Our few days on the West Coast of Northland was both a pleasant surprise and a tonic for the race weary. It was a gem of relative untouristed isolation and peaceful. Once off the peninsula of the NZ Far North and their Top End however, more tourists and the hype which comes with them started to thicken. A well timed diversion to the seaside township of Mangonui at Doubtless Bay (S34'59.463' E173'32.186') which was a delight and well timed for a post coffee feed of Fush-and-Chups for Rob's lunch on the wharf. We also bought a piece of smoked Hapuka for our good friend 'ron (as in later . . )

The east coast was stunning down to Paihia on the Bay of Islands. Dramatic hills rose and fell at angles impossible for an Australian landscape. Accomodation was plentiful, although quit expensive, and we ended up in a grandly titled 'one bedroom suite' at the strangely named Edelweiss Motel. (Is that an Alphorn I hear?).

Today I spent a very pleasant morning at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, whill Bob set off on a coastal walk a little beyond my rapidly improving, but still swollen ankle. We shall spend another night here at Paihia, before (probably) heading tomorrow to the Comerandel (sp?) Peninsula east of Auckland before our early Saturday return.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Waitangi, and had a good chat to the very handsome ducks at the café while checking out their lunch menu for Bob after his walk. I tore myself away, so that Bob wouldn't be waiting for me too long, posting a postcard on the way, although a bit stunned at $1.50 stamp price. Bob hadn't returned from his walk yet, so I drove to the trail head at the end of School Rd in Paihia township to meet him on the way back. No sighting of him along the roadway, I decided that my ankle seemed strong enough to head along the path to the lookout in the hope of giving him a pleasant surprise. Described as a one hour return wall to the lookout, I decided to go for 15 minutes, and if I could neither see Bob or the lookout at that point, turn around. It was beautiful bush, lush with tree ferns and Manuka trees (I now know what they look like). Just as my phone told me (I was using the pedometre feature on my Sport 5500) that I had been going for 14:59 I saw both the turnoff for the lookout and a Bonshaw Cup T-Shirt striding along the continuation of the track down to the Coastal Track.

He lookout was really good, and the return trip took me 35 minutes tops even though I was wearing my fancy-ist street clothes and orange sandals with my handbag slung over my shoulder to my back.

We checked the maps briefly before jumping into the car ana headeding to the car ferry across to Opua, the former capital of New Zealand. It was then an 8.5km drive to the village of Russell. It was a rare, glorious day with sunshine! The wind was 'a wee breezey' on the seafront but lovely out of the wind. After lunch for Bob & a coffee for me, we spent half an hour or so just checking our email for urgent stuff and booking an airport hotel for Friday night before we fly out.

It was a great day capped off by an excellent meal at a local fish restaurant called 'Only Seafood'. In a beautiful setting, we both opted for the 'Seafood Platter' - a bland title for a dish which was the antithesis of the usual fried offerings named thus. 4 Oysters; 4 Sushi Rolls; a generous mound of Sashimi on a bed of pickled cucumber; just-seared tuna; and a pot of raw fish salad (marinated in lemon juice with coconut milk). Sides of pink pickled ginger, an interesting salad, dipping sauces, soy & wasabi. Gee it was good!