Hello!!!!

Thought I had better keep on top of this journal as when I look back have always write so much!

Well the last time i wrote was when we had just arrived Auckland and we were sat down to a bottle of wine and a big steak and potatoes!!!!

16/01 - Qoke up 6.30am after a great nights sleep and on the road for 9am! Really good days cycle to Orere Point, 41.71 miles Legs and bum were really feeling it! Unfortunately me and jonny had a terrible upset tummy each all day which was not too good for on the bike but we managed! We found a holiday park which had a cheap caravan going so we slept in that for the night! What a good nights sleep!

17/01 - After a long lie in.....we got up a cycled to a place called Miranda. 22 miles down the road. The good thing about this place was the Hot Springs! So after a a day on the bike passing olden day cars and me suffering heavily from Hayfever we had a lovely soak in the Hot Springs waiting for us! We got there and went straight in to the water which was lovely and warm.....our legs loved it! Then it was a good night sleep in the tent!

18/01 - 20.71 miles to a place called Thames near the Coromandel Mountains, which we will be going over soon. Nice a flat terrain today. Jonny seen a sign for bottles of wine on the road so we stopped off and got one!hahah Found a really nice Hostel "Sunkist" Jonny cooked some really good food and i am all stocked up on Hayfever tablets which is a relief.

19/01 - 27.57 miles from Thames along the beautiful coastal road and once we reached Tapu we stocked up on food and turned right heading on the gravel track over the mountains. Low gear for 10km dogging the pot holes and big stones which was fun....cars nice a slow as the hairpin roads just weren't worth overtaking on! We reached this massive tree which was a real focal point and we thought it was all down hill from there! how wrong we were!!! Bum not too sore as we were hardly sat on the seat as all the weight was on my legs pushing and pulling to get up this blooming mountain.....what a lovely cycle down hill though! hhheeee hheee weeeee Jonny wanted to sleep next to a river but no where seemed good so we found a campsite still on the gravel road called the river glen which was right on the river so we found a spot to put up the tent a went straight in for a swim!! IT WAS FFFFFFREEZING!!!!!! Had to go for a warm shower after! I had a little girl trying to convince me that it was warm ....I right!!! Had a three course meal on the stove felt really sick after we eat tooo much hahaha!

20/01 - 20 miles to Cathedral Cove. We stopped there and had some lunch and then cycled on to the Hot water beach. There was a symbol for a campsite on our map but when we got there we got told it closed down 3yrs ago!!!!!OH NO!!!! We staying in a B&B instead. Again it was a caravan in the garden! We waited for Low tide and then went to the beach with our Shovel to dig our hole but when we got there it was packed so we tested the water with our feet and it was very warm it was amazing....the water was really really warm. So we went in the sea instead which was freezing hahahah Really hungry now and there was no food in our bags and no shopping on nooooooo we had to go quite hungry that night....never mind we have learnt our lesson now!

21/01 - 27.33 miles to a campsite near Hikuai. I felt a bit emotional today but a big cuddle done it all the whole of good! we stopped off at a lovely Garden cafe were we shared a massive veggie pie with fruit juice. We got to Tairua were we had to do a big shop. Got to the campsite which was very basic. Ground to sleep on, wc and a big river to wash in! Both got a swimmys on and went doewn the secret passage to the river were we went in for a wash down hahahaha again it was freezing! It was a head wind all day on the bike today which was really nasty!

22/01 - 19.40 miles to Whangamata. Made a big fry up for breakfast....no shower and there was no chance that we were going in to the river! Both wanting to have a nice hot shower and wash our clothes in a machine not the lake! Head wind again today. Legs really feeling it. Stopped on route at this orchard valley sold veg and friut so we got some Plums, the plums here are absolutey divine over here. Found another holiday park. Nice shower and clothes all washed and smelling lovely!! The wind has really picked up now!!

23/01 - 29.75 miles to Karangahake. Right Knee is starting to play up and really looking forward to a rest day. Although we have not done many miles daily the hils here are pretty beasty and sure to get worse in the south island! So we have found yet again another lovley hostal Golden Owl and the owner was born in Fife! We are the only people here which is lovely. Just finished a big meal and another bottle of wine and jonny is chilling reading on where to go next and I am updating this!!! We are staying here for 2 nights and there is some really good walks to do here so we will go for a walk tomorrow!

Things are going really well over here, we love it. The drivers over here are fantastic however you do get the one or two who don't give us a wide berth but a least it's everybody like OZ!

We are fine and enjoying every moment! Must get on the phone to mummy and daddy soon as im missing them like craaazzyyyy!!!!