7th August 2007

Up this morning for an 8am shuttle bus pickup to the airport. After having been on the internet, Jenny got an email from Qantas - our flight details had changed and we were now on an 'Air New Zealand' flight!! No bother though. Anyway we got to the airport, and i had a sickly feeling i had left my camera (my pride and joy!) in Harley, our van!!! So after a few phone calls, it seemed i had, and luckily Wicked Christchurch were gonna post it up to Wicked Auckland hopefully the same day! Well we arrived into Auckland and picked up our new van. Her name is Jude. She is fantastic!!! Much better than Harley, as shes PINK!! she has flowers on!!! AND caricatures of The Beatles on the side! - What more could you ask for!! Will get some pics posted asap. So we drove to the Tourist Info and booked a caving trip, thermal spa day and a skydive. YES i repeat! A skydive - and im absolutely cacking it!! But i suppose it will be one of those "Once in a lifetime" experiences and will be worth it after all. I just need to grow some b******s!

8th August 2007

Today we got up around 9.30am and showered and had breakfast (loving the budget coco pops this week too!) and headed down to the centre of Auckland and back into the Tourist Info where Jenny booked herself onto the 11am Auckland Harbour Bridge Bungy Jump!! Needless to say, I did not! It cost her $106 (which obviously i didn't have to spend, hence why i didn't bother!) HAHAHA. It included photos and a t shirt. During her jump whilst i sat in the van, i got a call from Wicked Campers saying my camera had arrived! Woohoo! So drove to pick it up and tehn straight on the road to 'Rotorua' where we're doing our Thermal Spa day tomorrow.

9th August 2007

Today we got up and headed to the 'Te Puia' - New Zealands Maori Cultural Centre and got on the 11am Guided Tour where we experienced the 'Geothermal Valley' where the geysers were erupting and it was nice and warm to sit on the concrete slabs to watch it. Then, we visited the 'Weaving and Carving' schools and the Kiwi Conservation Centre although we weren't allowed to take photos in there. Then we went into the Pikirangi Maori village where we saw the huts they lived in and the hot stones where they used to cook their food on. Then we took part in the 'Powhiri' a traditional welcome and experienced the 'Wero' or challenge, of the Maori Warrior as we entered the Marae grounds. We saw the 'Waiata a Ringa' or action songs, the skill of the female Poi Dance, 'Tititorea' and 'Ti Rakau' stick games, and the ferocious male war dance, the 'Haka' (which the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team have adopted). It was brilliant!! Then we had lunch and drove to Taupo. Only took an hour. Went to Pizza Hut for tea where fatty herself had an 'all-u-can-eat!) Needless to say i didnt eat a thing as I was already having butterflies in my tummy about tomorrows 15,000ft skydive!!