We got up fairly early because we knew we had a long drive, but raced past Auckland before those Christmas Eve slackers knocked-off early! We were in Thames before we knew it and were amazed by how busy it was - a total transformation. The locals hadn't been lying, busy season had well and truly arrived.

We stocked with supplies of lamb and Tim Tams for a truly antipodean Christmas dinner before heading off to Coromandel Town for a lunch break. We went to Umus again, and again had fantastic chowder – we highly recommend the place if you're ever lucky enough to drop into Coromandel Town.

The sun was shining in Whitianga, but unfortunately our apartment at Mercury Bay Beach Resort had no oven, so our plans had to be improvised somewhat, as roasting was out of the question! Still, the apartment was immaculate and had a fantastic balcony overlooking the gardens and the Pacific Ocean!

The sea was looking inviting, but best of all there were body-boards we could use! Hurray! I had a great early evening messing about in the surf and trampolining in our hotel garden. For dinner we cooked up our "mussel" and "oyster & steak" sausages on the BBQ. Yum!

What a great Christmas Eve!