Hi there! Internet cafes have been few and far between on our remote rambles around the north of New Zealand, but we're back.. In the last two and half weeks we've acquired a yellow van that's almost as old as we are, affectionately called her(?!) Sponge Bob and, after a week in Auckland with its wonderful harbour and views from the Sky Tower, whizzed around Northland and Coromandel on what is doubtless about her 72nd trip around New Zealand! The steering definitely seems to want to take us down particular side roads (although that has stopped a bit since we changed a bulging front tyre!)... Anyway, so far, she's been really good and we've been loving the freedom of having our own transport.

A fellow traveller we met in and explored Iguazu Falls with way back when had 'done' New Zealand and told us about Department of Conservation (DoC) campsites. These are minimally serviced sites (long drops and cold showers) in reserves in some of the most beautiful spots in New Zealand. We have stayed on some fantastic parts of the coastline, on the east coast of Northland, right up at the top just around the bay from Cape Reinga (no photos of the cape itself - our batteries ran out - which was stunning) and at the top of Coromandel Peninsula, although I probably shouldn't be telling you over the world wide web, having already been asked by one Kiwi to keep these treasures a secret!! It's been great...

The Kiwis are the funniest, friendliest people around and we have felt so welcome here. People are forever talking to us, even in the middle of supermarkets; as I was getting a couple of carrots for that evening's stir fry and man who was putting quite a lot of carrots into his bag looked at me and said, "Have you got a horse as well?"! - can you imagine that happening in Tescos?!

Sorting out the bulging tyre was even fun, being sent around the small town of Thames at the bottom of Coromandel from one specialist to another until our problem had been sorted for us - to Thames Wheel Alignment and then Frank's Tyres, when it was established that the wobble wouldn't be a tracking problem but more likely a "crook tyre"! And it was all sorted there and then, no being told that it would be impossible until a week on Wednesday!

So we like it. A lot.

Today (Wednesday) we've arrived in Tauranga on the Bay of Plenty and tomorrow we're starting a couple weeks on a small holding nearby, doing odd jobs around the farm and for the family in exchange for board and lodging. It'll be good to stay put for a while and spend some real time with Kiwis (although the husband is by all accounts part Geordie!)

Okay, we'll be in touch again soon. Hope everyone's well.

Lots of love, from us xxx