Dear Lyle

Thank you very much for having us to stay at your wonderful resort on Waiheke island. I think it has won the record for the highest number of 'best of' anywhere that we have been on our travels so far. It certainly has the best swimming pool view, the best sunloungers, the best balcony, the best wine and the best shower condiments. Apparently, according to Donna, getting good free shampoo and conditioner is a mark of a great place to stay.

It was lovely to have our own living room with a proper TV so that we could veg out and watch rubbish New Zealand TV. However, it was not so cool to have two bedrooms to decide between. I don't like difficult choices and I can't help thinking we stayed in the wrong bedroom for three nights. Why didn't we swop so we could test which was best? Why do these thoughts only occur after the event?

Thank you for taking us out for an amazing Italian, again voted the best pizza we have had on our trip. (And we have eaten a lot of pizzas on this trip). I am sorry that I insulted the waitress so you can never go back there. I honestly thought she was pregnant.

I suppose mistaking a fat girl for a pregnant girl is one of those things that you should do at least once in your life and I am glad I can now cross it off my bucket list before I turned 37 but perhaps doing it in your favourite restaurant could have been avoided.

I think in hindsight the worst part was our disagreement afterwards when I wouldn't believe you and Donna that she wasn't pregnant. Or maybe not the discussion but the fact that she was sitting just round the corner and so could hear all of it.

So, yes please come and visit us in Brighton so we can return the favour any time you want.

Lots of love

Jim and Donna

INTERESTING KIWI FACT OF THE DAY

New Zealand is not the first country to be called New Zealand. Australia was in fact called it first. New Zealand, which in Dutch simply means 'new sea land' is a generic term which the Dutch gave to any land they discovered before they could come up with a proper name. Like the imaginatively named 'North Island' and 'South Island', no one has bothered to come up with anything more interesting yet.