At 7:15 it was up and out to catch the Stray bus. It seems pretty good, and there is a good group of people, 5 English, 2 Swiss, 1 Aussie, 2 Dutch women who only talk to each other, and an elusive German girl. Our first stop was Mount Eden, which we drove up. What a concept. Then it was to the hot springs at Hamilton, where we swam. I didn’t think one of the first things I would do here would be swimming. The water was warm and nice.

Then we headed for Raglan, a little surfer town. We stayed at a funky little place in the woods run by a surfer from California. This guy basically likes to party and have a good time, and has made a career out of it. There was a BBQ, then off to bed in our freezing bungalows.

I’m not sure I like the tour that much, since it’s shuttling us from site to site, with no time to relax. Also, there are activities at each stop, which cost extra, of course. I must be careful not to spend too much money.