Paihia & Boil Up

Tuesday (19th) started early for us, as we took a bus to visit the beaches of Paihia.  The beach itself was fairly small and the water was nice and calm in the bay at Taiputuputu Pahi beach.  We slept, we peppered (marked Paihia on the ball), and we swam in the warm waters.  We came home to find our hostel host Alicia cooking a traditional Kiwi boil-up, the contents of which are bacon bones, potatoes, and watercress (the Kiwi version of spinach) all in a boiling pot of water.  Serve it in a bowl with a side of fried dough and butter and you have a tasty Kiwi meal! 

We have also concluded that Mai may have contracted fleas from the innocent looking orange cat.  We will further investigate said claim.  ("i've decided i have not contracted fleas, just that i'm very attractive to all mosquitos within a 1 mile radius"- mai)




Wednesday in Kerikeri was a cloudy one, so we again spent the early afternoon in the public library.  After much debate, we purchased an unlimited bus pass from Naked Bus to ensure the rest of our travels about the islands of New Zealand (Mai may or may not have accidentally bought two, and then had to send them a panicked e-mail pleading that she only needed one).

That night was action packed indeed.  What do you do if you have four Argentineans, two Americans, and one girl from Holland?  Give them a deck of UNO cards and watch the hilarity ensue.