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 sharp as ever, and we consider her friendship our good fortune. We managed to unpack the car before the torrential rains arrived, and have settled in as if we had never been away. As we sat down to watch the evening news, we found out there was a 6.2 earthquake in Eketahuna on the lower North Island this morning. The affected area included Wellington as well as many other towns. The weather man (who is wrong here as often as at home) says there will be a "weather bomb" over the next few days with lots of rain as an after effect of a cyclone that just hit Rarotonga. All this rain puts a damper on outdoor activities, but at least it isn't snow!!

21 January: High winds and heavy rain overnight gave way to light winds and rain during the day. We thought we'd go to a movie but got the time wrong! Took a drive to Mount Maunganui. The weather has brought high surf, and the surfers were out in full force. It looked pretty dangerous to me. Just a quiet afternoon at home. I am reading "Lake in the Clouds" by Sara Donati.

22 January: We had a quiet day today. After all, 42 years ago on this date I gave birth to Kate and Laura in Pahiatua, NZ. Buzz and I perused the Op-shops and Antique shops in the area in the morning, after lunch Buzz did a kitchen repair for Audrey, and we were lazy the rest of the day. Tonight we went to the Tauranga fish market for dinner. Fish and chips for three cost $15.50. We think it is the best in NZ. We have a bottle of Muscato to toast the twins birthday. The rain is gone for the moment, and we head to the Coromandel Peninsula tomorrow morning.

23 January : The day dawned clear and sunny. We set off early and had a leisurely drive stopping at Whangamata for morning tea and Whitianga for a picnic lunch. From Whitianga we took The 309 Road across the Coromandel Peninsula to the town of Coromandel. The road is one of the type Buzz most enjoys: narrow, winding, unpaved through the mountains. The scenery is magnificent. It is difficult not to take a photo at every turn. We arrived in Coromandel around 3 PM and checked into the our two bedroom cottage at the Coromandel Colonial Cottages. Even a leisurely drive can be tiring. Audrey had nap while Buzz and I drove in to town to get some groceries for tomorrow's breakfast and picnic lunch. This evening we went to the local Thai restaurant. An excellent meal capped a perfect day.

24 January: Another perfectly clear, sunny, warm day. We stopped in the town center to check out the farmers' market. It was more of a bakers' market with a bit of produce. We got some rhubarb and custard brioche to have with morning tea, free range eggs, and green beans. The big event of the day was a ride on the Driving Creek Railway. This private, 3Km, narrow gauge railway was built by hand beginning in 1973. The owner, Barty Brickell, is an ardent conservationist and has replanted his land with native trees and shrubs. His vocation is pottery, and he encourages other potters whose work is for sale in the Railway shop. The trip takes an hour and is delightful. For more information you can go to <www.drivingcreek.co.nz>

Heading south, we stopped at the Waitati Gardens. The honor box suggested donation was $7/ adult which we paid. Not worth it. We sat at a garden table to have our morning tea, took a brief stroll, and were on our way. To add insult to injury, my camera battery died, and I didn't have the car charger with me. I used my iPad and iPhone for photos the rest of the day.

We continued south along the rugged coastal road to Thames with a stop for a photo op at the crest of the road and a picnic lunch at the Waiomu Domain. The domain is sort of the town common. This one is on the shore with picnic tables, gas and charcoal grills, a playground, and clean public toilets. Not all are this nice, but you can always count on finding clean public facilities...something we find sorely lacking at home.

In Thames we wandered through the Main Street, (check out the photo of the warning on the sidewalk) and then continued on our way. We stopped at another farmers' market at Katikati before finishing the last leg of the journey. We got back to Tauranga in the late afternoon, unpacked the car, and I made a frittata for dinner. Tomorrow we leave for Ohope Beach.

25 January: We left Audrey with a promise to return in March and set off for Ohope. It is a beautiful, sunny day. We stopped at Thornton Beach for a walk in the surf and our picnic lunch. It is almost the end of the summer school holidays, and families were out enjoying the day. We watched some men dragging their net for flounder. From our vantage point, it looked like they were mostly catching seaweed. We arrived at Beach Point in Ohope where Cathy and Max have a apartment, in the early afternoon. It was a treat to find Anna and Mark and their boys there as well as Maria's son Daniel who we have not seen since he was a baby. It didn't take long to catch up. The rest of the day was just relaxing. We'll be here for a few days.

26 January: It is a gray, cool day at the beach...perfect for relaxing and reading a book. There are paddle board races going on even though the surf is quite rough today. We can watch the boarders from the deck of the apartment. Tonight we'll go out for dinner.