Auckland - mercury bay

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Got up early and a little hung over from the night before and went down stairs to start my Kiwi Experience.

Met the rest of the group on the bus (all seem really nice although very quiet) and our driver Scotty, who like all New Zealandres seems to say "sweet as" alot.

Before leaving Auckland we headed up to the top of Mt Eden (dorment Volcano) for a panoramic view of the city. Auckland does seem to sprawel quite a distance and from this vantige point you could make out all the small Maori hill forts (rather like the earth forts near Andover, uk.) Mt Eden is quite funny in that its smack bang in the middle of the city and is covered in grazing cows (most of the grazing appeared to be going down in the crater).

Finally we leave Auckland for the South. And within an hour we stopped in Thames for lunch. thames is what one could call red necks country (and everyone dressed to be gangsta!) or as the Australia Brad from the bus taught us, full of "Bogans" (Oz term for chavs).

We reach Mercury bay and walk down to Cathedral Cove, its a absoulutly beatiful day. Cathedral Cave is a wonderful beach with a cavern in the middle. There are lots of small islands and volcanos just off the beach in which to kayak too.

Spent the next few hours relaxing on the beach and swimming out to near by rocks to dive off of.

We then head off to the town near by (where we are due to spend the night), Whitianga. Staying in the Turtle Cove hoste (our more accuratly the house they owned next door) we went out to the Blacksmith bar for dinner and to watch the rugby (Hunters v Brambles). Turned out to be an awsome game inwhich the homeside (hunters) stoll victory in the 80th minute with a tri and won by one point.

Had steak egg and chips (very healthy). We had a few drinks (reduced if you were on the Kiwi experience) but decided to leave early as the place was full of Bogans.

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