Paihia Motels - Reviews and Rates

We picked up our car yesterday midday, got an upgrade, so now we are cruising a Nissan Bluebird from 1999. Our package is 10 days car hire and 7 days YHA accommodation and at first we thought we had been done(!), but now, adding it all up we have done an OK deal. We have a GPS, which was needed just getting out of Auckland and a second driver is...

After driving around the far north for a few days it was time to dive the famous Rainbow Warrior wreck, the Greenpeace boat that was sunk by the French in Auckland harbour while Greenpeace were protesting French nuclear testing in the south pacific. There's a lotta history behind the ole girl!
The water was a little bit choppy on the rib on t...

So after leaving Auckland armed with a map and ipod and a rather delightful car to drive on the proper side of the road aain i set off and began my adventure by heading north. The rolling green hills of the north island greeted me after i had negotiated the motorway and the lovely roads i came to a town called Whangarei which has it's aptly name...

The caves took more out of me than I had realised and I ended up in bed (in a delightfully otherwise unprecedently empty dorm room) by 8pm, sleeping right through until nearly 9am the following morning. The Friday bus journey to Auckland took in Hobbiton, which is now just a farm where you can pay to have mounds where the set for Lord of the Rin...

Paihia - Bay of Islands - I stayed only one night in the Bay of Islands. No time (you will notice this is a running theme of my time in New Zealand. It looks small but there is lots to see and do!). The hostel was great. I walked to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and saw a traditional Maori (Native New Zealanders) performance. It was very interesti...

Sun 9th April Headed North to Paihia in the Bay of Islands, stopping after two hours on the way to collect some groceries. The scenery out of Auckland is pretty unspectacular compared to the South Island and the cold and the constant showers were not helping our mood. We checked into Centabay Backpackers and unfortunately I had to sleep for a co...

Now that I've blown past the one hour limit on the internet and am in unlimited range, I might as well throw in a few posts that will be a little more thoughtful than my earlier stuff in which I had to type like I was on deadline -- so this is a wrapup of New Zealand before we get to what I've been up to in Sydney. The South Island of New Zealan...

He Said: Highlights: 1. Christmas with our friends in Wellington - no turkey this year, it was all BBQ 2. The Country Patch where we spent Christmas. I can't imagine how it could have been better. 3. Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with the kids. It was really special!!! 4. Skyline Luging with Shannon and the Kids in Rotorua - we had a total...

Well we hired our car yesterday and made our 3hour journey up to the Bay of Islands. Steve and I played as Mum and Dad in the front; Steves driving and my navigational skills meant we got there fine and didn't get lost once! The landscape was fantastic on the way up, theres so much open space and land thats not used, the forests and plants growi...

20.54 - I'm glad to say that I have spent a lot less money today, mainly because I haven't been spending it all on beer! Instead I have been spending I ton healthier things like fruit etc. I feel so healthy and full of life at the moment, it's great. I am sure that I have grown physically and mentally since I left home even though it's only been...