9 to 11 February

Staying in accommodation in Kerikeri. Visited Paihia, Russell and Waitangi which is where the Treaty was signed in 1840 between the British and the Maori. Went on a little steam boat (only 4 passengers including us) along the estuary in Kerikeri.

12 to 14 February

Stayed one night in Whangerei and then moved on down the coast to Pakiri Beach. Beautiful white sandy beach with a great surf but it was safe to swim. Pat had a great time in it, jumping through the waves. I was a little worried at times watching him from the beach as he kept disappearing!

15 to 18 February

Now in Auckland. Been into the city a couple of times and had a day at the races in Ellerslie Park. Now winding down, selling off our camping gear before we depart for Fiji tomorrow. May have a little flutter at the Sky City Casino tonight.

NEW ZEALAND SUMMARY

Well, we've come to the end of our New Zealand adventure. The country is truly amazing. We loved the beautiful mountains, lakes and beaches and the volcanic landscapes. the wildlife and the genuine friendliness of the people. We've both had amazing first time experiences which we will remember for a long time. The South Island was our favourite and the flight over and the landing on the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers was incredible. This is a very quick summary of our time here and doesn't do it justice but obviously time is limited and we can always bore you when we get home with our adventures................

Thanks to everyone for your messages, it has been lovely to hear from home and sorry we couldn't reply to you all. We're not sure if we'll be able to do a blog from Fiji as internet facilities may be limited. We will try to check for messages when we can.

Much love Chris and Pat