New Zealand: North Island

NEW ZEALAND | Tuesday, 3 February 2009 | Views [107]

January 21^st - 31^st

Route
Wellington – Feilding – Ohakune – Whakapapa Village – Taupo – Huka Falls – Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland – Rotorua – Waitamo Caves – Kawhia – Gulf Harbour, Whangaparaoa Peninsula – Auckland.

Km Driven: Approximately 1500km.

Highlights

• Night out in Wellington – sushi restaurant, Irish pub with live band, pool.

• Tour of “The Beehive” (NZ's parliament).

• Views of Mt. Ruapehu and Mt. Ngauruhoe (volcanoes) on a bright, cloudless day.

• Sleeping at the base of Mt. Ruahpehu (1600m) and finding an empty, heated hut with toilets in and hot water which was open all night.

• Tour up Mt. Ruapehu (volcano), turqouise crater lake on top, sledging down in snow.

• Sky diving over Lake Taupo (45 seconds free falling) with views of the lake and surrounding volcanoes. The first 5 seconds were the best.

• Watching the dam being opened at Aratiatia. A trickling river slowly turned, one section at a time, into gushing, white rapids.

• Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland – with collapsed craters, boiling pools of mud, geysers and colourful mineral pools, it was like being on another planet.

• The burgers we ate in “The Shed” in Rotorua. They were enormous.

• Swimming in lake near Rotorua.

• Mineral spa pool in Rotorua. As it was in a hospital, we had the spa experience at a quarter of the price – 37 degree pool, private room, showers and towels. It did feel a little strange sitting in the waiting room full of patients though!

• Going up the Sky Tower in Auckland – the southern hemisphere's highest tower.

The creativeness of keeping clean

• lakes and the sea.

• swimming pools.

• a hospital.

• a bike shop (a delightful discovery in Auckland, wonderful shower).