The home of the Big Carrot was a big success, not least because on the last day Andrew, Eddie and myself completed the Tongariro Crossing, sited by many as New Zealand's greatest one day walk. The path covered 17 kilometers of quite breathtaking volcanic scenery and was certainly worth the exhaustion and the sore feet. The hundreds of other 'proper' walkers with their walking poles and fancy footwear were nice enough not to mention that this was a serious walk and not really for the likes of us with our cheap trainers from The Warehouse (where everyone gets a bargain).

The following day we started back to Wellington where we had to say goodbye to our friends. Sadly we have no idea when we'll see them again. By then Fox will probably have waist length dreadlocks, Keir will be propping up a bar somewhere with a pint in his hand, Pippa will have got lost in her own vegetable garden having taken a left instead of a right at the silverbeet and Martin will be so busy with his second hand bookshop that he won't have time to see us. Incidently Joe would like to apologise for repeatedly referring to Keir as a girl, he thinks he's got it now.

Since then we have returned north via Taupo - good hot thermal stuff, Rotorua - even better hot thermal stuff and finally up to the Coromandel to have a last dabble in the ocean. Our last but one night will be spent here in Whitianga which we are proudly and correctly pronouncing Fitianga. It's the first Maori name we've got to grips with and we're very pleased with ourselves.

Unfortunately, as is the case with traveling, as soon as you get into the swing of things it's time to move on and Monday sees the the start of the last leg of our journey in the U.S.A.

War and Peace has been a bit neglected of late but there's still a month to go and only four hundred pages, it'll be a doddle.
- posted by Vivien @ 9:36 PM

 
I'm skipping off from shopping duties again so I don't have much time . We have moved on from Waimarama to Okahune which proudly describes itself as the carrot growing capitol of the world. Just in case anyone forgets this claim to fame they have a thirty foot high fibre glass carrot at the roadside as you enter the town.

Surprisingly though it's not the big carrot that's brought us here but the magnificent Mount Ruapehu, a still active volcano that is currently making the headlines in New Zealand beacuse there are concerns that the huge crater lake at the top will overflow within the next few months, not good news for all those carrots in the way.

Taking full advantage of our volcanic surroundings we have collected a great many pieces of pumice stone which is currently drying out on the fire place in our cottage until hopefully light enough to transport home. So for any friends or relations who are waiting for exotic gifts from far flung places, don't worry about that hard skin any longer, a piece of pumice stone is heading your way soon.
- posted by Vivien @ 6:45 PM

 
This will have to be quick as where we are staying in Waimarama is an internet cafe free zone. We've ventured to the nearest town where I've managed to scive off for a bit while my companions are more productively involved in shopping.

There are two things I have learned while staying with small boys and librarian assistants. The first thing is that it takes small boys a very very long time before they get tired of playing sword fights. Throwing stones and lighting fires on the beach are also big hits.

Secondly I have discovered that if you go into a library and ask for some advise about choosing a good book the library assistant may give your individual likes and dislikes a great deal of consideration and suggest something suitable or they may suggest something, "Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow', for example, because that 's what they always suggest to customers who make their lives difficult by asking for advice.

I also have to quickly mention Andrew who has pointed out that he doesn't receive nearly enough credit in this blog for being the tower of strength that he always promised to be on this trip.

Thank you dear.
- posted by Vivien @ 5:53 PM

 
'The weather's always better further north,' we were told and for twenty four hours that was true. Unfortunately alot of that twenty four hours was spent in the car getting further north. We headed through the Buller Gorge and along the north west coast as far as Takaka. We booked in to Annie's Nirvana Lodge, a place otherwise inhabited by much 'cooler dudes' and 'hipper chicks' than us. Breakfast involved much chopping up of fruit and berries and mixing of seeds and grains by the other guests and furtive toasting of unwholemeal, unorganic bread by ourselves.

We pretended it was still sunny and determindly went to one of the Abel Tasman national parks beautiful beaches where the boys braved a swim. The following day we headed up to Farewell Spit as the clouds gathered and prepared themselves for more serious rain. Comfortingly the weather report suggested cyclone Ivy might be on it's way just in time to coincide with our ferry trip to the North Island.

Then it rained and rained and rained and rained... "Recycling" someone cheerfully answered when I questioned where it was all coming from. But fortunately even New Zealand can only produce so much rain and by the time we got to Picton to catch the ferry the sun came out and cyclone Ivy having been demoted to a mere ex-cyclone and had wandered off further north.

In Wellington we were met by Martin and Pippa, who rather unfairly don't seem to have aged at all ( I suspect the Dorian Gray style portraits are tucked in the attic) Fox, who has aged rather obviously ( generally a good thing when you're nearly eight) and Keir who at two is exceptionally cute and understandably still a little wary of the big scary visitors.

- posted by Vivien @ 12:13 AM