I did not want to wake up this morning. It had been raining intermittently throughout the night and had sounded as though someone was playing drums (badly) on the roof. Come 08h30 though, I thought I should show willing. Peering out from the my bed, the weather still looked bad so I decided that it was pointless trying to see more of Napier as I’d already seen it in the rain. Instead, I’d have a leisurely drive to Wellington, over 350km away. And so it was that I found myself heading south at 09h30, having stocked up on water and emptied the rubbish. I would be spending the next two nights camped by the side of the road somewhere, with no electricity - just relying on the batteries provided. The journey south was a joy. Long ... read more

New Zealand is certainly living up to its name; The Land of the Long White Cloud. It was raining when I went to bed, it rained all night and it rained most of today. So much so, that my schedule was shortened and I opted to assume that the weather would be better over the mountains in Gisborne rather than stop en route as originally planned. It was a long night, the warmth made worse with me being kept awake by the rain hammering on the metal roof of my bed. There was also quite a wind blowing which caused the branches to scrape along the side of the van - none of this conducive to a good night’s sleep. To cap it all, there was a small earthquake; the second that day. With the incessant ... read more

I slept comfortably. There had been some heavy rain overnight but that, together with the sounds of waves washing the beach provided a very soporific backdrop to my dreams. I awoke at 07h00 and continued dozing for a further 30 minutes before stepping out into my chilled mobile bedroom. I have to admit that this morning’s wash was very pleasant - hot water from the van! Breakfast was an unusual affair as this morning I had no need to study the map for the day ahead. I had already decided to don the walking boots and spend the day exercising. After filling the van with fresh water, disposing of the rubbish and emptying the grey water at the dump station, I headed off - stopping 100 yards up the road on the beach. Hahei and Cathedral ... read more

It was a crisp spring morning that greeted me today. It had been clear overnight and as a result, the temperature had dropped. I recall a figure of 8C mentioned on the radio and, despite the vents being open, the inside of the windscreen had misted over. Stepping outside, it was still cold although the clear blue sky heralded a good day ahead. The birds were still busy singing, even though the sun had been up for an hour or so. I sat in the van, with the door open, munching my way through a few bananas, some toast and muesli and warming my hands around a mug of fresh coffee. All the time, I was studying the guidebooks just to ensure that I knew where I was going - it’s very difficult to map read ... read more

Compared with the day time temperature, it was a cold night and sleep wasn’t all that easy in coming. With the coming of the dawn however, all the birds started singing their little hearts out - which, when you’re camping beneath the trees, resulted in sleep disappearing rather quicker than when it came. Having washed and dried the breakfast dishes and readied the van for departure, I sat down to re-plan the day ahead; the previous evening, a local had suggested three must see sights although I would only have time for two of them. However, before I reached those sites, I needed to visit a couple of the more local, previously planned, items on the agenda. KerikeriMy stop for the night, Kerikeri, is renowned for its subtropical climate and its citrus (mandarins everywhere) and kiwi ... read more