We're coming to the end of our first week in New Zealand now, which has gone incredibly quickly. Everyone, everywhere, has been so welcoming - from the official Maori welcome at the Marae in Auckland, to the congregations at Auckland Cathedral and St Andrew's Taupo, the students and staff at King's College, Auckland, and our host families in Wellington. In addition to the singing, we've experienced the Thermal Springs at Taupo, walked by the Craters of the Moon, travelled on the Cruise Cat on Lake Taupo, visited Auckland Museum, the National Army Museum at Waiouru, and the spectacular Te Papa in Wellington. The weather's been great, except for 24 hours continuous rain in Wellington, which unfortunately put paid to any plans of singing at the Twenty20 at the Basin Reserve - but an impromptu combined Tiffin/Kotuku trip to 'Bowlarama' kept everyone happy.....

We're performing at the Michael Fowler Centre tonight, and on Sunday will be singing with Wellington Cathedral Choir as part of a special Shakespeare-themed Evensong. More updates will be appearing here in the next few days, continuing the boy's-eye view of the tour. In the meantime, you may like to hear my interview on Radio New Zealand Concert FM from earlier in the week, which gives more details of the tour and background to the inner workings of the choir. This is available to download at http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/upbt/upbt-20090216-1214-Simon_Toyne-048.mp3.