken by the displays on the plate movements, including a simulated earthquake. They have 4 + earthquakes on North Island every week that humans can feel. One floor was given to nature and the impact of man. When we arrived on North Island we were horrified at the numbers of road kill we were seeing. Every mile there would be at least a couple of Possum per mile. We wondered why the drivers didn't slow down, and how the creatures could take such a population loss. In the Te Papa we learned that Possum are just one of many many introduced speices in NZ. In the case of Possum, they were brought here from Australia by fur farmers. They are now something of a plague in NZ as the conditions are perfect for them and they have no preditors on the island. Unfortunately, a key food source for them is bird eggs. Many of the NZ birds don't fly, so lay eggs on the ground. These are easy pickings, and the situation very quickly bacame serious for many native birds. The forests used to be full of native birdsong. Many now are sadly silent.

Back to the Possums! The Department of Conservation are now following active campaigns in restricted areas against preditors (similar story for stoats and weasels) to give the native birds a chance in the areas where they still survive. Such is the battle to save the Kiwi and Takahe. Hence, the drivers are not too concerned if one of the Possums gets under their wheels at night.

Towns, museums and cinemas (Spiderman 3 - not so good) are all very well, but we are looking forward again soon to our journey south, first to Christchurch and then down the west coast of South Island, and into the real wilderness of NZ.