Some running in New Zealand!

I was sad to leave Australia. I loved our time there! And it was HOT. I borded the plane to Auckland clutching my coat and a scarf, and hoping they might be having some sort of freak spring heatwave over there.

They weren't. The temperature felt familiar on landing. Cold. Still, I'm British. A northern one at that. The only thing to do is toughen up, put on an extra layer (I actually only have one, so hopefully it will only be a bit nippy and not full on freezing), and push on through. I exited the airport doors....

Yikes.

We've hired a car while we're here for the next few weeks, so we can explore. I won't bore you with the amazing details of the trip so far, as it's always really tedious when people spend ages telling you about their holiday, and they're clearly just trying to rub it in. So I'll rise above that (although it is REALLY AMAZING HERE), and briefly sketch the general idea, and how Run Every Day has survived a transition to another time zone.

The first day we blasted up the country to the Bay of Islands and stayed in a little town called Russell. It's my favourite place in NZ so far, and I wanted to rearrange our travel plans and stay there for the whole time, or maybe forever. We stayed in an amazing hotel called the Duke of Marlborough. It started out in 1827 as Johnny Johnston's Grog Shop. And who wouldn't want to stay somewhere with that fine name? Anyway, Johnny was an ex-convict come good sort of dude, and did lots for the local area and his pub got the first liquor licence on NZ. Now, it's a beautiful old wooden building painted white with wooden panelling along big corridors and quirky rooms, and an awesome restaurant with a big glass front facing the sea...

Anyway, I digress. Running. Yes. Once we arrived, and before partaking in the use of the continuing liquor licence, we did our first NZ run. And what a run! It wasn't warm, and there was mud, so in some ways it was just like being at home. Nah, just kidding! We found a trail starting just outside the hotel which went up (significantly up) through forests, down to beaches, up again, down again, sunsets, views, plants and wildlife (I'm sure we saw a kiwi, but the lady at the hotel says not), the excitement of it getting dark and not having a torch, it had the lot! 

It was so good, we got right back up the next morning and did it again for Day 16. Funny how the same place looks really different at a different time of day. And the tide was in this time. Great views of the bay, the blue waters and boats going about their business as the day woke up.

After a run, we drove right up to the top of NZ, Cape Reinga, a spectacular place, and did a walk. From there, we stayed in Kaitaia, and the next day continued driving South. We stopped at a hot springs...which turned out to be a new experience of getting into pools of sulphur-y smelling, bubbling mud of varyingly tolerable temperatures. The hottest pool, at 42oC, was ominously called 'The Doctor', but it was unclear as to if the pool itself had doctor-like qualities, or if instead you would need a doctor after going in it. I lastest a whole minute, before concluding the latter must be true. 

Having survived the experience, we continued South again and stopped at Waipoua Forest for a magical run through the ancient Kauri trees. Truly magnificent, running through them felt like another world. The Magical Faraway Tree and the Ents in Lord of the Rings surely couldn't be far away from these giants...