Perhaps the City Lights Boutique Hotel was the best stop so far. Although without any view, it was cosy and had everything you could wish for. In addition they provided lots of basic foods, many home made. Run by a lovely and helpful couple it was a great place from which to explore Rotorua.

Off we went onwards destination Napier. But we had some stops planned on the way. Kerosene Creek sounded interesting 2km down a dirt track, swimming cozzies at the ready. When we arrived there were about a dozen others there two or three in the water. Rock pools are one thing, but this was a forest stream, narrow and with muddy banks. We decided not to try it. I've been in enough hot water thank you. The trek through the forest was very good all the same. Very loud Cicada noises coming, unusually (?) from the canopy.

Let's talk Kiwis: The vestigial wings are so small as to be invisible under their bristly, hair-like, two-branched feathers. They are consequently defenceless against the long list of predators that are partial to a football sized snack. They are also their own worst enemy. Kiwis in captivity have to be kept in isolation because they tend to kill each other. Unsurprisingly they have become nocturnal, but even that does not help much. There is a story of a Kiwi sanctuary with about forty of them, wiped out one night by a playful puppy that broke in. This triggered a National review of security at all reserves. Once bonded, a male and female kiwi tend to live their entire lives as a monogamous couple. During the mating season, June to March, the pair call to each other at night, and meet in the nesting burrow every three days. These relationships may last for up to 20 years.

I was a tad nonplussed by our next stop over. The website says 'You’ll hear the Huka Falls well before you see them, the sound of nearly a quarter of a million litres of water per second erupting from a natural gorge and thundering 11m into the Waikato River below. This incredible waterfall is the most-visited natural attraction in New Zealand.' But it is rather tame by World standards. Very unphotogenic to boot. However there is merch on sale all over the area, boat trips, walking trips, Teddy Bears, you name it. Nevertheless a nice bit of geology to check out.

Continuing on the road, past the first speeder that we see pulled over, the sights are breathtaking as we ascend and descend the valley with the river that is slowly moving towards its turbulent destiny. Trees appear everywhere. Cultivated in large areas of different ages and finally empty sections that have been cut. Just like our trip last year into Portland Australia, we come to Napier to find a huge busy port with uniform logs stacked up all over the place, especially on boats. Then we pass our second speeder being nabbed. Finally as we near our apartment we pass four police cars parked up and a handcuffed seven foot 20 stone Maori being frog marched into a van by two police ladies. Just one of those unusual things to see on your travels. So far, even today, we are very relaxed and comfortable every where we go. In fact everywhere you look you see examples of people demonstrating kindness and good citizenship.

Earthquake 1931 destroyed Napier and now rebuilt it has the most Art Deco buildings of any town or city in the World. This is for us to explore tomorrow.

Stroll on the beach before dinner. Here the large rocks have been smoothed into egg shaped lumps. Fist size down to pea size. The waves make a growling sound as they grind the rocks back and forth 24/7.

Time has no meaning for rocks. A few cairns have been assembled by those who do. They lie in varying states of decay.

Of course I feel I must join in and make a minimalist instalation, see my photo. It consists of one piece of encrusted driftwood, erected and balanced as an arch. The title I have endowed upon it is 'Kiwi in Flight', it represents the struggle between Darwin and Freud in a search for the...

Perfect peanut butter.