Up early then for the quick run 50-odd kms north to Wai-O-Tapu (ignore previous incorrect spelling) which is 'New Zealand's most Colourful Thermal Site'. Not the biggest or best, but the most colourful. For all I know this could have been due to copious amounts of dye.

The main reason for coming was the Lady Knox Geyser which goes off at 10.15 am every day, with the help of a kilo of carbolic soap (something to do with viscocity and surface tension). It went off on time, we took a picture or two, and then left. That's all there was to it. The park itself was OK. Certainly colourful and sulphuric. There were some lovely Jade green and yellow pools and generally it was well sign-posted and informative and thus worth the drive.

On our way back through Taupo we stopped at Haku Falls - one of the fastest running waterfalls in the world. Many a kayaker has been killled trying to shoot the rapids that proceed it. It is slightly artificial though as this part of the Waikato river contains a hydro-electric power station which increases the speed of the water flow during peak electricity usage (day-time). The power station was well hidden and didn't seem to detract from the natural beauty of the surrounding area at all.

After a quick lunch stop we found ouselves in Turangi - at the south end of Lake Taupo. It's much smaller and less touristy than Taupo and we managed to find a guy willing to take us out fly fishing on the lake. This is something I've wanted to do for years and I gamely promised the campsite owner any fish I caught. Our guide, Colin, had been fishing the lake and surrounding area for 26 years and was anice enough guy. He clearly knew his stuff and after the briefest of introdcutions we got down to business. After an hour or so of nothing he finally struck, and I was soon reeling in a '4-pounder' which we landed fairly easily. He asked us what we wanted to do (I didn't relally have the heart to kill it) and Jen reminded me of my obligation to the lady at the campsite. Within seconds the fish was dead - clobbered right between the eyes (well if it wasn't dead it would have had a hell of a headache). He then bled it (cue Jen nearly throwing up) before gutting it. It appears this one was off upstream to spawn (there were thousands of eggs) which made us feel even more guilty. Anyhow what's done is done and the lady got her fish. We caught 3 more - one a baby and the other two slightly bigger than the first (one was a 5-pounder...woooohhhhhh!!!) and put them all back. Our guide got interesting after a while and started telling us about some of the turf wars between his (extended) family and friends and the local Maoris. He was the first rascist we've met in NZ which in itself is pretty amazing in comparison to our friends across the Tasman. He had had some interesting scraps though, including one episode with a cricket bat which is better left not told.

After returning triumphant we received a free beer each (yay!) and headed off to bed - a storm was whipping up so we battened down the hatches again, and tried to keep warm in the face of winds and rain you just don't get at home...

The storm had abaitted when we awoke and we set off south - past Tongariro National Park, along the 'desert road'. Although the cloud cover was low you could just about make out snow on the peaks - the reason we were unable to do the famous Tongariro Crossing. Incidentally 4 hardened hikers were air-lifted from the peak just a couple of days ago as the weather closed in in around 30 minutes.

Palmerston North was to be our first stop-off point, one reason for stopping here - the rugby museum. From the outside it looks like an old school hall or similar - I was expecting something grander. Having said that the inside was amazing - hundreds and hundreds of artefacts and mementos, from the last 120 years or so. It was really well laid out with some interesting diversions - TV showing the Hong Kong sevens (the one where the Kiwiws won it not this year...), ansaphones you can ring with recorded info, and many others too numerous to mention. It was so good that even Jen, with her pathological hatred of all things sporting, had a good look round for an hour or so...and all for 10 dollars between us - definitely one of the bargains of NZ!

The last 100 kms or so were interesting as the navigator (Jen today) decided we should take a back road up and over some hills to our destination for the night - Upper Hutt. Now these aren't hills in the UK sense, or at least not hill roads in the UK sense. Hence we spent the last 30 kms doing about 20km/h one a track just about wide enough for a Ford Fiesta. We passed loads of rocks/boulders that had fallen down the sheer cliffs to one side, but, frustratingly we never got a clear view of the valleys below thanks to some large fir trees that blocked our view. Darn trees eh? How dare they?

We're going to explore the area to the south and east of here over the next couple of days before arriving in Wellington on Friday in order to meet up with Richard and Sally. It's going to be lovely to be in a prpoer bed again.

Only one thing to note really and we've local radio (you've never heard bad local radio until you've heard Kiwi local radio - it is truely awful, trust me I've listened to BBC Radio Cornwall and this is significantly worse) to thank for this. Thursday in New Zealand is National Penis Day. Not sure why (anti-feminist backlash?) but it just is. Strange lot these Kiwis.

Just having looked at our stats (will have 10,000 hits by the end of the year) I saw that someone typed in 'latest miracle in the world' into google and got our website purely thanks to my mis-spelling of 'the' - I spelt it 'thte' and so did they on the search. I feel so proud that some happy soul chanced upon this whilst looking for Christ's work...hahahahahaha they couldn't have been further away eh?