Well, I know it has been a long time since I last updated everyone back at home with what I have been getting in to. Sorry. Today is my last day in New Zealand. I have had such a wonderful and relaxing last week here. The pictures that I put on the site today do not do the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula justice. However, I hope that you enjoy them all the same. Last week, David took me on a chartered fishing trip out in the Bay of Plenty. It began early on Saturday morning and I was grumpy from not sleeping much the night before. I couldn't stay that way very long because the beautiful sunrise helped raise my spirits. Not long after we took anchor I had caught my first two fish! By the time I had caught about eight, David finally caught his first one. He said that I was being two competitive.  Paul, our skipper kept laughing at the variety of fish that I pulled up. David kept catching Mackerel. I had a huge fight with a tuna that got away at the last second before we pulled him up. Bummer! We did quite well though, in fact too well. I had no idea what we were going to with all the fish that we caught. David made some great ceviche with the snapper, I made Lisa's tuna tossed in lime, and then we pan fried the red cod. We had so much left over we were feeding half the hostel and had to leave some fresh fish for people to use the next night. David left the next day for Australia. I spent my morning walking around Mt. Maunganui. Then I drove up the Coromandel Peninsula towards the small town of Hahei. I made a few stops along the way to admire the beautiful coastline. I did go to Hot Water Beach where you can dig holes in the sand and hot water emerges from below. I camped that evening in Hahei at a Holiday Park by the ocean. It ended up being a very cold and rainy night. I later found out that the entire country was experiencing some cold southerly winds and the South Island was getting some snow. Luckily, the next few days were beautiful! There was still a chilly breeze though. I walked the track out to Cathedral Cove. Wow! It was beautiful. Then I traveled on to see Cooks Beach, Shakespeare Lookout, Ferry Landing, and Lonely Bay. All of it was just amazing! The beaches were almost as beautiful as those in Australia. I stopped by the Purangi Winery on the way to Whitianga and met possibly the goofiest man in New Zealand. He was a riot. I tried a few of their fruity, organic wines. Whitianga was a beautiful little town. I met a nice girl, Naomi there. We hung out for the rest of the evening together. The next day, I had the most relaxing time in Whitianga. The morning didn't start out too great, because everything that I tried to do failed. Since it was winter, there wasn't much going on and the few activities that were operating needed two people to book. So, I ended up taking the short ferry over to the area that I drove the day before. I walked from beach to beach just enjoying the beautiful day. I practiced my Spanish on the ipod. Then when I got to Cooks Beach I went for a barefoot run (my hurt ankle does not like shoes right now). Then I laid under an autumn tree listening to David Grey and watching the leaves blow in the wind. It was a wonderful afternoon! I took off for Coromandel town the next morning. Of course, I get half way there and realized that I forgot my box of food at the hostel! So, I drove back. Ugg! I swear! I don't know how I do it. Anyway, I found this great hostel right outside of town. The garden area was beautiful. I put up my tent and then took a hike that the owner suggested I try. Well, it was more of a short bush walk and then along the bay areas. I saw an enormous Kauri tree along the way. After taking a look at the small town, I headed up to the Driving Creek Railway. It wasn't the best thing that I did in NZ, but the view at the end of the train ride was fantastic! I picked up a dozen fresh green mussels for only $2. Made them for dinner and then had a lovely chat with a couple from New Jersey. Turns out they are going to be in the same places in Asia when I am there. Hopefully, we will get to meet up. Well, I hit a bit of luck the next morning. As I walked into the information center to see if anyone else had booked a horseback riding session, there was a girl standing there asking about it. Her name was Sabrina. We booked a two hour ride and then spent a couple of hours driving around the isolated Northern Tip of the Coromandel Peninsula. We ended up being on a trip with six other people. My horse, Johnny didn't seem to listen to me at all. He just did whatever he wanted. So, I ended up going on a few fast gallops that I wasn't prepared for and at the end of the trip he just sat down. Evidently, he had been injured for awhile and this was his first trip out. Sabrina ended up being a physiotherapist in Switzerland, so she offered to take a look at my ankle. She confirmed my suspicion of it being Achilles tendonitis. Take it easy and don't irritate it anymore was her main advice. Of course, that is difficult to do while traveling around the world. I left for Auckland the next morning. I spent the afternoon driving around in the city, finding a carpark, and visited the Underwater World. It was really cool. The hostel has this great porch on the roof where you can see the city lights at night. So, I cooked some dinner and hung out up there in the evening. Today, I just walked around all over town. I forgot how beautiful Auckland is. I went to the parks, the harbor, ate some sushi for lunch, and I actually saw a movie by myself. It has been a pleasant day so far. I plan on going to be really early because my flight leaves for Australia at six in the morning. Well, I guess this is goodbye New Zealand! It has been fun. I have to say a special thank you and goodbye to all those people I met along the way. You have made my stay in New Zealand unforgettable.