Hi Guys well we're currently sat in Paihia, which is tiny!!! We've had a really busy few days and are heading on today but the bus doesn't leave til 4 and this place is minute, so we're trying to take our time about things!! Internet is soooooooo much more expensive than SA, its rubbish!! So we left Auckland on Saturday morning at 7.15am and were picked up by BA BA our tour man who was very funny, the bus was quite full but everyone is really laid back and very relaxed so we had a nice drive up north. We stopped at the Honey spot, for some breakie and then carried on til we arrived at the Bay of islands at around 12ish. The weather was so different, its still quite fresh adn chilly but the most beautiful sunshine!! The scenary on the way up was so so beautiful- New Zealand really is stunning and so clean and lush. Its like a toy town driving through all these tiny whhite picket fence towns with like 2 shops and then through all the countryside- so pretty. Paihia is rght on the waterfront, bright turquoise sea and lots of islands scattered around. We were given a whole long list of activities, swimming with dolphins, quad bikes, horse treks, walks etc but they're all pretty expensive so we had to pck and chose. There was no guarantee about even seeing dolphins and it was freezing cold water and that trip left 5mins after the bu pulled in, so instead we decided to get on the 'excitor' which is like a speed boat tour or the bay and islands and takes you to 'the hole in the rock'. Us and some of the others from our bus sat in the hardcore seats at the front, where you straddle the seat- we were wearing rubber jumpsuits and all the gear, and the guy on the boat was a a real joker ( or so we thought) talking about sharks and 3 people becoming parapleagics after sitting in the seats we were in, but we were not too sure he was joking! It was freeeeeezing out there as we were going pretty fast over all the waves, and then he started to really bounce us around over these huge choppy waves and all of us sat at the front were flown up into the air off our seats which was actually quite painful and poor claire- as unlucky as ever flew over a foot off her seat and smacked back down on her back in total agony- the tour guide wasn't overly bothered though and justy said 'not laughing now are you' and left her in total agony while we went on about sharks eating us. So Claire went back and sat in the drivers cabin bit, then we sat waiting in front of 'the hole in the rock' where the hugest waves came ploughing through and smacking against the boat ( i'm not usually too fussed about waves but i did start to feel a tad sick at this point) and our driver was really going to town building suspense going on about how tight the space is to fit through and if he times it wrong we end up smashed against the side, he then passed round a picture he took a few days previously of a massive wave higher than the whole island and filling the hole- just to make sure we ddn't think he was joking around!! Unfortunately i couldn't quite capture the force of the waves on picture and it actually looks very gentle and calm out there- but it wasn't!! After we survived the hole we went round the island and into a cave where there is apparantly the best crayfsh and lobster colonies. The rest of the trip took us round the bay which is so pretty and scattered with millionnaire mansions! We briefly pulled into Russel Island which used to be the capital of New Zealand and apparantly unbelievably rough which lots of prostitues brothels fighting and murders- but today it looks like all the other quaint tiny towns. Back to Paihia, Claire hobbled off the boat and back to the Pipi Patch ( our hostal) for a bbq where we sat in the bar and remained there for the night- well until 12pm which is when bars close here unless you're lucky and have an extended bar til 1am! Th bar was invaded with lots of drunken rugby boys who were a lt of fun, and ploughed us wth free cokes all night- if you say you're a sober driver over here you don't have to pay for your drink!!! Up early tomorrow to head to the furthest point North to Cape Reinga!