Dear All, We have left Rotarua and lake Taupo after spending 3 days in the area of hot thermal pools and mud pools. Rotarua was enjoyable once you got used to the constant smell of sulphur and hydrogen chloride. The whole town is sited in a volcanic crater and people even have hot thermal pools in their gardens! We visited a Maori village and Paul took part in the 'Haka' along with 4 Maori warriors. Also visited the geysers and mud pools and took in a Polynesia...

Dear All, Thought we'd update you before we commence our journey through the North Island. We travelled across the Cook Strait yesterday in beautiful sunshine but we didn't know that it was the anniversary of the Waihini disaster in 1968 when 54 people lost their lives making the same journey. It's a 3 hour crossing from Picton to Wellington and a ferry got hit by a cyclone 40 years ago and 600 people were saved when the ferry was blown on to the reefs. We are ...

Dear All, As you can see from the photograph, we were in Glacier country on the West Coast of NZ. Stopped in a place called Franz Josef and the nearby resort of Fox Glacier. They are at the foothills of Mt Cook and Mt. Tasman from the Western side. The weather was perfect for a flight by helicopter to the glacier, so how could we resist? We took off and after flying up the glacier, we landed on it and had a walk around one of the largest glaciers in the world. I...

Dear All, We are both fine and well. We have now been in NZ for one week and picked up the campervan last Thursday and headed out to a place called Akorua on the Banks Peninsula. Parked up overlooking the lake and looking out over the mountains. Absolutely beautiful!!! Went swimming with dolphins before we left. They came to within 5 feet of us. They're called Hector's dolphins and only found in that area of the world. From Akoroa, we drove South and West, stopp...

Dear All, Flew to Christchurch, New Zealand this afternoon and lost another 3 hours. We are now 13 hours ahead of GMT. The weather is decidedly cooler and air con not required. Our first meal? Roast lamb and mint sauce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hotel has got to be the quirkiest ever. Has no windows but is ultra modern. The alarm call wakes you up with music and pictures on the plasma TV. The shower has different coloured settings. You can choose red, blue, green or ...