We find ourselves in Tauranga now, the first lively place we've been to in New Zealand. In fact, everywhere has been either dreary with drizzle or empty of people, it seems this country is mostly empty. Still, we are finding many things to do. We've been canyoning down massive caves (abseiling, rock climbing, tubing and jumping into freezing water off high rocks, all in the dark with glowworms everywhere), and we went kayaking the other day. Also done a number of hikes around places, including a path full of dark caves in the night, and this morning 'Mount' Maraungi or whatever its name is. It wasn't much of a mountain, more of a big steep hill. But it did have some nice scenery. We travelled up to the very tip of New Zealand, bodyboarded down a sanddune (I was the only one who managed to get all the way into the river at the bottom...kind of wish I didn't), and we've visited all manner of weird and wonderful places. All mostly empty of people. None of that has been quite so absurd as my drive through the Coromandel mountain range the other day, though, which was practically offroading down this tight track covered in gravel up and down rancid steep slopes and tight corners. All in a camper van. Whoo me, it lasted like an hour to get through 25km, and I had to hose the van down after.

That thrill aside, we've been smelling awful, clawing for showers at every opportunity, and ruing the sordid weather. Still, we've made it into the sea a few times, yesterday to dig holes in the sand for a hot spa beach type affair. It was too hot, when we finally succeeded. Then we went schnorkelling and saw a massive sinister sting ray. I also saw a large crab, a little bit too large, right beneath me, and fled in terror. We couldn't find it again. Perhaps the best. We all survived that harrowing experience, but Ben has now got sunburnt all over. Incidentally, Mr Alex Lowe has gone AWOL; he fled to go and meet someone, and who knows if we will ever see him again.

Phil Out.