Omana Regional Park

Just to the east of Auckland is a park called Omana Regional Park - they have the cutest pets corner with a pig and chickens and ducks and rabbits - not sure who had more fun, the adults or the children ;0)

Sometimes in the parks they feature one of these "viewing frames" - the girls had a great time trying to come up with the best "pose"!!!

Huia lookout

There is so much to see and do around Auckland we are a little spoilt for choice. However, Autumn is well and truly with us now - the difference from the UK is that you really can get four seasons in a day and you have to be prepared for anything. We went out to the west of Auckland this week, and didn't get much of a walk in because someone kept turning "on" torrential rain - then turning it "off" again! We did manage to get up to this stunning viewpoint at Huia - it's where the Tasmin Sea feeds into the Manukau Harbour. This picture doesn't really do it justice but it's the best we could do...

Maraetai Beach

Today we went to the beach with our friends Xanthe, Jess and Sophia. We had the most enormous ice-creams (yum!) washed down with a coffee when we had a shower of rain. Then the sun came out again and we were treated to a full length rainbow. The local ice cream speciality is "Hokey Pokey" (not as rude as it sounds!) which has pieces of honeycomb in it. Here's a picture of the girls on the beach...

Back in Auckland

Now we've finished Phase One of the tour and we're back in Auckland for a well-deserved rest (and to celebrate a certain teenage birthday)! Here's a quick piccie of Auckland's famous landmark, the Sky Tower. We can't believe it's two months today since we left Blighty...having reviewed the blog site today we also can't believe how much we've packed in!!! Thanks to everyone who's reading and commenting on the site, fabulous to hear from you! :0) Love Ju, Tim & Em xxx

Tin Town

From Rotorua we headed for Tirau, affectionately known as Tin Town as many of its shop fronts have been converted into crazy characters with clever use of corrugated iron. Here's a really cute Pukeko decorating a Gift Shop; and Em & I outside the Dog which is the tourist information centre....

Local Park

Here's the public park in Rotorua. They advise people not to walk home after dark as new craters can appear overnight!

Rotorua

Leaving Napier we headed back inland along the "Thermal Explorers" highway to Rotorua. Based around a volcanic crater lake, Rotorua is most famous for the thermal activity in and around the town. Go to the local park and you'll find wooden fences keeping the public "safe" from steaming, bubbling mud pools. There are spectacular geisers as well but alas, Autumn has set in and it was pouring with rain...