Trees, Yachts, Lakes and Mountains

We travelled down from Northlands to Auckland via the great Kauri forests where we saw the famous 'Tane Mahuta' - one of the largest trees in the world at 51m high and a girth of over 13m. The sheer size of the Maori named 'God of the Forest' was awesome and it was almost difficult to believe our eyes - it would make a great tree house! We broke up the journey in Matakohe at the Kauri Museum which tied everything together; the gum diggers, the ancient Kauri Kingdom and the spectacular forests in a chronological explanation.

We headed to the lovely Takapuna again, just north of Auckland, where we walked along the beach taking in the glamorous, nautical inspired architecture - American and European holiday homes from the days when the America Cup was held in Auckland. The next morning we looked out across the coast towards Rangitoto island, Auckland's newest volcano formed only 600 years ago, and watched a yacht race. This is the life. How much are yachts anyway and where can we buy one?

Fuji, Auckland mended our digital camera so, snap happy again, we wasted no more time and headed down to Cambridge for our final night with Beth's Auntie and Uncle. In the morning we had a final farewell cuppa with them at a cafe overlooking Lake Karapiro that, on such a beautiful spring day, looked like a mirror reflecting the surrounding hills. It was also playing host to some canoeists - maybe practicing for the next Olympics as this is the training ground for the New Zealand rowing champions.

From Cambridge we drove down to the summer seaside resort of Mount Maunganui set in Bay of Plenty which, despite it being Spring, offered...well, plenty, if you'll excuse the pun. The beaches were perfect and the surfing clothes shops even better but we managed to drag ourselves away and instead huffed and puffed our way up the 300m namesake mountain (ignoring the irratating people jogging up leaving us in a trail of dust). We were rewarded with stunning views of the bay and White Island - the most active volcanic island in New Zealand. We must come back in the summer!