We have a car – yey – first time in over 6 weeks and it feels very liberating.

A long and quite boring drive brought us up to the north of the north island to KeriKeri. There were supposed to be amazing beaches here so came with Mark diving in mind, but unfortunately the cost is just crazy so he couldn’t, even though he really fancied doing the sunken Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow warrior. But 130 quid for a couple of dives – just crazy. It was costing about 70 in Fiji and that was pricey.

Anyhow, no matter as we are staying in the most divine hostel ever. It is the KeriKeri Farm hostel and is a small holding who grow organic oranges. As if orange orchards and free oranges and tangerines aren’t fabulous enough, we have a couple of lovely dogs, odd looking chickens, some with chicks, a sheep and a 2 Kune (pronounced kooney) pigs, who are a proper new zealand, mauri breed and are gorgeous as!!! (I have a weakness for pigs and rabbits). It’s a laid back place, all wooden and cozy, and decked with a small pool. It’s just a lovely place to be and we added and extra day to our stay here and only wished we could add more.

We’ve not done a whole lot – most of the boat trips and stuff is uber expensive and it’s so nice on the farm, we wanted to make the most of staying there – though it does seem ridiculous after a 4 hour drive up here.

The one place we did go to was the Glow worm caves. I think there are 3 or 4 instances of these around New Zealand, but I’d heard this was a good, family run and cheaper one. It was very cool. Glow worms actually do rock. When the lights are turned out in the cave it’s like looking up at constellations of stars and all it is are these funny worms hanging off the ceiling via webs.
Cool glow worm fact 1 – they are very territorial and if one gets on anothers turf they will eat them!
Cool glow worm fact 2 – after all this wonderful existence as a glow worm, once they hatch and become flies they live for 3 days – that’s rather sucky.
Cool glow worm fact 3 – and the best as far as i’m concerned – they glow brighter the more hungry they are!!! I want to glow bright when I am hungry – great diet plan or what??