Forgot to mention yesterday that our route took us through lots of orchards growing avocados (avos as the locals call them) and kiwifruit. The Avo grows on a tree about the size of an apple or pear tree in the UK. KIwi is grown on a vine like grapes. Interesting fact for you all, and me too. Today the weather is brilliant so, after a great breakfast we went about 20mins out of town to a place called Wai o Tapu where we saw all the geothermal stuff. They had a g...

As we drive through the countryside, everywhere is green. Lots of forestry and it's strange that many of the trees are wild tree ferns, so it seems as if you are driving through a botanical garden. It's spring here and the cherry blossom is out, foxgloves are on the roadside and an extraordinary amount of cattle, who seem to have given birth to an extraordinary number of young. They have been separated into a different field from the older cows. Not seen that man...