Dear Reader,

Yours truly has decided to go camping. Yes mother, you may laugh - because it's the same as saying 'Miss Bean has decided to go camping'. You'll be in for a laugh - and hopefully, I'll be too!

Let me explain how this change of plans has come about. I've been in Auckland for 2 weeks now. Auckland isn't very special. If you want to get a taste of the 'real New Zealand', you have to leave Auckland and go into the wild. Unfortunately for me, all the beautiful places are too far away to reach by foot, so you either have to explore New Zealand by car, by bus or by plane. At first, I thought about flying, but then I'd only be able to go to three other cities and miss out on all the nature stuff. I don't want to leave New Zealand without seeing all that it's famous for. Imagine having a conversation that goes like this: 'So, you spent 6 months in New Zealand? Interesting. Tell me, what's it like?' Me:'Er.... The hostel I stayed at was horrible, but the B&B I became part of the furniture of was very nice'. No way! I don't want that to happen, so it's time for some action. Since I don't feel confident driving a car - I haven't driven a car for 8 years (shame shame!) - , the only option that is left, is going by bus. I intend to go on the 23-day ' All of New Zealand' tour. I've found a tour company that aims at slightly older people (I've been on the wrong side of 25 for a while, you see, although, many people here seem to think I'm still a student) and that doesn't advertise 'let's get drunk!' throughout its brochure. Instead, we'll be visiting the highlights of the North Island and the South Island, but it does mean I'll have to sleep in tents and share a hostel room with strangers. It also involves a lot of activities, like kayaking and wild water rafting. You'll probably hear me scream on the other side of the world! The slogan of the tour company is 'Small groups... big adventure!'. Well, it'll sure be an adventure for me!

Yesterday, I went on a guided walking tour through Auckland. I'd read good reviews about this walking tour, so I decided to sign up for it. Tour guide David only had 3 people in his group: Janet & Greg, a 60+ couple from Scotland, and me. David was a good storyteller and we ended up walking for 3 hours instead of the booked 2. One of the reviews had raved that this tour was a real eye-opener and I was hoping that it would open my eyes for Auckland's beauty as well - and it did. David took us to some nice buildings, shops and cafes and I now feel more comfortable in this city. After we'd said goodbye to David, Janet and Greg treated me to lunch in one of David's recommended restaurants. The food was really good and after lunch, Janet and Greg invited me to come and see their luxurious hotel room. They were quite pleased with it and I must say that their room was indeed impressive. They'd booked a room and were upgraded to a suite with a kitchen and living room - wow! We talked about our travels. Janet and Greg had just spent 4 days in San Francisco and since I'll be going their next, they gave me some tips and told me about their experiences in the States. All in all, it was a very interesting day.

Today, I paid a visit to the Auckland Museum, because the weather wasn't very nice. I thought it wouldn't take me more than an hour, but I ended up staying for 3.5 hours! The museum was a lot bigger than I thought and each room had a different theme, which made it very interesting. I also watched a Maori performance. Especially the haka, the Maori war dance, was impressive. When I left the museum, the sun was shining. The museum is situated in the Domain, a big park, and since I happened to have my book with and I didn't have any other plans, I spent some time reading my book in the park, whilst enjoying the sun. Nice! (And of course, I thought about the cold in Holland...! )

Tomorrow, I'll be going to Rangitoto Island by ferry boat. There's no point in looking for a job now (pretty much everthing in Auckland closes down for 10 to 14 days), so I might as well enjoy my time here.

Some of you have inquired after my health. Thank you for that. I'm fine. A little bit skinny, according to some New Zealanders and a drunk German woman (You should eat more'. 'You should drink less'.), but definitely heavier than I was in China. According to Ryo, my host in Japan, I look skinnier in pictures than in real life. I'll try to add pictures to my photo album soon, so you can decide for yourselves.

Have a great day