February 1999
1st Feb - Coffee. Picnic area Bulls. pleasant into centre. Hunterville Vinegar Hill by river Rangitikei. 126 k
2 - Taihape shopping and coffee Waiouru army museum. v.g. camping owned by man from Manchester. 75k £6.
3 - Desert Road, past 3 active volcanoes Raupehu erupted 1997. Turangi pleasant coffee stop. camped by river. Te Kuiti 272 km
4-5 - Waitome v.g. camp £5 another glowworm walk. 27km
6 - Otorohanga Kiwi Park 4.30 86km
7 - Kawhia beach camp £5
8 - Visited a family we were delivering photo of American cocker Crufts winner. father of one of their dogs from Horden
9 - not a pleasant run to Auckland. busy traffic met up with Barb from Wooden. Camper parked her garden. She took use around area. saw area that had formed from earthquake.
11 - Swanson. Left at 10 am, not good scenery. small camping at Paparoa. not good. 2.60
12 - Kauri Tree Museum v.g. Waipoua saw largest Kauri trees. on to Hokianga Harbour camp. £6
13 - 15 min ferry Kohukoho start of 90 ml beach. 6.80
14 - Trip to cape on bus, back along beach. beautiful day out. Maori driver sang intro songs along way 6.80
15 - left 10 am route 10, around NE coast. coffee. Coopers Beach. scenic route Mataur Bay camping on beach. £6 100 km
16 - Slowly south around bay to Kerikeri for coffee, lunch at Waitangi where treaty was signed. camping 5.60
17 - Pahia for coffee, ferry Opua to Okiato on to Russell very nice old town. beach by harbour camping £7. v.g. 18 km
18 - very hot thru unmade road thru forest to Sandy Cove. Ngunguru pleasant but small site on beach £6 117 km
19 - Uretiti D.O.C. ((Department of Conservation?)) Site good, side nudist part - £4 57 km
20 - very hot. coast road to Mangawhai on to Warkworth and Sandpit camping. v.g. free use of boats and kayaks. £6 101 km
21 - Through Auckland to Beachland for lunch. past a polo match ((possible Polo Open)). onto Oere Point camping £6
22 - Followed Pacific Highway around picturesque bird sanctuary. saw 100s oystercatchers, great to watch their display. Kiwi camp Dicksons 6.80 ??km
23 - Stopped Tepuru Bay for coffee, school parties in doing activities, great to see them all with hats. V hot. on to Coromandel Bay camping £6 free fish from owner 54 km
24 - unsealed road across peninsula to Whitianga, steep. lunch on harbour then to hot water beach camping, was cool out so we went inside, hot pool. met up with people from Canada & Hull we had met on our first day out 6.60 32 km
25 - Drove to Cooks Beach then back to Hahai v.g. 6.60
26 - Rained so stayed another day on this pleasant camp 6.60
27 - Not a very exciting trip to Tauranga £6 164 km
28 - Hot and sunny again to Roturua, big tourist area. Mud pools. Kerosene Creek. Hot pools. Waikite camp £6.60 88km