We decided to fly in from Wellington to avoid the Easter traffic and having to take all the time driving. We took a 737 flight to Auckland and then hopped on a 16 seat turbo prop for the short jump up to Whangarei. I've got to say flying in New Zealand is so much more pleasant than the US. You don't have to nearly strip and they seemed pleasantl...

Moved on from the backpacker hostels and now staying in a gorgeous little campsite in Northland for two days diving in a marine reserve. The scenery is lovely, very green, and sometimes it looks just like home but with slightly more sun and more exotic trees! The diving was on the Poor Knights Islands which are the remains of another dormant vol...

We're now in Whangarei, New Zealand. We arrived here early this morning from Orewa, which is a small town just north of Auckland. Yesterday after our last entry, we ended up getting a great deal on a car rental. The guy was the owner of the company and needed to get this car to Christchurch by the 9th of Feb (but we don't fly out until the 15th)...

So the plane landed and we all got off. as we exited the airport the first thing you notice is the cold, yes thats right the COLD, i not a fan of the cold, i like warm, warm like 30' warm. but then we have not come here for the weather and its a good job too, we are here to see the sights on the opposite side of the globe. the holiday is based a...

This entry, sorry, was double and so I killed it. Instead, I put some pictures with it of our trip up the mountain (Mount Mahaia?) and on to Ocean Beach with astounding views over several bays and islands. New Zealand is surrounded by smaller and larger islands (this is the Bay of Islands) and especially from higher above, the views are breathta...