New Zealand Diary 21 June 2002
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The worst of the weather had passed by this morning. It as still a long, wet and windy drive back to Auckland. The lass on the radio was cheerfully giving me all sorts of useful information like that the rivers were at there highest point for 15 years, that one of them was 11.5m above its natural level and how the paihia bowls tournament had been canceled. I took a detour through Puketi forest to have a look at some Kauri trees. I then rallied round the dirt tracks back to the sealed road.

I wasn't completely in the clear despite the fact that I was now traveling on the main state highway south. At one point half the road was closed because electricity pylons had fallen into the road. At another, Kawakawa , the main road was about 1/3m deep with flood water. Despite all these trials and tribulations, I got back in time to see England lose to Brazil in the World Cup.

Before arriving in Auckland I did one last stop at the thermal pools in Waiwera. They were great, as long as you didn't get out of the water - brrr! There were however some fantastic water slides that I just had to have a go at - and almost catch hypothermia while I was at it. It was worth it though as I was the only mad fool doing it, so I had the full run of them - no queues to slow me down. Achoo!

To tomorrow

Created by Dan Leigh 23/06/02