New Zealand seems to be the motherland of extreme sports. There were many opportunities to skydive or bungee. We passed on those, but did decide to try Black Water Rafting. This is going through underground caves on an intertube and freezing cold water with only a miner’s helmet for light. At two points we had [...]
Day 7 we got rain, so we hiked the Huka Falls on Day 8. Yes another waterfall. Don’t go chasing waterfalls …
From there we hit the road and drove to our only Bed and Breakfast - the Kauri Lodge. Having never been to a B&B, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was [...]
America has Graceland, the North Island of New Zealand has Hobbiton. It was the filming location for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Yes we took the tour of the Hobbit village. This may be the most geeky thing I’ve ever done, even geekier than the time I stood in [...]
On Day 6 we went to the much better Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. This was one amazing part of Earth to witness.
New Zealand Overview
Day 1-4, 9-10 - Auckland
Day 2 - Whangarei Falls
Day 3 - Coromandel
Day 4 - Rangitoto
Day 5 - Whakarewarewa Thermal Village
Day 6 - Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
Day 6 [...]
Just outside of Rotorua, New Zealand was the Whakarewarewa Thermal Village. It was the first of two Thermal parks we would go to. If you’ve never seen steam pour up from the earth, it’s an amazing site. It’s also an interesting smell. Some people say this area smells like rotten eggs. I found it more [...]
Rangitoto is a volcanic island that we reached via a ferry boat from the port in Auckland. Once on the island, we hiked to the summit. The island was home to lava caves, one of which we climbed through.
Photo Gallery for Rangitoto, New Zealand
New Zealand Overview
Day 1-4, 9-10 - Auckland
Day 2 - Whangarei Falls
Day 3 [...]
Coromandel is a peninsula east of Auckland.
Once outside the city we were surprised the food and coffee was still outstanding. Unlike America, we saw no billboards as we drove through the countryside.
Photo Gallery for Coromandel, New Zealand
New Zealand Overview
Day 1-4, 9-10 - Auckland
Day 2 - Whangarei Falls
Day 3 - Coromandel
Day 4 - Rangitoto
Day 5 - [...]
