So, the first part of our update on events of the last couple of weeks...

Our campervan odessy began with the drive from Auckland to the Coromandel peninsula, where we spent serveral days hopping from gorgeous beach to gorgeous beach, Cathedral Cove, Hotwater Beach and Waihi amoung them. Tough life.

From there we drove down to Rotorua, the thermal playground of New Zealand. We saw the best boiling mud pool ever - it's amazing how much fun two supposedly grown up adults can have giggling at mud making farty noises and spurting out 'hot plops'! - we went round Waiotaupu thermal park, full of brightly coloured mineral pools and sulphur smells, and spent the night at Waikie Valley thermal baths; $16 gets you camping for the night and free access to all the pools - we poached ourselves silly.

New Zealnd is amazing, we had no idea that the North Island would be so varied, one minute it looks likethe Yorkshire Dales, the next you're on a blacksand beach watching the sun set over a snow-capped Mt. Taranaki, and then you're walking along a lush jungle track with starnge birdcalls all around you. Incredible.

We haven't seen much in the way of wildlife yet though...well, apart from the roadkill, most of which was possum. In fact, it's only in the last few days that we've discovered what possum really look like (their innards are usually on the inside surprisingly enough).

Stay tunned for the next edition of Kate and Tim's blog update