Today we caught the bus into Auckland to have a look around the shops. After that, we had a bite to eat at a restaurant near the harbour (moules frites, with the most enormous green-lipped mussels) and then on to the Maritime Museum. This latter has everything you'd expect, plus one or two items you wouldn't, such as an anchor from the Bounty. I actually touched this, which is almost certainly more than William Bligh ever did.

Back at mission control a few minutes ago, I carried out the usual experiment of filling a sink with water to check which way it goes down the plug-hole. Everything they say is true, it really does go down the wrong way. Little things please little minds.

Tomorrow, we shall be planning our trip to the Northland, we're due to set off there on Monday. I've bought a 1:50,000-scale map of the area on a CD, which should help to make this task infinitely more difficult.