For Abby and Leah

I went to Taranaki and I found a little girl monkey.  No, the little monkey found me.  While I was wandering around waiting for the mountain to come out of hiding behind the clouds, the front gate opened and a little monkey ran in and hugged me around the knees.

If you've never been hugged by a monkey, you simply must go to Taranaki.  I don't know if they are all over the place in Taranaki but there's a place, not far from Inglewood, where I think you might see one from time to time.  The little monkey has a big sister so there are at least two of them.  And Aiden lives there now, so that makes three of them.

 

If I had a better memory I would remember the name of the place where the two girl monkeys live.  After I have visited that place, I will let you know its name.

You might not think it very strange that there are little monkeys in Taranaki but I got a big surprise because I'd been looking for tigers.

It's a long drive from Auckland to Taranaki and I'd been looking for tigers all the way.  For part of the way we followed this truck with Aiden's bed and toys in it. 

Then we came to the place where I was positive I would spot one.  This sure looks like there could be tigers hiding:

But there's nothing much here for them to eat.  So maybe not.

I wonder, could they live in the icecream scoop hills?

Or maybe just on the other side of this tunnel?

In the end I got dizzy going around all those corners and had to stop looking. 

But when I got to Taranaki I started looking again around Justine's new home.  Just found carrots!

So I gave up.  Next time I am going to look for them up that mountain. 

Or maybe I will just forget about tigers and play with little monkeys.  Monkeys are more fun than tigers, anyway.  Aren't they????