Day 11 (1/1/02!): We got up early to have breakfast and say our good-byes. We had a fabulous time. The guides were terrific and the other guests were all great people. It's going to be strange tooling around on our own for the next few days. We've checked out of the hotel and headed to our next destination, Mount Maunganui in the western Bay of Plenty. A coastal destination so beach, sun and water await us.

We stopped in Turangi for some fish and chips and then hit the road. A few hours of driving later and we were at our homestay, Puerto del Sol. We'll be here for two nights. It's a lovely place with an adobe, American southwestern flair. Our room overlooks the swimming pool and a golf course. Now we are going to relax and recharge before we pick our next adventure. We found out Mount Maunganui is known as a party town of sorts and has had problems in the past with riots on New Year's Eve. With this information, we weren't sure what to expect. As it turns out, it reminds us of Mission Beach San Diego. A little crowded with sun-worshipping, drinking, idle youth. Not my favorite scene but we managed to have a lovely dinner at Astrolabe, a highly recommended dinner spot. Then we conked out for some much needed sleep.

Puerto del Sol in Mt. Maunganui