Nov 23rd

No one at office so a free nights camping! Watched local Maori lads snorkelling for mussels north of whitianga.

Went to new chums beach - after spending as while trying to locate the 'way in'. Turned out we had to clamber over the headland rocks, then scramble accross the land for 30mins before emerging at an amazing beach! Crazy red and black volcanic rocks alongside white sands! Best Beach in NZ so far!

Nov 24
Cooks beach. Drove through some bays to Hahei
and saw Cathedral Cove - after spying out a few crabs from the near by headland rocks. Craggy steps lead down to two beaches split by an impressive rock arch. Pinnacles in the sea. Wanted to go to Hot Water Beach recommended by Aussie girl, but bad weather maent we carried on - Hot water beach is where you can dig out a seat in the sand and it fills with hot thermal water - like a mini spa! Sad to miss it..

Drove to Waihai - massive mining town with active mine at one end - Huuuuuuge pit (like an asteroid had hit) with tiny diggers still trundling to the top then back down.

Nov 25.
Still in Waihai we saw aman taklking to a glove puppet walking down the road. Seems all this mining has taken its toll on the locals (many in wellies).

Nearly drove into a police car taking a sharp turn from the motorway down a farmers track down one way bridge..! Eek. Walked round Karangahepe Gorge over walkways and swing bridges and through an ancient mining site inc. tunnels through Gorge sides where carts used to run with gold & silver. Took a stroll through a massive tunnel in pitch dark for ages to emerge other side of hill.

Continued to Tuaranga and just as we parked, looked up to see the girls from the other night who had successfully managed to get threir car out of the ditch and we exstatic to see us. Gave us their number and said we'd meet up but ended up getting back into town late that night and didnt bother. Sat at a pub, where a pub quiz was on - very english. couple of Kiwi plumbers asked us to join them for a drink and were joined by a crazy (and very, very drunk) Icelandic fisherman who was celebrating his biggest catch ever with his (very, very odd and drunk) wife, who seemed to slip in and out of consciousness - we thought because she was drunk - but at one point she came around and pointed to me (as I was talking to the wild fisherman about his icelandic son) and said like some psychic medium "He's Balanced" and then "Five years!". Ended up sat out the front of the bar after hours with the young kiwi's, the fishermen and the bar staff, where were slightly over-proud of being kiwi's and part-maori.

Nov 26.
Drove to Mount Mananui - a pleasant harbour if a tad resorty, by a mountain. Had a wander by the bay and then up the mount - an odd mix of wilderness, built up city, Sandy beaches and grazing sheep - all in one view - truely diverse. New Zealander's seem to have a weird appitite for jogging up mountains too we're finding.

Continued on to Rotorua - known for it's nateral thermal features. Before we arrived you can smell the sulphur - thats why its known as sulphur city. Its also called Roto-vegas as its very tourist-orientated. After a bit of so you apparently get used to it and dont notice, but we never quite did.

Lake Rotorua was plesant with randoms flying around in helicopters and water-planes.