And upwards...

---

Figured should start heading back North if we were to return by Tuesday (It's a bank holiday weekend for those of you who think we are slacking; you know who you are!).
Took a quick detour via the tourist info to book accomodation after last nights escapades. And headed up Mt Egmont, a serious maontain at 2.5km high, could see snow on top. Views a bit Lord of the Rings like. Drove up North along the "Forgotten World Highway" It was like driving through Jurrasic park, even the bit where they is chased by the T-rex (although that might have been drug induced in this case.)
Made it out of the jungle after guzzling half a tank of petrol (fortunatly read the leaflet which said fill up before you go, otherwise would currently be crapping in the jungle and eating worms).
We got to Raglan a nice costal community slightly hippiesque/surfery. Just settling into our motel room when a bloody air-raid siren started going off, after a minute I thought it was probably not a joke and started looking to the skys to spot the japs, they never materialised, neither did the tsunami (the other logical explanation for an air-raid siren me thinks?), they didn't appear to be a large rush of people to a concealed nuclear shelter, nor to higher ground. Amy said there were however an asortment of men in fireman style clothing running to the firestation. Oh yes, I forgot, many local fire stations are voluntary, similar to our Lifeboat crews. So that solved the mystery of the air raid, and not a bomb was dropped.
Ate lamb shanks for tea at nearby restraunt (interuppted once more by an impending Japanese invasion from the skies, I mean fire station alarm.) We got 2 each and it was less a shank then most of a severed limb. Bonza!
Then got bitten to death trying to drink beer outside at the local hotel, accompanied by the burping and farting of a raucous group of kiwi/english decended people on another table. One of the more monstrous of the women shook my hand as we left saying "Cheers mate, your doing well, good luck". We determined that she was infact being quite lewd, believing that I was attempting to mate, bloody fat minger she was too with an evidently dirty mind.

---