The tour party rose early for their departure from Sydney to much anticipated New Zealand leg of the tour. Due to the excellent organisation of all of the team the transfer was seamless and we touched down in Auckland with no problems to report. After a couple of hours in a coach with coach driver Ricky, offering the boys their first taste of the welcoming natives, we arrived in Rotorua where we would spend the next 2 nights at the Kiwi Paka hostel. After a hearty meal the boys relaxed in the thermal pool and then retired early – shattered from another long journey but eager to make the most of the days ahead.