3 Entry Ban

Bec is banned for 3 entries for actually giving you facts, so you're back to my meanderings after she gave you proper info about what we did, where and when. I thought I'd tell you about life in the van. The van is tiny compared to other campervans that have showers and toilets inside- ours is about the size of a people carrier with a sink, single portable gas hob and fold away back seat that turns into a bed, so we have to be very tidy and organised all the time. We have a little routine going throughout the day:

Obviously I wake up first but I'm banned from any earsplitting activities such as reading or Su Doku in case it disturbs sleeping beauty. Then it's off for a shower and when I'm back I'm greeted cheerfully by Mrs Owen(!) When she toddles off I pack all the Manchester stuff away (Kiwis call bedding Manchester for some reason) and put the back seat back in place and set up for breakfast, outside if the sun is shining. After brekkie; budget coco pops for me and porridge for Bec plus toast for both of us we do the pots and head off on the road.

What have Bart Simpson and Bec got in common? They both invent verbs. At 1 campsite the other day The Simpsons was on in the background while we were cooking in the kitchen, well it was the background for everyone else but as ever the telly had my undivided attention. At the beginning during the credits when Bart writes his lines on the board Bart had to write "Pork is NOT a verb". Bec informed me in Rotorua that she is "museumed out", after she'd chosen to visit 2 in Wellington. Anyone would think that's all we're doing.

Anyway, after we've been to a museum(?), beach, abseiled or strolled round a National Park and had dinner (not always super noodles) we wash up, and then I go for my nightly "read" while Bec sets up the bed.

There are some unrelated photos of the Kauri shop - the wood is between 35,000 and 50,000 years old, the trees themselves live for up to 4000 yrs. There is a bench for sale at 14 grand that I quite fancy - I'm sure it will go well with our Habitat rug and Furniture Land dining room table. I'm holding up the wooden fish I bought that our budget could stretch to. The staircase is carved out of a single tree trunk and they built the shop around it - it's the centrepiece of the shop.

We're still in the "winterless" Northland where it rained for 3 days solid. We were due to go quadbiking on the sand dunes yesterday on 90 mile beach (it's only 60 my mum must have named it!). However, when we turned up the guy, Greg, was a bit surprised and asked if we still want to do it. I said "Of course, a bit of rain isn't going to stop us." Greg, an Aussie, looked outside at the horizontal gale force storm and said "I'd say it's a lot of rain, mate. We can't go out in this." Wimp. Aussies may have speed limits for joggers in Darwin (honestly) but a bit of light drizzle in New Zealand and they crumple like a Rich Tea biscuit in a hot brew. The fact that schools closed early because of flooding danger is by the by.