Jeremy Braithwaite

Day 44. It's been a while since my last post, we have had trouble getting internet access.

We managed to go to the Test match in Hamilton, it was great. There had been three and a half days of total tedium, we turned up for the last session of day 4 and we watched the NZ batting collapse. The last day was eventful but for the wrong reasons as we saw England fall apart. We were also able to catch a Super 14 (rugby) game and were temporary members of the Hamilton Chiefs Supporters Club (cheap beer, great pies). It was a great game and our side, the Chiefs, fought back to win magnificently in the second half. After Hamilton we went to Rotorua where we spent time in the Geyser Wonderland (Ha. Ha. Dance, Geyser Wonderlaaaaand) and Waiamango national park, surrounded by hot springs and geysers. After that we went to a Maori village where Tony was chosen as chief of our bus (canoe) and had to face the Maori warriors and accept a gift of a leaf to prove we were friends. We then had a great time watching Maori dance and music and a great meal cooked in the traditional way by burying the food in the ground with hot stones. We are in Japan now, in Osaka... but more of that later. 

click here for the full album