20 January: Today we drove from Auckland to Tauranga. Rain was our companion all day, but it didn't keep us from checking out the antique and second-hand shops along the way. We are finding things in the antique shops quite expensive, but it is okay because we really are just browsing. We stopped for a picnic lunch at a sheltered area in the Karangahake Gorge Reserve. We arrived in Tauranga to a warm welcome from our dear friend Audrey Bowyer. At 85 she is as s...

20 January:  Today we drove from Auckland to Tauranga. Rain was our companion all day, but it didn't keep us from checking out the antique and second-hand shops along the way. We are finding things in the antique shops quite expensive, but it is okay because we really are just browsing. We stopped for a picnic lunch at a sheltered area in the Karangahake Gorge Reserve. We arrived in Tauranga to a warm welcome from our dear friend Audrey Bowyer. At 85 sh...