After Waitomo, I went to a Maori cultural show where we learned that haka (ceremony used to greet guests). We even got to participate in the show and learn the girls' dance. We went to Rotorua which is a hydrothermal area with geysers and boiling mud pots (like Yellowstone).
We also went to Abel Tasman National Park which served as Mordor in the Lord of the Rings. The weather was too bad to do the Tongoriro crossing which is supposed to be one of the best day hikes in the world. But, I did a few smaller walks in the rain and it was beautiful. Next we headed south to Wellington. I went to the Te Pap museum which was fantastic (and free). They had a lot of exhibits on the culture and environment of New Zealand.
Then I took the ferry across to the south island and went wine tasting in the Marlborough region. Next stop was Abel Tasman National Park and I spent today sea kayaking around the park. It was a lot harder than I thought and my arms are really sore. It's also pretty cold here but I guess I just need to start getting used to that since it's moving into winter.
