Greetings From The Bay Of Plenty

We arrived a few minutes ago in Whakatane after an unforgettable day yesterday, which we half spent at the Treaty Grounds in Waitangi, before heading back southwards again to the Coromandel Peninsula via Auckland again (I drove over the Harbour Bridge oh yeah I did).

We spent last night in a pretty bad motel again in Thames, and I have to say I've rarely ever seen a more dead town than this one. It was literally a ghost town, and I really don't know why the Coromandel Peninsula is so dear to the Aucklanders -but then who understands the Kiwis anyway (not only because of their ääääääcceeeeeeent!). Ok the drive on the peninsula's west coast today was really a treat, and so was Hot Water Beach this afternoon, where we dug ourselves into the boiling hot water that comes to the surface as soon as you dig a whole into the sand. Not only did I burn every limb with the hot water, but also my back due to the glowing sun. Yet, who cares, it was another marvellous day in the most beautiful part of the world.

We're now in Whakatane in a brilliant motel with a luxurious spa bath which I am SO gonna use despite a bright red back later when we come back from the Irish Pub we found almost next door. Gagging for a cool Guinness and finally a true Kiwi filet steak!

I'm now on a free internet voucher with only 2MB credit, will figure out tomorrow how much it will cost to upload the photos from Waitangi/via Auckland/Coromandel. After our day trip to White Island (NZ's most active marine volcano), that is.

Nau mai, haere mai.