Bamber House Auckland

... you have to see the colours to believe them! The geyser was a little disappointing, only as it requires a guide throwing in a handful of soap to get it started! We did discuss before going just how it went off at exactly 10.15 every day. Apparently if left to its own devices it would go off every 24 to 36 hours depending on water levels. It was discovered by some prisoners who bathed in the hot springs there, one time they ...

... steak dinner (with garlic butter sauce since you ask) and I was disturbed by this lady slamming a large knife into a toaster. The toaster was turned on and the inevitable was going to happen. I explained to her that you really can't go around doing that sort of thing without getting electrocuted and after a couple more stabs she relented and went to fish her burnt pieces of toast out with her fingers instead. I was like a very lazy superhero. With a very specific remit. And not ...

... it's very confusing). It wasn't quite what we expected though. It must be more of a traditional type restaurant, as there was no menu, so people walking around with trays of food and you take what you want. Not really the egg fried rice and Veg in black bean sauce I was craving. We managed a couple of dishes, but after some cold slimy seaweed I lost my appetite. So we finished up ...

... and Kyle. They moved on to the international terminal as I left.

I was picked up by some friends of my aunt's that live in Auckland. After a nap, and a delicious apple and feijolo pancake breakfast, I got a local run around of Auckland. Explored various volcanic craters, the water line, and One Tree Hill. A local Maori actually chopped down the tree several years ago, and it has be aptly renamed "No Tree Hill." Still, it was a nice sight ...

... lake. I caught squat, but this was what fishing was designed for.... hot sunny day, top off, snow capped mountains in the background and a beer cooling in the lake. It was one of those special moments when you just appreciate your situation. After fishing we headed off to Te Anau, a small town on a lake and the gate to Milford and Doubtful Sounds. That night i ate a massive burger then we watched the rugby (only time i saw the blues win!) and then headed back to our ...

... we can recommend to all, unless you're claustrophobic, can't swim or are afraid of the dark! We took an afternoon trip into caves which took in glow worms and some tubing along an underground river (the one that carved out the cave funnily enough!). Once we arrived, late I might add, as the tour company had not set up our booking correctly, we were herded into an old shed to change into our very fetching outfits of a full body wet suit, red helmet and finished off with some lovely ...

... discovered as Little Blue Penguin laying on the beach looking quite weak and ill. I am not sure what was wrong with him, but the women said that another woman had pulled him out of the surf because he looked like he was struggling. Being as I am not well educated on treating sick penguins, I left him to nature and went on to the car. I drove back through the mountain roads to Taitua and changed clothes at a facility at their waterfront ...

... next day we got up early and waited to get picked up to go die! I mean raft! well we waited and waited but no bus came! Eventually a couople pf calls later two very dodge slightly drunk still surfer dudes came to pick us up!! Well getting to the raffting place was an experience!!! But by the time we got there it was literally time to go so we had no time to panic about what was going to happen next!!!! We really didnt get off to a good start as we then got on ...

And so after three months and 7438km, the tour came to an end. We rolled out of Thames, over the last one lane bridge, through quiet countryside and then suddenly into the clutches of the eight-lane Auckland motorway. We'd probably still be on it if it weren't for the road map supplied by Darren and Jackie on Fiji (thanks guys!). It was with some relief that we parked up at the last backpackers, a spacious villa in Mount Eden, about 2km away from the city ...