4500km later ...

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As our journey through Narnia (check out the photo) draws to a close it's time to reflect once again on the ridicolous distance we've covered and the lack of oil we've put in the car (I'm right in thinking that smoke is rarely good). Our journey across NewZealand from it's Southern tip to its tropical North has, if we were traveling in a straight line, taken us almost 1/4 of the way home. Unfortunately nic's map reading ability and lack of ... well ... roads has led us to traverse these two islands 4 times while making our way North and boy does the camper stink as a result. You see that's part of the problem with a camper van. Sure it's great on the first day, stopping where you like, taking in solitary views of the mountains. Sleeping beside the beach and waking up to bull seals wailing in the distance. But by day 25 things aren't looking quite so rosy. Lack of a washing machine on board for one, while disturbing poor shower facilities in your average temperate rain forrest have led to us travelling alone, well away from other travellers (for their safety as well as ours).

We did, however, manage to get ourselves a thoroughly good scrubbing over the course of the last week. In fact it was more of a spin cycle at 7 degrees as we decided once again to up the ante and break the conditions of our insurance policy. This time it was caving and we're not talking your namby-pamby Wookie Hole type caving. This was hardcore 'Into the Blackness' type stuff. Plunging up to 80 meters underground, abseiling through freezing torrents of gushing water into partially submerged caverns of Glowworms. Throw in some black water tubing, scambling through passageways no bigger than your average child and you have some pretty dangerous hi-jincks. As if that wasn't enough, there were extra 'challenges' available to those with the courage/stupidity to take them on - they clearly saw us coming. Not ones to pass up any kind of challenge we were soon to be found contorting our bodies into every conceivable shape, bruised, bashed and freezing while paying for the pleasure - But what a day. You'd be surprised just how thankful you can be for hot lemon barely water when 80m below the surface, with your wellies full of water and the memories of daylight fading fast.

To top it all off, however, once our guides realised that we were fairly competant abseilers and knewn a bit a climbing they decided to test us just that little bit further. Towards the end of the cave there is a rock climb through a water fall that 'very few people' have ever managed. Despite having been in the caves for almost 5 hours and forgetting what it was like to have toes Duncan decided to 'gove it a shot'. After almost 10 minutes of slow, but steady, breathing he started to climb. Tackling the face head on, he puffed and pulled and dragged his way between the rocks. Delicately heaving himself further and further up the 20 foot incline. After some intitial scares he even made it over the first over hang and into the water fall proper to be thrown from side to side against the rocks. Inch by inch he crawled closer to the final pass and when he finally made it through to the end with the expectation of cheers, there was only laughter to be heard.

'Seriously mate, I was only joking. Sweet as though'

Bloody Kiwis.

Note: Nic took the ladder.

This wasn't to deter us, however, and two days later it was back on the adventure sports highway to Rotorua and the Sheep Show, which is a show about .. sheep. It's a Kiwi tradition and pretty good fun, plus they let you milk a cow on stage! While there we also found out that they'll let you throw yourself down a hill inside a giant bouncy ball if you pay them enough - once more unto the breach dear friend. This time thankfully the water was preheated to 20 degrees and actaully rather pleasent, although being upside down in it while rolling down a hill is probably a one time thing.

So once again there are no photos of us in front of things as we feel the bruises might scare children.

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Photos

Oh look it's Narnia
Actually called Cathedral Cove

Blob, blob, blob
Boiling mud pools at Rotorua