Have left Aukland today and driven up north to a place called Paihai which is very historical since that is where the Treaty of Independence was signed by the Bristish and Maori Chiefs. We had a really good guide at the Treaty Grounds. We saw the Treaty House of the British Resident and the Te Whare Runanga (The Meeting house, Maori Waka ( the thirty five metre long war canoe).
We were the only two from our group who went on the Bush&Beach tour from our hotel in Aukland. So we shared a guide with a young Canadian girl from Alberta. We went into the tropical forest, saw a lovely waterfall and ended up on a beach on the West Coast very close to where the film "The Piano" was filmed. We really enjoyed getting out into the countryside.
 On our city tour in the morning we visited the Aukland Museum which was built originally as a WW1 war memorial but it had been refurbished a few times since then. We went to see the Gallipoli bit and got emotional all over again. The museum is best really for its Natural History section.
Getting to know the folk on the group but there is a tendency for those on the Hong Kong extension to stick together.
Good to know the messages ae getting through.
Hope dogs and everyone are fine.
LOL M&D