Thursday 14 September 2006 - Rotorua Day's activity! Zorbing!! Basically you get in a big hamster style ball filled with water and roll down a hill! Bit of a crazy van ride up the hill (listening to our driving song!!). Once up there Rita, Ellie and Beth jumped into the ball - lucky it was warm water. Initially had trouble getting started as we couldn't even push ourselves off the hill! Once rolling down, tried our best to get up best to get up but ...

Wednesday 13 September 2006 - Tauranga Drove down to Tauranga, had a little look around and a drink in the 'Rubba Dubba London Pub!' Then on to have a look at Mt Manganoui before continuing to Rotorua.

Tuesday 12 September 2006 - Hot Water Beach Set out on our beach day... bucket and spades in hand! Firstly a quick run along Whangapoua beach and a dip in the sea before heading to Whitianga. Next a trek from Hahei beach to Cathedral Cove.... (long trek but nice cove!) Afternoon spent at Hot Water Beach. Cold beach and cold sea but a little digging opposite the special rocks we made our own hot pool, really hot water - so hot in places people ...

Monday 11 September 2006 - Coromandel Making our way to Whangapoua via Coromandel Town to settle in our free beach house! Brian and Gay, a Kiwi couple we met on our Cape Reigna trip, kindly giving us their 5 bedroomed beach house for as long as we wanted it! All very excited and eager to see what we were going to get we were made up when it was the cutest house on the street! Having a Big Brother style moment we all went legging it in running t...

Friday 8 September 2006 Short walk in Raglan.. Then on to Waitomo Caves to see the Glow worms. Not allowed to take pictures in there but we did see some!! As well as some stalactites and stalagmites..... then a short boat ride. Drove through Hamilton searching for a bed for the night -but unlucky, all booked up..... Deciding we were 'over' Hamilton (we had seen enough!) we drove up to the base of Coromandel Penisular to Thames. Perfect night...