On Monday we set off from our campsite south of Auckland to the Coromandel Peninsula to the east. The roads from Auckland took us through lovely green farmland before we eventually reached the town of Thames and started heading north, up the western side of the peninsula.

From here, the road took a narrow, winding path between steep rock walls to our right and rocky shores on our left. The winding road, as well as the view across the water to the the land on our west reminded us both very much of the road between Ardrishaig and Tarbert on the way to Campbeltown back home. However, this windy section of road was much longer and, dare I say it, with ever so slightly better views than those over Loch Fyne.

After some time on the road we eventually reached the small Coromandel Town, where we stopped and had some sandwiches for lunch in the back of the camper. After our lunch we were back on the road, heading east across the peninsula up and then down a very twisty and steep, but fun road. The views back west from the top of the road across Coromandel Town were great, but the best scenery was yet to come as we descended the steep forested hills back down to sea level. Just before the road turned south, we came across a fantastic long sandy beach littered with shells and with incredible views over the water to the mainland to our north and west. We mucked around for a while on the beach, enjoying the first bit of sunshine since arriving in New Zealand, before carrying on south down the eastern side of the peninsula.

We passed numerous sandy beaches along the eastern side of the peninsula and were treated to great views out over the Pacific Ocean with rock formations out in the water, as we made our way to Whitianga, the main town on the peninsula. We had planned to stay in this pleasant-looking town with its expensive baches or beach houses perched on cliffs overlooking the beach, but with a couple of hours daylight left and both of us in the mood to keep moving, we decided to carry on to Hot Water Beach, which we'd heard so much about, as we realised there was a holiday park there we could stay at.

After another hour of driving, we arrived a Hot Water Beach and got a spot at the brand new holiday park which had amazing facilities. We drove down to the beach for a quick look before the sun went down before heading back to the campsite and chilling out for a bit. After grilling some sausages for tea and drinking a few beers, at half past 8 it was time to return to Hot Water Beach.

Packing up some warm clothes and a towel, as well as our borrowed shovel, we made our way on foot back down the track from the holiday park to the road, with no need for a torch thanks to the big bright moon lighting our way. From the road we made our way along a narrow track through the bush to the beach, the moonlight giving the ferns and tree branches an incredible silvery glow.

Once we emerged on the beach we took off our shoes and made our way along the sand, around an outcrop of rock to our destination: the point where the hot springs bubble up through the sand onto the beach. Only accessible two hours before and after low tide, we'd decided to visit the beach at night, and so had a few other people including some German guys and a Kiwi called Owen, who helped us out finding the location of our spa.

Once we got digging, our sand hole soon filled with the hot water which emerged from the fissures under the beach at around 60 degrees celsius. We dug our spa so we could channel cold water in and maintain the temperature, and after a while had it big enough that we could both lie back in it in the warm water and watch the stars, which we did for the next few hours, chatting to Owen about some of his interesting theories regarding the recent increase in natural disasters and the approach of the 'end times' as well as his ideas about the anthropological history of New Zealand.

With the tide on its way back in, after I had a quick splash in the cold Pacific water, it was time to get dried off and make our way along the beach and back through the bush to the holiday park. A hot shower in the spotless park bathrooms was the perfect end to the day before we got tucked up in the van for the night.

In the morning, after a quick breakfast of cereal, it was time to get back on the road, and we made a qiuck detour to see the view over the cliffs to the bays and islands around Cathedral Cove before continuing south to the base of the peninsula, then eastwrad along the Bay of Plenty to Tauranga, before heading south inland, through endless lush green farmland and past kiwki orchards, towards Rotorua.

Arriving in the afternoon to the town spread out along the banks of Lake Rotorua, we were treated to the famous sulphurous smells from the myriad thermal areas surrounding the lake and town. We made our way to the tourist information centre in town where we decided to book some tickets for a Maori cultural trip the following evening, which included tickets to one of the thermal parks in the price.

With that done we found our way to the local Top 10 Holiday Park and got parked in our site. I got some laundry on the go and went for a walk into town to get some food for dinner whilst Lucy had a nap, then we cooked up some food in the park's kitchen before relaxing for the evening.

The campsite or 'holiday park' in Rotorua was just as impressively equipped as those we'd stayed in elsewhere in New Zealand. We had been really pleased with how good they had all been so far, with big clean bathrooms and communal kitchens as well as TV lounges and wifi, without breaking the bank.

The next day we had a lazy start and late breakfast, before heading to Hell's Gate thermal park a few miles outside of Rotorua. On the land of a local Maori tribe, the park featured a walk which took us around numerous hot pools and lakes with bubbling mud, water sizzling on the hot ground, steaming fumeroles and the ever-present sulphurous smell. It was great to see all the thermal features up close, though we opted out of any treatments at the local spa, having had a quick free feel of the soft mud in one of the pools on the walk.

After our walk around the thermal park, we drove back to the campsite, and made some lunch, before heading out for a drive around town. All the town centres we had come across so far in New Zealand seemed exactly the same, with a grid layout of identical low buildings housing shops, and Rotorua was no exception. After a look around the town centre we drove down to the lakeside, before making our way back to the campsite again via a supermarket.

Back at the Top 10, we cooked up a big batch of soup and relaxed before being picked up in the evening to go to Mitai Maori Village for our Maori experience. On the bus along with a group of Australian schoolkids and their teachers as well as one lone American traveller, we were ferried out to the 'village' a few miles from the town centre. Although not an actual village but a purpose built tourist centre, since the Maori people live with all the modern conveniences along with everyone else, the Mitai village did provide an interesting insight into Maori customs.

Our evening started off with an introduction from our host for the evening, and a chief being assigned to represent our group on our visit to the mock Maori village later in the evening. Next it was time for the unveiling of the hangi which was to make up our dinner later in the evening. In a very similar fashion to the lovo we tried in Fiji, the hangi involves cooking food slowly on hot stones buried underground. After tempting us with a glimpse of the food we were to eat later, we were shepherded through to the banks of the stream which runs through the area, passing scantily clad Maori chaps growling at us from the bush.

On the streamside, we watched a canoe or 'waka' being paddled along the stream by traditionally dressed Maori warriors, complete with drawn-on moko (like tattoos) on their faces and bodies. After the waka display we moved on to the mock Maori village-cum stage for the next part of the show.

Here, we watched some great displays of Maori dances, weapon skills and singing along with some explanations from one of the performers. It was good to have the explanations to go along with the performance, as it gave us a much better idea of what we were actually watching and its significance. After the display ended with an impressive haka, or ceremonial dance, it was time for us to go and eat.

Returning to the marquee where we had entered, we helped ourselves to a huge buffet of the food from the hangi including lamb, chicken, normal and sweet potatoes and stuffing, along with salads and other vegetables and desserts. Making sure to get my money's worth I had two full plates of the delicious food, as well as some trifle, before admitting defeat.

After dinner, the last part of our evening consisted of a walk through the bush where we saw hundreds of glow worms lining the banks of the stream we walked beside as well as a thermal pool of crystal clear water, bubbling gently. Then it was time to get back on the bus and get driven back to the holiday park. Whilst very 'touristy', I really enjoyed the Mitai Village (particularly the hangi) and it was a great way to spend an evening. Once back at the park, we stayed in the camper, trying to keep warm and reading before eventually calling it a night.

After quite a chilly night in the camper, and knowing it was only going to get colder as we headed further south, on Thursday we decided to head into town before leaving Rotorua, to check out the much-advertised sale at Kathmandu, an outdoors chain. Once we found the shop in town we managed to find some good bargains to keep us warm, including a down coat for Lucy, and with these bought it was time to get back on the road again.

From Rotorua we made our way south through more green farmland, heavily populated with cows, and forest, until we reached Huka Falls, north of Lake Taupo. We stopped off at the viewpoints above and beside these falls, admiring the amazing colour of the water. Whilst not a tall waterfall, we found Huka Falls really impressive, as the water running down from Lake Taupo is channeled through a narrow canyon, churning up into a minty-blue froth before spewing out and down about 30 feet in a torrent into a pool below. We watched some people on a jetboat rocketing up to and around the base of the falls, before we got back in the van and carried on south.

Our next stop was in Taupo, on the banks of New Zealand's largest lake. We heated up some of our soup here and sat enjoying it whilst watching people attempt to hit golf balls from the lakeside out to a small floating island to win prizes, with distant snow-capped mountains as a backdrop.

After lunch we carried on, this time heading east out towards the Pacific coast. The landscape after we left Taupo became more and more dramatic as we made our way east, as we climbed high into rugged hills which varied between thick forest and green pasture, even on the steep and high peaks. At some of the highest points on the road we were treated to great views of the surrounding hills, great examples of why New Zealand has such a reputation for being very green and lush.

Eventually we started to descend again and we entered Hawke's Bay, the famous winemaking region. Nearing the coast we turned south and eventually arrived in Napier, our stop for the night. After driving through the town centre and getting a quick glimpse of the art deco buildings the town is famous for, we stopped at the i-Site tourist info centre and booked some more tickets, this time for a


wine tasting tour the following afternoon. With our tickets sorted we once again found the local Top 10 holiday camp and got settled in our site for the evening.