March 1999

1 March - To Thermal Park Waotapu. Good. Hot pool. Pleasant company. 6.60 24 km
2 - Minor road around forest and up to Whakatane then on to Ohope Point camping on beach v.g. 7.30 140 km
3 - Very hot only 46 km to Tirohanga camp 5.30
4 - Omaito Bay for coffee. Whanarua basic camp WG 3.30 79 km
5 - Beautiful scenery around coast to Lottin Point for coffee. Te Aroroa camp £5 was cinema on site. "Sleeping With the Enemy". Very heavy rain during night. 90 km
6 - Still raining, drove to East Cape, dramatic scenery. lunch Te Puia Springs camping Tokomaru Bay near beach £5 132 km
7 - Still raining, pity as good scenery, coffee Whangara Gisborne camping on beach in town v.g. 5.60 91 km
8 - Walked around town, had takeaway on beach, went to cinema "Elizabeth" v.g. Very hot and humid, back to camp £5.60
9 - impressive run not many stopping places, coffee Morere then on to Wairoa camping on riverside v.g. 4.60 100 km
10 - dramatic valley drive south to Waipatiki Beach £6 103 km
11 - Thru Napier and Hastings not impressed, to Waipawa, basic site, not too clean but cheap £3.30 a lot of long timers fruit picking in area 97 km
12 - Pleasant scenery coffee and lunch Eketahuna to Masterton camping had code for kitchen and toilet £5 169 km
13 - Back to Eastbourne and Girvans, baby sat. 100k
14 - had met with couple who were buying van
15 - Visited an old couple we had met their grand or great grandparents had come out as missionaries, they still thought of themselves as English
16 - Took bus into Wellington then got ferry back to Days Bay and the Girvans
17 - Ferry 1:30 am back to South Island. Slept in Waikawa Bay then on to Aileen and Jim's for coffee, to Blenheim for lunch with Jean & Don. very pleasant day. lovely drive down A7 to Kaihori camping 5.60 188 km
18 - Lovely day and trip down coast and around Christchurch to Ashburton. Stayed with Eva and Jim, Sharon's parents
19 - Met Steve's parents from Christchurch, lunch Normandy basic camping Glenavy £4 meal at local cafe 270 km
20 - lovely day and run down to Dunedin tea at Nelly's, Barbara's mum. Took Barbara and Phil for meal out. 135 km
21 - went to anniversary fireworks 101 years Dunedin (New Zealand)
22 - walked to town, packed cases
24 - left Dunedin (New Zealand) 9:30 stopped coffee Oamaru lunch Winchester (New Zealand) onto Christchurch (New Zealand) to Vera and Alan's, Steve's parents took us out 2 days, then to deliver van to airport. No problems. He gave us a cheque.

28 - Vera and Alan took us to airport for flight to Sydney 6:50 am. We had 7 hours in Sydney so took bus to harbour and ferry to Manly Beach. Saw bridge, opera house, etc.
29 - Flight to Los Angeles, into hotel, trip to Venice Beach. overnight then flight to Heathrow

Lost track of times and dates again.