On Saturday we drove to Taupo via Wai-o-tapu, another geothermal reserve - very awesome and colourful, a wonderful place. We didn't like Taupo very much, in contrast to Rotorua where we could easily have stayed another week! - Taupo is basically a stag and hen resort with lots of watersports and noisy cars! We ate dinner at a friendly cafe that served lots of GF food - I had a courgette crust-free quiche and Dom had a salmon & asparagus quiche, along with lots of chips and smoothies. On Sunday we drove to Hastings via Napier - sadly it was very rainy so we didn't stop long in Napier. We stopped at a vineyard near Hastings for a few samples and bought a bottle of rose wine. We then went to an indian restaurant in Hastings - the poppadoms were called papads and were salty and shaped like cornets (we had to ask for mango chutney) & the chilli chicken was like chinese style! We returned to Napier this morning (Monday) to do a scenic drive but unfortunately the roads on the drive weren't suitable for campervans and the weather was still rainy! We continued onto Himatangi Beach via Palmerston North, where we stopped very briefly to buy some groceries. This evening we walked 5 mins from the campsite to Himatangi Beach while the sun was setting - it's a pretty place with lots of inquisitive birds. Tomorrow we are driving to New Plymouth. We are growing conscious that our holiday is coming to an end but we just aren't ready to come home yet!!