this could well be our last entry for part one of our journey and new zealand as we begin our extended journey home in a few hours.i'd like to make it a good entry but haven't a clue what we've been up to since raglan, i didn't even remember raglan till i read it back. it's my age....

anyway here goes.

we left Raglan and headed up to Auckland in good weather and good spirits, with our car flying along with a will in his engine and a slight oil leak. at auckland we called a lady who we will refer to only as "Deb's mum" and she confirmed that her beach house was available and all ready for our arrival, so we passed through auckland , north through Wangarei for those who sit reading these with Map and compass. taking teh turning to Oakura we wound our way down to the sea front late afternoon to find a gorgeous Bach situated right on the beach front with amazing views of the Bay and islands and silky smooth sea, it was beautiful, check out some photo's later.

the TV didn't work but there was a select video collection which afforded us evenings entertainment, and the facilities were great and at lon last so was the weather, well at least warm enough to stick a pair of shorts on and sit outside reading.

we were within jaunting distance of Russel and paihia which we visited on our first few days up north, both were pretty picturesque little villages with not much to do but wander round and drive home again. Pie ear offers the possibility of swimming with dolphins which jennifer has been looking forward to and although the sales team refused to say that swimming was unlikely at this time of year they were at liberty to tell us no one had swum with a dolphin there since 1982 (well for a week , but on a wimming with dol,phins trip that isn't a very good return)

so eventually we gave that a miss and were glad to have as a few days later a whole heard of dolphins came into our bay , turned tricks, fished and raced around just infront of our window before departing to applause, all for free, good gold dolphins... golphins.

anyway that weekend we went even further north, this time heading for teh very northernmost part of the whole of the place. we drove through all teh local sunday markets picking up vege's and egss on the way and ended up in a place we can't remember the name of, but it was a jump of point for the drive up to cape reinga, where three oceans meet and there is a light house and sanddunes that you can sledge down.

our hostel was quite nice and full of surfer germans, nota combination i expected to find in such proliferation but there they all were. i read Tom Sawyer.

we drove up to the headland and then had a small sledge, it had to be fearsomely steep to get the sledge to move cos sand doesn't have teh necessary property of ice required for sledging ie the slipperyness.

anyway it was hugely frightening and fun and then we drove back, Bobbique still going strong, spitting oil like an angry cobra.

after a couiple of days there we broke the journey back to auckland up with another lazy stop off in the beach house, watching 4 weddings and a beautiful mind. then back to auckland for the last 5 days of our trip that is coming to an end!

we had to sell our car to fund our last few days of eating out at restaurants vending all our favourite cuisines. selling the car was rather more stressful than it should have been, we waited in for 2 hours for some israeli's to come round and look at the ferrari, only to decide they didn't like gear shifts or the idea of driving on the left hand side of the road.. .like there was anything we could do about that - time wasters!

then an enthusiastic german boy came to look at it and after giving it the most thorough examination ever for a hundred and 50 quid car, agreed a price and was all set to take the car into his name, only he didn't have a drivers licence so couldn't, FOOL! so we spent sunday dirivng round with him and his friend top find a postoffice to register teh car into his friends name, and prayi ng it wouldn't rain too hard and leak in through the sunroof and scupper the sale. finally it was all sorted and we relaxed and hoped the heavens would now open and wet the muppet on his journey home.

anyway the cash injection helped our social life as Cecil (from Blenheim) is in auckland so we have been meeting up with him for a drink and catch up and trying to force lots of stuff into what suddenly seem quite smal bags, not helped by the fact that jennifers shoes have sneakily been taking the opportunity to breed.

so now we are having a parting cup of tea with Cecil and then get picked up for the epic jopurney home at 10 tomorrow morning to turn up 36 hours later in london , in time for a cup of tea and see England thump Russia hopefully, as a nice welcome home... although we thought the floods in sheffield were weird enough, suddenly we are coming home to an England team with Emile Heskey in it.... hoenstly you guys, the stuff you let happen in our absence.

hope to see you all soon, take care, best .

Evan and Jennifer.

End of part One!