Continental Motel Whangarei

... the house rules and got used to working here". Alright... Then while we were watching TV with Grant, Bonny's boyfriend and all around good guy, she walked right up and unplugged everything, saying that she "doesn't like the TV being on for too long" and then lectured us on how we should basically ask her permission to relax. Within a few hours of being there we were already looking for our next farm and hoping for something in the very near future. Bonny must have felt the same way ...

... Wochenende Tageslicht abkriegen, bleibt im Wint** vieles liegen. Dafu** bin ich jetzt da. Fu** freie Unt**kunft im Gaestezimm** mit eigenem Bad (!!!) und ein bisschen Essen habe ich ein paar Stunden am Tag Beschaeftigungen wie Holzhacken, alten Huehn**stall z**legen, den Garten trimmen (Rindenmulch auf einem Hang v**teilen). Nebenbei kann ich mit den Hunden spielen od** im Int**net surfen. So laesst es sich ein paar Tage aushalten. Bis zum Ende meines Neuseeland ...

... Do not doubt Chrissy, even if what she says sounds LUDICROUS!!! Then it was onwards to the main reason for the drive, the falls themselves. A very impressive stream plummeting over a cliff into a little lake that drains away in a small stream. We went on a little walk that allowed us to see the falls both from above and below and it was really a shame we had already eaten, because below the falls in front of the lake would have made a great spot for a picnic. While ...

... we now want to dive alone all the time, I lead the way, Lucy spots all the cool fish. We met a kiwi girl now living in Oz called Hannah on the dive trip. Back in town we headed to the Irish bar for a few pints and we celebrated as I reached my 100th different beer of the trip! It's a bit of a nonsense though as theres so many great beers in NZ like England, if I had the money and the liver for it I could have cracked 200 by now. After a few beers we decided to eat ...

... your trailer and of course your car(s). I've already been introduced to the concept of 'lifestylers'. They're often professionals, who buy property with five or so acres of land which they use for a few horses, sheep or cattle or to grow vines, vegetables and the like. They're not self-sufficient, but instead of going away for weekends they stay at home and do something completely different - ie they don't do their paid work jobs all weekend! Back ...

... slippery, badly signed and added bugs including many spiders & webs, drops into streams and steeper, basically you've seen pictures where people trek through dripping rainforest's. It was like that & raining. I was alone and armed with my trainers and my little town day pack, if this had been a episode of casualty i was almost certainly be dead, if it was a episode of ER you could remove the world ...

... net of je uitgelaten wordt! Toch was het zeker wel leuk en de moeite waard om dit te doen. hoewel dit een van de mooiste plekken zou moeten zijn om te duiken heb ik geen koraal gezien zoals je dat in Australiё en Maleisië zag. Waarschijnlijk is het water hier met 13 graden in de winter te koud! Als je een duikpak aan hebt pomp je meer of minder lucht in je pak om omhoog of omlaag te gaan. Nu gaat dit niet zo snel en als ...

... to it. A funky town centre and a cracking campsite within ten minutes walk has convinced us to take it easy for a couple of days and try to use all the gas in the communal barbecue. Yesterday we even climbed a mountain, which was, umm, rewarding. I mentioned the inconsistency of the New Zealand DoC before, and we experienced it again. At the base of Mount Manaia is a DoC sign stating that the climb demanded a "moderate" level of fitness and a circular route ...

... This is one area where the National Radio - the voice of the reason in NZ - receives weak reception. When I arrived in Whangarei and whilst I was waiting for Mike to come and pick me up, I saw a couple who carried seasoned suitcases. Their faces looked weatherbeaten. The man's polo shirt said "Air Zimbabwe". Upon striking a small conversation the couple had fled Robert Mugabe. The man could not ...

... then had to take everything we needed out of our packs and find a place for it inside the van, neatly packed away. This is now our home for the next six weeks. It took us about an hour to get ourselves sorted then we went to cook some bacon and tomatoes on the barbeque. Campsites here are much nicer than English ones and most of them have free gas barbeque's, kitchens with hobs, microwaves, kettles, fridges and toasters. They also have laundries with coin operated washing ...