Hi there,
Well no luck mending the lappy yet hence the disappearance from the forum. Not all our hosts have broadband, or even the internet full stop, so emailing home, writing blog and generally keeping up with things is a bit of an issue. Just spent several hours while we house sitting for current hosts typing up our last 2 months here. If you interested go to
http://mikeandhelen.bolggers.co.nz I warn you tis very long but can navigate by place using the menu down the right hand side.
In short, the last time we updated we were in Katikati. We have since met with Fisheress and Maggimoo; that was great. We then headed to Rotorua but not in time to catch Lil Amy and Stu. We weren?t sure about Rotorua to begin with but over time t grew on us. We quite enjoyed our time and our hosts took us to a schools speech competition final where we met the dept mayor. Also to an agreement signing of a new nature reserve being run by the local environment group, hunters and anglers and Maoris. Our hosts were very active in the community so I think this was very beneficial to us to see what the place had to offer.
Next we headed to Opotiki (where we are now) for 4 weeks. First two with hosts and the second two house sitting for them. We have been looking after their organic fruit/veg venture, packing small orders, planting veg, much weeding and keeping an eye on lamb triplets and a calf which have been born since they left. We also took 3 days to tour the East Cape, well worth it! Lovely from Opotiki to the top but quite rough and ready from Hicks bay round. We also had a day in Gisborne which we thought was all right. Clean and friendly but far from anywhere. We?d be happy here if we were offered a job but not a home of high choice.
We have climbed Mt Maunganui, been to several of the thermal activity parks in Rotorua (dead cool and scary!), been in the cab of the Wahi Goldfields Railway, climbed to East Cape light house (watch your calf muscles on the way down?and for several days after), been swimming in the sea, driven the Motu Road (the old coach road to Gisborne, 48km of unsealed road clinging to the mountain edge, very cool and VERY scary at times!), been taken by our hosts to a river in the back end of beyond and built a fire to cook lunch over, been to the Kaweru wood skills festival, been to the local college to see the Kapa Haka called the Delamere Cup (competition between schools of Maori dances and songs including the Haka, very intense, very competitive and quite moving, not at all like what is put on for tourists), done a gorge walk where we had to cross a small river twice, in bare feet and thigh deep, taken heaps of photos, and generally seen as much of things as we can and living with locals is great for seeing stuff tourists don?t.
Well that?s it for now, other info in other threads. Bye for now, HFW.