Dolphins, craters, beaches and birthdays

No photo yet - as my glamorous assistant is watching the Champion's League match rather than helping me with uploading photos from the camera. Tsk!
Well, nearly 2 weeks into it... we lazed around at Hayley and Meg's in Auckland and then, once the jet-lag had left us, we decided to go off on an adventure. Our hostesses lent us their car (such sweeties, really) and we headed north to Bay of Islands. On the way we stopped off at Ocean Beach and went for our first swim in the South Pacific and then to Pahia where we slept in a smelly dorm with 6 boys (blergh!). In Pahia we went sea-kayaking round some islands and mountain biking and we also went out on a catamaran to swim with dolphins (that is to say we jumped in, swam like buggery whilst singing underwater (I chose "Jerusalem", Pete "I bet you look good on the dancefloor") and a dolphin swam up to me, had a quick look and then dived off). Was good fun though. We made our way home (Auckland) via Baylys Beach which doubles as a motorway! Beaches with speed limit signs on! Class. Back in Auckland H and Megs made me drink beer, so we left the next day and came down to Taupo. As the weather has been too crap to do the walk we came here to do (hopefully tomorrow) we went in search of volcanic activity yesterday - we saw craters belching steam and eggy smells (for once it wasn't me!) and we ended up swimming in a hot waterfall. Bizarre! Today we head off again to try to do the Tongariro Crossing (a really beautiful 1-day walk). If I survive that I'll give you another update next week (hopefully with pictures this time!)
Sorry to all who I haven't emailed yet... I still love you!!! Send me your gossip.

Also... some announcements. Conratulations to Craig and Emma on the birth of the beautiful Heather Grace. And happy birthday Emma B! Love ya loads! XXX