Day 1. Friday 7th November 2003
Home - Heathrow (via National Express Coach) - Singapore

It's surprising how the time goes when it feels like you've been waiting for years but also, before you know it, you're there. And so it was, here we were being dropped off by Jeff's father at the Bus Station and at the start of our big trip to New Zealand.

The Coach trip was a good idea, it took a lot of the hassle away from traveling to the airport, finding the parking and all that. Couldn't help commenting on the Autumn trees, the colours were fantastic this year (because of the good summer apparently). The Coach took us right to Terminal 3, I'd made sure we had plenty of time so we did have quite a bit of it to kill before the flight and spent most of it wandering around and looking at the shops, buying magazines and a NZ guide book.

Boarded the flight at 10:00hrs and feeling quite excited. Amazed by the amount of in-flight films and programmes available 'on demand' with Singapore Airlines. Loved the meals and the hot hand-towels. Had plenty of leg room and even got some sleep, but had to get up a couple of times just to stretch the legs. The man next to me seems to have sleeping disease (he even nodded off through take-off!). Already lost track of time at home (as altered my watch straight away to Singapore time), Friday has just merged into Saturday.

Day 2/3. Saturday/Sunday 8th November/9th November 2003
Singapore - Christchurch

Had a bit of backache, well it's understandable after that flight. Painkillers seem to be keeping it at bay though, otherwise feeling pretty good. Singapore Airport was nothing like I expected it to be, quite calm and serene. I was expecting busy, busy, busy. Jeff was a bit put-off by the 'no toilet' toilets but overcame this problem through necessity. Flight to Christchurch a smaller plane but just as nice as previous plane. Dinner, a choice of Green Thai Curry or some kind of fish. Time is 05:00hrs NZ (Midnight Singapore) and who knows what back home, well about 17:00hrs. Just going over the Indian Ocean and Australia. I can't believe how many countries I've had a glimpse of in the last 24 hours (Middle East, Nepal, India, the Far East, and now Australia). Trying to get some sleep in a moment to try and adjust to NZ time. I think I'll be dead on my feet tomorrow—6hours and 14mins to go!

11:10hrs, 8th November, first sight of NZ from plane window. Saw white mountains sticking up out of the clouds, couldn't make out what was clouds and mountains at first. Amazing white peaks, really craggy. Jeff excited, taking pictures already.

11:40hrs got out of the airport really quickly, although they were quite thorough on checking our walking boots for seeds. Got a lift straight away to the camper office, picked up the van, a nice new VW—dead pleased as it did have the CD player we'd hoped for and brought discs for. In the afternoon, started getting really tired and feeling a little off, I'm guessing a mixture of tiredness and jetlag.

First we decided to drive through Christchurch to the gondola, to see if it was worth the planned visit later. We decided it wasn't that impressive and pulled up in the Gondola car park. Used the in-van shower for the first time (I can smell the lemon shower gel now), and decided to do some food shopping. Found a big supermarket and got what we needed. Made our way back to town centre and parked on the outskirts of Hagley Park (it reminded me a bit of our local park). Took a walk by the river and saw some people being punted around. Went and saw the cathedral, saw trams, and just had a gentle wander around the area. Went to the motor camp as planned, it was nice and clean, and friendly. Went to bed at 9pm as both shattered and slept well.

Day 4. Monday 10th November 2003
Christchurch - Lake Tekapo - Mount Cook

Had a nice breakfast in the van and set off, a lovely sunny day. On leaving Christchurch land was mainly farming, sheep with lambs, deer, and ostrich. Started to get a glimpse of snow-covered mountains—where we'll be flying over later.

As I write this I am sitting on the banks of Lake Tekapo. I'm stunned by the vibrant blue of the water, green trees, and white snow-capped mountains. Decided we have a picnic lunch here whilst admiring the view. Sun is warm, there's a light breeze, birds are singing—it's idealic! Very clean air, seem to be smelling lots of things—nature!

After lunch we drove to the airport for our air safari with a company called Air Safari. Because of operating problems they asked us to wait 1 hour and go on another booking, which turned out to be for the best (we avoided a big, loud group of Scandinavians on tour and ended up with a couple that had just married that morning), and went up in a six seater plane. The flight was absolutely amazing, a bit shaky as there were quite a lot of wind currants, but thrilling, and the views were out of this world. I took at least 26 pictures of the lake, the glaciers, and of course Mt Cook and Mt Abel Tasmin.

After the flight we visited the lakeside where there is a tiny church—where the couple had been married—called the "Church of the Good Shepherd" and the monument of the Collie Dog—built in recognition of the dogs that have helped make this part of NZ what it is. Both feeling tired again and thought we'd get on the road to Mt Cook and set up camp somewhere along the way.

It turns out that you can camp more or less anywhere in NZ—providing there are no signs saying not to—so we set up camp on the banks of Lake Pukaki at Peter's Lookout (NOTE: The authorities are tolerant of "free camping" but it is not actually legal). Again we have an amazing view of a lake and snow-capped mountains. Reminds me of pictures I've seen of Canada, no bears though! Made beef stroganoff for dinner, sat back with red wine and just looked at the view with the light gently slipping away. Jeff thought he'd go for a little walk down to the lake edge, he was soon back as he got a bit freaked out by the quietness of the place—there's only us here—or it could be that I spooked him by reminding him to take his penknife! The weather today has been very usual, it's both hot and sunny but there's a cold wind, probably something to do with the mountains.

Day 5. Tuesday 11th November 2003
Mount Cook - Lake Ohau

After breakfast drove from Peter's Lookout to Mount Cook. I drove the van for the first time and was quite impressed with myself—and I didn't stall it like Jeff did.

The roads out here are really quite, all you seem to see are the occasional other camper. Mount Cook area quiet too, nice visitors centre where we obtained our basic,cheap map for getting to the Hooker Glacier. It was a great walk, about 8 miles round-trip. At points it was extremely windy with really sharp gusts, especially in open and exposed areas. There were quite a lot of walkers on the route, most of who were Japanese. We crossed two high suspension bridges, I still have visions of Jeff holding on for his life in the wind! We made it all the way to the glacial lake and it is the windiest place I've ever been in my life (and bitterly cold).

Jeff and I went on a little further than most of the other walkers to view the snout of the glacier better, there was only me and him there. We took a quick piccey and left although Jeff needed to answer the call of nature and decided to take one in a stream that lead down to the glacial lake. I said "quick Jeff, the glacier's melting". We made it back to the visitors centre and got hot drinks in the cafe (good coffee). The cafe was called the Old Mountaineers and was opened in July 2003 by none other than homeboy Sir Edmund Hillary.

We then drove to Lake Ohau to set up camp for the night. We tried looking out for a location of The Lord of the Rings filming that took place outside Twizel but couldnít find it. It's impossible to tell were things were filmed as, quite rightly, they've made sure everything was left as it was before filming. Anyway we found a really nice spot in the woods by a small lake. Loads of birds around. I'm just sitting here and saw three rabbits hop out of the woods. Only one other camper here, a guy fishing the lake over the other side. Very picturesque and very quiet except for the rustle of wind in the trees. To Queenstown tomorrow.

Day 6. Wed 12th November 2003
Lake Ohau - Queenstown

Woke up to the sound of rain on the camper roof but it stopped after breakfast and we set off south to Queenstown. Stopped on the way at a place called Cromwell, which had been flooded by the construction of a reservoir in 1990. Only some of the most interesting properties had been moved and saved, and turned into a sort of museum. It was a bit 'set' but nice all the same and again very quiet. Everyone keeps their garden well here, lawns are trimmed, and flower beds neat. I've also noticed a lot of classic old cars around, mainly American and European. Also seen a lot of "Speed Kills" bill boards as there's obviously a problem with drink-driving here. Talking of road deaths, tonnes of dead animals/possums on the roads, and for a place with so little traffic that's amazing. Jeff says they're the unluckiest animals in the world!

On the way into Queenstown we passed a gorge and saw some bungy-jumping at the original bungy spot (where it started). Had to have a look, took some pictures, strangely compelling!

Queenstown very nice, more of a tourist area though and quite busy in comparison to other places. Had a look around the town and visited the Kiwi Centre. Saw some real Kiwis—which are nocturnal birds, so you see them in darkened rooms—and they are really sweet. They've got really long beaks, which they use to forage for food—and for poking each other by the look of it. Saw some Keas and other native birds. Went on the gondola which goes up quite high and Jeff wasn't too happy with that. At the top there is another hideous looking bungy platform where death wishers can jump off into the woods and rocks below, nice—you could smile at the cable car riders on your way down. Went on the luge ridge at the top which was quite good and got up some good speed. Jeff was disappointed that we had to go on the "scenic run" as we were first timers, that was fast enough for me however.

Had a lovely dinner, probably the best of the whole trip, at a place called Britannia's (themed on an old galleon, surprisingly not as tacky as it sounds). Excellent food, really better than could have hoped for, and at a really good price including the wine—NZ of course. The best lamb I've ever tasted and it was beautifully presented, really special (UK restaurants could learn something from the Kiwis). My only disappointment was that I couldn't fit in a dessert. Just managed to tumble my way out of the door—too much NZ Chardonnay—and made it back to base.

Day 7. Thursday 13th November 2003
Queenstown

Had to get up at 6:30am for white-water rafting and jet-boating, which was a bit tricky after last night. It was cold in the van (outside of the duvet) and it turned out it had snowed overnight and a good deal of the mountains had fresh snow on them.

Jet-boating was our first trip. This was excellent fun and we got extremely wet faces which got very cold in the wind. The pilot did 360 degree turns galore and it was exhilarating to dodge the protruding rocks either side of the river by mere centimeters. Next we transferred to the rafting. We got kitted out in wetsuits and got taken by bus to Skippers Canyon—a trip in itself—to the launch site. We got divided up and fully briefed, the guides were all a real laugh, really friendly, and as we found out later, very professional. Setting off was OK and our team seemed to get the hang of if pretty quickly.

It wasn't long before we were riding the rapids—ones with names like Mother Rapid and The Toilet. Another raft capsized and it was a bit hairy for a moment, whistles were being blown and people were floating by in the fast flowing current. It was a bit mad as the rapids made you a bit disoriented, but our boat managed to pull one American guy (from New York City) out of the water (who was extremely thankful and in a bit of shock), but everybody was OK in the end. We finished the run by going through a 170 metre tunnel and the final rapid, which soaked us all. We were cold up until this point, with freezing hands, but this was a killer and then it started snowing! Luckily they had a sauna and hot showers back at the base and hot food waiting for us, which was more than welcome. We really enjoyed the experience but were really thankful it wasn't us who went over.

Got back to Queenstown, grabbed something to eat, and camped up on the road out to Glenorchy, free-camping of course.

Tomorrow we head for Te Anau and will eat out tomorrow night. As I sit writing this I have a view of the Remarkables mountain range tipped with snow behind me and the lake in front of me. The evening light is just beginning to set and everything has a warm look to it although it's quite cold out there. It's so quiet, there is only Jeff and I here and it's like the landscape was made for us. Small note about "rude" trees. They make us laugh every time we see them. They're a type of evergreen which makes us laugh every time we see them as they look like they're giving you the finger—you have to see them to appreciate it.

Day 8. Friday 14th November 2003
Queenstown - Te Anau

Had a good nights sleep although it was very cold overnight. Slept until 8:30am, which was good seeing as we had turned in early at about 9.30pm. Picked up our rafting photo's from Queenstown and posted some postcards. We then drove to Te Anau. I drove part of the way and Jeff nodded off (I must be getting good). Decided not to do the planned quad-biking today, we both felt like chilling out instead so didn't do a lot after a quick look around the town. Town Te Anau was quiet and a bit grey to be honest, but that could be the weather as it is a bit rainy today. Went out for dinner to a Chinese restaurant, had a nice four course meal which came to about £18 total including drinks. There's a street here called Wong Way which raised a titter. Looking forward to visiting Milford Sound (named by a fur seal hunter from Milford Haven, Wales) tomorrow.

Day 9. Saturday 15th November 2003
Te Anau - Milford Sound - Te Anau

Left for Milford Sound quite early so we could stop a lot on the way (had read it is a picturesque road). Stopped off at Mirror Lakes which were smaller and less impressive than I had imagined, but there was this little bird there that was singing his heart out in a very unusual way. His whole body was put into the effort of singing this tune which consisted of a whistle, a tune, a croak, and a hiss—it's true!. Next we stopped at this lay-by where there was this amazing view of the rainforest and mountains. We saw our first wild Keas (eating someone's car door seal) and were dead pleased we'd seen them in the wild. They have a dead cheeky way and you can't help but love their attitude. When flying you can see a vivid orange colour under their wings.

The road itself to Milford Sound was very scenic, we even made it to the snow line and into the avalanche area, but thankfully November rarely sees one. We then passed through an extremely scary, narrow, dark tunnel—there were no lights in there only little red reflectors, and the walls looked like they had been chipped away by hand. It went down quite steeply and was about 1.2km long with water pouring through and running down the road at points. I was glad there was a car a little way ahead of us to show where the road was going.

Next we stopped at a place called "the Chasm". First it looked like you were just walking off into the wet, dripping forest but then we heard a heavy drumming, roaring noise which was quite unnerving. By looking down through naturally made hole in the rock you can see a extremely powerful river cutting through the ground in a semi-waterfall. The holes were so deep and the water so powerful that whole trees had been smashed and rammed into the holes. There were two more Kea's causing a diversion in the car park on the way back.

We finally arrived in Milford Sound. The boats all leave from the same terminus, quite recently done-up. We travelled on the boat "Friendship" a much smaller, and more personal vessel than most, some of which were overnighters. On leaving the dock Mitre Peak is right in front of you and is hugely impressive. Immediately on leaving the harbour I was struck by the amazing view of an immense waterfall plummeting down the massive cliffs on the right. The waterfall is far bigger than you'd imaging—in fact all the waterfalls were—and there were so many of them.

There is literally tones of water coming down the sheer cliffs, one of which is the tallest sea cliff in the world—taller apparently than the Empire State Building. You feel so tiny on board the boat surrounded by a huge expanse of water (up to 380m in depth) and then, immediately rising up, mountains on all sides. The view was outstanding and everything was so green, as trees cover the bottom slopes, except for where the waterfalls carve their route. We were taken to view many of the falls close-up, getting sprayed by the flow. We saw NZ fur seals basking in the sun and also some tiny penguins hopping around the rocks.

The fjord is fresh water but thanks to a shallow shelf at the mouth of the sound the sea water comes in and sinks under the fresh, tannin laden water. This means it is very dark near the surface, so black corals grow very near the surface. Took loads of pictures but doubt any will do justice to the reality. We stopped on the way back at the Underwater observatory. this is a floating platform on the ford that has an observation gallery for viewing the marine life under the water. It was lovely to see so many fish, corals, and plants. Apparently you sometimes see seals, dolphins, and even whales passing the windows.

Another boat picked us up and dropped us back at the harbour. We drove back to Te Anau, too tired to visit the Gloworm Caves nearby, it had already been a very full and very nice day.

Day 10. Sunday 16th November 2003
Te Anau - Wanaka

Plan was to go quad-biking this morning and then head off for Wanaka. Woke up to wind and rain, really strong wind, really wet rain, so decided to cancel the biking. Thought we might as well drive to Wanaka, I drove some of the way but the winds were making it quite tough driving so Jeff took over and nearly totalled it once after a particularly hard gust at the end of the lake on the way back to Queenstown. Had a look around the shops at Wanaka, it was raining quite heavily so decided to set up camp for the night, even the lake had waves you normally see only in the sea.

Found this out of the way campsite down a gravelled track by the lake outlet called the Clutha River. Despite the rain decided to tog up and go for a walk along the river. Even in the rain it was still lovely, the water was really blue and fast flowing, Saw rabbits and a bird called a Weka (recently re-introduced back into the area) which can't fly but runs really fast. Birds, little birds, were everywhere and we saw that they were living in the banks of the river in mud holes.

Jeff said he found the campsite spooky, it was probably to do with the really old kitchen there. It was like stepping back in time to the 60's with old ripped formica chairs, ripped seats, smelly looking cookers and a ancient fridge, and it smelt old. I quite liked the campsite.

Day 11. Monday 17th November 2003
Wanaka - Haast Beach

Woke up to a much brighter day. Had booked horse riding with a local company, turns out we were their first ever customers.

My horse was big and dark brown, he was called Louie and was a bit frisky at first but was quite lovely when I got used to him. Jeff's horse was really slow and he kept falling behind which was funny as his name was Atomic—anything but. He loved to be stroked and closed his eyes when you rubbed his head. We went up the valley and then right back down to Lake Hawea and tried to get the horses to wade in (not likely). The lake was flanked by wild lupins. It was a lovely trip.

We then picked up a few supplies from Wanaka and headed onwards, North via the West coast. Drove through some of the loveliest countryside yet, green and welcoming. Stopped at Blue Pools on the way to Haast, where the water is green/blue and people had built little stone piles. Stopped at another waterfall called Thunder Creek, and even though we'd seen so many it was still impressive.

Decided we would go as far as Haast Beach today as we won't be seeing a lot of the ocean on this side of NZ. As I write this I am sitting in the back of the van, back doors wide open, and I have my very own beach on the Pacific Ocean, the waters edge being about 150 meters away. It's free camping again tonight—with ocean view.

Day 12. Tuesday 18th November 2003
Haast Beach - Hokitki

Set off along the west coast road to see the Franz Joseph Glacier. The road to the glaciers was very scenic and quite thick bush, almost tropical. Road was quite winding however (I have to mention, the verges of the road were immaculately kept, neatly mown and trimmed) but it did afford some great views and I was glad to get out and stretch my legs at Franz Joseph.

The walk to the glacier itself was quite popular, probably the most people we have seen out and about so far in the country. No wonder though, as after following the path for a bit you turn the corner and get a wonderful view of the glacier itself. An information board showed how the glacier had moved over time, quite recent time in fact. In 1974 it was really forward and down the valley much further and now it was right back. It showed how it looked in the late 1800's with people boating on a glacial lake (now gone). People had paid for guides to take them right up on to the ice, but they didn't actually go that far up it and I reckon they must have been disappointed with what they got. We sat and admired it for a bit and then walked back to the van.

We then drove on to Hokitiki, a nice place, clean and new, but dead in the way of people—where are they all? We booked a meal at 8pm and walking around the streets, there were practically no people. Had a nice four course dinner at the Paris Cafe. I had garlic bread to start, chicken main course, apricot cheesecake, and coffee. I was stuffed. Again, extremely well presented and the whole lot, including wine, came to about £30 for the two of us, amazing!

Day 13. Wednesday 19th November 2003
Hokitki - Christchurch

Today's drive is through the legendry Arthurs Pass, considered to be the most scenic drive in New Zealand.

Stopped at a place on the way, about lunchtime, called Castle Hill, a place I find hard to explain. From a distance you see strange rock formations sticking out of the ground for no apparent reason, just a group of rocks that look like they were dumped there. We walked up the slope to them and climbed up the through them to the top. There were huge limestone boulders all over the place, all different shapes and sizes (quite surreal—I imagined it was like being in a Salvador Dali painting). At the top we had a picnic and sunbathed a bit, as it was now quite hot and sunny. As I looked down in front of me in fields far below were horses and behind them, in the very far distance, snow-capped mountains. There are little birds everywhere, flitting around and nesting in little holes all over the rocks. You could have great fun here bouldering and climbing. There are proper climbs here (though bolting is banned) and two "proper looking" climbers, but apart from them there was only Jeff and I.

Apparently the Maori had a settlement here at one time, about 1,000 years ago. There are supposed to be some cave paintings there but we couldn't find any. Before we left we thought we'd try a bit of climbing ourselves. Tried the little section the "proper looking" climbers tried. Jeff managed to get up first time, even in his everyday boots. I had a go but failed twice, however, I did not let it beat me and got up there on the third attempt. I was quite pleased with myself, although I did bang my elbow quite badly.

On the way back we bumped into some portly looking Americans. "What's back there?", they asked. "It's a really amazing area, very surreal", we replied... they didn't go.

We then drove back to Christchurch, the only place we are visiting twice on this trip. Thought we'd go and have a look at the beach so went to Sumner. It was pleasant there, water sports going on and cafes. Got some food from the supermarket and headed back to the campsite.

Day 14. Thursday 20th November 2003
Christchurch - Kaikoura - Kaiteriteri

Left Christchurch early and headed for Kaikoura. Made it well in time for the whale watching trip I'd booked, so had coffee and something to eat in a nice little cafe. Looked around the shops and after checking-in went and sat on the stony beach to kill time. The ocean was very blue and was crashing quite hard on to the beach, quite a steep shelf in to the water.

We then boarded the boat and were amazed at how fast it manoeuvred. Everyone was really excited about being onboard and was very keen to spot things (there were some very pushy Russians on board). We didn't need to worry about not seeing anything because more or less as we pulled out we saw Orca (Killer Whales) in the bay area. Apparently they only make an appearance about twice a year and it was fantastic to see them. We saw three all together. Then we saw dusky dolphins and took loads of pictures. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and then to top it we saw whales—3 sperm whales. Firstly blowholes on the surface, and then diving down giving us a flash of their tails. The cameras did not stop going.

The crew use a sonar device in the water to hear where the whales are and as soon as they hear a sound race over to see them. They are good at managing the process, however, and only allow 3 vehicles near a whale at one time (that includes helicopters too). On board they showed us a film of just how deep the water is here, and the underwater canyon plummets to over 4,000 feet deep and that's why the whales hunt here.

On the way back into the harbour we saw a rare yellow eyed penguin sitting on the wall. "That's strange" said the guide, "you don't normally see them out of the water." "No wonder" said Jeff, "with all those killer whales around." (Orca will hunt these Penguins). We also saw Royal Albatross—they have up to an 8 foot wing span. I loved this trip and it was probably better than Milford Sound for me but Jeff was feeling very quesy and was glad to get off.

We then drove all the way to Kaiteriteri for kayaking the next day. We'd done 490km and it was dark by the time we got there so Jeff wasn't a happy camper by then. Amazed by the amount of stars, really clear views.

Day 15. Friday 21st November 2003
Kaiteriteri

Got up for a 9:00am start just down the beach (100m away) for sea kayaking. After a safety briefing and getting kitted up, Jeff and I set off in out two-seater kayak. Me at the front and Jeff steering at the back. Water was lovely and blue and we had a nice time paddling around the coves and beaches (lovely golden sand). This place reminds me of Greece, rocky islands and sandy beaches.

Paddled down to Split Apple Rock, it wasn't as far as I thought it would be and we paddled quite well. Sun very hot and shining, perfect day for a paddle. Stopped at beach near there and I got in the water. It was cold at first but the wetsuit really helped and I couldn't get so far and not go in. Wanted to get a picture of the Rock so swam over there by myself (which was a bit scary— kept thinking of sharks). We sunbathed a bit on the beach and snacked on some fruit and biscuits, then paddled back to base.

It was a quiet day besides the kayaking. We enjoyed the sun and the campsite was nice and quiet although it was huge and must get packed in the height of summer. Been feeding lots of finches, about 50 at one time, and some will even take from your hand. Also have a visiting mother duck and 6-7 ducklings. Able to feed the ducklings directly, they have got so used to people.

Day 16. Saturday 22nd November 2003
Kaiteriteri - Wellington - Otaki

A day of transition today—getting from South Island to North Island. Left Kaiteriteri and briefly stopped at Nelson. Checked out the outdoor market, which was nice. A lot of crafts, arts, and plants on sale from local people. Could spend lots of time walking around (and buying if Jeff wasn't hassling me). Then we drove to Picton to get the ferry, had a bit of time to look around the shops and get over the windiest road ever (Queen Charlotte Drive).

Picton was a little bit run down and a bit of a "just passing through" place. Got a coffee and visited the Edwin Fox, an old ship from around 1852, made in Calcutta from teak. Edwin Fox was used to transport stuff to the Crimean War, convicts to Australia, and immigrants to NZ. It was then used as a fridge for NZ lamb in the 1900's and finally as coal storage. It was sad to see it in such a state and was amazed they let people walk on it, but they are finally looking after it more.

Ferry trip was OK, got something to eat from the cafe and read our books. Soon we were saying goodbye South Island and hello to North Island. Got into Wellington about 9:30pm and decided to drive to Otaki.. Found a little campsite and a lot of people were actually living there in their vans.

Day 17. Sunday 23rd November 2003
Otaki - Whakapapa Village, Tongariro

Set off for Whakapapa Village to get settled in for our big walk the next day, the Tongariro National Park Crossing. Quite a long drive to get there and got there about 3-4pm, had a look around the information centre and bought the map.

Went and camped at the very damp, as in the woods and by a river, campsite. Didn't do a lot that evening because there wasn't a lot here to do. Woman at the campsite office advised the walk (the bus to/from start) may be cancelled if the weather was bad, the weather was OK so decided to book and see what it was like the next day. Saw Mount Ruapehu (Mt Doom) which was impressive. The walk is to be right through the volcanoes, some of which are still active apparently.

Slightly scared but looking forward to the adventure. We got everything packed for an early start (7:30am pick up). Spent rest of the evening playing games, I am the winner at Snap!

Day 18. Monday 21st November 2003
Whakapapa Village - Matamata

What a day of contrasting weather! Woke up at 6:00am and it was raining quite heavily. Looked outside and we were in a mist. Jeff went and investigated what was happening and indeed it was cancelled. We were a very disappointed but knew it wasn't worth the risk. Decided to make the most of the day and set off early for Rotorua via Taupo. Roads were alright but not as scenic as the South Island— we agreed South Island was definitely our favourite.

Stopped off at Huka Falls, impressively powerful waterfall but not a big drop. We also stopped off at Craters of the Moon, our first geothermal activity visit. It was quite early in the day so there was only Jeff and I there and we were wandering around in the mist. We were stunned by the steam, sounds of water boiling and moving about. Quite an eerie place and nothing like anything else we've seen before, also quite smelly (sulphuric).

Drove on to Rotorua and the Maori Heritage Centre. Looked around at the crafts and managed to catch the performance, singing, dancing, and the Haka. Saw some carving taking place and visited the Kiwi Bird house. Lots to see around the geothermal area, hot mud pits and geysers, we saw the "Prince of Wales Feathers" geyser going off and that was impressive.

It was now lunchtime and very hot. Decided to drive to Matamata as place where some of Lord of Rings was filmed (anoraks, yes). The guidebooks didn't say anything about the town but it turned out to be nice and was quite a big town. Booked our "Hobbiton" tour through the visitor centre for 10:00am next day. Found an old but nice campsite just on the outskirts of town. It was still nice and warm and the bonus of the campsite was it had outdoor spa pools, naturally heated by geothermal activity and we spent some time soaking ourselves in there.

Day 19. Tuesday 25th November 2003
Matamata - Whitianga

Went on the 10:00am trip to Hobbiton. The flyer for the trip made it obvious we weren't going to see what it looked like in the films but it was better than I thought when we actually got there because of the lake and the "party tree".

The guys taking the tours were very knowledgeable and a great laugh. It was quite exciting to see where different shots were taken and makes you want to get back home and watch it all over again. The one Maori guide got into a music discussion about Led Zeppelin with an American guy on the tour, the guide said "Have you heard of Slade?" The American looked blank. Of course we've heard of Slade, us Brits get bombarded by Slade's Christmas song every year. Anyway, it turns out the guy was a really big Slade fan.

In the afternoon we drove to Whitianga on the Coromandel. Booked into Buffalo Beach campsite, very (as the name suggests) the beach. Whitianga is spread over a sandy bay with little rocks and outcrops sticking into the sea. We got talking to some locals—Paul & Des Jones. Had a nice chat and were made to feel really welcome in their town. Paul gave us some red snapper to take with us, which he had caught that day.

Day 20. Wednesday 26th November 2003
Whitianga

Woke up to rain pounding on the van roof, bit of a shame as was hoping for sunshine on last few days of our holiday. Had a late breakfast and decided to have a mooch around town, not too many shops in town so this didn't take too long. Decided to get some provisions and chill out for the afternoon on the beach (the rain had stopped by now). Did a bit of reading and picnicking. In the evening we saw glow worms out on a local hillside, a bit of local knowledge gave us the location.

Day 21. Thursday 27th November 2003
Whitianga

After a fairly leisurely start set off for Cathedral Cove. Decided to get breakfast out and stopped at a nice cafe and got a massive breakfast. It was a 45 minutes walk from the car park to Cathedral Cove itself—quite a slog after such a big breakfast—but it was worth it. Sea was blue and sand a light yellow. The hole in the cliff face was impressive and it was a nice place to sit and read for a while.

We then headed off to Hot Water Beach. Jeff hired a shovel for $4 for us to "dig our own pit". The beach was really busy for an overcast day, particularly in one spot. It seems the hot areas were in a very small area. It was a hive of activity, some had managed to dig small trenches and others were busy trying to stop the waves crashing in. We couldn't find any hot water to start with so I started walking along the water line and within moments could feel the heat under my feet. If you dug your toe in it would also burn it as the water underneath was obviously boiling hot. In fact in one place you couldn't walk on the sand and could see the water bubbling on the surface of the sand!

We decided to call it a day there and went back to town. Went to the local cinema (a tiny little place) and watched SWAT with Colin Farral. Jeff and I had it to ourselves as four foreigners got up realising they were in the wrong film, which was by-the-way rubbish.

Day 22. Friday 28th November 2003
Whitianga - Auckland

Drove the scenic route from Whitianga to Auckland outskirts. Stopped off at a couple of places on the way, found a nice little arts and crafts place in Coromandel town itself where we bought a couple of pressies. Took quite a long time to get into Auckland and find a campsite.

Decided to go for a last dinner somewhere nice but the district was a bit of a let down, quite rough looking, a lot of fast food and not much else. Eventually settled for Kentucky Fried Chicken and promised ourselves we'd go for a nice dinner when we got home. Campsite was OK, small and probably a picking up/dropping off for Auckland kind of place.

Have to say very disappointed with Auckland, but to be fair we were in a suburb and didn't really get to see the city. Would like to go back sometime.

Day 23. Saturday 29th November 2003
Auckland - Singapore - London

So here we are, before you know it, going home already. Left campsite about 10.30am, was a bit tricky finding the Maui centre but got there OK and on time in the end. Paid the fees, including one speeding ticket (it had to be on the day I was driving).

Got complimentary bus to airport after saying our goodbyes to the van. As usual airport a little stressful but all went smoothly. Bought a few gifts in the shops and were pretty much on the aircraft straightaway. Plane was a little late taking off. Had a delay in Singapore (to change a tyre believe it or not) and just, by the skin of our teeth and Jeff's determination, made our coach from Heathrow to Cardiff.

This was truly memorable holiday that we still talk about regularly. One day we will go back to the South Island, and maybe we'll walk the Milford Track, who knows. New Zealand is a land of amazing contrasts, stunning scenery, and much more.