The weather-man had predicted sunshine for the 25th December 2009 and this was just perfect for the Kiwi Christmas we had planned. This year was going to be extra special; Shay was back to enjoy the festive season for the first time since leaving home back in 2000. We also had guests who had come from far-away lands, eager to see how we did it down-under. We did not want to disappoint them.
　
As Xmas day loomed, we decided to high-tail it back to Tirau as Shay had agreed to help out with preparations. This also gave Ollie an opportunity to take the Roberts' to Taupo for a spot of jet-boating down by Huka Falls. Karoline was eager to try one of the famous NZ thrill-rides and it did not disappoint. On the eve of Xmas, we all partook in another Tirau tradition by going up to the Oxford Royal Hotel for a few beers. In keeping with the tradition, all the usual locals were there including a favourite Tirau icon, 'Nana,' famed for his wife-beater t-shirts and dodgy dance moves. It was good to see that something's do not change. A group of unfamiliar foreigners will always raise a few eyebrows in a small-town watering hole but Kev seemed to raise a little more than that with one lady (term used lightly), who flashed him a wink and her best, toothless, grin. It is fair to say that in this rural boozer, you will not find a bevvie of beauty's... but you will find no end of characters that are happy to welcome you in, as long as you know your place.

Xmas in the Big T
　
We awoke on the 25th December 2009 to the beautiful sunshine we had been promised. Our day started with an extravagant champagne breakfast barbeque, the only way Hazel (Shays Mum) knows how; it's the whole way or no-way in her book. After feasting on bacon, sausages, eggs, platters of fruit, hams and cheeses we rolled ourselves to the next eating and drinking location a mere block away. It was Shay's cousin Rick's turn to hold the main Christmas extravaganza. Rick had set up his back lawn with plenty of chairs and shade for everyone to make themselves comfortable for the long-haul. He had his home-made rotisserie cranked; a fine example of Kiwi-ingenuity which he made himself from an old oil drum, a wheelchair and the motor from a set of car window-wipers. The result was perfectly grilled chickens to enjoy alongside the mountain of other goodies taking up every inch of space on the Christmas table. As you may of realised, eating and drinking has always been a big part of any clan Murray party, even more-so on Christmas day. On this day we eat and drink until we feel sick, if the feeling starts to subside even slightly, we stuff in some more to maintain a certain level of bloated ness all day. It is a tradition that I'm sure will be carried on for generations to come.
　
Once we were all at the required fullness levels, our conscious took over and we thought it would be a great idea to get active with a game of bat-down. Bat-down is another family favourite as it really doesn't require that much energy, unless you really want to and the rules are very simple. Just bash the ball and whomever gets it will roll the ball toward the batter with the aim of hitting the bat. Easy! After a fruitless search revealed we had no bat to play with, the Steiner boys kicked the chainsaw into life and a finely crafted bat was produced out of a piece of 4X2 so a fiercely competitive game ensued. After a few rounds we all felt our food levels drop ever so slightly; it was time to kick off the next eating phase... the post Xmas lunch barbeque!

The day continued on with more food and booze and as the sun went down, Rick fired up his outdoor fire (made from a washing machine drum) and we talked, laughed and had a Poi-Off to the sounds of 'Poi-E' (a well known Maori song). When our bodies couldn't take anymore food or alcohol it was time to call it a night and roll home to bed, completely full and satisfied from a fantastic Christmas day.

Kayaks & Go Carts

Boxing Day took us to Rotorua. After the scorching day previous we were keen to get to Lake Okataina to take a dip and also to have a few runs on the Luge. Shay's father, Ken had been champing at the bit to get his kayak out on the lake so we strapped it onto the top of his little Ford and packed up some leftovers from the day before. The day was not quite as hot as Xmas day but it was still nice to soak our bodies in the crystal clear waters of the lake. The Luge has always been a firm favourite in Shay's family and it's not hard to see why; three tracks of varying thrill level, weaving down a hill and through forests which you bomb down in a go-cart. Maddicyn (Shay's 12 year old sister) loves the Luge, she would spend all day on it if she could and she also has absolutely no fear on it. Whilst descending down the expert track, Shay heard a 'weeeeeeeeeeee' noise and turned in time to see a blur with blond hair and huge sunglasses launching itself off the edge of a steep drop. It quickly dawned on her that it was her speed demon sister, hell-bent on beating her at all costs. More fool you if you get in her way or slow her down as you'll be rewarded with a nudge up the backside and a look that could freeze hell; unfortunately a few pensioners and small children found this out the hard way.
　
The time had come to say bid farewell to our friends, Kev and Karoline. They were leaving us to attend a wedding in Australia and we were sorry to see them go. We'd had an awesome time and they had been great guests to have with us. Everyone in Tirau is hoping they will be back for a visit in the future.
　
The Far North
　
The next mission for us was getting ourselves and our Toyota Hiace camper, all the way to the most northern point of New Zealand. Ollie had never seen past Auckland and was eager to check out the famed surfing spot, Shipwrecks, out at Ahipara. Some of Shay's cousins were planning big New Year celebrations on 90 mile beach as well so we planned to meet up with them for a couple of nights and see in 2010. This years New Year preparations had been in progress most of the year for Ricky and Scott; they had been building beach buggies, home made showers and all-sorts of other inventions to make their family holiday as comfortable and fun as it possibly could be. Needless to say, Scott had, had to borrow the company truck to cart everything up there.
　
We took our time on the way up and visited some of New Zealand's famous sites like the Kawa Kawa bogs, more from necessity than anything else, but once inside you can admire the work of internationally renowned artist and architect, Frederick Hundertwasser. Apparently Hundertwasser fans come from all over the world to hang out in this loo and its arguably the most photographed public toilet in the world. We also detoured off to take in Paihia, a very beautiful beach town in the Bay of Islands. We planned to make camp in one of the camping grounds but they were over-run with the festive season being in full swing. We did managed to find a cheap RV spot in a gravel pit a few miles out of town; not as scenic as we would of hoped but it was also a good excuse to relax and enjoy a bottle of vino from the comfort of the camper.

'Northland', 'Te Hiko o Te Ike,' The tail of the fish,' The winterless north,' The birthplace of New Zealand,' The Far North'... there are many names for the least urbanised region of Aotearoa. It is believed that Kupe, a Polynesian explorer, first landed in Hokianga Harbour and many of the people and tribes in the area are descended from him. It is also the European starting point for the modern nation of New Zealand. Traders, whalers and sealers were among the first arrivals, and the gum and timber of the mighty kauri trees brought more colonisers soon after. The area is famed for its laid back lifestyle; a lot of people are still living off the land and surviving without electricity and a towns water supply and with a bartering system. Rick and Michelle, his fiancé, had been coming up north for a while now to visit her mother. She is the perfect example of one of these nature-loving people living and loving a simple way of life. She lives out on a block of wild land just off 90 mile beach; she has a generator for electricity and relies on the rain for water; although in this subtropical climate rain water is sometimes a rare and precious commodity. Herds of wild horses roam freely around her property and within the whole peninsula and everyone works together to keep the area an unspoilt paradise. We could definitely see ourselves adapting easily to this kind of lifestyle.
　
We set up camp alongside Ricks 70's house bus and settled in for a few days. Scott and his posse had set up their settlement at a campsite down near the bluff so Rick kindly offered to drive us down the beach in his little 'Steiner-modified' Suzuki. Ninety mile beach is actually a national highway so its used by people as a way to get up and down the peninsula, although you always have to be aware of the tides or run the risk of losing your vehicle. It was awesome cruising down the beach, sand and saltwater coating our faces whilst the sun went down.
　
Once at the bluff, Rick decided he wanted to show us the view from the top of the rocky bluff and he is not one for walking so up we went, up rocky faces we thought the Suzuki couldn't possibly manage but miraculously it did? It had little choice with Rick at the helm. We had a brief reunion with Scott and co and learnt they had, had quite a bit of drama at the beginning of their trip. They were involved in the rescue mission of a couple of kids who got caught in a rip-tide, fortunately Scott and his mates managed to save the kids but were too late to help their grandfather, who tragically drowned whilst attempting to get to his grandchildren himself. The experience had left the group understandably shell-shocked and had dampened their New Year spirit somewhat. The whole area had been declared 'Tapu' as is the Maori ritual in these situations and a lot of other campers had left because of it.
　
With a few days to fill in before we set a course south again, we explored the peninsula and drove all the way to the most northerly point at Cape Reinga. From the tip of the North Island you can see the meeting place of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. In Maori mythology it is from here that the souls of the dead are believed to depart to continue their journey into the afterlife. We also stopped in at the giant sand-dunes and watched people sand-boarding down them.

An Ending in Sight

After a few lovely days it was time to head south to start saying our good-bye's. It was the time Shay had been dreading since arriving in New Zealand three months ago. It's amazing how quickly time had gone, not just in New Zealand but the whole year. We originally thought we would have plenty of time to do and see everything but we were learning fast that there is never enough time! Depressing as it was, we still did have one thing to help us keep our spirits up... we still had 5 days in Tokyo, Japan to enjoy before this epic adventure would end once and for all....