Hello

I arrived in New Zealand from Rarotonga last Wednesday night. The cold autumnal air and overcast weather hit me like a bad smell. Michelle and Tony generously picked me up and then we drove through the night to the northland town of Whungarei wear Michelle and Tony live. I slowly acclimatised to the weather and visited some Northland hotspots including the whaling port of Russell in the bay of islands and Kerikeri an old missionary settlement founded by infamous William Marsden in the 1800's.

Its a small world. Michelle and Tony's next door neibour is Mr. Cooze a Pitcairn islander. He passionately viewed my photos and knew every Rock, tree and blade of grass on Pitcairn by its name. He knew the island like the back of his hand and spoke with the Pitcairn tongue fluently it seemed. It was a pleasure to show someone as familiar as himself my photos and learn from someone who knows far more than me on the subject remembering Pitcairn as it once was when he lived on the island now quite long ago.

I caught the bus down to Auckland central from Whungarei Friday morning and connected onto the small passenger train to Mt Eden to visit James and Laura two friends of mine. Its a nice upmarket area they live in and close to the centre of Auckland too. Mt Eden is an extinct volcano crater and from the top of it one has one of the best views over Auckland region partially at Sunset.

This week i am going to look around some of the different areas of Auckland and visit some of the islands too. Maybe Great Barrier island and Rangitoto island too. I will see. It depends on cost now like it has for a while now...

On Tuesday MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH ME i will depart for Hong kong.

Cheers,

Felix