We were on the road by 20 to 10 and started on highway one, then turned off for the scenic detour to Russell, in the Bay of Islands.

The scenic detour was mainly a continuous winding road through Russell Forest and then past the coastline of the Bay of Islands. Especially the latter was breathtakingly beautiful, with amazing views over Taupipri Bay. We arrived in Russell, a small town (just over a 1000 inhabitants) just after midday.

The campsite was beautifully located with great views and only a few minutes walk from town. It's another from the Top Ten chain, and we even bought a discount card as there are loads over the whole country and it has proven to be a good investment.

We let the tent dry out in the strong sun, as it was wet from dew and condensation still, and we had lunch at our own picnic bench. We walked into town and had an icecream, medicinal for Keiron as he was developing a sore throat. We looked over Kororareka Bay (Kororareka is Russell's Maori name, it means Sweet Penguin or something similar, I can't remember exactly) and saw the Excitor jetboat dock at the pier.

Back at the campsite we relaxed for a bit, as it was very hot. I read the interesting fact in the LP that until the 1950ies, farmers were not allowed to let their cattle mate in fields fronting public roads, for moral reasons.

New Zealand is so organised it sometimes comes across as a bit, dare I say it, sterile. It's all extremely beautiful, but you have no sense of discovery, adventure, never mind danger. It's all a bit tame after the (very real and serious) dangers of Peru and Bolivia, I must admit. But it makes for very easy travelling, and it's a dream destination for families.

New Zealanders jokingly call themselves the better Britons, and in some ways it's true: their fish and chips is better, their air cleaner, their country more diverse, their roads not clogged up, their cows not mad. But at the same time it's all very brand spaking new, and it misses some of the enjoyable chaos of the old world. Everywhere are notices informing you of danger, health and safety, do's and don'ts... it feels a bit North American at times.

But don't let that minor criticism make you think for one second I'm not enjoying New Zealand. The Maori history is fascinating, the nature fantastic, I even love the camping...