Kia-ora 31st January 2006 - not 14th January 2006!!! left Auckland yesterday and headed south on a four day tour. We're staying in Motels organised by the tour company. prior to moving south we moved into the Skysity hotel for one night - it was the last day of the Auckland Harbour Festival. Went to Parnell to surprise Larraine unfortuantely it was a public holiday and her business was closed for the day. Don't know if we will see her when we retutn on Friday. Parnell is a lovely little part of Auckland - seems very exclusive lots of nice shops and crafts there. Had lunch at the Mink bar which was very nice. Walked back into Auckland, saw the end of the festival before heading out of some Thai cuisine. Early start on Tuesday, some beuatiful scenery on the way down here. Stopped of the the caves and sailed through them to see the glow worms, it was a great experience, no photography was allowed - but they took photos of us which we could of course buy. The visitors centre is no longer as they had a huge fire the week before Christmas, this was evident when we saw the trees - it must have been some heat!! Stopped at Huntly for lunch then on to the Rainbow Springs nature park, lots of fish and birds and a real live Kiwi. Into Rotorua itself to see the sights and lots of thermal pools - god do they stink. Lovely buildings here very picturesque loads of visitors centres but the place is dead. They say tourism is down in NZ and to be honest if it weren't for the Japanese there would be no one - except us. Checked into the motel - must tell you this!! I unpacked! and got things sorted out while himself lay on the bed and read the local paper - he was needing a rest. Then he decided to go and check out the swimming pool - off he goes - when he returned i got all the news about the place, he'd had a chat to the owner - by the way this is a fair walk along the road as the motel streches along the street, anyway as we were talking I suddenly realised wee Davey was standing in his underpants - with his polo shirt and flip flops!!! picture the sight? When I asked if he had just taken his shorts off when he came in he looked down with a look of horror and realised he had infact walked out without his shorts which he removed when HE was relaxing with the paper - laugh I nearly pee-ed myself. Anyway fully dressed we had a walk round the town at night - and a couple of glasses of wine and an Italian. Visited the Polynesian Spa which was lovely apart from the smell of the thermal pools, David was going to treated me to some pampering there for my birthday - nice thought but I don't think i could have put up with the pong. Today - my birthday we were picked up at 9am and taken to the Agrodome - a NZ farm, there was a show put on including the animals and sheep shearing then a guided tour round all the animals and the organic fruit orchards/vines. It was really good, probably not something we would have dome on our own. The driver dropped us off at the Gondola sky ride - great views from there and lots to do at the top. Helicopter rides, bunge balls and the sky swing, great watching all these young lads doing the swing screaming there heads off!! I returned to the bottom via the Luge ride which is a cross between sledges and go-carts, Davey opted for the scenic return rather than the thrilling one and we met at the bottom. he has gone to find a restaurant for tonight while I update you lot at home. Rotorua is not the easiest place to find your way about - 10 mins after leaving our apartment David decided to consult the map - not being able to find the street we were one, we soon realised that it was a map of Auckland. Silly b*****s, come to think of it he's not come back!!! Best go look for him love to all Lynne & Daveyxx P.S Thanks for the cards - Davey gave me a Star of India Ruby for my birthday its beautiful - not sure what the significance is - Maybe to remind me of my trip to the Taj Mahal living my dream! or is it to say "Don't you bloody dare ask to go back to India for a holiday" the later I think!!!