The following pictures are taken from our christmas/january camping expeditions around the north island. Starting in Wellington for Christmas with Mieke's family and the Watsons - followed by camping at Ruatiti, a beautiful river near the north island mountains, then up to the Coromandel on the north west coast for new year (with one of Mieke's best friends - Naomi, and my UK mates; Rob & Sarah) - finished off by a trip up to the very north of the north island together with our friend Jared taking in the Bay of Islands, Cape Reinga and the Waipoura forest.

The photo above is a view of one of the many beautiful beaches on the west close to the top of the north island. 

Tane Mahuta - the oldest and most significant tree in NewZealand 

Mieke, Jared and myself at Cape Reinga 

Cape Reinga - very top of north island where Pacific ocean and Tasman sea meet 

sandune sledging near 90 mile beach 

view from 90 mile beach 

"Derelicht my car" - 90 MILE BEACH
(stunning beach - 90km in length - operates as a national highway. Here a car sadly got stuck in the sand approx a month prior to the photo) 

Mieke 'within' the hole in the rock 

Bay of Islands - hole in the rock 

View from Urapukapuka Island - stop off during incredible boat trip around Bay of Islands 

Waitangi - where the orginal treaty was signed between the Maori's (orginal New Zealand settlers who arrived centuries ago from the Polynesian islands) and British in 1840's 

L&P - a favourite Kiwi soft drink (pretty much tastes like lemonade!) 

Eager faces watching the volleyball 

International Beach Volleyball tourament at Matarangi beach - Coromandel 

Donald at Otama Bay 

New Year's Day 2006 

New Year's Day (in the wind) at the very beautiful Otama Bay - Coromandel 

making melody..... 

Relaxing during the day 

the Ruatiti campsite - designed by Matt Waston! 

Murray and his sister using their creative juices 

Camping at Ruatiti Domain with Watsons and friends 

CHRISTMAS 2005: 

CHRISTMAS 2005:
Christmas still can look the same on the other side of the hemisphere! 

Managed to squeeze in a sensational meal at the Craggy Range winery restaurant