A secluded hideaway, an incredibly bad smell and a final resting place.

---

Well the final stages of the trip have been very exciting and full of all those tourist things you do with kids a s well as some not so tourist things. I would have to say the latter were more onjoyable. I think sometimes you have to just follow your nose and see where you end up. Our next leg was from Wellington up towards Napier. We headed off hoping to get up the coast early. NO! On the way we stoped at Masterton to refuel both the our bellies. Well not to be. We found the most amazing park there and didnt want to leave. The kids had a ball. So this put a delay on our arrival time at our next stopover- Waimarama. Wish we had come to this place earlier or stayed longer. Magic place. So quiet and No one around. Once again another brilliant park right near the beach for the kids to play on and watching the boats go out off the beach being dragged in by tractors was highly entertaining. The drive out to this fantastic place is jst beautiful rigt through wine country with some of the most beautifully tree lined roads I have seen this trip.Particularly now all the colours of the leaves are changing due to Autumn.
We next left here to head up to Rotorua. Nervous about the smell we were about to encounter. We had a good laugh on this trip as we were passed by a small car with a rather large and dead passenger hanging out of its boot. A Deer. Kids thought this was too funny. But it got better on arrival in Taupo. We were waiting near the MCDONALDS drive through when we saw the car and deer driving through to get a snack. Max thought maybe the bloke was going to ask them to cook him up a burger using the deer. On the way out of there we stopped and saw some amazing rapids just outside of Taupo called Huka falls. I have never seen water so blue and rushing so fast. Qickly jumped back in the car too many tourists here but looked like an amzing place to explore another time.
We were nearly at Rotorua and were making great time when the deignated driver- ME- decided to turn off to see some geysers that were signed at the turn off. Thinking it was not far away we drove down the road. And drove, and drove, and drove. But we got there. .Orakei-Korako. The hidden valley. An absolute gem of a place. worth the trek. Kids loved it. Geysers and caves and mud pools. We even were able to watch some bloke wave boarding on the lake while we had a late lunch. On our way again finding our luvly home away from home. The kids enjoyed it here apart from the smell. It drove Max insane. We went to Te Puie and saw some more geysers and watched a cultural performance. It was fun and the Geyser was going off big time while we were there which the children found exciting. Next we wnet to the rainbow park Kiwi encounter. Not whole lot of kiwis but a beutiful place to kill an hour or two looking at the other NZ animals. And to top the day off Max decided he wanted to have a go on the ZORB. A giant ball you climb inside of and fill with water and then get pushed off down a hill. He thought it was MAD! We had a good laugh watching him.
We then headed out for a final destination which is where i am writing from now. On the way we diverted to Matemate to see Hobbiton. It was fantastic and worth the two hours we spent there. They catered for all of us out there. Lord of the Rings stuff for Max and Cam, Sheep shearing and feeding for gus betty hannah and eadie and a luvly bit of eye candy for mum with the "shearer". Highly recommend doing the tour here.
We are in a place called torbay near Browns Bay. Beautiful place and fantastic accom. sea vista apartments. The hosts here are so lovely and the space for the kids is brilliant. Went to Kelly Tarltons water world today. It was ok. Not worth the rev up. The sharks are better in aussie water places. The huge squid was pretty impressive though. Tomorrow, well havent quite decided just yet, maybe the Zoo. I would like to wonder the shops. But that's right entertaining the kids comes first. '

It has been an absolute ball over here with the family. Everyone rolled their eyes when we said we were taking all five kids with us to NZ. But you know they are great kids to travel with and I am really looking forward to picking our next place to visit. Chat soon.

"
Hey hey world its the song that we're singing "COME ON GET HAPPY".

Cheers Mrs Partridge

---