Oops - did it again

Who is it that keeps putting these lead weights in my right shoe before I start driving? Still, I DID get a very nice chat with a charming man in uniform... pity his company came at a price though!
My last few days in New Zealand - I shall be so sad to leave these shores. The past week has flown by, and I leave Auckland for Sydney in five days time.
I have spent this week travelling up the east coast from Napier, having got over the excitement of "the boys'" success on the field (We are the England, the Mighty Mighty England... and so on!). I've stayed in a variety of establishments on the way. The first was a very small backpackers' hostel - in fact it was a couple of rooms in a Maori family's house. A mother with two children; father away working, and pretty chaotic, really. But interesting - I chatted for a long time with the 7-year-old daughter, and we compared dancing styles - she pirouetted, I ranted/polka'd. Lots of laughs all round. Then in Gisborne (first city in the world to see each new day) I threw caution to the winds and lashed out $40 (16 pounds) a night on my first bed and breakfast place. The contrast couldn't have been more stark - this was run by a little, very genteel, elderly lady whose house was full of knick-knacks of the embroidered toilet roll cover variety. I was her only guest and we spent two evenings together, comparing books read by our respective book groups, watching ER on television, and discussing the recent earthquake, which shook all her ornaments and books off the shelves and scared her half to death, poor lady. Very companionable, and a totally different experience from every other evening spent in backpacker places. Sadly my next hostel was not good - in fact I had one of my worst nights so far, due unfortunately to the rowdy behaviour of a group of mainly English young girls and lads who are working in the area, and seemed to be competing to see who could make the most noise and drink the most alcohol. On the whole though, I must say I've been impressed by most of the travellers - they are, for the most part, considerate, and sharing sometimes 8 or 9 bed mixed dorms has been surprisingly quiet. But there are exceptions! Today I have come to a town called Tairua - about 150 kilometres south-east of Auckland, on the east coast. I have a bed (not bunk, hoorah!) in a six-bed dorm, and it seems like such a nice place that I may stay until Thursday, when I'm due in Auckland. This place advertises itself as 'suitable for the more mature traveller' - which means over 30, as far as I can see! I've already had good chats with 3 women staying here; I've walked to the top of the local volcano, which juts out of the sea giving fabulous views of the surrounding coastline; and walked along Ocean Beach - lovely name, good example of 'it does what it says on the tin'?
As Saturday approaches, I'm becoming more apprehensive about my trip to Australia, bearing in mind my not-so-mild hysteria on encountering a snake in Asia. Being reassured that 'I've only seen one, and that was in the shower block' (thanks Frank!) hasn't helped. I may be very smelly by the time I leave Australia (and constipated - someone else helpfully told me to check the toilet for snakes and spiders before I sit down...aaaaaaargh!). No bush walking for me, anyway; I shall definitely be sticking to the cities.
The second picture here is the view from where I'm sitting at this very moment - as you can see, the sun is not shining today - but it's not bad, all the same, is it?! That's the volcano I've just climbed, by the way.
OK, I'm off to cook my boil-in-the-bag venison - speak to you again soon - maybe from across the Tasman, if not before...

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