Raratonga to Otamure beach in one day. Had to decide which way to turn out of Auckland - south to the tourist trail including Rotaura, Bay of Plenty, Lake Taupo, or North to Bay of Islands, and more remote places. We went right - North and ended up at 8.30pm in a campsite with a welcome party. Peter the camp host was brilliant - we were a bit disorientated, with no batteries in the torch - no tea at the ready, he provided us with Light, Tea and a cooker for ...

2 days later and I still wasn't sure what bought people to Yosemite. It was dramatic, high cliffs, rivers, pools, meadows - but not enough to pull so many people. The park is in the was in the middle of areas with high populations - SF, LA etc a bit like the peak district. It was when we hired bikes for the day and rode around the area that finally convinced me. In Yosemite they had had problems with car pollutions and too many people and so had made many of the ...

We arrived in Yosemite - unprepared in the dark - 10pm to find a car occupied our site - checked that we were on the list of arrivals for the day and drove round again - getting more and more tired now. It was our site, the campers next down had just put their truck on our car space. Fortunately CT had bought more torches and flashlights so that we could see where to put up the tent. Pumped up the beds and threw the kids into bed. Was concerned that the group of ...

Gentle day - children didn't wake until 8.30 so out went an early start. Everyone down the laundry for 2 hours - so cheap 25c for 10 minutes of drying and $2.75 for a wash. Only takes 35 mins for a wash - how come domestic washers take 2 hours or more? CT came back with a US military style crew cut from the barbers and LM wheeled the laundry baskets around the narrow room bashing into everything. Back on the bus up to SFMOMA - Museum of modern art to look at J...

Civilisation - meaning showers, sheets, blankets - no need to wear a hat in bed and it doesn't deflate when you are asleep. I have booked a rather luxurious family rooms with kitchen and room to put all our stuff and an extortiate cost that has out stripped our total spending so far! Still its nice to have hot water, space and dryness! Got the bus down to Fishermans Wharf and lo & behold there was a National Park Area on Hyde Key so we got in another quick...