Kiwis and Fairy Bread

14 December 2023 After one more long soak in the mineral pool we packed up and took a short drive to Ray’s Rest, along The Firth of Thames. This protected area consists of ocean, beach and swamp. The sand on the narrow beach is made almost entirely of white shells. There are plenty of birds such as local herons and a sand-piper like bird called a pied stilt pouaka. Across the street from the beach are grazing cows. On the other side of the waterway is the Coromandel Peninsula; an area of more hills, hot springs and the famous Hot… Read more

13 December 2023 Upon exiting Auckland Airport we found our way to THL, a large agency for renting Camper Vans, the New Zealand term for RV. This Maui 3 berth camper van is much bigger than we expected, but well suited to our needs. And Mike is driving it like a pro! We’ll take you on an official tour of it in a future post. Soon after leaving the city we were in the country side. It’s easy to see why the British claimed this land as their own: it looks so much like Northern England. There are meadows of… Read more