November 20th-27th

Greg says….. We picked up our Campervan on the 20th November. It’s like driving a truck! I suppose it is a truck as it’s 3.5 tons heavy!
Still you soon get used to the quirks and limitations of he vehicle. It can’t be that difficult to drive as Lucy can drive it quite easily! Don’t tell her I said that!
We left Otahuhu, where we bought the van from a guy called Mike Holt of RV Motorhomes, at around lunchtime. Mike used to be an FX trader, never trusted one of them before!! Anyway he agreed to give us a buy back option which we were happy about, so we left the forecourt satisfied.
We motored through Auckland, and just got to a place called Westgate, which is on the outskirts, and we had to stop for shopping. It seems that everywhere you go you have this shop called ‘The Warehouse’, which is a great place to get bargains, so instead of popping in we stayed there for ages. So much for our aims to get out of the shopping areas as quick as possible! Still we made it to a campsite called Shelly Beach for the first night. It’s an idyllic spot right on the edge of a harbour, with a jetty for fishing right in front. There was one shop which had general stores, and more importantly, cold beer, but not much else. Oh, there were toilets and hot showers, and all this for 16 dollars a night….bargain!! We stayed here for 2 nights, before moving on to the next place. Whilst there, Alistair was mainly out fishing with his new friend Don from Rotorua. Don caught a couple of Gurnard which he gave to us for tea….fresh fish, fantastic! Thanks to Don and June, who were in the next van, for being so nice, and providing a ream of camping information and fish!
On the 22nd we moved up to Dargaville, to a site which had outside cooking facilities, which was great, as we didn’t have to use our Gas. Dargaville was a township , which had a ‘Warehouse’, so we had to make a visit there. In fact Alistair got a fishing rod as this was his new passion.
We left the shop and went up the West coast to Kai Iwi lakes, where we had our first walk. We parked on the side of the road, and proceeded to walk across the fields to Manganoui Bluff. On the way we passed through some fields with cows in, and for some reason one decided to attack me, which the rest of the family found very amusing….I didn’t as I athletically jumped over the fence before it squashed me!
Anyway moving on we went through some more fields then climbed down to the beach, which was awesome (sorry this is my new word since the US). As we got to the beach there was a fresh water waterfall on our right, which fell onto a beach which must have run 50 miles to the south and 50 miles to the north! Apart from us there was one American on the beach, crowded hey? The sand was white, and clean, with the turquoise Tasman Ocean lapping in….looked lovely. However it was cold, and we only managed to get our feet wet. The Sun was shining and the temperature must have been 25 or thereabouts, and the walk back was beckoning, so after walking directly under the waterfall, which very invigorating we made our way back to the van We didn’t go back though, as there were some very inviting lakes to swim in, so we had our first skinny dip of the trip, and swam naked in the lake……..how romantic.
That night was spent at a top 10 campsite in the Kauri Forest near to the Trounsan Kauri Park, which we visited the next day. Kauri Trees are massive trees, which are centuries old. We went to see Tane-mahuta which is the biggest Kauri in New Zealand which is 51 meters high, 16 m round and between 1200 and 200 years old.
We also visited the Kauri Forest visitor centre, which gave more information. For a detailed report please ask Alistair or Rowena.
That night (24th) was spent at Opononi. This is a waterfront park, overlooking the Hokianga harbour. The approach to Opononi was stunning. You emerge from the forest road, and suddenly you have the view of the harbour with the golden sand dunes on the other side. It really is quite spectacular. You can (we didn’t) sandboard down these dunes….perhaps the next time welcome.
From Opononi, we went over the harbour via the Rawane to Kohukohu ferry. Lucy sighted some craft shops in Kohukohu, which meant we had to stop! After speaking with all the residents ( a lot of whom came from South London) we had a coffee in the café on stilts over the water (this place is for sale at a snip at 365,000 dollars = approx 130,000 pounds for the business and accommodation!!). We nearly bought the place there and then!
Moving on, and after a visit to the Pak and Save in Kataia, we went to Ahipara Campsite, a really nice site next to the golf course. We stayed here for 3 days, and really could have stayed longer, it was really nice and relaxing. Whilst there we had two Touch Rugby competitions on the beach with girls versus boys….of course the boys won! We also went on an awesome (there’s that word again) quad bike safari. After 10 minutes practise we set off on these machines which could accelerate as fast as a motor bike, and went onto the beach, that was the easy bit!. Then we slowly tackled the rocks and the rockpools on the edge of the beach, getting more and more tricky as we went. Eventually after some more beach and rocks we stopped on a beach made in paradise. Pure white sand 10 miles from civilisation, with crystal clear waters….absolutely perfect. Here we collected shells, and just stood amazed at the beauty. Even Alistair and Rowena thought the same. Ben and Harry would have loved this ride, as on the way back we went through the sand dunes, which was exhilarating. Having switched on our 4wd we snaked up through the dunes, until we met this vertical drop, which we were expected to go down….who needs sand boards? We sheepishly moved towards the edge of the dune, and then slowly inched forward….soon we were moving with our own momentum, unable to stop down this vertical drop (well it seemed like vertical). It was amazing. Lucy surprised herself and came down shortly afterwards. Her confidence grew and grew, and by the end she was travelling at 65 k’s along the beach. We were sorry when we had to park up and leave. Thanks to Greg Hall at Tua Tua tours, Ahipara for a great ride.
Ahipara has stayed in our minds since we have left….it’s the start of 90 mile beach, where you can drive along it, in fact it’s one of NZ highways. Property prices are minimal when you compare to home, and it’s easy to imagine having the cash from home to invest in a paradise place over here.
Whilst here we met Rochine, Mary and Willie. They are Irish, with Rochine living in Ahipara, and Mary and Willie (Parents) living in Ireland. They were lovely people, and I should like to say thanks for their offer of parking on their section, however we didn’t have time.
We left reluctantly on 28th to go to Cape Reinga

NZ - Auckland 13th - 20th November

Greg Says...We Arrived in Auckland, on Monday 13th, and settled into our'Luxery Appartment'. However there were a few things missing from it, which didn't leave the impression wthat this was too much of a 'luxery appartment'! However it was adequate, and extremely central to Auckland. We were close to Queen Street, which is the main shopping area, which please children, and I must admit it was quite nice to see the shops again......not for too long though!
Tuesday came along, and we met up with John Irwin, Hamish's father, who took us around Auckland. Had a nice drive to One tree hill although there is no longer a tree there, and then for a spot of lunc...........very pleasant. He also chaufferred us to the various Camper Van Sals Sites, which would have takn us ages if we hadhad to do this ourselves, as they were strewn throughout the city. Thanks John....you really helped us out.
That night went up the Sky tower, which I thought would be like any other tower, but it's awesome! As soon as you get out of the glass bottomed lift you have panoramic views straight down! I take my hat off to the bloke who designed this as it's brilliant. There are also windows in the flor that you can walk over, however that is easier said than done. Not sure why as these windos arejust as strong as the concrete flooring, but it is difficult to walk normally across them!
Wednesday was a bimbling day, although we did attend a free talk on 'walking in NZ' at a local outdoor shop. Interesting, but more interesting was the fact that I was plied with large glasses of wine.....they must have been warned that I like a drink now and again!
Thursday....John was a star again, not only did he show us around, but he took us to his home and fed and watered us. We had an excellent BBQ, with him and his wife. I managed to have a good look at my mate Hamish's international Rugby World Cup Qualifying shirt, which he wore against Denmark and Germany just before he died. Hat's off to you mate!
Friday....We met up with Jess a young girl that we ad met in Fiji....nice girl, who agreed to meet us in a pub.... Heaven for me! This pub was called the Shakespeare Arms, and looked like an English pub....it had it's own brewery on the premises, so I had to try a few of the beers didn't I! 5 or 6 beers later we headed home for a good nights kip! Thanks Jess for a nice evening. (By the way Peter Smith would like this pub, as the beer is excellent, although the barman is a Fulham supporter!)
Saturday....Trip to Hamilton....Went to theKiwi Centre to see, yes you've guessed it, Kiwi's. Interesting birds as they sleep for 20 hours a day, and then only come out at night to look for food. Therefore it's rare to see them in the wild. This place was great because it had a lot of the bird species from NZ, and a lot of which are now very rare, so having visitors helps to keep the species going from their donations etc. Saturday night we went to the World Rally Championship.....Fantastic, we were rubbing shoulders with Petter Solburg, Marcus Gronholm, and Valentino Rossi (yes he has put his motorbike down, and taken up rally driving). The children, and amazingly, Lucy enjoyed this. Lucy and Alistair watched as a car was rebuilt, with Lucy commenting on how interesting it was?!!
Sunday....ot up early, and watched the Swimming accross the harbour....there was a 2.8km race, which Alistair and I went to, we did have an ulterior motive.....there was an Irish bar where they were finishing, which just happened to be serving'Old Speckled Hen, and playing the Rugby live! So we had a few beers and watched the All Blacks beat France........Glorious!
Monday 20th.....Picked up the Campervan, and headed out to the hills! There's a great shop called the Warehouse where you can pick up cheap things, so we stopped on the way for provisions....Lucy and Rowena found many bargains in the houseware section, whereas Alistair and I got fantastic savings on a football and a a Rugby Ball! The future is looking bright!
That same day we got to an idyllic campsite at Shelly Beach, Helensville. As I writeI can hear the birds signing, and look out the back window of the van, and see the Harbour about 20 Feet away. The other side of the water is about a mile or so with a view of rolling hills unspoilt by Human Hand........Oh how lovely. I can see Rowena playing on the swing in the playpark, whilst Alistair and Lucyhave gone to the jetty to see how many fish have been caught(yesterday we have fresh Gurnard for tea.......fantastic. Well better go, asLucy will only complain I have been on here for too long! Bye for now

Fiji -4th November - 6th November

Greg Says....We left LA on 4th November, the flight was 10 hours long, but we didn't get to Fiji till 6th Nov.......work that one out! It's really quite spooky! For Lucy's Brother Michael it means his birthday didn't exist, so we didn't have to buy him a present! We also didn't have a bonfire night. Then if you flew the other way from Fiji to LA, you would arrive before you left! It's all because you cross the dateline.

We arrived in Nadi at 5.45am, and waited till 9.30am for the bus t pick us up....it was supposed to be there at 8am, but we soon got used to Fiji Time!

We then embaked on a boat trip, which was memeorable ......the sea is a fantastic blue/turquoise colour, and so clear. We saw the islands in the distance, and that was our destination.........the Yasawa Islands. Arriving at the Octopus Resort, we transfered to a smaller boat, and you could see the crystal clear waters, with the coral reef coming out from the beach. You really could see the bottom from about 10 meters up! Paradise Found!

Welcomed by a Fiji troup of singers, we walked up the beach across white/gold sand. You could see the Palm and Coconut trees on the edge of the beach, and it was simply idylic, like those old Bounty Adverts.

The porters took our bags to our bure, which was a bamboo hut with a thatched roof, which had a shower with no roof! Sounds basic, but was absolutely lovely. All you could hear was the crashing of the waves. There are no cars on the island, and you can only get there by boat, or seaplane. Population about 50-60, mostly local islanders. We spent the next three days snorkling and unwinding. The children played with the local children, and met a friend called Odette from Wellington. They loved it, as they were allowed to roam free, as it was such a safe and friendly enviroment. Hopefully we will meet up with her and Gill her Mum in Jan or Feb, as I have to be in Wellington for a Rugby 7's championship tournament......tough life over here you know!

We left Octopus reluctantly, picked up a car and headed down to Pacific Harbour. This was more like the normal resorts that we are used to, and had a tropical feel to it with views out to the South Pacific, but was not as nice as Octopus. It was more Luxorious and chic, but we preferred the remoteness of Octopus.

Fijians are very friendly, and we found many friends. We did a boat trip up the Navua river, and went to a typical village, where we were shown the Cava ceremony, and introduced to the whole village. Cava is a drink which is made from roots, and mixed with water. If you drink enough then you get a feeling of being a bit 'high baby', but I don't think I had enough for that.

Another day we went into Suva the capital, and you can go round the city in a morning, not like Bournemouth which I woudl have said is about 10 times as big!

We finished our stay in Fiji on Monday 13th November, when we flew to Auckand.

From Lucy....Bounty adverts is right, it was so lovely, we wandered around all day in swimmers & sarongs and bare feet. The floor of the resturant was sand, the food lovely, help yourself breakfasts, 10-12 choices for lunch thai style watermelon curry and huge helpings for dinner. Loads of fresh fruit.This was all included in the price so we told the children to eat as much as they could so we didn't need to feed them for the next week!
I had a massage on the beach for 10 pounds for 1 hour, totally relaxing !!
Rowena and I went on a night snorkel, considering that Rowena had only done any sea snorkelling that day she did very well, it took about 5mins to settle down but then she was away, although she wouldn't let go of my hand (which I was glad about as I needed her to hold it for me!!)
Alistair & Greg went out hand line fishing with some lads from the resort and some guests, unfortunately neither caught anything but Alistair then adopted the Fijian boys and became inseparable, he spent ages the next day playing volley ball with them.

Our river trip of discovery was interesting, there hadn't been much rain recently and so the water level was fairly low, getting up river was a struggle at times,had to give the children instructions on" what to do in the event of capsize"! After a refreshing swim in a waterfall in the rainforest we floated back on a bamboo raft.

School work is starting slowly, are doing something every day and doing tables while waiting for buses or planes. 100 maths lessons books that we took are going to take some time for us to work out what to do, we should learn something ourselves!

California and Fiji

Greg Says,,,,, Sorry for lack of updates, however when you are in the wild west it's difficult to find a saloon with Internet access!
We had a great time in California, starting off in San Fran.....going to Alcatraz and Golden Gate. I did ask the guards if they keep the children locked away, but they said they were too much trouble, so we had to bring them away with us!
After San Fran travelled down the Big Sur, which ois the road down the coast to LA. It's really lovely, I could spend all day extelling it's virtues! We stopped in Cambria on the way, near to where they have Elephant seals on the beach... different world!
LA was big....managed to find Universal Studios, where we had a fantastic time....although Rowena kept losing her bag with her camera in! Foryunately managed to retrieve a week later!
The big boys left on 28th October, which was sad as I knew I wouldn't see them for 6 months or so!
Went up to Death Valley in an RV, only 27 foot long....small by US Standards!! Death Valley is incredible...colours of the salt flats and mountains are amazing. Then we left for the Sequoia National park, where we saw the Big Redwoods...again amazing stuff.
Finished in LA, where we found ourselves at Venice Beach...some interesting sights here, where life is very slow.
Have to go ...will update on Fiji later