Whist we were still in Taupo we thought that a boat trip on the lake was a must! We chose to go on a converted steam boat which was quite small so only had about 25 passengers. We cruised along the lake with the skipper giving a commentary which was both informative & amusing. The lake was formed about 600 years ago when there was a huge eruption which caused an enormous crater to form - this became Lake Taupo. The Skipper informed us that another eruption is...

Although it was another hot day in Hawkes Bay, rain was forecast for the late afternoon so we set off for Cape Kidnappers as soon as we'd had breakfast as we didn't think we could cope with rain after three weeks without it! The Cape is certainly a beautiful spot, but as it's mostly given over to a camp site we weren't able to stop for long, so we took off for Hastings hoping that, unlike the last time we were there, it would be open! We were in luck! Hastings wa...

On our second morning in Gisborne we once again woke to more delicious smells emanating from the kitchen, where Sophie was making us french toast with maple syrup, plus muesli, fruit & a very good cup of proper coffee! Before we left we managed to contact the daughters via WhatsApp - it was lovely to see them & have a chat; one of the advantages of technology! Then it was on tbe road again & off to Napier with a bag of plums from Sophie's tree to sus...

Our Gisborne homestay is reminiscent of the Good Life - surrounded by acres of farmland, with sheep, horses & dogs with mountains in the backgound. A mouth-watering aroma greeted us on our first morning - Sophie had baked us fresh brioche, which was delicious! We ate a lovely breakfast over which we enjoyed a long chat with Sophie, so didn't set off for Tolaga Bay until about 10.30! As we hadn't eaten all the brioche Sophie gave us some to take with us, along...

After a great night's sleep in a huge, comfy bed & breakfast brought to our room, we took off for Ohope Beach which stretches for 11km along the Pacific coast. Wow! No wonder this is New Zealand's most loved beach! The sand is white, the sea is the bluest blue imaginable & it's all set off by the incredibly beautiful countryside around it. We called into a little cafe for coffee & chatted to a couple of locals, then sauntered along the beach in the su...