Dear everyone

Hope you're all doing ok! I'm in Auckland, the North Island of New Zealand at the moment. We're staying in a campsite, in a cabin - it's basic accommodation that they have at the campsites here. It's got 2 rooms and a toilet. We have to use the shared washrooms if we want a shower. In one of the rooms are bunk beds (where I sleep) and then there's my mum and dad's room which has a little kitchen in it. The campsites here are really good, lot's of people travel using a campervans and tents in New Zealand. Our campsite is supposed to be 5-star, but it's not like some of the places we've stayed. The children's playground is awful and the swimming pool is really cold.

I really like New Zealand - it reminds me of home! The weather is the same (mind you it's summer here) quite cold, cloudy, sunny sometimes and it rains. So different from where we've been so far - hot all the time. I'm glad to be cold, but my mum doesn't like the weather. She prefers hot places. The North Island is warmer - the South Island was freezing - we had to wear fleeces, socks and shoes most of the time.

My best day was when I went swimming with dolphins. It was quite a sunny day, but because we went right out to sea, the water was very cold, I wore 2 wetsuits to stop me from getting cold. They also help you stay up in the deep water. I wore a snorkel, at first I felt like I was drowning, but then I got the hang of it. The dolphins were wild and they (the boat trip people) aren't allow to feed them,because the dolphins are protected so it's up to the dolphins whether they want to come and swim with people, but they did the day that I went!

In Christchurch (South Island) they have a brilliant library where you can play computer games and learning games (Finding Nemo, Wild Thornberrys). I wanted to spend every day in there, I hope they get some in Plymstock library. In New Zealand we've been to lots of parks, museums and libraries. In Auckalnd Museum they have a discovery centre and Ben and I spent 3 hours in there!

There are lots of volcanoes, mountains, glaciers and thermal areas with geysers, mud pools and craters. The mud pools boil up out the ground it's quite odd to see the ground burping and it smells of rotten eggs. I also saw a show put on by the Maoris - they were the first people to find New Zealand. They did a Haka dance (like they do before a game of rugby) and my brother got really scared when they poked their tongues out and bulged their eyes.

We're off to Rarotonga on Sunday - it will take about 4 hours to fly there. Not sure what it will be like. It's a small island - probably lots of mosquitoes. They don't have cash machines my mum says not sure if they'll have the internet.

I'm missing home quite a lot and looking forward to seeing everyone soon.

Lots of love Leala xxx