RUSTY TREES, CRISPY BIRDS AND HOBBIT HOLES....... As we approached Wai-O-Tapu we noticed that all around (parks, residential areas and gardens) the ground was steaming. Like a hundred kettles boiling all at the same time. An alien landscape and slightly un nerving! In the 'Thermal Wonderland Park' our first stop was the 'Lady Knox Geyser', pronounced GUY ZER (definition- water flow or flow of water) not GEEZER..(Definition chav, bloke, matey peeps). W...

HAPPY HIPPOS, GEMSTONE BAY AND EGG PONG TIDDLE AYE POO!!.... So we picked up our little campervan and headed off over the Coromandle Peninsula on the South East coast of the North Island. Thankfully, in New Zealand they drive on the same side of the road as we do in the UK and the camper van was automatic so not too difficult but in the first few hours there were so many fantastic views we had to keep puling over, running to the top of the view point, take...

A LOVELY LITTLE LOR LOR FAMILY FIX....... When you are so far away from home there is nothing you crave more than a little bit of family time. So when we landed in New Zealand on the 18th October and walked through arrivals at Auckland airport and were greeted by my lovely Auntie Rosemary, cousin Mark and his two adorable boys; Tayla and Charlie it was a wonderful birthday prezzie….later on we met Mark's beautiful wife Mandie for the first time and when s...