Update 2 (03/03)

Back to Auck, to then catch a tour bus (Kiwi Experience, affectionately
known as The Big Green Drunken Bus), to retrace my steps slighty. Went to East Coromandel, spent last night in Waitingi (quiet town, busy pub - the only place in town!). Watched the Super 12s game - Blues v the Chiefs. The barman and I were the only people in the place cheering for the Blues, and despite having a man sent off within five minutes, they went on to win 30-27. Great game.

Along the way, I met up with the Sensay from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (James Viney jnr's favourite TV show). He was a pretty sound bloke, and told me all the plotlines for the coming series as well as having a picture taken for him and me for little Jimmy.  What I won't tell Jim jnr is that (shortly after the photo was taken) the bloke passed out as a result of excessive tequila consumption!

Whitewater rafting in Rotoroa was an experience not to be forgotten - my shipmates were a Kiwi and a Chilean who were running the show, a gay American couple who: a) didn't want to get wet (! What the hell they were doing in a raft is anyone's guess..) and b) were unwilling to paddle, and an East German who spoke very shaky English and consequently had difficulty following the captain's commands. As a result, we spent a large amount of time going round in circles.

The Americans were being very typically American; continually asking questions, the answers to which the Kiwi had, seconds before, answered, and generally being so annoying that the Kiwi eventually offered to clean
out their ears with his paddle! Didn't let it spoil the experience though, and boy what an experience - the river could not have been designed better for rafting, and the scenery was amazing - the photos (including a good Titanic pose from me) are on a CD-R on their way back home - should arrive in a week or so.

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