Well no trip of mine is complete witout getting sick and not 1 day went by after arriving in Auckland, NZ before I was sneazing, coughing, chills, fever... full on sick. Angela and I spent a few days in Auckland exploring and actually weren't that impressed, not after Sydney at least.
We then decided, on the 3rd day, to rent a campervan, a basic minivan converted to have extra storage, a sink, bed, and dining table. We have now completed almost a complete tour of the north island. The first part was a big slap in the face and realization that it's winter down here as we were hit by a huuuge storm complete with 80 MPH winds. After that cleared we headed to the very north of the north Island to Cape Reinga where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman sea. This was pretty cool because you can actually see the patches of turbulence made from this phenomena.
Next we took off south (only direction we could drive) and skipped right past Auckland again and landed in stinky "Rotorua". I say stinky because it's known for volcanic activity and gives off so much hydrogen sulfide, you can actually smell it in the air (HS smells like rotten eggs!). And when in rome... we spent most of the time touring these thermally active areas, including one freezing afternoon at a local culture center when the rain and wind suprised us. That particular day was just unlucky because later that evening back at the campervan the keys "somehow got locked inside" (words of angela) and we had to be saved by the handyman manager with the high tech, latest methods.... a coat hanger.
After egg smell place, we headed to the east coast and down south via small coastal town Napier. When we got there I wanted to take a small detour to a legendary golf course, Cape Kidnappers (http://www.capekidnappers.com/), and snap a few photos. Earlier today (next day in this story) I found myself forking out the cheap $300 US to snap into my finest dirty clothes I had in my backpack and meet their standards for a round. Heck, it even cost me an extra $25 so Angela could ride along! Well, you should be happy to know I shot a stellar 107 (but it felt like a 75, I swear) and I guess it was worth it?
Anyways, Angela and I are having a blast and already planning a summer trip to do all the stuff that is being spoiled by the weather. Up next is 2 weeks on the south island, the more scenic of the 2, snowboarding, and most likely a snowball in the face from me to Ang.
PS - keep checking back for pics as its hard to post with slow and costly internet connections.
Cheers,
-P
