GISBORNE - JAMES COOK WOZ 'ERE

Nudging the International Dateline, Gisborne is New Zealand's most easterly country and the first to see the light of the new day. This is where James Cook first got NZ dirt on his boots in 1769 and many statues and monuments along the waterfront mark this historical event. However, someone, somewhere along the way was having a bad day when they cast the bronze that stands at Cook's Plaza as it is not dressed in British Naval uniform nor does it bear any facial resemblance to Old Jim. The plaque underneath reads "Who was he? We have no idea". I thought he looked a little like Jimmy Saville.

Gisborne was the first town to rain on us big time for months. It started to pour as we were up on the Titirangi Lookout overlooking the harbour so we cut our walk short and returned to the hostel, stopping to admire a beautiful marae on the way. As is typical out here, the hostel was an old Victorian building with lots of period features and was well equipped for rainy days with internet facilities, a huge collection of movies, cupboards full of books and games and comfy sofas to curl up on with a cuppa in front of the fire. Days like these are nice - they are a chance to step off the trail, get your nose stuck in a book and recharge the batteries.

Those of you that have experienced a Christmas of birthday morning with me will already know that I'm up like the lark and just as chirpy and this birthday was no exception. The sun was out and there was no time to waste. I opened my card and as soon as Marc had finished the dishes we jumped into the car and headed out to Eastwoodhill Arboretum at Ngatapa. Eastwoodhill is a 135ha woodland wonderland of 4000 species of tree from around the world and was ablaze with autumn colour from the pale yellows of the Chinese Pistachios to the deep reds of the Maples and the dark bronze of the Pin Oaks and every colour inbetween. We didn't follow any particular one of the mapped tracks but just wandered around wherever caught our eye. Lunch was a particularly fine picnic of sushi and we spent the rest of the day kicking and rustling our way through carpets of crisp leaves, walking through cathedrals of towering Redwoods and groves of native Nikau Palms and Cabbage Trees. We followed a track way up above the tree line and the view before us looked like a giant artist's palette splashed with colour. The car was sitting by itself in the carpark when we returned in the near dark.

Back in Gisborne we went out for a fabulous Indian meal. Dessert followed later back at the hostel in the shape of a supermarket trifle eaten from the tub with two plastic spoons. Celebrate in style I say ...