Well I've got no idea where to start! We have all been so busy I feel like we've been here a month already... Coromandel town was our first stop after getting ferry from Auckland where Tom's friend from home, James, joined our group- seems to have slotted into the family well. We found a campsite by the bay and the tents had their first airing out- very successfully achieved and I loved the town, it's like going back to a country and western with saloon bars and swinging shutters but so laid back it was horizontal.
After two days of exploring we headed to Cooks Beach near Whitianga where Clare has some family friends (Colin and Greeta)... I knew this was a good move as soon as Colin picked uS up in a vintage model A Ford- Clare and I got in the boot seats and felt very Grace Kelly! Since then we literally haven't stopped! Every morning we have a big fry up breakie on the bbq and goodness do we need it... we've been out sea fishing on Colin's friend Mark's boats (twice) I caught my first ever fish (two!)- little teraki? We also got some red snapper, 15 in total, so there was plenty for the bbq- which is a good thing too as half the neighbourhood seemed to come round for some!!! The fish was delicious and as I always say (mum and dad) that 'cos it's so fresh it doesn't taste fishy! Mark and his son Bob also went diving off the boat to get some scallops- I've never seen so many in my life and they we almost as good as at melton's!
Everyone here super friendly and on our first night some neighbours spotted dolphins in the bay so we went round and before we knew where we were we had glasses of bubbly in hand. They also gave us the name of a friend in Queenstown who owns and cafe and could give us a job- honestly everyone just goes out of their way to help. Mark's sons took us out 'biscuiting' i.e. sitting in a rubber ring and being pulled along behind the boat- Clare and I felt very chuffed that we stayed in till Cam let on he'd only gone half the speed as we were girls. Well that sounded like a challenge and we were back in and having another go almost as quickly as we were falling back out. I also had a go at wake-boarding, like snowboarding but holding onto a rope and being pulled behind boat. However the logisitcs of swimming to a boat with a big board attached to your feet is a bit tricky and I had to be lugged about by my life jacket while I just bobbed about feeling very ungainly especially when Pip said it was 'like catching a whale!' Yes he did get in trouble. The boys said I was almost getting it but I so knackered, cold and a bit fed up of getting mouthfulls of water that I gave-up.
What else? We went to hot water beach- where at low tide you dig a hole to the geothermal springs and sit in it. Very nice but sooo hot in places that a few buttocks got a bit rosy! We also popped to Cathedral Cove, which is idyllic and like a tropial beach... mind you the beaches here are beautiful- the water is just so blue. It's weird because after a few beautiful beaches you start taking them for granted.
Tom, Pip and James have gone back to Auckland with Mark today to look at some wheels as we are getting a bit fed up of not being able to go where we want and will be nice to be able to store our stuff somewhere when we are out and about. Apparetnly they've found one, what it'll be like I've no idea but I trust Mark as he seems a bit more practical! Well I think we're off to clean pippies (or clams) that we dug up yesterday and go for a swim in beach- the weather since we've got here has been glorious, all day sun and blue skies- it's usually 25c by ten o'clock in the morning- thought I was quite tanned till I stood next to Mark's sons!
Lots of love to everybody, thinking of you often and what you are getting up to- thanks for messages as it is lovely to hear what you are up to- seems so far away though.
take care
annie
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-Mum and Dad, e-mail or messages on here are both fine as I will get either when I'm near a computer- did you get my text message?
-no message received but english phone not in action- are you using the n.z. no. I gave you?
