Coromandel Peninsula and Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach!

After Rotorua drove to Whitangi on the Coromandel Peninsula for a couple of nights..beaches were amazing and weather was great so we even braved the sea!

Went on a walk to see Cathedral Cove..seastacks etc and then went on to see Hot Water Beach..two hours either side of low tide people show up on the beach to dig holes in the sand to create your own natural and private spa pool....boiling hot thermal waters flow under the sand from the surrounding hills so once you dig the hole you can soak for a while until the tide comes in! Cool of wha!

Postcard pics! what beaches!

Luge-ing it in Rotorua..followed by Jeep Safari!

Man were we busy in Rotorua..after introducing Sue and Stanley to the joys of luging...(brilliant) we decided we would go on a 4 wheel drive jeep safari! Excellent..particularly the part where they make you drive the jeep over a 7 metre vertical drop without the breaks!! Cool!

4 wheel drive was cool

Maoiri Cultural Evening!

Check out the pictures..went to see a Maoiri Cultural evening where the perform and cook your food for you in a traditional way in the ground! Best meal we've had since leaving home!

Great evening and have some videos of them performing the Haka! just can't upload them..brillinant night full of song and dance and they explained all about their culture, their tatoos, food etc etc.













Me and Sue then went of a nice relaxing massage in the local spa! Ah the rough and tough backpacking lifestyle was taking its toll...well that was my excuse..not sure what Sue's was

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland..

Headed of to the Thermal Wonderland to see the Lady Knox Geyser which errupts at 10.15am every day......lots of sulpherous gases etc etc which turns the soil and surrounding rocks weird colours!!! Very smelly and toxic but cool!!





After a wander around the park taking in all the toxic gasses we could we came across a natural hot springs so headed in for a dip......and the best part was it was all for free!!!!!!

Rotorua!! Smell Eggy City!!

Man this place stinks of smelly eggs!! Tis actually sulpher doncha know!! Lots of the aul thermal activity happening here!

Stanley got a few outings to see the smelly thermal pools!

Dave and Sue and a smelly cloud!

Mick more penguins!!!

More penguins in Auckland..these Kiwi people are almost as obsesses as Mick with the things!

We also say a sting ray....ugly things!! so are crayfish..attacking Stanley!

The morning after the night before

We forgot to bring Stanley out with us on Paddy's Day so we just made him get up early the following day with us!!!!

St Paddy's Day Auckland

Us and all our greenery on St. Paddy's Day in NZ!! Watched the match too.....boo hoo...with the last minute tries!!

Errors and Corrections

Dee blog wold like to correct an error made when referring to the Penguins in a previous post. I mistakingly referred to Boulie as an Irish speaking penguin. It has since been pointed out my Etain (who obviously has little to be doing) that Boulie was in fact the Irish snow man....(fear sneachta ban...hata ar a ceann..you remember) an that perhaps the Irish speaking penguin I am thinking of was in fact Pingu! Oops sorry!

Sue made it!!

So we collected Sue from the airport today and she made it!!! Here is a pic of use and our Flat Stanley's collouring courtesy of Ray!!!

This is also a pic of me with the chocolate and Lucan Newsletters to thoughtfully provided by LOU!!! She knows me soooo well!! Mick make sure Lou reads this!!

Napier to Taupo...but we'll be back!

Off to Taupo this morning.....only a 3 hour drive from Napier! Lovely secenery on way and once we arrived got went for walk around Lake Taupo! Caught someone doing a bungee jump..MADNESS! We continue the drive tomorrow up to Auckland but we'll be back in Taupo with Sue next week! Tune in then from more instalments!

Lake Taupo and mad bungees!!

On the Interislander Ferry from South Island to North Island

Some lovelrly shots of the Marlborough Sounds (Fjords) taken from the ferry on Wednesday 14th...

What followed was a 6 hour drive to Napier through what can only be described as monsoon weather! Only 2 metres from our hostel when we had a fender bender! Girl on front slammed on and then we slammed on...unfortunately cause ground was wet we skidded into her! Only minor damage to front of car..will get repaired tomorrow when in Auckland to meet Sue!

Wine Tasting in the Marlborough region of the South Island..Got sozzled for free whilst trying to sound intelligent and listen to speeches about fruity aromoas...aged oak barrells...sweet floral bouquet tastes!! Great craic alltogether!