Hey chickie!
I've done that walk you described in the Bay of Islands. Haruru Falls, right? You start off in Waitangi, I do believe. It's such a beautiful walk. Funnily enough when my mum and sis visited we walked one way but then my mum's legs hurt (well that's not funny, of course), so poor DJ ended up RUNNING back all that way to get the car so he could pick us up! It was a pretty hot day too.
I absolutely LOVE the Bay of Islands. 
I have to say that the YHA I stayed at in Auckland in October 2001 wasn't anywhere near as flash as your hostel! In fact it was pretty skanky - not hotel-like at all! 

Hiya,

Two weeks tomorrow, most of it has flown by, some parts have gone slow. I couldn't see the end when you left and now it's just round the corner. :-)

I am proud of you that you kept going and have completed your travels.
Really looking forward to Devon to spend some quality time together.

Take care, I love you. Speak to you later.

Me xxxxxx

Hello! Can't believe you're going to be back so soon! It's flown past, it only feels like a couple of months since we were drinking cocktails in Bangkok! The zorbing looks great fun, I hope you enjoy the last couple of weeks. Really looking forward to catching up once you get back. Love, Caz x

Dear Kate

All Looking forward to seeing you back in sunny (not !) Basingstoke and seeing all the pics and hearing about all your travels properly over a few glasses of Vino, or are you in DETOX when you get back.

 Much Love & Hugs

Noella x

P.S - Our trip to Milan was really fab.

Not long now, enjoy your last couple of weeks, c'ant bielive where the time has gone, so looking forward to seeing you, take care.

Me and Mum are very proud of you.

Dad.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

P.S Up the Saints.

Hiya - I like the sound of the zorbing and swooping - sounds like a right laugh - and so cheap too.  Much more expensive to do it here!  Enjoy your last couple of weeks.  See you on the other side! A x

Katie - hows it going ? . I see that you're in NZ. I lived for 2 years in a town called Plimmerton about 5 miles north of Wellington up on top of the hill that overlooks Kapiti Island , its a great view and a lovely little beach but never went over to the island. I looked at your pictures and it brought back many memories of the 1980's when i was there - the singing , drinking and other activities. Lake taupo i used to go water skiing when i lived in Palmerston North , Rotorua with the smell of sulphur and hot springs i used to bathe in.. ayyyy happy memories.. Many drunkard nights was had in the backbencher pub near the Beehive (Dont know if its still there now.( old b***** )

Anyway enjoy it will you can, when you're back you'll wish you were still there.. Take care and enjoy

hi babe,

glad to here ur cold coz it aint even that cold here!my tans gone and im am preparing my winter wardrobe though when ur off to fiji!not long now to go, ill be down that weekend. Still finding a costume for the airport run so far ive come up with naked!!wot do u think? I have a lil confession to make my drinking amnesty ended last night when i wet my nephews head. My sister had him yesterday morning! So im just gonna order another liver on ebay!lovin ur photos honey, take care and ill see u in a month, speak to u soon.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Andrea - no I don't hear from her - she was on the same flight as to me to NZ, but continued to ignore me, oh
the maturity of her!! Not that I am bothered anyway, some people are very strange!

Tom - the only nookie I will be getting is in 3 weeks and 6 days! But I will still enjoy Lake Taupo! Give Evie a
kiss from me when you see her! x x x The reason I didn't get the ferry is because it is a really rough crossing and
the weather has been bad and lots of services cancelled or delayed. A girl I shared a room with in Picton did it and
I saw her after and she said it was bad and people were being sick, so no thank you!

Kate,

Wellington is awesome, it;s a shame you flew from Picton to Wellington, the I reckon that being taken through the Marlbrough Sounds by ferry would is more impressive...any hoo, each to thier own.

Sounds like you've got up to quite a lot in Wellington, it's a great city...it makes me think of what I imagine San Francisco to look like. It's amazing that the local are taking you to the very locations that I was taken to. Although Chocolate Starfish? You should look that up in The Viz Profanisaurus...

So your off to lake Taupo? Even more gorgeous...ideal place to get some nookie by the waterside...trust me, I've tried

Enjoy the rest of New Zealand, and look out for the view of Mount Ruapehu on your way up the North Island.

Love it!

Tom

PS Nicky has received your Postcard...Evie is growing up very quickly!!

Yo!  Thanks for the photos - I love them!  Especially the dodgy ones of you with large heads/excess chins/wobbly arm!  I've just been away to Bournemouth for my birhtday weekend which was a laugh - sea was bloody freezing though!  Anyway, a drunken time was had by all.  I am now into my last week at the BBC and freaking out!  Partly because I haven't got another job and partly because I haven't known anything else for the last 6 years.  So a visit to see you is looking unlikely - unless I get offered a job really soon!

No news apart from that from me.  Oh, going away for Christmas to my friends cottage in Oxfordshire - should be cool, just some girls and red wine and a tiny local pub 20 min walk away.  Might still be up for something at New Year though - might try Amazingstoke.

My friend Justin is taking me out for dinner tonight, and I have got  a fun packed weekend ahead so looking forward to all that.  But got to get an interview on Friday out of the way first!

Bye for now.  Enjoy NZ.  Looks like you are anyway.  Did you ever from that girl you set out with?

 A x

Hi Kate,

I haven't left a message in a while so here I am.

I'm glad to see that you've made it to the Land of the Long White Cloud, Aotearoa, the Penultimate stop before the end of the earth.

The Green Eyed moster certainly came out to play when I got your update about having visited Kaikoura when I'm in a sunny but chilly London...on a Tuesday morning.

Any way, I trust that you are enjoying it all.

Enjoy it while it lasts,.

Tom