January 8: I am suffering with an awful cold; so we spent quiet morning. After breakfast, Buzz read and I slept until noon!! Then we went on a little tiki tour (A NZ drive to nowhere in particular). We drove to Tauranga Bay whih is absolutely georgous. We walked the beach there and then drove on over the hilly, twisting road to Paihia. Paihia is a real touriat town. We didn't stay long. On the way back, we picked up some fruit and veggies. We'll have dinner alfresco on our balcony overlooking the bay tonight. January 10: Yesterday was faulous. We drive over a winding gravel road 30k from Kaeo to Mangamuka through the Puketi Forest. The road from mangamuka to Kohukohu was paved but narrow. At Kohukohu, we went to get the car ferry to cross the Hokianga harbor to Rawene. Only in new Zealand...the ferry was already about 40 feet from the loading ramp; so we figured we would wait for the next one when the ferry returned to the ramp and took us on! From Rawene we drove to Opanoni and Omapere which are two tiny cosrtal towns with extravagantly beautiful views. There is sand dune which Buzz and I estimated to be about 100 feet high and 300 feet across. Watching the shifting sands in the breeze was extraordinary. We picnicked at Ompere and took a walk along the coastal walkway. We stopped along the way in the Waipoua Forest to view Tane Mahuta - the largest kauri Tree in New Zealand - and then continued on to Dargaville where we stayed the night. Today we wended our way back to Red Beach stopping atg the kauri museum at Matakohe. January 11: I had a laundry morning and email catchup. Last night we met Andrew Lorrey and his girlfriend for dinner in Orewa. We had a wonderful evening with them. We will see Andrew again so he can give Buzz some kauri wood to take home for carving. The "small world" coincidence of the evening was that upon ecxiting the restaurant, we met the Australian couple who had been at the B&B where we stayed in Cable Bay. This Afternoon we went to the Auckland Museum to see the exhibition of daVinci's machines. He was brilliant, scattered, artistic, scientific, egotistic, and more. It is extraordinary. If it comes to a museum near you, make the effort to see it. We spent most of the afternoon at the museum and then went to have dinner with Valerie and Dan cohen...friends from our Feilding days. They, as many of our friends are lookiing toward retirement soon. January 13: Yesterday we went to Goat Island Marine Reserve and took a glass bottom boat trip. The boat pilot is a Dept of Conservation (DOC) staff member and very knowledgable about the reserve. The idea is to eventually have about 10 pedrcent of the NZ coastline as non fishing reserve which builds up the stock of fish in the outer fishing areas. From there we drove to Pakiri beach - a seemingly endless stretch of white silica sand and gentle rolling waves. (see photo). In the evening, we met Ian and Angela Symes for dinner. These are friends from our Pahiatua days. ian was our family physician and delivered Kate and Laura. We spend a long leisurely dinner on the deck of the Long Bay restaurant which is right on the beach at Long Bay. Today I am repacking so we can live out of one suitcase and not have to open everything every day! Tonight we'll take Jim and Helen out to dinner, and then tomorrow we head for Tauranga.