We're now properly on the road after our 2 months in Auckland! So today got up at 5.30 am (not quite as bad as the 3am wake up for our work shift a month ago but still!) and finished packing our last things! It was strange to leave the apartment as that'd been home for the whole time we'd been in New Zealand but we're all looking forward to the proper travelling experience now! We walked down the road to the pick up point for the 7.15am bus which wasn't too bad,

The bus journey was ok, the Kiwi buses are really nice! Reclining seats and all and some random music playing through...so pretty good! We stopped off a couple of times but only for a few minutes to grab a sandwich then carried on. It was strange driving through 'actual' New Zealand as we've not seen too much of it so far, apart from Waiheke Island! Everything looks like Lord of the Rings to me! We got to the Paihia in the Bay of Islands at about midday, after choosing our activities on the bus and paying for them. We've decided to spend two nights here (there are 145 islands! but obviously we don't see them all otherwise we'd be here for the next 4 months!) and tomorrow are doing a day trip up toe Cape Reinga tomorrow, gonna drive along the 90 mile beach for 74km through the water! Then go to the cape and go sandboarding down it! So that's gonna be pretty awesome! It's a bit expensive but obviously we won't be doing these kinds of things absolutely everywhere so not everywhere will be so pricey (i hope, otherwise the pocket strings are defo gonna need some tightening) but we have to make the most of these opportunities! Our hostel is pretty nice, we're in a dorm with 7 other people but it's a LOT more spacious than the one on Waiheke Island! We're having a BBQ tonight as well so will get to socialise a bit with the other people staying here which should be good! Also got a few free beers with it so can't complain at all! Heading back to Auckland on Wednesday at about 4pm, so have the morning here to see anything else we want to or just laze around a bit so no early start on Wednesday. Gonna have to spend a night in Auckland again but not too bothered as I imagine we'll get the first bus on Thursday to Mercury Bay, our next stop.

The Cape Reinga trip was ok, just the weather didn't hold up so well so it was a bit rainy! It's NZ's most northern point though, and just a lighthouse. Was pretty cool to drive along the beach in a coach! Best part of it was doing the sandboarding! Because the sand was wet it was all compact so it was nice and smooth - meaning you go a lot faster. Basically walk up to the top of this massive dune, and then our guide told us how to go down (elbows tucked under and how to steer with our feet). Funny thing was at the bottom there was a stream so everyone went straight into the water, a lot of people stayed on their board, but a lot fell off. A couple of us bailed quite badly, Tom did on his second trip down, right at the bottom there's a ledge before the stream and him and his board seperated! Steve had a pretty bad one as well and Ben and I just managed to stay on but sped across the stream and into some bushes. So pretty adventuous for our first few days travelling!