Wahey arrived in NZ at last!!

We caught the coach from the Airport into town and found the first BP that we fancied or should I say the one the bus driver kept on insisting we went to, must have got commission.

The ACB Backpackers place was huge and we were really tired so decided to get a double room which turned out to be a shoe box with no window but it did have a fridge, very useful for storing my moisturiser. We dumped our stuff and had a look around the City for a bit and went to check out another BP hoping it would be better than ours. We found a really old place around the corner which was cheaper and a lot homelier so we booked up for the next day then headed off for something to eat and an early night.

The ACB had a travel agent and a job centre which was really handy so in the morning we went down to the job place to find out the best thing to do. We had come to a decision that we would be going skiing ASAP so the lady whom we spoke to told us to come and see her when we got back and she would find us a job easy. We both didn't really want to work and live in Auckland though as it was just another City like any other and didn't really hold any appeal for us so we thought we would have a quick looksy in Wellington and Christchurch on our way down to Queenstown in the South Island.

Toby booked a couple of train tickets for our journey the next day and then we went and checked into the new BP. It turned out to be cheaper and the room was a lot nicer, after that we went off to find a Motorbike place that sell and hire used bikes. We didn't find anything we liked in the shop so walked back the BP, in the rain... hadn't stopped since arriving in NZ. I then walked back into town to buy a coat as it was soooo cold and wet my 2 jumpers were just not ample, ended up spending £100 on a really cool coat that would be great for skiing as well

Later in the evening Toby finally got his chance to watch the Osbournes which turned out to be truly hilarious then I went down stairs to the bar for my free bar and ended up chatting to some Japanese people before going to bed.

Got up early and set off to a really good cafe for some b'fast then went and caught the train which took 12hrs to get to Wellington - really good journey though. The scenery was the best I have ever ever seen in my little life, I knew it was going to be lovely but I was still gobsmacked at the sheer and wonderful beauty of the place.. At 7pm we arrived in Wellington and checked into the BP just opposite the station which turned out to be a really really cool place so we dumped our bags in the dorm room, again the nicest dorm we have seen specially as it was warm - something we hadn't had in a while. We walked around the town for a look at the place and to find a Mexican restaurant, we really liked the feel of the place and thought it would be a good idea to find a job here. It really reminded me of the posh parts of London and had a good buzz, full of restaurants and interesting places the only draw back is that it was the wettest part of NZ ..........

We found a Mexican but it ended up not having any Mexican food? so we headed off to another place down the road from it which turned out to be the best meal I had eaten in bloody ages and the cheapest! I caught a taxi back whilst Toby walked then went and checked out the bar in the BP which was huge, and had a big open fire and a great atmosphere.

Again had to get up early to catch a coach which dropped us off at the ferry terminal for our 3 hr journey to Picton. The ferry ride was really lovely for a change and took us through the most amazing scenery again looking at snow covered mountains in the distance and plush green mountains in front of us, I was disappointed we didn't see any Whales though.

We all bundled off of the ferry in Picton and went and had a quick lunch before getting on another train taking us to Christchurch. The South island is definitely prettier than the North from what I have seen and if I thought the scenery was great the day before then this just topped it. The back of the train had an open carriage which had no windows so you could take photo's, well I didn't know where to start because all around we were seeing the greenest hills and huge majestic mountains then rivers and aqua blue lakes - wow. We arrived at the train station at 7pm then Toby rang Ben, a great bloke we met when on the transiberian train at the beginning of our journey and had kept in touch with. He very kindly came and picked us up and took us into town where he then found us a BP to dump our stuff, we ended up having a really nice room because someone else had cxl and it was like having a basic hotel room with TV as opposed to a freezing cold box room with nothing but a bed. The weather in Christchurch was the coldest I had felt since Mongolia and was really glad about my new snugly coat... We all went out for a drink to catch up with everything and to find out about Ben who was really excited about being a father soon!! He gave us a quick tour of the town and then left us to get some well earned sleep.

Again got up early and caught a coach to Queenstown which took about 8hrs with a few stops on the way, one being a little place over looking the most wonderful colbolt blue lake in front of a huge range of snow covered mountains - crystal clear blue sky and clean air.

We took a few pictures then got back on the coach and onto Queenstown which turned out to be a lovely picturesque place nestled into hills sweeping into the shore of the huge lake. We got off the coach and then walked around trying to find somewhere to stay for the night but everywhere seemed to be busy, it looked like we would have to stay in an expensive place or sleep out in the cold but we luckily went back to a BP which had been previously booked up only to find a couple of people had cancelled.

Fanbloodytastic I was freezing my arse off and was really pleased to find myself in a warm room that had a radiator !! We spent the evening having a look around the town which was just like being in a European skiing resort townie place with bags of atmosphere and people walking around with snowboards and ski's. It was like being back in England at Xmas time - you know that cosy late night shopping kind of feeling when it's really cold but the shops are all lit up and inviting etc. We found a Chinese restaurant which had a set meal special but turned out to be a bit crap because the portions were children's size between the 2 of us.

Went back to the Lakeside BP which incidentally was perched on a hill right next to the lake and the white mountains, what a wonderful view to wake up to every morning. I found that I was sharing my room with a really nice lady called Julia from Wales and we just clicked straight away.

Spent the day doing some washing and then sorted out a starter skiing package and ski clothes, oh it's getting exciting now but getting a bit worried just incase I make an arse of myself. Didn't really do much else apart from buy a fab new pair of jeans as mine had ripped leaving a nice hole in the botty area - not good but a great excuse to buy some more!! We then just had a quiet night watching TV then went to bed but stayed up till gone 2am talking to Julia and having a bloody good laugh it was just like being a child again and having friend over to stay the night and you end up getting in trouble cause you can't stop laughing......

Well we had to get up early to catch the coach taking us into the remarkables which wasn't very easy seeing as I didn't have much sleep..... but I was all ready and waiting for our coach in all my ski gear and looking cool. The trip up the mountain was really scary because of the windy hairpin bends and the amount of snow on the road, we got higher and higher into the clouds so I just had to close my eyes and hold onto Toby until the coach dropped us off.

Wow real snow! not just a couple of cm we get in the UK but deep white snow everywhere the eye could see - we were in the mountains!! After getting our ski's and boots sorted out we met up with our instructor for our first lesson. It was a really good couple of hours and I was surprised at how good I turned out to be and how much harder it is in practice, it looked so easy though. view video (688 kb)

We had some lunch then spent the afternoon practising my new moves, Toby on the other hand had done skiing before when he was younger and got back into it straight away. At 4pm we caught the coach back and then went out for a Mexican meal then I stayed up late again talking with the lads and drunk a bottle of red.

Oh dear not feeling so good today because of a hangover and feeling really tired all my own fault. I was absolutely crap on the snow today and could not get to grips with any of it........ so ended up really frustrated with myself and angry especially because Toby was doing so well, he always seems to do everything very well and I get so competitive. Clare and Beau will know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that Toby seems to be good at everything he turns his hand to.

Anyway I went up the big slope in the afternoon with the big boys and didn't do that bad but had a bit of a nasty fall so I gave up early and we caught the 3 pm bus back to the BP and then went to bed.

Well it was the last day on the snow today so once again we were up really early, had our porridge and caught the bus up to the mountain, I'm glad we don't have to that journey again! Our lesson was at 10.30am and I really enjoyed our last one because the group was a lot smaller so he could spend individual time with us and give us some really good tips. Of course Toby was way ahead of us - surprise surprise and he was being taught how to ski using more advance methods. 2 hours later we were on our own so we hit the slope with a bit more confidence than before, I was actually quite good!

We split up in the afternoon to go off and do our own thing which I found easier cause I didn't have the pressure of Toby, ski master extraordenair watching me ...... Soon enough though it was nearly 3pm and time to catch the coach back down the mountain, I was really sad that we wouldn't be skiing again and really feel I did well in the amount of time we had but all good things come to an end. In the evening we went out for a curry which was at happy hour, $15 each which was only £5 and was really nice. The 'Osbournes' were on tonight so we watched that and then went out for a drink with Danny the Canadian lad who was staying at the BP with us. Well what started off as a quiet drink ended up a pub crawl with me drinking 6 tequila's which for some reason didn't affect me and just didn't get drunk!! the boys thought this was amazing as they were feeling pretty rough by now so at 3 am we wondered back home and went to bed.

Woke up late and then went into town to use the Internet then caught up with my diary which we were really behind. Whilst Toby went and e-mailed a contact about a job and then updated his CV - lot more opportunities for someone with his skills I just hope I find something as well.

Toby is doing well sorting out all his job stuff whilst I will have to find out where we will be living before I can start looking as his job will be more important than mine, I really fancy working with animals for a change but I just know I won't get much money for that.

We then went out for a walk and for a trip on the gondola which went up a huge mountain, not very good for people who don't like heights like me! shit my pants ... The views from the top though were absolutely breathtaking and worth the trip so we had some lunch and watched some people on the Luge run. I had never heard of this before and it was basically like a sledge thing that went down hill on wheels on a concrete track that wound around a steep hill, I thought it looked like great fun. We watched the parascenders float around us whilst we took some photo's then went back down and straight into a bird sanctuary. It was a really nice couple of hours being followed by a tame duck whom you could stroke and seeing our first Kiwi's that were just like big balls of fluff with large beaks. Toby had arranged to meet one of the girls who we were catching a lift back to Christchurch with, in the bar. At 10pm us and Adam wondered up to town. Ended meeting with lots of Aussie girls, one of them looked just like Sarah from England who is going out with Keith We drank lots of Redbull and Vodka and having fun - again!! went to bed at 2ish again.......

I got up early cause the girls who had descended in my room the night before woke up at 7am and weren't ready until 9am - what they were doing is anyone's guess but it consisted of doors banging and the light going on and off etc. I have to say it takes me no time at all to get myself ready in the morning now so if I can do it then they should bloody well learn.

I thought at 10am I should go and wake Toby as I was now bored sitting on my own and he was still fast asleep, bad move though as it made him in a bad mood all day. After he had woken up a little we went and had a game of mini golf which was really good fun and I have to mention for the record that I BLOODY WELL WON !!!!!!! yes I actually beat Toby at something (only just) and was very very happy, mind you if I hadn't double checked adding up the points Toby would have got away with saying he had won - cheater.

We then just dossed around the town for a couple of hours and went on the Internet and then spent a quiet evening in watching TV and packing as we had an early start in the morning.

Met the girls at the BP station at 7am and then waited fo another lad called Ben who was also catching a lift. Toby and I just fell asleep on the bed in the back straight away and didn't wake up until 9ish when we had to get some petrol then i dozed off again for most of the journey. It must have taken about 7hrs in the end to get to Christchurch with only a couple of stops on the way so after they had dropped Ben off at the Airport they then dropped us off in the centre of town.

It was then time for us to say goodbye and made tentative arrangements to meet up in a pub that evening after they had gone to the Rugby match. They were only 21 and were really fun girls, I wish we could have met up with them before as I think we could have had a couple of good evenings with them!! We said goodbye then realised 10mins later that I had left my glasses in the van and so phoned them on the mobile only to realise that I was stood right next to the van and having a conversation with her for ages to find out where they were...... funny at the time

Anyway we found the backpackers that we stayed in last time and sorted our stuff out and then phoned up Ben to say we were back. I then went out around the OP shops ( second hand shops) to find some boots, low and behold found a new pair of high sexy boots for only $24 - £8 which is a bloody bargain! so I thought I would wear them out for the evening down the pub, only problem was I had forgotten how to walk in high heels. The pub was packed that evening and we only stayed for one drink before heading back with me tootling along behind in my silly high heels - well it has been 10months since wearing the buggers.

Didn't have much sleep due to sleeping in a dorm with loads of other blokes who snored and farted all night........ mooched around in the morning then waited for Ben to come over and meet us after lunch. Ben and his lovely wife, Rachel who is now 7 months pregnant took us on a little tour around Christchurch bless em, and we had a lovely afternoon. They took us over their house first and Rachel did us an afternoon tea with sandwiches and cake then we went for a drive so we could see some of the surrounding area and get an idea of where we could live. We said goodbye later in the evening and had an early night, we now had a double room to ourselves with a TV - luxury!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tiger the residential cat decided to come and keep us company in the morning....

Handed our bags in behind the reception so we could have a walk around the town for the day and sort out some stuff. I went to some more OP shops without success then went and had a look at the current rental costs on property in the area. Still wasn't that madeup yet on the area, so was open minded about going Wellington where we were thinking to settle. At 4.30pm we went and caught the coach that took us to Picton - where we were going to catch the ferry the next day to the North Island. We arrived about 10ish and found ourselves in a wonderful backpackers, it was like a lovely warm friendly house, best bit was the double room we had - just lovely.

The place was was sooooo nice and even had a hot tub in the garden which we were to tired to go in so just had a couple of drinks and went to bed.

Woke up and had a free b'fast which was fab then left our bags and had a walk around the little town - such a pretty pretty place, I would like to stay around this area as it would be nice to stay and work somewhere that was so different from the UK.

The Towns/Cities in NZ are just what you would expect anywhere which is defeating the object of working in another country for me.......... I fancy working more in the countryside of NZ where you can see the mountains and greenery but also need to find Toby an IT job?

We caught the Lynx ferry at 1.30pm and were back in Wellington at 4pm where Toby then rang a friend of a friend, Andy, whom we hadn't' ever met before but had invited s to stay with him and his wife, Rachel. Can't believe how kind people are in OZ and NZ, it's just unheard of in England to turn up on someone's doorstep and say 'Hi, I met your mate Jo Blogs the other week and he said we could come and stay with you when in this neck of the woods - so here we are!' We went and caught a train and Andy came and picked us up from the station then they both fed and watered us and made us feel very much at home for the evening. Osbornes tonight

I caught up with some diary then checked out the job situation on the net which is a bit difficult at the mo until Toby finds what he wants then we know what area we will be staying in. The weather is bloody awful so decided just to have a walk to the supermarket and get some food for a Chilli then got a taxi back.

We all went out for a curry in the evening which was really nice, they are such a sweet couple and I can't believe they just let us drop in and stay with them!

Ha ha Tobes got a bad belly .....

Charlie dropped us off in Wellington as Toby had an interview with an Agency at 3pm so first thing was to get ourselves a bank account where we could put our bankers cheques at last. The first bank 'ASB' were absolute tosh and needed 3months worth of bank statements just to open a basic savings account, we didn't want an overdraft or a cheque book etc just somewhere to put our wages!! and we didn't have 3months worth of statements on us anyway............GOD I HATE BANKS. ...............

So we went to the 'National Savings Bank' which was owned by 'Lloyds' and had the same logo etc, must be sort of OK I thought...... WANKERS

Charge us for absolutely everything, so I got all bloody uptight and to hell with banks, the leaching vampires bla bla. Then started on about how we all have to live in the system and how impossible it is to live in todays society without a bank account and how everyone's details are on computers for all to see - Yep I've seen the Sandra Bullock film 'The Net'. So after raving on for a bit and stating that we couldn't fart in a bucket without being charged Toby dragged us out of the bank and away from the poor bank teller 'Glenn'. I had now got onto the topic of politicians and taxation, and was stating that they all sleep with loose women and shag dogs with all the money they make....... he actually agreed with me on that one so couldn't be that bad a bloke.

We walked around for a bit and found Toby some work clothes then he went off for his interview whilst I had a look around.

He seemed a bit despondent when he came out of the interview and was miffed all the way back on the train. I kept telling him it wasn't important and that he shouldn't worry, he will find something ..... He said sorry when we got off the train and said he will chill out a bit more from now on. I cooked a huge chilli in the evening for Andy,Toby and myself then waited for Charlie to finish her night shift at the hospital. I spent the evening playing with Molly the cat who loved plastic bags!

Stayed in for the whole day and just chilled out because the weather was really crappy. In the evening we went out and got a takeout Chinese for dinner, didn't realise it was going to be such big portions though! had enough to keep us going for the next day. We went out looking for Molly the cat as she had disappeared for ages and it just wasn't like her. Andy was out drinking with friends and Charlie was working until 11pm. I thought Molly had been hit by a car or something else had happened to her, but the little bugger just turned up as soon as we got back indoors. Toby sorted out hiring a car for a few days as we had decided to go up to Auckland and Te Puke to collect our bag from the Backpackers and to go visit Van's parents and sister. We had sent some of our stuff from Oz over to Clarity (Van's sister) so that we didn't have to carry it all over with us. Bless her heart had kept in under her desk all this time so we had to go and collect it.

The car was delivered late so by the time we had all the paper work sorted out it was about 11am. We bundled in the car and headed straight to Auckland which took us through the most stunning scenery and we saw the most wonderful mountains and volcano's. The only thing that let the country down was was the the towns and City's they just seems to be industrial kind of buildings and really not very attractive. Not all places are like this as some of the villages are pretty but you have to go out of your way to find them.

We stopped off in Cambridge for the evening in a Motel which was nice, we had a TV in the room and a bathroom - wonderful. We stayed up and watched a couple of films then conked out.

Left at about 9ish and headed into Auckland to pick up our bag from the Backpackers which we did really quickly then headed straight off to Tauranga. The drive took about 3hrs and when we arrived we parked up and went for a walk . The place seemed nice but quite built -up on the outskirts but when we waked in the mall part down to the sea front we seemed to like it a bit more. It is a beachy kind of place but also a working docks area and has as a population of about 50.000 people so isn't really huge. We had some lunch in a little cafe which wasn't so hot then went and bought some papers for Rental houses

We then went and found a Backpackers in the area but they were full, they had a motel room which we took. We went and did some food shopping then cooked dinner in our lovely room before hitting the hay.

Packed up our bags then headed off to Te Puke so that we could collect our bags from Clarity. It took us about 30mins to get the town which again was like all the others but we stopped off and got some flowers to say thanks then found her place of work. We met her in reception and she was really friendly just like her brother Van, we stayed for a little while and had a good chat about houses etc. Clarity also introduced us to her friend, Jackie who originally came from Manchester, she gave us her Tel number in case she heard of any jobs or accommodation for us, which was kind. We stuffed our boxes into the car and said our goodbyes. Clarity said we should stay in touch and that we were welcome any time to come and stay with her if we needed a bed - really kind bless her.

We then went on to visit Van's parents, Pat and Lyall who lived right right next to a beach, they had the sea one side and an estuary in their back garden. They turned out to be a wonderful and warm couple, we chatted about absolutely everything then Lyall went and showed Toby his vintage bikes he is currently restoring whilst Pat did some Rieki on my back (healing), it had been quite bad the last couple of day. A few hours later we said our goodbyes, had some hugs then set off for Rotorua for a look around. Now this place stank! quite literally as it is full of thermal springs so when we first drove into the area we were taken aback by the smell. The Lonely Planet book said about the bad smell but I didn't realise it would be this bad!

We found ourselves a lovely little Motel that also had a hot spa in the garden - bonus. We went out for a curry and then back to the Motel to change into our swim wear for a dip in the spa.

I didn't sleep well because it was lying in a pool of bad farts all night, the smell kept waking me up. I could see this was going to a problem if we ended up living here! We checked out our room in the morning then headed out to Katikati for a look around the area and to look for some houses. This was a small town which had a lovely feel about the place, it was a bit far away from anywhere but we thought it was worth a shot. Toby stayed in the car whilst I went around the Estate Agents to ask about rentals. I ended up talking to a lovely lady called Meri who was very helpful and gave me a couple of addresses to check out, she couldn't get hold of the landlord to find out if the property's were free or not but we thought we should have a look anyway. The first house was great but had tenants living already so we went and had a look at another really pretty place which again had tenants, but were supposed to move out in the next couple of weeks. We didn't want to get our hopes up about any of the places but when I saw the last house it was hard not to! A wonderful looking property that was built on a hill over looking the sea, the house looked like a bungalow as you approached it but then when you walked to the rear of the house it turned into a huge 2 storey place. It had a massive lounge with panoramic windows so that you could view the sea from all angles. The decor was terrible though and looked like it hadn't been touched since the 50's which was a bit nasty, but bearable. We went back to talk to Meri, who had now found out the property had been spoken for - oh well!

We went and found ourselves a Motel for the night as they didn't have a backpackers, dropped off our bags then went and got a takeaway before settling down to watch 'The Osbournes' We then had a spa next door before going to bed.

Drove back into Tauranga so that Toby could go for his interview he now had set up for him by the agency. He was very nervous and quiet so we had a lazy lunch and then I left him to go and get changed into his interview clothes. I wished him luck then went off to have a walk around the area. I went and sat down on the port to read my book and to soak up some of the sunshine. We met back up a couple of hours later whilst I was walking around the town, he seemed very happy and optimistic which was a relief. I had booked us into a backpackers for the evening so we went and collected the hire car and checked ourselves into the double room which, I have to say was pretty horrible. We went and watched 'Blade' at the cinema which I really really enjoyed because of the amount of blood and nasty flesh ripping scenes!

Big journey back to Wellington today, so got up early and were on the road heading for our first stop of the day, Lake Taupo. We stopped off and had a cooked b'fast in a little cafe noting that the weather was an awful lot colder than in Tauranga. After we had our morning fill we set off again, only now it had started to rain so when I saw a young man hitching on the side of the road I suggested we picked him up. He turned out to be a lovely young man called Neil who was looking for a job on the liners down in Auckland so that he could get over to his girlfriend in Columbia. He told us of his 2 day stay at a Buddhist monastery near Wellington which sounded fantastic. So we made a note of the place so that we could maybe give it a go in the future. We finally got back to Charlie's and Andy's in the evening to cadge a room off them again.

We have decided to start looking for a car now as we have to give back the hire car very soon and we can't look for a job and a house without wheels. Toby suggested on getting a 4wheel drive as the diesel over here is an awful lot cheaper than anything else. So it makes sense. We spent all day looking at big ole trucks which weren't much cop apart the very first one which was a Pajero 1988 and was in really good nic. I thought it was a good buy and could probably get the owner. a lovely bloke called Garth to drop the price. We were both knackered by the end of the day so had a quiet evening and early night. Charlie had gone away for the weekend to visit her parents so we said our goodbyes to her and then Andy came back late in the evening all stressed out and tired, he had to catch a plane early in the morning.

We went and gave the first car we saw, the Pajero a drive out so that we could decide. Garth took us out up into the hills so that we could have good feel for the car which turned out to be really very good. We went back to Garths house where he and his lovely wife gave us coffee and we had a lovely hour talking about this and that. I think we had both decided on getting the car but thought we should stop off at a car auction we had seen in the paper just out of interest

So in we went, registered at reception and then went for a look around at some really very nice vehicles. We saw a lovely 92 Pajero which was in fantastic condition but probably way out of our price range so carried on looking around at some more. Toby pointed out a nice looking little thing called a Isuzi MU which was all black and chrome with blacked out windows. I didn't spend any time looking at the car and didn't bother looking inside but moved onto looking around the rest of them. Everyone was taking out the cars for test drives etc but we just went and sat down and waited for the start of the auction. It was thrilling to listen to and watch, and the cars were being sold at ridiculous prices! The Pajero was lot 41 and we were only up to lot 10, so it was going to a very long morning but before we knew it the Isuzu was up for auction - starting price was $8000 and soon dropped down to $5000 when no interest was shown. We couldn't believe it! so before we could think Toby had stuck his hand in the air and we were in the bidding game. We then had another bidder against us but we carried on for some strange reason not thinking for one minute we would end up with it. Crikey we didn't even know if we wanted it! but then next minute the hammer went down and the van was ours.......

We actually didn't say anything to each other for a good 5mins but just sat with our mouths open and felt very sick - what on earth had we done?

The van was ours for $6000 which was about £1800 - not bad! Toby sorted out the paper work and we were told to pick it up on Monday. We waked out of the auctions and sat in the car still without saying anything to each other... We went back to the house and spent the afternoon very quiet and still in shock.

Toby spent the day finishing his computer programme he had to write whilst I pottered around the town and did a bit of shopping, bought some flowers and chocolates to say thanks to Charlie and Andy for being so damned nice to us.

Charlie came back in the afternoon after a long drive back then had to get ready to go to work at 11pm for her night shift at the hospital - bless her socks she must be tired

Well we were both excited about having to pick up our Black Beauty from the Auctions after first getting the cash from the bank - we now had our cash point cards so had to get PIN numbers.

I unfortunately asked how much the Pajero was sold for - It went for only a little bit more than what we paid for the Isuzu so we maybe should have waited..... but when we say our little number we were both happy with it. They stuck the number plates on and we were covered for insurance for 4 days so could drive it straight out. Toby let me drive first and I was pleased how well it drove which was bloody lucky.

Drove around the town for the rest of the day playing in our new hot wheels then went out into Wellington for the evening for some food then went to an Irish pub for a few drinks. The pub had some live Irish music which I love. 14 people all playing an assortment of instruments kept us entertained for a couple of hours before we headed back home.

We got up early and said our goodbyes to Charlie who got back home at 7am after another hefty night at work and to Andy who was off to work for the day. We thanked them and wished them all the best then packed up our stuff and set off on the road.

Had a phone call from Meri who worked at the Estate Agents in Katikati who said she might have a fully furnished property come up next week if we were still interested. We took the route on the East side of the Island making our way back to Tauranga as this is where I think we will settle regardless if Toby gets the Job. The scenery was beautiful but the never ending winding up and down the mountains were really tiring so we decided to stop off in Hastings for some lunch then on to Wairoa to find a place to sleep for the night. We found a little cabin in a campsite to stay for the night, 7hrs on the road today so were pleased it had a TV room so that we could watch 'The Osbournes' and chill wahey!

Shminky Clare Bear called on the mobile!! could only get a couple of sentences out though before the mobile lost reception due to the surrounding hills. Really good to hear her little voice and will ring her as soon as she emails me her home phone number.

We stopped off to pick up another hitcher called Ronald who was good bloke, quite quiet but decent enough. He was really interested in hearing about the UK and asked loads of questions - he had never even been to Wellington. He was wanting to get back to Auckland, so after a lunch stop we drove onto Katikati where we were to meet Meri the lovely Estate Agent, we also dropped Ronald off so he could get a forwarding ride. Meri gave us a couple of address to go and have a look at, the first one we had already seen through another agent. The other was a beautiful fully contained flat in a large house owned by a sweet lady called Freda. She lived below so that was something we had to take into consideration and the fact it wasn't furnished. It was a huge place and only costing $80 per week including power! that is about £27 a week....... but Katikati is quite far away from Tauranga so would cost to travel everyday and to buy furniture bla bla - what are we going to do?

We carried on to Tauranga in the evening and went and checked into the Motel we stayed in before, we had been on the road for 8hrs and were very tired.

NEW ZEALAND AUG 2002 >