New Zealand (2)

Nov 17th.

Worst weather yet. Went to Rewa's Village which is a recreation of a Maori settlement in the Kerikeri Basin. Basic stoneag huts made of flax and wood.

Went out on a cruise on a boat called 'The Rock' from wharf back in Pahia. Shot at a duck with an air rifle off the back of boat in an attempt to win a free beer, fished (without luck) and ended up in an on-board dorm with a cou[ple of Aussie girls and a bloke and his mother. Went night kayaking in the waters around the boat, which was absolutely amazing! The waters have in them phosperance which glows and shoots off like little green stars when you dipped you paddle in! Weird! And really stunning under a clear starry sky. Went snorkelling and swimming of the back of the boat later which was *freezing* but totally amazing - when you moved and swam phospherant green sparks flew off you in the water! The phospherance is actually an algae which for some unknown reason glows when disturbed - The most amazing experience in NZ so far - Swimming with sparks flying off me under a perfectly clear starry sky! Sat on the back of the boat with Sophie, one of the crew (from Coventry!?) and the Aussie girls, before freezing half to death and going to bed.

Nov 18.
After a rough nights sleep (in which Soph decided to chat in her sleep to the dorm) we went down to an amazing porridge & fruit brekkie, then snorkelled out on a reef - saw loads of fish up close and swam until the water made me shake so much with cold I had to go back. After getting back to normal body temperature I kayaked to the beach of an island from the boat, and then want on a wander about. We found that the hills were all covered in soft grass, that was really deep and spongy. Kayaked back to the boat feeling like a Maori warrior.

During lunch a couple of dolphins swam alongside the boat and the crew offered up the chance for us to eat some sea urchin type things and mussels they'd caught. I ate a couple which were actually really tasty (one more expensive than caviar in japan apparently) which looked like and had the texture of a small yellow slug. Mussel's were amazing.

Back at Pahia we set off to the west coast to Oponomi and found an amazing beach with metalic silver colours and stunning sunset caused by the huuge sandspit alongside the coast.