Got to New Zealand 23 hours after leaving our Bangkok hotel and were whisked away by the NZ organisers to a volcano overlooking Auckland. Knackered. Were forced out to drink ourselves awake (this was apparantly the best cure for jet lag) in a backpackers bar. Sue came second (marginally…) in a pool competition and amazed the Kiwi regulars.

Had our orientation today and are making our plans for the rest of our stay in NZ. Different people are going off doing different things and there’s lots to sort out. We’ve really got on with everyone and we’ll probably get a house in Ponsonby - to the west of Auckland - with a few others. It’s a fantastic city and the Kiwis are really friendly. The only problem are the bloody hills - our youth hostel’s right at the top of a 45 degree road!