Saturday 1 December 2012

Nice Here in New Zealand

I have now been travelling round New Zealand for 5 days. The problem with the credit card and the very nice people at the van hire place has been sorted.

New Zealand is a very nice place, a bit like Australia in many ways but not as dry and burnt. The max speed round here is 100kph (62mph) even on the motorways. The motorways round Auckland are frantic and I would suggest who ever does the direction signs pays a visit to the UK. Probably one of the problems I am having is the strange place names which I find hard to pronounce. You don't get much warning and no second chance. Some of the exits are from lane 3 which is weird. 

I am finding the lack of overtaking places a bit of a bind. I don't really want to hurtle along at 100kph but motorist behind get real close and even when it is possible to overtake seen reluctant to do so and I end up going faster than I would like. I'm here to see the place, not set speed records.

Right now I am in Ohope Beach which is a sand bar 200 metres wide sticking out in to the Bay of Plenty and tomorrow I am heading for Gisbourne stopping the night at Cape East which is as far east as I am likely to get without falling over the International Date Line. On Monday morning I will probably be the first person on Earth to see the sun rise. I hope it does. 

5 comments:

DG875 said...

Very envious Dave, I lived out there for three years- more years ago than I care to remember. Great people, great country, scenery great as well.
Enjoy yourself.

Helen said...

Hi David

Glad you are having a great trip around New Zealand.

Did you see the sun rise on Monday?

Here in Sydney it poured with rain on Monday morning.

helen

Ben said...

Hi David.

Are you coming back for Christmas?

Best wishes,

Ben.

David said...

I am now back in Oz and there was a big black cloud to the east so I didn't see the sun rise, it did rise however. I loved my time in New Zealand but getting connected was a bit of a problem. Road sign h there are in need of a serious update. I am in Oz now until mid January and should be able to post more often.

Ben said...

Oh right. It's good you will be able to post more often, I love reading your blog. I only ask when you will be back because I have a Christmas card for you. :)

Hope your okay.

Best Wishes,

Ben. :)