Choice one Neil. I work in Rotorua, here 6 days a week, but live in Whakamaru, about 60km a way. Great drive every day in a 205 GTI. If your ever in town during the week, or on a Saturday, call in and see me at work for a Coffee, I'm at 88a White Street, keen to check out your car, you don't see many (any) French cars down here.
This is half my drive, since March I may have seen 7 cars on the trip, its dead, the bit from the dam to SHI has some nice twisty scenic bits, also some great MTB trails around, mostly flat and easy, but scenic, you can take a ride from Mangakino to Whakamaru on a well formed track, it even has a suspension bridge. I am wanting to buy a bike at some stage, I only hire them at the moment.