Hey Peeps,

Hangin' in Taupo today after doing some crazy drives..a tad long and winding but they get you where you need to go! Absolutely adorign NZ, it's so chilled out!

We had a lovely day in Auckland on our first day, walking around the quay and the CBD onto picking up our spaceship...soooo entertaining! The website for them is www.spaceships.tv so you can have a look for yourselves!

Headed straight up north and stayed for our first night in Sandspit, which was a busy site but had an awesome pitch right on the waterfront, the weather was horrific overnight but we stayed dry even with our tent thingy up...result! Then a long day's driving took us up the west coast and to 90 mile beach which was long! But a nice quiet top 10 site which is always nice! The next day included some crazy sandboarding on giant sand dunes just south of cape Reinga which was out of this world(primo!) yet very knackering whatever the fitness levels!! Sand in the eyes and mouth...not to mention down certain bum cracks!! Sexy as you like!!

We decided to take it a little slower down the east side, stopping at Hunurara waterfall for the night 3km before Paihia in the Bay of Islands...the pitch was awesome...facing the falls about 50m away...listening to them all night was great but the toilet visits were more frequent overnight than normal..funny that! Although the campsite was stupidly expensive, probably should have stayed at the one next door..! The time is speeding by and we were already in Helensville by that evening (and yes we have no idea of the day it was, we have actaully no idea of the days unless we check the watch!). This was the day of the incredible sunset drive, we stopped for our dinner at a rest stop and then drove just as the sun went down to helensville and it was well worth it, the views will go down as some of the best we see on this whole trip I am sure!

Then it was off to the Coromandel Peninsula where the west coast is rarely visited in comparison to the east and we have absolutely no idea the west coast is simply breathtaking, the road took us literally to the water's edge for the entire day and we stopped for a swim in the turquoise waters...well worth the extra drive. We stayed that night at Shelley beach, a couple of minutes drive from Coromandel Town which is a quaint, happy little town that you would imagine. We then decided to have a go at the East cape so we headed around the coast staying at Opotiki right on the water's edge and then off up the cape...it was a good 6 hour drive and there wasn't too much on the way apart from spectacular sea views and the most beautiful church as you pass Hicks Bay the views kind of deteriorate but the first half of the drive was well worth it. We had planned to stay in Gisborne overnight and try a couple of wineries but that place can only be described as mmm!! I am trying to be polite but it is a bit of a hole! So we drove on and stayed in Morere, in the middle of the forest...a little campsite appeared so we stopped and there was a little english tearoom...so quiant! had a Hot chocolate as NZ's changable weather is just that...changeable!! It was 30 C in the morning!!

Now we are in Taupo, which is very pretty, yet a tad busy! As you look over the lake there is a snow covered mountain on the other side with clouds just below it's summit...dreamy!

Big kisses...xxx

And Dad, if I made any spelling mistakes...you know what you can do!!