We did another good long walk on Great Barrier Island to the Hot Springs via the old Kauri Tree logging tram line.  This was a very easy walk at first but as time went by the tram line section disappeared and we were walking along very rough paths half of which were washed away and had to climb up and down some of them using our hands and watch our footing.  It was worth it as the scenery was magnificent and the hot springs were very hot when we bathed in them, not over sulphuric either. Jonathan decided we should head back via the road so after a very long but easy board walk through the reed banks and marshes we arrived at the road.  We got chatting to a couple who arrived in their car about the hot springs and how far they were from the road so they decided to visit them the following day.  Fortunately for us they offered us a lift back to the bay.  As we travelled along this very steep, very windy road for quite a few miles we were very thankful for the lift, I think the walk would have ended in a martial dispute!  The couple who were Kiwis and visiting the island to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary came on board for a much deserved drink and nibbles before heading back to dinner at the lodge where they were staying.

The weather forecast was favourable for us to start heading out to the Mercury Islands beyond the Coromandel Peninsula.  We are now having a blissful few days pottering from bay to bay of white sand and crystal clear water.  Jonathan tried his hand at snapper fishing but so far has not caught anything other than a tiddler which he released.  We were boarded today by Customs to check our papers as they researched our yacht's name and noticed the yacht had been in NZ for more than a year, fortunately Jonathan had his extension papers to show them that we were v. legal.

We did another walk across the farm land on the island, we are not allowed up amongst the forest.  The whole island is privately owned but they do allow yachties to land and walk but respect the land.  We found some pumice stone floating in the water which a local said was from an undersea volcano which is erupting further north in the fault area and occasionally sends out pumice and shells from the sea bed.