29/11/05-04/12/05 Mount Manganui Beutiful white sandy beach, camp site at bottom of mt, sea is full of surfers, and the path are full of runners, joggers, meant to be the fitest people in NZ they take in the mt everyday. The surfers are like bees waiting for the right wave, we are sat having a beer in the sunshine some people just want to rush around all day. Waitomo Caves- wow this had tyo be the best BUZZ so far, we get collected from the campsite taken to their shops and told what we are really signing up for.. 35mtr abseiling into the cave opening 15mtr aerial runway down in the pitch black, crawling through little tunnels (even for me..) stopped after an hour to have lunch quite bizzare having hot soup and rolls 40mtrs underground. Now we are off down the river, we have to jump off a ledge 3mtrs again pitch black and a innertube stuck to our bums, we can hear the river underneath us but can not see it, Mark goes first big splash and OH MY GOD it cold down here, we travel through more tunnels with our lights off very quietly and the whole cave is lit up with glow worms, absoloutely amazing. second stop more hot drink & choc now all very cold, now we dump the rings and have to wade chest deep in ice cold water with only our pit helmets for light. mmh!! OK now the challange for me is to get up the waterfalls, I stand in ice cold water knowing this is the only way out. I am helped up by Fraser using his knee his head and anything else I can stand on.. up the first fall screaming with joy I have made it!!! the other 2 seemed like a walk in the park. Rotorua- Camped by the Blue Lake, walked around it first evening 2hrs hike, Local walks around the area Lake Okatania this is bird sanctuary lovely spot, Te Whakarewarea Maori thermal village watched locals perform traditional dance and then off into the park to see some amazing Geysers & mud pools the smell of Sulphar is full in the air, with an intense heat. Had a look around Lake Rotorua and visited St Faith church which is just like any other from the ourtside inside is full of Maori carvings and a special window sandblasted to depict christ walking on the lake behind the window simple but very effective. On route to Taupo stopped off at THE CRATERS OF THE MOON. this is a thermal area without all the commercialism, run by DOC. NZ. Watch for next installments in a few days.