So I'm actually going to be staying here longer than a few days and it feels like a life time ago that I was actually settled anywhere. Well I say staying, in the country that is, tomorrow morning I'm off on a 20 day tour of both islands which is going to be fantastic I'm sure. New Zealand, what cam I say about it, it's cold but it is only spring time and actually it is nice to be getting a variation of the seasons before moving on to sub tropical Cairns next month. It's also a relief not to be covering myself in Mosquito repellent every time I step out the door, that stuff has managed to burn a hole in the plastic of my Sony Ericsson so god knows what it's doing to my skin. Anyway I've only been here a few days and I love it. I'm basing all my first impressions on how I get treated in customs from now on and the officer actually asked how I was so bonus points there. It reminds me a lot of home, if I could sum it up, like a picturesque Britain with American style houses. You see a lot of recognisable things such as BP and normal size cars and of course Mc D's and subway which seems to be more and more common these days. Hey would you believe I keep bumping into the same people. Would you believe I keep bumping into the same people. I walk into the kitchen of the hostel yesterday lunchtime and sat at the table was the lad from Scotland who bought those huge funnels of beer you see me drinking out of in the Saddle Ranch in Hell A. Crazy. Then I arrive back in Auckland tonight and there are 3 lads from my flight to Hawaii. Insane. Is it a small world or am I on this ever evolving circuit of travellers making their way through well tested routes others have enjoyed hundreds of times over, doing the same thing, dinking in the same bars, meeting the same people whilst wondering where they can watch the England game on Sunday.The other day I went into work with a friend to sit behind the scenes on the 6 o clock news at the national station TVNZ. Wehey. I got to meet the presenters a bit more low key than meeting Sir Trevor but I'm assured that she is very famous in these parts. What was her name um…. Anyway I made myself busy and helped out by moving a chair and a few other very important jobs. I do like to get around. I'm going through a wildlife phase at the moment, things seem to be very much based outdoors. I've just arrived back from a two day trip to the Bay of Islands which is in the north of the Island, the scenery was amazing and I got to go out on a boat and spotted a school (is it a school?) of Dolphins, a blue penguin, a Whale!! and I'm sure there was something else…………….Oh that's right a Shark. A Mako to be exact. Of course I would love to have some pictures to show off but as these things appear and you manage to snap on that shutter, they disappear and you are left with that's right dead water shots. I've got hundreds of them. Better luck next time. I've also been sand boarding which involves taking a body board up to the top of a very large sand dune. Not easy to climb if your unfit like me. Laying down on the board and screaming for your life as you fly down the hill hoping you won't fall off and break your neck because your not sure if Insure and Go cover such activities. Hmmm. Anyway I'm safe and back in Auckland for the night. I hate to feel like a city girl but it's so good to be able to buy all the things I've been needing for ages like …………an all blacks scarf, or a McDonalds or maybe one of those key rings with a map of the north island on it. Joking aside however I have managed to buy myself a travel hairdryer for the rip off price of 4 pounds. Plus two jumpers and a fleece in the Army Navy Store for a mere 6 pounds in preparation for the South Island. I was over the moon to finally have a hairdryer, so you can imagine my dismay when I came back to the hostel and the Japanese girl I was sharing with was in bed, at 8.30 on a Friday night. There I was pointing at the hairdryer as she stared at me bleary eyed. "I……need……to….use….the….dryer……… make…… a… noise…….noise…..yes…..hair." Anyway, I think she thought I was mad.

You may also have noticed that I am becoming a little more literate and almost coherent. That is because they have real computers that almost work, I say almost because just before I wrote this my laser mouse froze and I lost all my work. But at least they keyboard is 1 in English and 2 has all it's keys, always a bonus.

I take it back the mouse malfunctioned again and I've now been here 2 hours.