We opted to rent a campervan (good thing too) and have made good use of it, having travelled just less than 1000 miles so far in the North Island. We have seen some beautiful landscapes - stunning coastlines, green rolling hills and rugged snow capped Mountains. The terrain is similar to the extremes of the Lake district and the far North of Scotland (so Simon tells me) but much better because there are a lot less people around here. The similarities to the UK dont end with the terrain. It is Spring here and so the weather is not great. It has been generally okay but at times downright miserable, making me long for my sofa, blanket and sunday afternoon tv! We have settled into our little campervan and are enjoying the freedom that it brings. Being able to park up at the side of a road and have a cuppa or even to sleep is great. Have managed to avoid paying campsite fees and now only go to one when we both get a bit smelly and desperately need a hot shower. The campervan is a very small place when you both stink! We have seen many sights along the way, and gained an insight into the Moari history and culture, to the point that we are now all Maorid out. One particular place we visited was Waitomo, known for it's system of underground caves and gloworm population. We had to make the most of it so we chose to do an adventure tour involving abseiling, caving, floating down water rapids on rubber rings, and rock climbing. When we were underground in the network of caves, we turned off our headlamps and the whole of the cave around us was full of gloworms. They looked like they were stars in the sky and were absolutely amazing. A very cold but fun experience. Our travels also took us to Hot Water Beach. This beach has hot underground springs underneath it which bubble out to the surface. You can hire a shovel from the local cafe and dig yourself your very own hot water pool. The water that was coming up from the ground was so hot that I burnt my feet. I have never been so keen to jump in the cold sea! At least I didnt sit in it first. Rotorua is a town in the North Island that has loads of volcanic activity. This activity is in the form of steam vents, boiling mud pools, and hot water springs. I knew when we had arrived in Rotorua because the smell of rotten eggs hit me. It was putrid! In the absence of a dog to blame for his flatulance, Simon was in heaven. There's no better place to be when your full of wind (which Si usually is). We left Rotorua and headed South to the Tongario National Park. Our aim was to walk what is billed as New Zealands best one day hike, and was something which we had been wanting to do since we planned the trip. We turned up at the infomration centre to get a map, only to find out that there was still deep snow on the crossing, and they were recommending that you use ice picks and crampons. Needless to say, we were both disappointed and settled for a four hour walk instead. As with any walk where Simon is navigating, the four hour walk turned into a six hour walk as the stream you had to cross (without the help of a bridge) was a raging torrent due to the rain and the snow melting on the mountain. Simon tried his hardest to find a way to cross but after half an hour and cold wet feet, we gave up and went back the way we came. The annoying thing was that we were only 1 hour away from the end of the walk. Being the glutton for punishment that Simon is, he insisted that we then drive for 6 hours into the night to reach NZ's capital, and our departure point for the South Island, Wellington. On leaving the Tongario national park the scenery was spectacular - some of the best we have seen yet - but it soon became dark. On arriving at Wellington we guessed at a spot on top of a big hill and settled for the night. Our chosen site was a stroke of luck as we woke up to fantastic views of Wellington. We now have a couple of days here to shop (of course!) and to see the main sites before catching the ferry. Fortunately I bought a bigger rucksack in Auckland so have extra room for the souvenirs. Next postcard will be at the end of our tour of the South Island in about 5 weeks time. Bye for now. Lisa xxxxx