Hi everyone! Erin here!

Just a quick update on the blog - they charge us in New Zealand for using the internet which is why we haven't updated in a while!

Anyway, we're having a great time in New Zealand so far - it's a beautiful country with really friendly people and loads of amazing things to do! We started off in Auckland, arriving at 6am in the morning, but unfortunately we weren't able to check into our hostel until 1pm later on that day, so we ended up having a kip in a dark TV room for a couple of hours! Then we picked our campervan up and we were off, first visiting Hot Water Beach (where you dig your own hole in the sand then, a low tide, sit in it and enjoy the lovely hot water that's been heated by the volcanic lava underground - it was amazing!)

But you know how we haven't had much luck with vehicles so far??? (please see entry for San Diego to LA if you can't remember!) Well, we parked our massive, white campervan with 'Backpackers' written in humungous blue letters on the side in a supermarket car park, no where near any other cars. So we go into the supermarket to pick up a few goodies, and as we come walking out, we find that a man has reversed into the back of our campervan and completely knocked the backlights off it. He reversed into a massive white campervan because...he just didn't see it! We all just stood there with our mouths wide open, catching flies! But it all got sorted the next day for us when a kind New Zealand mechanic fixed it for us straightaway...and gave us a free camping chair to make up for it!!

The second stop on our tour of the north island was Rotarua, where we went louging (you're all gonna have to look that up guys!) We also went to a farm show and watched the locals shearing sheep...plus Sophie and I got up on stage (Sophie got the short straw and had to milk a Jersey cow! I got to feed a baby lamb - aah!

Sunday night we went to a traditional Maori show and watched them perform the huka (I think that's how you spell it!) Then I joined the ladies on stage to try out a bit of dancing. Afterwards, we went to a Maori banquet where we were all in our element, eating foods cooked on the steam from the geysers that we were surrounded by! It was so delicious that we made quite a few trips to the buffet (some of us couldn't move after eating three bowls of trifle, eh Sophie!!!)

The next day we went prawn fishing, where Sophie, Marilyn and Suzanne were all successful in catching their very own prawns (with Suzanne catching the biggest one of all - bigger than your hand!!) I, alas, was not as lucky, but was kindly donated one by the fishing rod lady who took pity on me! We then went to the restaurant after that, where they cooked our prawns in garlic and we sat there and ate our catch (with Marilyn feeling very guilty that she'd eaten her prawn called Bertie!)

Yesterday we caught the ferry from the north to the south island - the crossing was rough to say the least! Suzanne and Marilyn managed to escape seasickness by going to the cinema, whereas Sophie and I endured it by lying down in the lounge, trying not to look outside! We still managed to eat pizza and chips though...funny that!

Today we've arrived in Kaikoura, and we're still enjoying the wonderful sunshine! Sophie and Suzanne have gone off to see some whales, whilst Marilyn and I have sensibly stayed on dry land (they're going on a catamaran and unfortunately neither Marilyn or myself do very well on those things - we definitely wouldn't be seeing any whales!)Tomorrow we're all hopefull going to swim with dolphins!

Hope you're all ok!

x x x x