NZ customs in their wisdom unpacked my tent and checked it for dirt/bugs and god knows what else. Had a slight difference of opinion when they left the pegs & poles out and stuffed the tent back into the bag. Chances are they could have ruined a 200 pound tent and I questioned whether this was their customary approach to welcoming their visitors and perhaps they would like to repack my tent properly and carefully. Was more than willing to give them a lesson, if they did not know how, but surely they where not that inept as backpackers came through all the time.

10 minutes latter and cursing loudly, I repacked my tent in the middle of
the arrivals hall making as much noise as possible.

Got a shuttle to Bob & Rachel’s, who put me up in their son’s bedroom and gave me a key to the house! Got the ferry across from Devonport into the heart of the city, wandered about, got my hair cut and removed my now ridiculous holiday beard. Bob then took me down to his local at about 5.30. By 7.30 we had moved pubs to meet Rachel. By 9.30 I was the worse for wear, 10.30 had some tea and then somehow found the energy to drink rum till 1am with Bob.

Bob turned out to have made a living at all kind of activities, including
being a cabin boy on a whaling ship, owning a fairground dolphin called
“Flapper,” and a used car parts salesman. Great fun looking back at all his photo’s that evening.

Next day met up with Ken, the Scottish guy I met in Samoa. Bob took us to the top of Mount Victoria for views of the city and then into the bars in town. Bob went home, we went for a pint in the backpackers Globe bar. Managed to make the last ferry back to Devonport, only to be locked out at Bob & Rachel’s (picked up the wrong key!) – felt very sheepish when Rachel let me in.

Sorted out a hire car from the airport on the Saturday morning. Cost 13
pounds a day to hire , but was a 13 year old 1.3 Toyota Starlet with
180,000km on the clock! Met ken in the evening and he agreed to travel about with me for a week and share the hire/petrol costs. We Watched the NZ vs South Africa semi final on our own personal tv screen in the globe bar (very cool). Headed back to Bob’s local which was not showing the France/Ireland game, so went to bed.

Left Bob & Rachel’s, bought them a bunch of flowers and some captain morgan as a thank you for taking me in for 3 days. Really do meet some nice people on your travels. Ken & I headed for Waitomo Caves and did the Tuba Tuba Caving expedition. 2 Hours underground, saw glow worms, crawled/squeezed through some tight places, swam sections, jumped off a rock ledge onto a tyre inner tube and spent a relaxing few minutes floating downstream on the afore mentioned tube. Great fun.

Drove like a madman on back country roads to get to Rotorua to watch the England Quarter final on the telly at 10.30pm. Managed to take out a Rabbit on the way, but missed a possum! Chaos in the Lava Bar, great atmosphere and celebrated a less than convincing win over the Welsh.

Spent the next day in Rotoru, ambling around the hot springs, mud pools and geysers before heading off towards National Park Backpackers and a quiet evening preparing food for the next days adventure.

Set off from the Hostel at 7.45am, bound for the Tongarrio Crossing.
Possibly the best day walk in the North Island, 18km long with a vertical gain of 800metres followed by a descent of 1200m! Slogged along all morning, the weather closed in by the time we reached the plateau before the summit, visability was down to 100metres. No sign of the volcanic peaks off of the route, trudged along the pockmarked and snow encrusted landscape.

Surged up to the peak in gale force winds which came close to blowing me over at one point. Crested the summit to find the next 300meters or so where down a scree slope, which you sort of half stepped/half slid down, trying not to look either side of you! Passed some very smelly sulpher lakes before spending a happy afternoon marching down the mountain into grasslands then forest.

Both Ken and I spent most of Wednesday whining about our aches and pains. Made it to the Polenesian Spa Resort in Rotorua for a mineral bath to ease our aching limbs. Stopped at a local hostel for the night and Ken cooked up a treat – Veal Steak, Lamb Steaks, Rissoles covered in a spinach & mushroom crème fresh sauce, with an asparagus garnish. The Baked Bean & Ichiban Noodle Brigade stared on with envy.

The morning after, we planned our route back to the Parnell district of
Auckland. On the way I went Zorbing. This involved being put in a giant
hamster ball with a bucket of warm water, then pushed down a hill. Awesome. Followed this with a 4 wheel drive bush safari. Whilst I did some clay pigeon shooting, ken had a go at a race car circuit. Great day of activities. By the time we reached Parnell, we where knackered. Bought some beers and had a quiet night in and said our goodbyes as I was off to Sydney the Next day.

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