Today we leave NZ after 4 incredible weeks! We're in the airport waiting to leave & taking advantage of the free internet access - can't put photos on though, so you'll have to wait til we get to the U.S. Since we last wrote we've visited Waitomo caves - another not to be missed experience! We went in through a man-made cave built so as to preserve the original entrance which is sacred to the Maori. We went down a long spiral walkway which had been bored into the rock, then through airlocks into the caves. Amazing! Unless you've seen them it's difficult to imagine what they are like. The stalactites & stalacmites are enormous & the high chambers & deep caverns are spectacular. We went 63metres below the surface, walked above underground rivers & listened to waterfalls sounding like distant thunder. We saw the 'cathedral' where the guide sang a maori song in the perfect acoustics & then we took a (silent) boat ride through the gloworm caves - magical! For the last 3 days we've been staying just outside Auckland in a late 19th century Colonial style house set in 15 acres of bush & had a lovely room with our own veranda & sitting room. Jennie - you'd love it! We've been in to Auckland & decided we like it better than Sydney - less crowded, fewer high rise buildings & a nicer 'feel' to it. We went 220 metres up the Sky tower, saw wonderful views of the city all around us & tried to spot all the volcanic hills. Yesterday we went to the coast, relaxed & enjoyed the still wonderful, sunny weather & the beautiful coves. So it's goodbye to lovely New Zealand & off to San Francisco.............