I finished my third book!!! I'm on a roll and the pages are flying by, but it's still nothing compared to bob's 14, I think her Kindle is going to melt the rate she burns through them. We headed on up the east coast of the Coromandel peninsula after breakfast, driving through remote hobbit country with many dairy cows and lots of lush scenery. We stopped in Tairua for coffee and a much needed caramel slice which, with the addition of coconut to the buttery biscu...

A grey start fuddled with our brains and we headed the wrong way (South) for 20 minutes before realising and turning back to retrace our steps. We drove through the dense kiwi fruit plantations, including a kiwi fruit themed fun park... Before finally arriving at Mount Manganui. We drove in along the seafront, after some slightly errant map reading by yours truly, and parked up in the centre of NZ's equivalent of Sandbanks. A long row of flash batches looked ove...

The ship was still loading and the regular thunderous claps of falling lumber combined with the waves and morning birdsong meant I was out running as the sun came up. On my return from my sandy excursion we breakfasted and headed out of town. Our plans of a morning shop were curtailed by everything bring shut as it was good friday so we continued North. The road twisted and turned, descending into the bottom of the meandering Waioeka canyon. We paused mid way ...

Our intended early start faltered briefly when the temperature of the outside air became apparent. However, we were soon on our feet, bravely donning shorts and stout footwear for the day ahead. Our challenge was the 17km Ruapani circuit through the dense bush of Te Urewera, passing numerous lakes and trying not to get shot by the various bands of hunters. The route was certainly remote and we battled along the narrow track, having to forge new paths at points wh...

Hawkes bay's legendary sunrise was curtailed by a low bank of cloud but I was lucky enough to be out running on the beach's narrow high tide margin before it disappeared. My quiet morning surroundings were briefly illuminated and the cliffs above me suddenly started swarming with small nesting birds making the most of its brief warmth. On my return I passed a tribe of quail with amazing little headdresses, which picked around us as we drank tea and had breakfas...