Blogs from Manukau City, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania

Today, I went to Rainbows End, it's an amusement park in Maukua. I got up around 7 and got dressed. For breakfast I went down to the coffee shop across the road. I got bacon and eggs and a coffee. Around 8 oclock I was back at the hotel waiting for the cab. Many poeple were walking the street, it was a public holiday but all the city shopping centres were open. Today was a bit cloudy but the sun was peeping through. Rainbows End was roughly 20 minutes away from the hotel. After 15 minutes the cab arrived and I had Steven, my first driver (Mr Grumpy). Even though i've been here for over a week, I still find New Zealand's nature to be breath taking. The trees are incredibly tall and green and there's ... read more

Well, the campervan is rockin' so don't come a knockin' - but unfortunately it's because of the howling wind and pouring rain not because of anything saucy! New Zealand has been a real rude awakening regards the weather, but it hasn't managed to dampen our spirits on this new part of our adventure. We have been travelling for over 100 days now and this leg of the journey is where we are really embracing the backpacker culture! Chez Cain is a beautiful three room dwelling (drivers compartment, and bedroom/living area/kitchen with ensuite bathroom and toilet) with a huge garden and is in a great location (wherever we want it to be!). In reality, we are living in a Transit van sized vehicle and the garden is the whole of New Zealand's great outdoors! Our few days ... read more

Situated by the airport, Butterfly is a fun way to spend a few hours. Attractions include the Crocodile Show, the butterfly house, the buttermilk farm and the aquarium. So its my birthday - 3 family members overseas (Mum, Bals & Hubby) & 3 at work (Angie, Arun & Dad) - I do not want to spend the day at home so go and check out what Butterfly creek has to offer before heading for drinks with friends (all working). I thought it would be a let down but was quite suprised at how much I enjoyed it and the hours just went. The Crocodile Show was amazing. I learnt that Crocs are one of the biggest sulkers in the animal kingdom and can easily sulk for a year (i.e go without food to prove a point). ... read more

Just a quick report before we start the touring phase of our holiday. I hope you're keeping well. Yesterday was an excellent day out on the Coromandel Peninsula, visiting the old gold mining town of Thames (It looked a bit like Klondyke as well) and the Kauaeranga Pass. The pass was majestically beautiful with topography just like Langkawi - with lots of Fern Trees and cicadas. We found a picnic spot by a bend in the river, only to be joined by boys and girls leaping into the river from the rocks above - that's what you do here on the way home from school. We must come back here and do the walks up the passes someday. But Mary finds the cicadas a bit too noisy for her liking. (But we can't find them to ... read more