Road trips are great but they can be rather tiring.

I wanted to take the west coast road back so we could see the kauri tree forests, but we both were getting punchy so decided to cut across the island and head home. It's amazing how much farmland there is. The little towns that dot the roads are minute and you wonder why they are really there.

It was fun at the rest stops - there are so many chickens there! And they aren't just ordinary chickens but bantams. I have no idea where they come from but they know what we're there for!

On the way home, I discovered (or thought I discovered) that I had lost my purse! Well! Total panic, call the states, cancel cards etc etc. Trying to find an internet connection to get online for phone numbers was not easy here. Not many places have wireless and they - the hotels - charge for it. And internet cafes are few and far between. I actually found one in a MacDonalds of all places. I refused to buy anything while I was there!

Anyway, we got home and unpacked and sure enough, my purse had fallen into the food box so all that panic and drama for nothing.

So here we are back at Jenni's and getting ready to leave this morning for the Coromandel where we have a bach, or holiday house for 5 days. It's apparently on the beach and there's lots to do there - or we can do nothing.

The weather is great. Even more wonderful when I read today that the Pacific Northwest is under siege with a huge wind storm. Huge winds of 75 mph and the Hood Canal Bridge closed and thousands of people without power. Boy, am I glad I'm here.

As far as you can see are islands and water. And it's much warmer here. In fact, it is quite hot! I love it!

We took a side trip to Opua and caught the little car ferry over to Russell, which was the original NZ capital. It's an historic place now, with beautiful old buildings and a very popular tourist spot. We thought we might spend the night there but discovered just how popular it is by the hefty hotel prices.

So we headed on back and wound our way all the way up to Kerikeri which I found rather disappointing. Dad lived there a long time ago and I had heard storied about it but I guess over the years, its popularity has grown and it suffers now from urban sprawl. So we ended up spending the night and leaving fairly early the next day, but not before a little shopping at the kauri wood store.

The wood that is used for the carvings and furniture is called swamp kauri and is mined from the peat bogs. some is reputed to be more than 45,000 years old. Bought a few little gifty things and admired a $28,000 dining set.

I think if I had to live in a city, it might be Auckland. What a magnificent place!

I am so impressed with how much the people use their harbour. Not just earning it the name "The city of sails," it should have added, the "city of the people on the water." Every where you look, people are out - on kayaks, sailboats, canoes, power boats, and even swimming, though it's a bit chilly for me! Big freighters move down the channel, dwarfing pleasure boats, and ferries run from island to island. It definitely has the Wow factor.

So Sunday was the day to play and we spent most of it near the water. Some of the time we were down at the yacht club watching the Aussie 18 skiffs prepare for racing and then went out onto a long wharf to watch the race. But even the shore around the yacht club was a hive of activity, with people working on their boats up on the hard, and the Maori outrigger club and their big canoes practising for the Nationals. Down the way a bit, a whole gaggle of youngsters were learning to kayak in bright orange and yellow plastic boats. Around the corner where the grass comes down to the water's edge, couples and families were having picnics. Just wonderful!

After our own picnic up at a huge park overlooking the harbor, we ended up at the Maritime Museum near down at the Aquaduct, where the America's Cup was based. Again, I was impressed at how the Kiwis are out and about, doing stuff and enjoying their city. And lots of young people which to me is so important and something I really miss in Washington.

Next morning, Monday I had a meeting scheduled with Bayleys Real Estate for the article I am doing. They have very plush offices down in the Viaduct area, and are known as THE real estate company in New Zealand. The meeting got off to a bit of a rocky start. I was meeting John Bayley, chairman and CEO (might as well go for the top brass!) and his PR guy. Neither of them knew anything about the seminar in March. So I had to do a bit of quick education to let them know what it was and by the time we were done, the word was out and they found who was in charge of it! So met the young Michael Bayley and all was ok.

From Auckland we headed north, heading to the Bay of Islands, not too sure how far we would get. Within about 30km of Auckland we were back into rural territory, no more expressway, just the windy, narrow roads again. Got into Whangarei around four and settled in for the evening. I took a walk down the river a way and went into the waterfront area which is very pretty. Lots of boats moored along the river's edge and some boat yards, too.

It isn't a real touristy town, but the tourist area is nicely done, but the stuff in the stores definitely had jacked up, tourist prices.

Tomorrow, we head for Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands where Dad used to live.

Thoughts on New Zealand

New Zealand drivers are some of the worst I have ever encountered! Driving around here can be really hairy. The general speed limit seems to be 100 km but there is a sign that reads, "This is not a target." I think anything over that is what drivers aim for, regardless of road conditions. the typical country roads are windy, narrow and rolling, up and down, up and down. There are big signs indicating what the safe speed is for the curves, ranging from 35 (really sharap) to 85, just a bend. But drivers ignore these, not only flying at speeds that to me are plain stupid, but passing on blind corners, and tailgating like I've neer experienced. One "heavy" was on my tail on a steep incline, so close that if I had put on my brakes (which if I did in the rental car would have brought us to a stop) the truck driver wouldn't have been able to see the lights. It is very scary driving here. It's actually quite surprising how rude the drivers are too, as in person and out of their car armour, we have found the Kiwis to be very polite, friendly and helpful.

But other than scary drivers, the country seems to be very safe. We've seen a lot of signs though, that say "Lock it or lose it," so theft in some of the areas is a problem. Although we haven't seen too much graffiti, it is around but the city councils seem to be on top of it and keep it painted over. There apparently has been vandalism as well. A small train museum that we wanted to check out was closed, due to vandalism of the carriages. So all is not as perfect as one would expect.