Kia Ora from NZ. Brace yourselves for our first semi-publishable blog...

So we finally made it after 2 legs of a very very long flight. Siobhan found inflight Tetris which was played guilt free for hours and hours and hours! Highly enjoyed LAX (NAAAAAAT) and then we didn't appreciate the Maori lady sitting next to us who kept nudging Siobhan every time she dropped off to sleep - accidently of course! Oh and by the way the couple were returning home to participate in the forthcoming election (who do they think they are Mary and Joseph!?)

4 inflight meals and little sleep later we arrived in Auckland - 7am Saturday NZ time/6pm Friday UK time. The hostel was right in the centre but we still managed to walk straight past it when we got off the shuttle. We couldn't check in until 1pm (!!!) so asleep on our feet we found the harbour. Couldn't believe we were standing on the other side of the world - so beautiful and the scenery is so green!

We walked to a place called Albert park (nice find Kate) where we found the statue of Queen Victoria who was holding an empty bottle of wine and beer - result!! Bring on NZ!

Just to make you aware at this point Siobhan already had a sunburnt chest - we'd only been on NZ soil a few hours!

After checking into our amazing and dreamlike 15 pound room we finally made it to a bed (we'd never appreciated a bed as much in our life) . After a 9 hour nap we got up for food and a nightime tour of Auckland/young rowdy drunken yobs!

Sunday we picked up Timothy the campervan (yes Ellie it has 4 wheels and it much better than expected once we'd worked out how to turn the battery on!) After spending approximately 4 hours in a supermarket on the outskirts of Auckland (it took us just as long to find it) we finally set off to 'The Bay of Plenty'......

We had planned to stay in a city called Tauranga before meeting a family friend of Kate's (Kate's mum's godmother's daughter, Julia to be precise!). However, after a quick glance at the prices of local campsites we were relieved to find a gorgeous spot by Waihi beach - probably the most beautiful beach Siobhan has ever seen so far! (Don't worry G, S hasn't seen Mtwapa yet!)

After a casual stroll and a spot of sunbathing we packed up and had dinner along with our fantastic blemheimier box of cheapo wine (8 pounds for 27 glasses - Possom you've taught us well!) Speaking of Possoms there are loads here - dead splattered all over the road!

Due to toilet facilities being sparce, Siobhan whipped out the old school 2005 whiz (shee wee), however so far we have chickened out and are currently in the process of perfecting the squat along with the odd cafe toilet stop!

Kate's worries about the wild boar outside the van during the night turned out to be an innocent branch scrapping along the window which she violently snapped of in revenge. After a good nights sleep Siobhan was rudely awoken by Kate's instruction to look out of the window. She now admits it was well worth the morning wake up call to watch the sun rise reflecting on the waves.

Pineapple for breakfast, quick beachside showers, got mistaken for surfers (yeah we did!) and we headed of to Tauranga to see Julia. After a very windy and hilly incline we approached the secluded and picturesque farm where we had tea, nice conversation and freshly laid scrambled egg before heading off to Rotorua. We've just pulled up to a campsite (yes we've paid and hooked up to power - dad you'd be proud). Gonna go for a stroll and find the thermal hot pools after paying vast amounts for the internet to update you all!

BRAAAAWN Rating: 4.5%

Hope you're all well and send us lots of messages please :)

Lots of love and miss you all

Siobhan and Kate xxxxx

Any publication offers speak to Jec Staniford - she will be accepting the highest bid!