New Zealand North Island 26th Nov to 8th Dec

y discusion with the owner about the drawbacks of artificial limbs, but Gill is not tempted to buy the business.

Day Five, back to Auckland: Return back to Auckland, via the west coast. Stop at Hokianga & Oponani. At the later hear about the 'Gay Dolphin' - which I think referred to it's friendly behaviour back in the 50s, rather than its sexual persuasion! Also visit one of the remaining Kauri trees (see the tallest tree which is 1,200 years old, Tane Mahuta). NZ used to have loads of Kauri forests (the trees grow tall & straight) but these were quickly 'stolen' by the raiding Europeans - which explains where all the tall ships masts came from for the British fleets in earlier centuries, and where the wood came from for Paul & Sue's lounge at No8 Home Farm (& not stolen from all the other properties as the resident committee at Home Farm had previously discussed). Back in Auckalnd once again going shopping in the cheap shop (The Warehouse, NZ's version of Matalan - Lara if you read this, your type of store & a great place to take your boyfriend for a day out!)for an anorak, as find the one I had purchased in the UK was a small child's size! They only have an extra large size so will have to grow into it, which gives me the excuse the sample more NZ beers. Pinot Noir is off the shopping list as the backpacker budget imposed by Gill doesn't stretch that far. Paul - you would be impressed with Gill's budgetting skills but have a serious concern over her wine appreciation. The budget is restricting to Aussie plonks at $5 a bottle. Back to Food Alley & opt for Thai tonight.

Day Six, Whitianga: Up at 6.00am (I'm going to be milkman or postman when I return to UK as these early hours are becoming the norm - by the time we get to Queenstown 'party town' we won't have time to go to bed). The weather has changed back to cloudy & wet, and by the time we reach Hot Water Beach (where you sit in the hot sand & drink beer, apparently), not only is it raining but the tide is in, so no Hot Water pools anyway. Make do with pictures of seals. Move on to Cathedral Cove, and take the 40 minute walk down to the beach & prance around in the rain for a bit. In Whitianga staying at a hostel called the Cats Pyjamas (for Liz & Natalie to go 'cooh' at). The room is bunk bed in a corridor (but then I do like hostel corridors, remember) off a dorm room housing about 12 backpackers - was empty when we went to bed but was full when up at 6.30am the next morning. All share toilet & bathroom with us (Natalie & Liz going 'urgh!') Go beer sampling with a German guy called Tobias who we met.

Day Seven, Rotorua: Up6.30am (easy!). On route to Rotorua, stop at Waitomo. Decide not to do the Glow Worm caves, as Gill doesn't like caves, so visit the museum instead where Gill goes caving through cardboard cut-out caves instead, & gets her bottom stuck (guess better in the museum, then in a real cave hundres of feet down). Arrive Rotorua (huge lake which is actually the old crater of a exstinct volcano) around mid afternoon & staying at a hostel called the Crash Palace. Bizzarely find the hostel owner has rented our ensuite to another party, so we couldn't use it! It's an outside walk to shower & toilet but all part of the backpacker experience & more chance to meet interesting people doing the same (some even wear clothes!). Natalie - here we met a gorgeous black kitten (have photos for you, but had to leave the cat behind as it meowed too loudly when I sneaked it into Gill's backpack & besides we already got arrested in the US when she tried to smuggle in fruit without declaring it, so was always going to be a problem with the number of customs we were passing through, and they would probably have eaten it in China anyway).

Day Eight, Rotorua: Negotiations fail to get our ensuite back, as despite previous rentees moving on, its been re-rented to others before we get up! As compensation, the hostel owner offers his bikes for us to use for the day, if we buy one crash helmet (that's OK know where to go for cheap ones, so back to the Warehouse and spend all of 5 pounds.50. Cycle around the lake (not all of it though) & around town. Stop at the museum which is the Old Bath House, built in the late 1900s to get back tourists, as the big attraction which was considered to be one of the original natural great wonders of the world, the Pink & White Terraces were destroyed in a huge volcanic / earthquake erruption & are now at the bottom of the lake. Have a private guide in the museum for an hour & half at no charge!! In evening meet with Margaret, who rented our house in France 2 years ago & who we had never met & Graham and all went out for a nice eveving to a new Irish bar just opened in town. It closed at 10pm, so someone needs to tell the owners a fact or two about Irish drinkers (and we passed on Pearse's number as a person in the know on Irish capacity drinking habits, who also knows about getting dodgy naughty sexually explicit satellite programmes free of charge - might be useful to draw the punters in).

Day Nine, Taupo: Up late at 7am today - lie in for the milkman! On to Taupo (another massive lake and another crater of an exstinct volcano). Only this time the bus leaves town without us, as Magic office makes a complete hash of the travellers sheet for the day. Fortunately, they hadn't gone too far & come back for us - with the driver saying 'who are you?'. Today's enroute stops include volcanic bubbling pools (loads of them) & a gushing geyser (full of soap powder). Very embarassed that Gill chose to wash our smalls in front of such a large audience. Arrive Taupo around 3pm & have a longish haul (about 1/2 mile) with our backpacks to our hostel (The Berkhoff) - a bit out of the way but worth it, as great facilities, including swimming pool & hot tub & the cleanest place I have ever stayed. Gill leaves for her one night stay in Napier, while I stay in Taupo & drink the town dry.

Gill on Napier: Freedom at last, so I hit the open road on yet another bus. Realise en-route that have no phone card to advise may be late, nor map to find hostel, so almost close to being an adventure. Fortunately on arrival, map in bus station, so make note of location and head off to check in to my Art Deco accomodation. Absolutely could not be dissapointed with the choice as everywhere just oozes 1930's sophistication. I have always thought I was born out of time, but after several awakenings from the Irish bar across the road - where the volume increased as the hour got later - I was all set next day to absorb as much Art Deco culture as I could in in a morning, taking a guided walking tour around the town, finishing at the Art Deco shop with a DVD - and back for the bus and return to hubby and Taupo. If lucky enough to return to NZ, will definitely return to Napier!

Day Ten, Taupo: On my own, I awake late & without THE PLAN & the Planner, have a lazy morning exploring Taupo & visit the tiny museum (contains the Garden of Wellbeing which won Gold at the Chelsea Flower show, not sure which year). Have lazy lunch & head for the bus dutifully to collect the wife, having acted as the advsisory guide to numerous lost packpackers arriving on buses. Both have a leisurely afternoon at the hotel swimming & later games of pool in the bar.

Day Eleven, Taupo: Another leisurely start to the day. Weather is glorious so decide to hire bikes for the day. Cycle around a bit of the lake (about 10 miles). Return to hostel for lunch & then afternoon do a 2nd cycle ride, this time on wooden moutain bike tracks up to the Huka Falls. Gill didn't like the mountain bike tracks & I was OK on the going down but couldn't get the momentum on the going up, so slow progress made. On reaching Huka Falls changed our plans & not continue to the dam but jut travel to a volcanic field called Craters of the Moon (more bubbling volcanic puddles). Back to hostel for swim, pool & dinner.

Day Twelve, Wellington: Back to early morning starts. Thankfully the nice lady at the Berkhoff gave us a lift the connection point for Magic Bus so we din't have to carry out heavy loads (which are getting heavier with all Gill's shopping). On route to Wellington stop at the 3 active volcanoes in NZ - Tongario, Ngauruhue & Ruapehul - Tongario is Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings films. Meet a girl on the bus who used to live in Ware (so actually knew Puckeridge!). On arrival in Wellington the bus takes us up Victoria Peak for a quick photo shoot of Wellington from high, then back down to check into hostels. We rush straight round to the Te Papa Museum & spend the rest of the afternoon in there. Great museum & plenty to see & have many photos of exibits. Best feature was the movie on the evolution of NZ is some junk shop, where the artifiacts all move & light up etc.. with the film. Finished the evening with 2 very hot Malaysian King Prawn Yum Tong Lasskas.

Day Thirteen - we leave North Island for South Island... so more to follow soon...please send emails or comments if you are following our progress, as seems a bit lonely. The only people we hear from are the Marble Palace in Aggra who seriously ripped us off & we have been chasing since 20th November for a refund. Success to day it came through...