These are Cave Whettas, they live in the long-drop toilet near the Retreat Huts in the Forest. They are shy and harmless but look a bit like a cross between a stick insect and a spider.

Here we are at Mana. Already a week has passed and with it Christmas. My first vegetarian Christmas! I have learned to clean bathrooms, help in the kitchen and tend the kitchen garden. Terry is tending the orchard. We have both spent a day mulching. Yesterday we went into Coromandel and rode on a funny little railway. Today we climbed the mountain. The peace of this place is so strong and it feels like a great beginning for our trip.