This is really a blog for weeks 6, 7, 8 & 9 in Auckland - because there is not too much to report. Well it's a wee while since we last wrote our blog but we haven't really been up to much, just living a kinda normal day to day life - oh how we long to be on the road and to being real travellers again!To that end we've been spending quite a bit of time planning our journey around South America.And one big step forward was getting the car sold!With the bottom...

John & Deb landed safely and we arranged to meet at our motel. Strangely for world travellers, they took some considerable time to wend their way from Mount Eden to Parnell although they seemed to be able to conjure up a whole batch of excuses for being late - Deb's son's car was peculiar, the windscreen wipers weren't that good in the rain, the car needed petrol, etc!! But seriously it was good to see them and we went down the road for our first visit to St ...

We had tickets for Wednesday evening's performance of the NZ Ballet Company's modernized version of Romeo and Juliet. It was a bit of a rush getting back to Auckland and settling back into our room at the motel so we only had time for a quick bite before rushing out again - in the same scruffy walking trousers and tops we'd had on all day - and which were now a bit mud spattered after traipsing round Zion Park. We did get a few sidelong looks from those of the ...

The main highway south from the far north looked exceedingly scenic. It's just a pity that with the rain and low cloud we didn't get to see it at its best. After we'd checked in to a motel the sun eventually came out so we set off to explore. Whangarei was much more pleasant than we'd expected. Its town centre was nicely set out, it had a lively bustle about it and the area around Town Basin along the river front was really quite attractive. But the main reason w...

Next morning we were up and away (with a box of about 15 fresh unshucked oysters, complements of John and Rongo - what lovely hosts they have been) to stay a couple of nights at their recommendation at the Mangonui Motel in Mangonui. This is where they go when they have time to take a break and told us to ask for room 6 as it has the best views over the Mangonui Inlet. And the views are indeed wonderful even if the accommodation is a bit tired. Mangonui is a gorg...