Surfed the famous Manu Beach this afternoon. If you can catch them, and avoid all the other surfers, there’s the chance to ride a long left hand glassy wave. Dodging all the other surfers was certainly harder than the actual act of surfing the wave though! Clare had the best luck, and got some really Read more

Saw my first penguin today. As well as a blue shark and loads of dolphins. We also went surfing (but not near the shark!). We left the house at 6am, to drive across to meet a boat at the harbour at Tauronga. The premise of the day was to go swimming with a pod of Read more

Out of bed, into the shower then straight round to the next door neighbours, for a glass of new year champagne and strawberries! The barby was fully loaded by the time we got there and before long we were tucking into bacon, ham, sausage, eggs and pancakes – washed down with a few more bubbles! Read more

Started off the last day of the year with an exploratory walk around our new neighbourhood. Within a ten minute walk from the house, we were down by the river that flows through town. Although we were on the edge of the houses and only a minute from the road, we suddenly found ourselves in Read more

A jam packed day of hiking, surfing, shopping and swimming! We spent it over on the white sand coastline of the east (the west is a darker volcanic sand). Mt Maunganui town was our first port of call and not for the first time, we were again amazed at how and why so many people Read more

Had a splendidly leisurely start today involving a long sunny breakfast of pancakes and fresh fruit. We spent the bulk of the day by venturing out to sample some of the North Island rock climbing. It took about forty five minutes to drive to an area of volcanic rock that is considered to be home Read more