Our second antipodean day dawned just as spectacularly on the farm, but sadly the early morning duck hunting expedition we had planned was stalled by our quarry being out of season...

After unloading a new batch of steers we turned out attentions to preparing our accommodation and transport for the next 7 weeks... She was sat ready on the drive in racing blue, a 1996 Toyota Estima, Emina model, but from here on known as 'The Enema'.

Sadly the 'fruity' engine notes were solely thanks to a hole in the exhaust and the patented sleeping arrangements involved a precarious balancing act performed by an eclectic collection of 4x2, plywood sheets and 6 inch nails, topped with a squidgy air bed and very little headroom.

We loaded up and, after saying farewell to Peter and Jenny (Mark's parents), headed into Warkworth for fuel and provisions. During this journey I struggled to get my head around the new arrangement of a rightsided handbrake and a column mounted gearshifter, however, it was the swapping of the indicator stalk and windscreen wipers which caused Bob and the other NZ drivers most concern.

Warehouse (NZ's combined equivalent of B&Q/IKEA/Go Outdoors) provided us with lots of nessecary items, most notably a second stove, chilly bin and a junior teenage mutant ninja turtles chair (half price).

Mark and Fi produced an epic packed lunch under a ginormous Kauri tree at the Warkworth museum before heading north to the tune of Kiwi radio.

An educational tour of Pack'nSave, introduced us to chilli-philly (an amazing new concept) before arriving at the spectacular Whangarei falls. After a little persuasion we braved the icy plunge pool beneath the 26m cascade before drying off and continuing north in search of a motel en route to the bay of islands.

2 hours, 20 km on un-metalled roads and 4 motels later we were heading back South still in search of accommodation. Some people (Fi) would say that this 'wasted' trip could have been prevented by one simple phonecall... However, we did get to see our first flat sunbathing possum and the longest foot bridge in the Southern Hemisphere at Whananaki...woop...

Mark finally persuaded a distinctly miserable Austrian lady to let them stay and after home made fish and chips Georgetti style, Bob and I ventured out to the awaiting Enema and its unappealing air bed. It was cramped, sweaty and claustrophobic and as I was woken up by headlights of passing cars for the fourth time I started to question whether the DIY 'campervan' had been a good idea...