Nice Bugs

So far, we have not been troubled by the dreaded sand flies or mozzies. However, we have seen some very nice insects including a very big cicada (first picture in the Bay of Islands), a green cricket like creature (in the Coromandel) of some kind and a very beautiful large butterfly next to the croquet lawn in central Rotorua, a place which smells of rotten eggs because of the hot springs.

New Zealand has flightless crickets called Wetas, one of which is known as the Giant Weta and grows as big as a human hand (9cms long). It is totally harmless. These inhabit the kauri forests, but not seen one yet.

Hot Beach

This picture shows people bathing in the hot thermal pools on the Hot Sands beach in the Coromandel area. Dig a hole in the sands and the water is VERY hot. It looks very crowded but the rest of the beach is deserted as just this spot has the hot thermal spring water.

A wet end to the Bay of Islands

Today, in bright sunshine, we visited the beautiful Treaty Grounds at Waitangi where the Treaty of Waitangi between the British and the Maoris was first signed in the early 1840s. Afterwards we traveled further north to Kerikeri and then on to a point from where the most northerly point in all New Zealand, North Cape, could be seen on the far horizon. Since returning to Russell tonight it has been pouring with rain, making this place look and feel like Salcombe on a wet summer day! Tomorrow we travel south 150 miles to Thames in the Coromandel region of North Island, about 1 hour south and east of Auckland.