Had such a wonderful day! Went up to Atakari...I've honestly never seen so much greenery! The drive up was so amazing...it was like driving alongside a rainforest. The weather was a bit of a bummer though...completely overcast and drizzling intermittently. After a whole though I didn't mind the rain because it all made sense...in order for all this beauty to flourish, it needs a bit of water :)

After Atakari, we went to Piha beach...I've always said that one day I would love to live on the beach - I want to be able to open my back door and step onto beach sand. I think I've found the spot where I would like that dream to be a reality! It's so incredibly beautiful with its rolling waves and big green boulders that seem to have been just dropped there by a lazy giant because it was too heavy to carry. What struck me most was the black sand...yes, BLACK sand...I've always loved the unusual and I think that's why I loved Piha...it's just different (by the way the sand is black because of the iron ore).

Next stop was Eden Summit...in one word: WOW! You can see the whole of Auckland which in itself is amazing but what thrilled me was the knowledge that I was standing on a volcano...you kinda forget that Auckland is riddled with volcanoes...but on Eden there's a reminder in the form of a massive crater. The views were just breathtaking even though the weather was glum. I got to see Eden Park from afar...even though I'm not a Blues fan, I just got excited about the prospect of going there! First match for the Blues will be against the Crusaders on 1 March...need to check out ticket prices because I need to be front and centre for that..CRUSADER FOR LIFE!!!

All in all, it was a great day...got to meet some new people, see beautiful places and eat the best chicken burger I think I've ever had - and it was gluten free!

Slowly but surely I find myself falling in love with NZ...I don't mind the weather because there's just so much more to it...I'm sure my hair will adjust to the constant wet ;) I think afro chic is on the cards for me!

What excites me the most is that this is just the tip of the iceberg...there are so many more breathtakingly beautiful places to see and discover...I can't wait for that journey to begin!