[saraian]

[b:d1c56b8ad7]Monday 12th September[/b:d1c56b8ad7]

Everything looks better when the sun is shining and Napier is no exception. We walking into the city and had a coffee and looked in a car yard. The prices are ridiculously cheap, compared to the UK, so it will be nice to know we won't get ripped off when buying a car.

The weather was quite warm so we walked along the Marine Parade. The ocean is so blue and so clean. The girls needless to say were having a great time, we tell them how lucky they are to be having this adventure. I think they are too young to appreciate the enomity of it, maybe when they are older they will understand.

We went to a small town called Haverlock North, Ian loved it but we got the impression it was exclusive and it would be a hard community to fit in to. It was very exspensive too. Nevertheless, very beautiful all the same and the village has the towering backdrop of Te Mata Peak (Great Maori legend if you have time to look it up).

[b:d1c56b8ad7]13th Sept[/b:d1c56b8ad7]

Up early and on our way to 'Windy Welly' What is it will the roads in NZ, Can't they just be ordinary? Fantastic, Fantastic drive. Got to see it to believe it. Wellington turned out to be not windy and very pleasant. We had to get to bed early as we had to be off the campsite and down to the ferry terminal first thing. We were really excited about the Cooks Straight crossing, I was just hoping it would be calm waters.

The drive into Welly was pleasant considering early morning traffic, everything is signposted so well. Getting the camper onto the ferry and deloading the kids up to the passenger levels was very easy. The sun was shining and Wellington looked very pretty as we left the North Island behind. I'm glad to say the crossing was very calm and we had a great time meandering through all the different decks, having a meal and coffee. As we got closer to the Marlborough sounds we went onto the outdoor decks. It was breezy and cool but what a fantastic sight. We even spotted a dolphin, it's so exciting. The waters were calm, clean and very blue. The outlook coming into dock was picturesque. Picton looked sleepy and charming.

Hard to believe but the drive from Picton to Nelson was the best yet. I liked it here and our first imperssions of the south island were all good. We decided to drive as far as we could then chill out for a few days to catch our breath. We drove as far as Motueka in the Tasman bay and stayed the night. We were half frightned to death in the night by sirens, similar to an air raid. I thought gosh we came all the way to NZ and we are been bombed. Thankfully no, small towns have them here to call out their volunteer fire service, talk about step back in time!

After the short visit to town, we drove to Pohara in the Golden Bay.If you have a map of NZ you will probably be able to appreciate why the sights are so spectacular. The campsite once again was right on the beach. Our youngest two spent a good couple of hours building a den out of driftwood.

I have to say that camping, for us has been the best way to see New Zealand. We drove when we wanted stopped when hungry or tired. Pitched in the many campsites along the way, or at the side of the road, complete freedom. The campsites are worth a mention and we usually stayed in them. They were clean with hot showers and a park for the kids and most had internet access which was great for staying in touch with everyone.

More soon......