What a country!

We are enjoying a quiet ‘mooch’ around Auckland – having visited this time last year, we don’t feel the need for rushing to see all the sights.  It’s grey and cloudy here today, so not even worth going up the Sky Tower! 

To summarize our New Zealand adventure, I must mention a few things that we’ve noticed . . . .

1.  Kiwis (that’s the human sort!) have a wonderful accent  – legs become ‘leegs’. . . .yes become ‘yees’. . . “How are ya GUYS?”  “Have a wonderful day GUYS?”  “What can I geet ya GUYS?” 
2. One Lane Bridges are the norm  – built in the days of horse and cart. 
3. Coffee caravans are everywhere and they carry ALL types of coffee and ALL types of milk  and always have a delicious array of cakes (yes, the waistline has grown!) – FABULOUS
4. Public toilets are abundant and 99% of the time – clean!
5. Pulling over to allow other cars to pass is normal – And you’re thanked for doing so!
6. Every stream, river, and culvert has a name! Even in the middle of nowhere!
7. Every park and public footpath is well maintained and well signposted.
8. The mountain ranges that go all the way down both islands are criss-crossed with amazing mountain roads -Numerous VERY sharp bends are taken at speed by the locals, but take some getting used to for all the rental cars and motorhomes!
9. The scenery never fails to impress and the locals couldn’t be more friendly and welcoming. 
10. It’s well worth the LONG & TIRING journey to get here from the other side of the world. 
11. I can recommend Audley Travel if you’d like a problem free holiday – no worries, all accommodation and tours prebooked – all we had to do we had to do was drive there! 

And drive we (mostly I!) did  – 3840 km  /  2386 miles  – wonderful.