Cor blimey!!! I’ll have to start charging bed rent. At least a tenner a go which you can pay into my account which should need replensishing aroound about now. By the way, are you actually chevcking that I’m not straying into the red? What with many hidden cameras and looker over shoulderers, I haven’t done much checking myself – none in fact!!

Well off for a refreshing night in the hostel. Will text a phone number from NZ.

love, Tanya

The thing about the Argos bunk is it’s only a normal double that’s 6’3″ long. Liv tested a few beds out at the bed bunker and that size doesn’t allow you to stretch out properly. A 6’6″ King size definitely permits a more comfortable lie, the more so the taller you are. As it happens, the DD is 6’6″ long. So, take your pick … all I would say is that by the time I’ve finished the reconstruction, in craftsmanship terms, you would hardly be able to tell the difference.

All I can say about your bed, Tan, is that I have found it exceedingly comfortable during these hot and sweaty nights to slide upstairs and into it to cool off somewhat after a torrid time in the downstairs pit, which becomes somewhat rank after I have sweated into it for several hours. I do hope the goat reek doesn’t linger!

All this sand stuff abit confusing for me. in bondai beach and it is raining! Curse it all – we come over here for a spot of sun and find you all wollowing in the hottest day ever back at home! oh well! Flying out to NZ tomorrow to start the epic Lord fot he rings tour which rich wants to go one – providing we get a car that is!

well, will try and find a phone box around either here or in NZ for a chat!

All i can say about the bads is that no one is allowed to touch mine!

Love Tanya

This must be what I read; so I was under estimating. Although, personally, I wouldn’t know one from the other, I fondly assumed all stars must have planets. That would mean many more planets than stars, never mind grains of sand …

More stars ‘than grains of sand’
By David Derbyshire, Science Correspondent
(Filed: 23/07/2003)

There are 10 times more stars in the night sky than grains of sand in the world’s deserts and beaches, scientists say.

Astronomers have worked out that there are 70 thousand million million million – or seven followed by 22 zeros – stars visible from the Earth through telescopes. The total is said to be the most accurate estimate yet of the number of stars.

Dr Simon Driver, who led the study at the Australian National University, said: “Even for a professional astronomer used to dealing in monster numbers, this is mind boggling.”

Granny sent me a newspaper cutting about some travellers who were currently in NZ and finding their £20 a day budget severely stretched. They had estimated £6000 for 5 months (including spells in USA and Mexico, too).

They talked about sandboarding in Opononi. Did you do that, Jul?

We’re considering excluding Minion from the house. Liv claims he is allergic to her.