Tuesday 28th

Our KE trip began with a visit to our guide Chris' s mum. She parked the bus on the lawn while we had tea and scones, bizarre but lovely!

we then drove down to Rotorua via a picnic in the park

Overnight accommodation was a  holiday park lodge, 1 bed and 2 bunks in each lodge, with a very compact sink and cooker unit, and tiny toilet and shower. Basic but clean and adequate, and the Maori entertainment in the evening was ok if noisy! The meal for the 150 or so guests was  a 'hungi' and surprisingly good

After dinner we walked down to a geyser site, hoping to see it spurt. A rather surreal experience sitting on very hot rocks, with boiling water coming out of rocks in all directions. Patience paid off, as we walked away the geyser did spurt. A strangely disturbing sensation of the Rock being alive, sinister and restless all around. Very atmospheric with the sulphurous steam, and very warm of course.

We all crowded into the guides' lodge for a magnificent breakfast on Tuesday morning. 

WE have 2 guides, Chris who is obviously very experienced, stepped in at the last moment as the original man was unwell. She has Finn to help her, who is a delightful young man filling in time! He is well travelled and knowledgeable, and by the end of the trip will also be domesticated!

Tuesday has been a delightful day of walking in redwood forest:these are imported trees but have settled into their new habitat and are very beautiful alongside native plants.

The rest of the day was a delightful mix of mud pools,  steamy caverns,  devil's cauldrons, weird coloured lakes, distorted rock faces and brilliantly coloured mineral deposits on a visit to a very well organised geothermal park called Wai u Tapu.  Full of tourists but spectacular. We also saw some undeveloped mud pools and steamy pools, in fact the whole area looks like a giant laundry.

So ends day 2,  with an enormous steak and says age BBQ feast! 

The big walk crossing Tongiriro tomorrow....

Apologies for the weird layout of blog, can't seem to get it right!

Sunday, back in Auckland

After a blissful day of doing very little except swim and read yesterday, Chris and I headed back to Auckland, returned the car to 'hitch'  with no fuss as we by this time had a map! , and got the sky bus back to town and checked into Auckland City hotel for the night. We met up with the other 6 travellers on the KE tour, and guides Chris and Finn.  A fun meal of sharing platters at 'depot' , followed by early night for an early start tomorrow. We are both very glad to have had such a lovely 4 days in Coramandel,  and feel refreshed and ready for a busy 19 days. Some of the other members of the group are very tired.......

Friday

Fraught morning but eventually re United with Anne's phone! Made it in time across the peninsula to dump our luggage in our spectacular B&B, sea view to die for and 3 minute stroll to empty, safe, sandy beach!

Then straight on to Whitianga to join a boat trip to cathedral cove thus avoiding the limited parking and the crowds, and en route being shown the rare NZ tree climbing penguins.

We were of course shown the cathedral cove, and other rock structures, by our guide:check out Chris' s toyboy!

On our return we saw the same pair of birds which of course turned out to be shags. 

.....

The day ended with a superb swim and glass of wine, on our patio.

Thursday 23rd

Wonderful day today walking the coramandel coastal walkway, a 4 hour walk between the ends of 2 roads, with a lovely driver called Will and 5 other walkers. Will very informative about conservation of trees, and lifestyle and politics of north island. He also had some quirky photo opportunities!

Mainly through bush and with wonderful surprising views, the walk was varied, interesting and extremely sweaty  so ended for me with a refreshing swim AND a cold water shower!

The return journey included another 1 hour walk and a stunning sunset to rival the amazing sunsets of 2016 from my front door.

The wonderful day ended with a late meal at a relaxed restaurant, and a fraught night as I realised I had lost my mobile phone,  so returned to search by torchlight. After spending a good part of the next morning searching again and reporting the loss to the police email,  thankfully I got a message from daughter Heather to say it had been handed in at another cafe: am I glad that I must have at some point put her number as my ICE......Thanks Heather 

Wednesday again

Ok,  so I got the days mixed up and my proof reader did not notice mistake!
Wednesday 22nd left Auckland hotel and got Sky bus back to airport to pick up rental car. Well, what a fiasco! Eventually got transport to the car rental depot, and the dopey girl in charge was dopey. Paperwork no problem, but the manual car requested turned out to be automatic, no maps of any sort, no manual of any sort, and her instructions , firmly reiterated 3  times, ensured that we progressed in 1st gear only. So we returned to the depot after the 1st roundabout for the car to be sorted by the owner, who just gave us the correct information about the automatic technique, and we could disregard the dopey girl's emphatic instruction to make sure we never tried to drive unless the figure 1 was showing on the dashboard. And it wasn't April fools day.  We would NOT recommend the company 'hitch', as we encountered several hitches!
Plain sailing after that, lovely B& B in Coromandel after browse round town and tea and cake, then lovely bush walk and swim.

Wednesday

Day exploring Auckland,  loved the stunning architecture of the art gallery, peaceful Albert Park and a ferry to Devonport for an over-the-water view  the city.

Then a quick dash back for a shower and to meet Bronny (sibyl's goddaughter) for a meal at the fish restaurant on the harbour

and enjoy the stunning night city views.

Auckland Monday Tuesday

Finally disembarked from our seats of 15.5 hours at 11.30 am Monday (22.30 pm Sunday back in UK) and got sky bus to near our aparthotel for a blissful cup of tea and shower before exploring the harbour area on swollen feet, cooking supper and collapsing into our beds on 18th floor

On way now.

Now at airport waiting to board, having been well frisked in security! Picture (with luck) from Oxenholme.

Packed, testing to see if I can upload a photo. Complicated!

Sat. 18th

Starting a new blog about Chris and my trip to NZ.   Setting off for train in 1 hour.