12/4/09 Easter Day. We had originally planned on staying at Waingaro overnight, in order to visit the hot springs and spa pools etc. there, but then we decided that in order to cut down the costs (plus we weren't sure if they'd be open on Easter Day or the next day), we'd just go straight to the Coromandel Peninsula and stay the next three nights there before going back to Auckland. Driving there took up a lot of the day, but on the way we each had a Lindor truff...

10/4/09 Good Friday. A lot of the day was spent driving from Raglan to New Plymouth, but when we stopped at a supermarket to get a couple of drinks I made sure to get a packet of hot cross buns for ourselves! Strictly speaking we didn't stay in New Plymouth itself, but at a carvan park/campsite in the little village of Oakura nearby. This was next to a beautiful beach. The main attraction in this wider area is Mount Egmont, and although we didn't climb it, we got...

8/4/09 Our last night at Surf 'n Snow Backpackers at last! We had to pick up our hired car from Auckland airport rather than at the city branch, so to save having to pay for both of our transfers, Dave went and picked it up alone while I checked us out and looked after the luggage until he came back to pick me up. We drove down to Raglan, made and ate some sandwiches by the harbour, and paid for two nights at the campsite in town. After we'd done this we drove t...

17/3/09 - 7/4/09 When we first got back to Auckland from Waimana, we only booked three nights because we hoped to fly to the South Island after that (or hire another car and get the ferry across.) However, then we realised that our funds weren't big enough to let us get over there until our next installment went through, so we had to extend our stay for another two weeks and five days! When it did come through, we were finally able to try and book our flights dow...

14/3/09 The day after our second day at Rotorua was a Saturday, and because of this Ian and Kaye offered to show us around the local countryside. They drove us through Waimana Gorge into very mountainous country - and on the way, we passed by a small Maori cemetery and a big sign that told us we were now in on Tuhoe land and to treat the area with respect because of it. The Tuhoe were one of the few Maori tribes which did not sign the Treaty of Waitangi with Brit...