Panda in Paihia (Days 9-10)

After arriving in Auckland on Saturday, we spent the night at the hostel before our early morning pickup on Sunday for our trip north to the Bay of Islands (or Paihia). We had a really good driver, Andy, who was very friendly and had a lot to show us and tell us about on the four-hour drive.

It looked like the weather was going to be against us for this trip, as we passed through some heavy rain showers, but when we reached Bay of Islands, the sun was beginning to peek out. At Andy's suggestion, I went on a fast boat trip that afternoon. (Naomi wasn't feeling too great and decided to give it a miss) The boat, the Excitor, took the group of us around the Bay of Islands, and out to the "Hole in the Rock", basically a huge rock in the ocean just off one of the islands which has a huge hole in it made just from the water eroding it away. The water was steady enough that the captain was able to take us through the hole and out the other side. The weather had totally cleared up by now, and was getting suitably sunny. This, however, was a mixed blessing. Typically, neither Naomi or I had noticed how sunny it was getting, and with being out on the boat for two hours (and with Naomi standing on the pier for half an hour before the boat left), and with neither of us thinking to put on any sunblock until after I had left (Naomi has the sunblock in her bag!), I got off the boat looking like a red panda - white under my sunglasses, but sunburnt all over my face! Naomi fared worse, with the sun catching her shoulders and arms as well as her face. We're both suffering for it today!

There was a barbecue back at the hostel last night, which was quite good fun. Met some nice people, including another Irish girl, and chatted with them while we ate. Eventually, we turned in for an early night (after still being tired from the 6am rise we'd had that morning).

This morning we got up and checked out by 10, then after getting some breakfast (a toastie and a burger!) we headed across to Russell, the settlement built on the site that Captain Cook first landed in New Zealand. Very historic, but a little on the boring side (we didn't have time to do any organised tours - I'm sure that would have made it more interesting). Anyway, we stayed there a while, then got the ferry back across.

Now we're just killing time until we get our bus in a couple of hours time. That will take us back down to Auckland for the night, and tomorrow we will start our journey proper as we head to Mercury Bay...