Monday 5th April 2004, Day 205/366 - Auckland, New Zealand to Paihia, New Zealand

Went to watch the 'Perfect Score' last night. It set of on the right tack kind of ridiculing the American school structure. You've gotta feel sorry for the kids. I really thought the film was going somewhere, but in the end they had to put in the good morale and the love stories. Spoilt it for me. I did finally get the whole relationship which is a bonus. That probably sounds funny coming from someone who's been married.

I heard in the car today that the boss of Ikea has overtaken Bill Gates as the world richest man.

I took the 250 kms drive north towards the Bay of Islands. It was an overcast morning and there were plenty of roadworks, but as I got to Paihia the world brightened up.

I checked into the YHA and walked down to the dive shop to enquire about doing a dive course. Well they were all for putting me on next Monday's course when I mentioned Stan's name they had me on the course that already started today. The 4 day course costs $600 and afterwards you become a PADI open water diver and able to dive up to 18 metres. Should make the Barrier Reef even nicer. Had to have a medical, apparently I've got great lungs. Then spent the morning in the classroom and the afternoon in the pool. Not quite what I expected to be doing today, but cest la vie.

In the evening I met the mighty Briggsy again and we had some dinner and a catch up. In fact I think we bored the hell out of each other, but the Spag Bol and beer was great.