NEW ZEALAND - THE NORTH ISLAND

We arrived in Auckland and went to bed, next day we checked out the harbour and city then we made the mistake of going into an STA travel shop. They somehow managed to talk us into cancelling the car hire we had arranged and talked us into hiring a Jucy campervan (a people carrier with a mattress and cool box in the boot). This meant we had to extend our stay in Auckland by a day so we did the harbour cruise and looked around Auckland again. Auckland has to be one of the most boring cities I've visited. We picked up the Jucy wagon and immediately knew we'd made a terrible mistake because our bags didn't fit anywhere!!!!! Anyway we got on the road up to the Bay of Islands, had chips on the seafront and watched a pair of seagulls getting frisky!!!! We stayed in a car park for the night!! Next day we visited Russell, it was a ferry ride over. We walked up to the flagstaff which was quite a steep walk, then we walked along long beach that was beautiful. That night we made tea at the side of Hurura falls and spent another night in the car park, it was cheap and cheerful!!!!! Next morning we woke up to a fish head on our windscreen it was minging!! We had to drive back down to Auckland cause we had a few problems with the campervan, managed to steal a shower at a backpackers place!! Such pikeys!! On the way down south we stopped at Kawakawa where there are some famous toilets that are very different but quirky. Then we made a stop at KeriKeri and did a walk to Rainbow falls, it was beautiful round there and took a couple of hours. We checked out the oldest wooden building in NZ and then later stopped at a cave with glow worms in them. We arrived Auckland quite late and we found a car park to camp in but later were surrounded by loads of lads all pissed in their cars just before a night out.....great!! After getting the campervan sorted we headed for Rotorua, we had a look around the town then hit the Polynesian spa which were beautiful but smelly! It rained all the next day so we went to Paradise Valley Springs that was like a bit of a zoo, watched lots of the animals getting fed. Then that night we went to the Tamaki Maouri Village, food was good but it rained for the show. Back on the road the next day to head for Uncle Freds, we detoured to a place with the longest name in the world, then had dinner in Taupo and slept at Hastings further south of Taupo. Next day we arrive at Masterton and surprise my Uncle at work, really good to see a familiar face. We went to Wellington the next day on the train and had a look round. The next day A. Carole and Mary were due back from Christchurch cause Jack had his passing out parade for the Air Force so had a catch up with them all. Mary took us to double bridges next day and Trev came with us where he loved playing in the water, had a BBQ in the evening and drank way too much vino!! Next day a write off, U. Fred and A. Carole went to Oz for their cruise. Me, Leanne and Mary went round an old ladies house to help her pack up her house then treated ourselves to a cake a the Wild Oats Cafe. Mary took us to the gorge with the suspension bridge, its very high but a lot more sturdy that a few years before!! Next day Mary took us for a road trip to cape Paliser where the lighthouse is really high and a zillion stairs to climb, then we nipped to Lake Ferry for the worlds worst brew, we gave up and had water!! We spooked ourselves one night witht he electric door on the garage it kept doing its own thing so we had a brandy to calm us down!! We took Trev for a walk round Henley Lake and I made us a fab cake and watched films. We left Mary and Trev and headed for Wellington to get the ferry over to South Island.