When I woke up in my tent in Waipu Cove this morning I did not expect my day to pan out quite like this. I am in a hotel near Auckland airport and preparing to sleep so I can pick I a very delayed Gaz at 4:35am... Some 12h after he was due to arrive.

I enjoyed watching two large oyster catcher type birds strutting their stuff around the campsite at the break of dawn. I made my way down the coast from the campsite to Langs Bay and then to Whangarei heads stopping along the way to walk and take photos.

I stopped at the isite in Warkworth was helped by Michelle to arrange the changes for this evening. I walked out with a long list of recommended places to visit!

Tempted by 'sheep world', I thought better of doing something like this on my own...Gaz will love it! So I picked up some essentials and headed back to Auckland. I decided to do a detour to Devonport... Which provided me with great views of Auckland across the harbour and an amazing live rock band on the green at the bottom of the esplanade. A million miles from my earlier walk on an isolated beach. On the drive down I saw the funniest thing... In the way that dogs stick their heads out of car windows, no word of a lie, there was a large piglet doing the same thing and squealing for joy! I also past Ruru Drive, which I thought Annabel might appreciate and Gumdiggers Lane! Man, this place is great!

I stopped in Auckland City to visit the spectacular building that houses Auckland museum. It was one of the places I had intended to visit had it not been for the jet lag!

Sushi for tea, a bath (it's a tan, not dirt!) and an early night for another early morning...