[Dawn]

Well, well, well! Here we are and it's looking like we're going to be putting some roots down in Hamilton at least for the time being. This country is crazy, every corner turned brings a new perspective. It's been quite a trip.

Before leaving the UK we booked one way tickets to NZ and on tickets to Australia. When we came to book in we were told that if we were going to AUstralia we had to have visas to enter and they wouldnt let us fly without them, either that or we had to purchase return flights to the UK. Being under pressure with just 30 minutes to board and after AirNZ told us the simplest solution was to buy the return tickets we just did costing us an extra ?2500.

We only left enough money in the bank account to cover some things we had pending and this extra cost took a significant chunk of that so we knew we'd have financial stuff to sort out practically as soon as we arrived. Not good.

Then when we arrived in Auckland I got branded a smuggler for having an undeclared apple in my bag and fined $200. Watch this guys because I didn't know I had anything in my bag but none of the customs officers was accepting my explanation. Poppy, who is 5, must have dropped it in there when we left LA and not told me but the guards who were extremely serious and more than little way up their own arses, said I was lucky that it wasn't going on my record as they took these kinds of offences very seriously indeed!! Well Jesus thank God I didn't try to smuggle in a banana or God forbid a melon, they may not have been so lenient with me, I could have been put against a wall and shot!

So, not the warmest welcome to NZ soil but my own fault I guess. There were loads of signs asking you to deposit 'offending' items in specially provided bins but as I wasn't aware I had any they didn't trigger any responses in me. I can tell you where I would have liked to put my offending apple though.

Anyways picked up the dogs and they were absolutely fine, very pleased to see us but none the worse for their long trip. We loaded them up into our friends truck and away we went to pick up the campervan. Now then, do not attempt to live in a campervan non stop with three kids for longer than a fortnight. You could well end up with at least one less child. An attractive proposition I know but one that could raise a few eye-brows.

We left the dogs with six newfy friends to play with in Tuakau and set off on our wirlwind tour. After spending a few days with Taf and WG close to Hamilton we headed off over the mountains to Tauranga, well Mt Maunganui to be exact, it is a beautiful place but not one we'd like to settle in. From there we went up into Rotorua (absolutely loads to do) and then on to Taupo (stunningly scenic) and then across to Napier in the Hawkes Bay. Now, we really liked it here, admittedly it was the nicest, sunniest day we had had and I mean about 20 degrees and strappy top weather so that could have had something to do with it, but the whole place just seemed to have a really nice feel to it. It was relaxed and laid back but really buzzy with a nice arty feel, if we were winemakers (alas and alack sadly not) we would have seriously considered this place. We reluctantly left Napier for Hastings which we didn't like at all and then took the bullet between our teeth and drove the long road to Wellington. I have to say I was disappointed. That stretch of our journey was probably the least impressive. I was looking forward to seeing the |Wairarapa because it had been an area we had thought of settling but we quickly changed our minds. It's funny how that happens. Back in the UK looking through all the different regions, areas and towns we thought we'd or less decided on where we wanted to be, we had definite no no's and definite maybe's but when we got here that all changed. We loved Wellington, it's more like a large town than a capital city the only thing that put us off was that the houses didn?t have as much land with them as we would have liked. We would have needed to head quite a way up the coast for that and then the communities became small and scattered. So it was back up the west coast via the seaside towns that are all wildly stunning and back to Taf and WG in Hamilton. What have they done to deserve that I here you ask, now try to be nice!

I have loads of other stuff to tell you but that?ll do for now. Suffice to say we have internet access now so I can at least make a few posts, trying to get online whilst travelling is nigh on impossible.!!