Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Part 3: The final instalment of Michaela’s New Zealand Adventure Trilogy
Day 13 of our travels in New Zealand was spent exploring Doubtful Sound. The weather was perfectly clear and we were excited for the opportunity to see some wildlife like dolphins, seals and penguins. The trip started with a boat ride across a lake. At the other side we took us a bus into a tunnel to see a hydro-power station, and then the bus took us on a road through the mountains to Doubtful Sound. Doubtful Sound is similar to Mildford Sound, except it is much bigger and less commercialized. The boat ride was about 3 hours long and it was very beautiful, but we unfortunately didn’t see any dolphins or penguins, only seals who were playful and cute. Even though we enjoyed the day, it was very long, expensive, and pretty similar to Mildford Sound.
We celebrated New Years Eve by playing Dutch Blitz and then watching fireworks along the lake shore in Te Anau with loads of locals and other tourists. It was fun to celebrate New Years hours ahead of most of the world.
On our last day in that area of the country I was able to go up the Luge in Queenstown with Matt and Rocio since Matt was flying out that afternoon. We took a gondola up the hillside and then rode the Luge track at the top. It was fun to zoom around corners and feel a need for speed. Afterwards I enjoyed the lovely view of Queenstown, the lake and the mountains.
We left Queenstown that afternoon and headed up to Fox Glacier area. On the way, we stopped for a short bit in Wanaka, which is a town similar to Queenstown, but much less touristy. Afterwards we continued on the road and stopped to look at mountains, waterfalls, and gorgeous ocean look-outs. The west coast drive was very lovely, but we arrived late in Fox Glacier Village and were happy to be finished driving.
The Fox Glacier is just down the road from Franz Josef Glacier and the area is beautiful and rural. We decided to take a full day tour of Fox Glacier with a local guide. This tour took us up beside the glacier and over rocks and through some forest. Shockingly, the forest next to the glacier is a rainforest with beautiful ferns and springs running through it. There was a significant temperature change when we walked from the forest onto the glacier, so we put on a few layers and strapped crampons to our boots so we could walk on the glacier. The guide walked ahead of us and used an ice axe/pick to make the ice grippy and blaze a trail for us to follow. It was an amazing hike that took us past huge boulders, deep blue holes, a cave and steep ice slopes. There were even places further up the glacier where ice climbers come to do a little exploring of their own. At the end of the day, we were happy to have taken the rare opportunity to explore a glacier.
After romping around on ice we headed up the road to the Greymouth area. We did not spend a lot of time there because the weather was damp and there wasn’t much to do, but as we drove up the coast we got to stop in Punakaiki. There are some rock formations in Punakaiki, appropriately named the Pancake rocks. They look like thin rocks that have been stacked up on each other on the coast. No one really knows why they are shaped, since there is no where else in New Zealand (or the world?) that has rocks like them. The rest of the day was spent driving further north to Abel Tasman National Park.
Our lodging for the following two days was exactly next to the trail leading into the National Park. It was a quite area, but the campsite/hostel was a popular place for many tourists and hikers. One of the interesting aspects of the hostel was the outdoor bathtubs that were used as hot tubs for anyone who rented the plug! Becky and I decided to soak in the tubs after our first day there. The first day was spent hiking up into the park to one of the closer beaches where we layed around and soaked up the sun. I went in the water once, but it was icey cold! The beach reminded me of some tropical location with it’s turquoise waters, gold sands and lush forests.
On our second day in Abel Tasman we rented Kayaks for the day and explored the park from the water. The park is huge, so we only got around a nearby island and back, but there were tons of beaches and islands that were left unexplored. Many people go on 2-3 day trips and camp along the trails and beaches. I would have loved to have done that too, but we didn’t have the time or supplies to do it. I guess I will have to go back another time!
Our last times on the South Island were spent in Nelson. It was a nice town, but we didn’t do a whole lot there except shop around and explore the town. We heard the beaches were nice, but we were happy to be low key and finish watching the last LOTR movie before leaving New Zealand.
From Nelson we took a insanely twisty road to Picton. Becky, Caroline and I split off from Rocio who dropped us off and the ferry landing in Picton. She then took the rental car back to Christchurch because that is where her flight departed from. The ferry was only a few hours long, so that gave us some time to explore Wellington. We took a walk along the harbour and checked out the Te Papa museum there. It was fun and interesting, but we didn’t stay long because we also wanted to take the cable car up a hill and visit the Botanic Garden. It was nice to walk through the city garden, smell the blossoms, and photograph everything beautiful. We especially loved the rose garden. After returning to the down town area we looked for a restaurant, but were disappointed to discover that all of the restaurants were closed. Because it was the business district there was not a sole around and everything was closed. Thankfully, there was an open Mc Donald’s near our hostel. Our last meal in New Zealand was at a Mc Donald’s. Go figure.
We had an early 6:00am flight out of Welly the next morning, and we thought that our adventures were over before we returned to Indonesia. But, we realized that we had a 7 hour lay-over in Sydney. Who wants to stay in an airport for 7 hours? We didn’t! So, we thought we would ask the customs officer and see what would happen. Unfortunately, you need to have a visa to enter Australia. (Yes, even us fellow commonwealthers) But, the costumes guy said he would look into it. Amazingly, the head officer was super nice and he gave each of us FREE 12 month multiple-entry visas! We were ecstatic and ‘ran’ out before he could change his mind. There is a train that goes directly from the airport to Circle Quay, the Opera House area. We took that train and got to see the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and The Rocks area that had a fun Sunday market with local craftsmen. It was a lovely day of site-seeing and random fun. We met tons of friendly Australians, had heaps of laughs and even managed to avoid paying extra for our bags at the bag drop. The spontaneous trip into Sydney was the perfect finale on my amazing trip to New Zealand.
I was told that New Zealand was a beautiful country, but it was awesome to see it and experience it for myself. One thing I learned about New Zealand is that you don’t just see things, you DO things in New Zealand. With so many adventure sports and tours, I could have travelled for weeks longer and never been bored. Everything, from the Hobbit holes in the North to the Glacial-carved Fiords in the South blew me away. I recommend New Zealand to everyone, adventure seekers and Tolkien fans alike.
We celebrated New Years Eve by playing Dutch Blitz and then watching fireworks along the lake shore in Te Anau with loads of locals and other tourists. It was fun to celebrate New Years hours ahead of most of the world.
On our last day in that area of the country I was able to go up the Luge in Queenstown with Matt and Rocio since Matt was flying out that afternoon. We took a gondola up the hillside and then rode the Luge track at the top. It was fun to zoom around corners and feel a need for speed. Afterwards I enjoyed the lovely view of Queenstown, the lake and the mountains.
We left Queenstown that afternoon and headed up to Fox Glacier area. On the way, we stopped for a short bit in Wanaka, which is a town similar to Queenstown, but much less touristy. Afterwards we continued on the road and stopped to look at mountains, waterfalls, and gorgeous ocean look-outs. The west coast drive was very lovely, but we arrived late in Fox Glacier Village and were happy to be finished driving.
The Fox Glacier is just down the road from Franz Josef Glacier and the area is beautiful and rural. We decided to take a full day tour of Fox Glacier with a local guide. This tour took us up beside the glacier and over rocks and through some forest. Shockingly, the forest next to the glacier is a rainforest with beautiful ferns and springs running through it. There was a significant temperature change when we walked from the forest onto the glacier, so we put on a few layers and strapped crampons to our boots so we could walk on the glacier. The guide walked ahead of us and used an ice axe/pick to make the ice grippy and blaze a trail for us to follow. It was an amazing hike that took us past huge boulders, deep blue holes, a cave and steep ice slopes. There were even places further up the glacier where ice climbers come to do a little exploring of their own. At the end of the day, we were happy to have taken the rare opportunity to explore a glacier.
After romping around on ice we headed up the road to the Greymouth area. We did not spend a lot of time there because the weather was damp and there wasn’t much to do, but as we drove up the coast we got to stop in Punakaiki. There are some rock formations in Punakaiki, appropriately named the Pancake rocks. They look like thin rocks that have been stacked up on each other on the coast. No one really knows why they are shaped, since there is no where else in New Zealand (or the world?) that has rocks like them. The rest of the day was spent driving further north to Abel Tasman National Park.
Our lodging for the following two days was exactly next to the trail leading into the National Park. It was a quite area, but the campsite/hostel was a popular place for many tourists and hikers. One of the interesting aspects of the hostel was the outdoor bathtubs that were used as hot tubs for anyone who rented the plug! Becky and I decided to soak in the tubs after our first day there. The first day was spent hiking up into the park to one of the closer beaches where we layed around and soaked up the sun. I went in the water once, but it was icey cold! The beach reminded me of some tropical location with it’s turquoise waters, gold sands and lush forests.
On our second day in Abel Tasman we rented Kayaks for the day and explored the park from the water. The park is huge, so we only got around a nearby island and back, but there were tons of beaches and islands that were left unexplored. Many people go on 2-3 day trips and camp along the trails and beaches. I would have loved to have done that too, but we didn’t have the time or supplies to do it. I guess I will have to go back another time!
Our last times on the South Island were spent in Nelson. It was a nice town, but we didn’t do a whole lot there except shop around and explore the town. We heard the beaches were nice, but we were happy to be low key and finish watching the last LOTR movie before leaving New Zealand.
From Nelson we took a insanely twisty road to Picton. Becky, Caroline and I split off from Rocio who dropped us off and the ferry landing in Picton. She then took the rental car back to Christchurch because that is where her flight departed from. The ferry was only a few hours long, so that gave us some time to explore Wellington. We took a walk along the harbour and checked out the Te Papa museum there. It was fun and interesting, but we didn’t stay long because we also wanted to take the cable car up a hill and visit the Botanic Garden. It was nice to walk through the city garden, smell the blossoms, and photograph everything beautiful. We especially loved the rose garden. After returning to the down town area we looked for a restaurant, but were disappointed to discover that all of the restaurants were closed. Because it was the business district there was not a sole around and everything was closed. Thankfully, there was an open Mc Donald’s near our hostel. Our last meal in New Zealand was at a Mc Donald’s. Go figure.
We had an early 6:00am flight out of Welly the next morning, and we thought that our adventures were over before we returned to Indonesia. But, we realized that we had a 7 hour lay-over in Sydney. Who wants to stay in an airport for 7 hours? We didn’t! So, we thought we would ask the customs officer and see what would happen. Unfortunately, you need to have a visa to enter Australia. (Yes, even us fellow commonwealthers) But, the costumes guy said he would look into it. Amazingly, the head officer was super nice and he gave each of us FREE 12 month multiple-entry visas! We were ecstatic and ‘ran’ out before he could change his mind. There is a train that goes directly from the airport to Circle Quay, the Opera House area. We took that train and got to see the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and The Rocks area that had a fun Sunday market with local craftsmen. It was a lovely day of site-seeing and random fun. We met tons of friendly Australians, had heaps of laughs and even managed to avoid paying extra for our bags at the bag drop. The spontaneous trip into Sydney was the perfect finale on my amazing trip to New Zealand.
I was told that New Zealand was a beautiful country, but it was awesome to see it and experience it for myself. One thing I learned about New Zealand is that you don’t just see things, you DO things in New Zealand. With so many adventure sports and tours, I could have travelled for weeks longer and never been bored. Everything, from the Hobbit holes in the North to the Glacial-carved Fiords in the South blew me away. I recommend New Zealand to everyone, adventure seekers and Tolkien fans alike.
Part 2: The Spectacular South
After our arriving in Christchurch on Christmas day, we met up with our friends Matt and Rocio Elsberry who had arrived in Christchurch a few days ahead of us and rented the car that we would be using for the next two weeks. We were surprised to find that the new ‘mid-sized’ car they showed up with was smaller than the one we had used on the north island for only 3 people. We did manage to get everything in, but it was a squishy first week with all 5 of in there.
From the airport, we drove directly to Mount Cook where we had a booking already. Because we arrived in the dark, we did not get to enjoy the scenery. But it was amazing to wake up in the morning to all of the mountains and clear blue skies. We decided to spend that day hiking near Mount Cook. The path took us over a river, and then up to a lake that bordered the edge of a glacier. Along the way we even got to witness a small avalanche on the slopes of one of the mountains! After that 3 hour hike, a few of us went for a short hike to see a look out. The scenery around Mt. Cook was amazing, but there wasn’t a whole lot more to do, so we headed out the next morning.
Our travels south took us through towns such as Cromwell, with its fruit farms, and Twizel, a place used to film some LOTR’s battle scenes. Arrowtown was a very lovely town that took us back in time to 1862 during a gold rush in New Zealand. The main street had time-period appropriate buildings that housed quaint shops and restaurants. Luckily, there was a town artisan market set up in the park. It only comes biannually for one day, so were happy we stopped. There we all kinds of cool things from jewellery to Marino wool to canned goods. We all bought a souvenir or two from the market and then we continued on south to Queenstown to gather tourist information and then our destination: Te Anau
Te Anau, is situated on scenic Lake Te Anau and is not nearly as busy with tourists as Queenstown. We rented a house there for 5 days, which was great because it was fully furnished and included internet and laundry. We cooked all of our own food and enjoyed the closer location to the Fiordlands.
Our first day in the Fiordlands was spent exploring Milford Sound. We drove the 2 hours in our car and watched as the mountains grew taller and taller, and closer and closer. The day was cloudy and misty, but it gave the mountains a mysteriously beautiful feel. Waterfalls dripped down the rocky mountain sides. The road took us into a tunnel through the middle of a mountain. Before we actually arrived at Milford sound, we stopped at a place called the Gorge, where a river has carved out ridges and holes in rock. During flash floods, trees come through the gorge and sometimes get left behind in the holes and corners. We were also befriended by the Kea, which is an alpine parrot, native to New Zealand. It was cool to see, but the birds are too used to tourist attention, unfortunately.
Milford Sound itself was pretty commercialized with different tour buses and boats set up in the bay. I didn’t love all of the people, but once we went out on our boat it was much more peaceful and it was so beautiful! The tall rocky and tree-covered hills rise as high as the sky and then they sink suddenly down into the brilliant blue sea. Waterfalls flow from the glacial valleys and into the sea at a continuous rate. It is like the watching each step of the water cycle happening at the same time. Along our route we saw some seals, got up close and personal with a waterfall, and I even got a glimpse of a dolphin’s dorsal fin just before our boat docked. Overall, the beauty of Milford Sound was something I have never seen before. Definitely an amazing place to see!
We took a 2 hour drive into Queenstown the next day and headed straight for the NZONE with one thing in mind: SKY DIVING! Upon arriving, we signed away our lives, were persuaded to by more expensive packages, and then we jumped onto a bus that took us to the base. While we waited for our turn we played some games and watched other people floating down, except for the photographers who swooped down at amazing speeds. When our turn came we got into our jumpsuits, received a demonstration of the ‘banana’ shape we were to hold during free-fall, and then we were all loaded into the little plane.
The weather was beautiful and the clouds were clear above our dive site. As our plane gained elevation, I enjoyed the sites around us. Queenstown was visible to the north with the beautiful turquoise Lake Wakatipu below it and the Remarkable Mountains running exactly south to north. We could see for miles and miles! As my time to jump drew closer and closer, I gathered my strength and breathed a few full breathes. I was ready. I got into banana position and we fell from the plane. The first part of the fall felt like falling, but after a few seconds it just felt more like floating. It was amazing! I screamed the whole way, but I had to moisten my lips every few seconds because the wind was drying my mouth out. The freefall lasted about 25 seconds. It is the shortest free-fall time, but I was prepared for it to be short, so then it felt longer. (I love reverse psychology!) When my guide (Nick) opened the parachute, we were jolted up from the sudden “stop.” The gliding gave me a chance to look around more, and it was breath taking! I can hardly describe the experience in words. Everyone must sky dive at some point in their life! The only thing I wasn’t expecting was the spinning that we did when Nick pulled the steering straps. It was fun, but I got nauseous, which wasn’t so fun. Our landing was very smooth and I had a high for a good while after that! I had so much fun on the sky dive, that I wanted to go again the next day, but of course, that would be expensive so I decided not too. I am wondering when I can go again though. Maybe in Canada? Hmm….
We still had an afternoon open after skydiving that day, so I decided to go horse back riding with Matt and Rocio on the ‘Ride of the Rings’ tour with Dart Stables in Glenorchy, just a 40 minute drive up the road from Queenstown. The drive was very windy (not good for my stomach), but it was beautiful (as most places are in New Zealand). The weather was actually clouding over at this point so some of the mountains we were hoping to see were all misty. Ironically, some of those mountains were used to be the Misty Mountains for filming the LOTR so, I guess that was fitting. The tour took us on a trail ride through some of the forests and grasslands used for the LOTR, but we learned that the Glenorchy area has hosted all kinds of films, such as Prince Caspian, Wolverine, and it is used for filming around 40 times each year. We learned a lot of cool facts on the ride, and I was happy to know that the horse I rode, Elvis, was a movie star horse. He was used in the LOTR. Lucky me. He actually had quite a hysterical story of his own, but I don’t have time to tell all of that here. The ride was nice, but it could have been better with some more sunshine and riding freedom!
We ended that day at the famous Fergburger restaurant, know for it’s HUGE burgers. Although they were tasty, they were not as amazing as they were talked up to be.
Our next day in Te Anau was spent resting. We were so tired from all of the tours and sites we were seeing, that we decided to just chill and have a day of rest. It was much needed. I used the time to work on my scrap book journal, check out the town, and watch the Two Towers. A day well spent, I’d say!
* This is the conclusion of part 2. Stay tuned for the final part of the trilogy: Michaela’s Journeys in New Zealand!
From the airport, we drove directly to Mount Cook where we had a booking already. Because we arrived in the dark, we did not get to enjoy the scenery. But it was amazing to wake up in the morning to all of the mountains and clear blue skies. We decided to spend that day hiking near Mount Cook. The path took us over a river, and then up to a lake that bordered the edge of a glacier. Along the way we even got to witness a small avalanche on the slopes of one of the mountains! After that 3 hour hike, a few of us went for a short hike to see a look out. The scenery around Mt. Cook was amazing, but there wasn’t a whole lot more to do, so we headed out the next morning.
Our travels south took us through towns such as Cromwell, with its fruit farms, and Twizel, a place used to film some LOTR’s battle scenes. Arrowtown was a very lovely town that took us back in time to 1862 during a gold rush in New Zealand. The main street had time-period appropriate buildings that housed quaint shops and restaurants. Luckily, there was a town artisan market set up in the park. It only comes biannually for one day, so were happy we stopped. There we all kinds of cool things from jewellery to Marino wool to canned goods. We all bought a souvenir or two from the market and then we continued on south to Queenstown to gather tourist information and then our destination: Te Anau
Te Anau, is situated on scenic Lake Te Anau and is not nearly as busy with tourists as Queenstown. We rented a house there for 5 days, which was great because it was fully furnished and included internet and laundry. We cooked all of our own food and enjoyed the closer location to the Fiordlands.
Our first day in the Fiordlands was spent exploring Milford Sound. We drove the 2 hours in our car and watched as the mountains grew taller and taller, and closer and closer. The day was cloudy and misty, but it gave the mountains a mysteriously beautiful feel. Waterfalls dripped down the rocky mountain sides. The road took us into a tunnel through the middle of a mountain. Before we actually arrived at Milford sound, we stopped at a place called the Gorge, where a river has carved out ridges and holes in rock. During flash floods, trees come through the gorge and sometimes get left behind in the holes and corners. We were also befriended by the Kea, which is an alpine parrot, native to New Zealand. It was cool to see, but the birds are too used to tourist attention, unfortunately.
Milford Sound itself was pretty commercialized with different tour buses and boats set up in the bay. I didn’t love all of the people, but once we went out on our boat it was much more peaceful and it was so beautiful! The tall rocky and tree-covered hills rise as high as the sky and then they sink suddenly down into the brilliant blue sea. Waterfalls flow from the glacial valleys and into the sea at a continuous rate. It is like the watching each step of the water cycle happening at the same time. Along our route we saw some seals, got up close and personal with a waterfall, and I even got a glimpse of a dolphin’s dorsal fin just before our boat docked. Overall, the beauty of Milford Sound was something I have never seen before. Definitely an amazing place to see!
We took a 2 hour drive into Queenstown the next day and headed straight for the NZONE with one thing in mind: SKY DIVING! Upon arriving, we signed away our lives, were persuaded to by more expensive packages, and then we jumped onto a bus that took us to the base. While we waited for our turn we played some games and watched other people floating down, except for the photographers who swooped down at amazing speeds. When our turn came we got into our jumpsuits, received a demonstration of the ‘banana’ shape we were to hold during free-fall, and then we were all loaded into the little plane.
The weather was beautiful and the clouds were clear above our dive site. As our plane gained elevation, I enjoyed the sites around us. Queenstown was visible to the north with the beautiful turquoise Lake Wakatipu below it and the Remarkable Mountains running exactly south to north. We could see for miles and miles! As my time to jump drew closer and closer, I gathered my strength and breathed a few full breathes. I was ready. I got into banana position and we fell from the plane. The first part of the fall felt like falling, but after a few seconds it just felt more like floating. It was amazing! I screamed the whole way, but I had to moisten my lips every few seconds because the wind was drying my mouth out. The freefall lasted about 25 seconds. It is the shortest free-fall time, but I was prepared for it to be short, so then it felt longer. (I love reverse psychology!) When my guide (Nick) opened the parachute, we were jolted up from the sudden “stop.” The gliding gave me a chance to look around more, and it was breath taking! I can hardly describe the experience in words. Everyone must sky dive at some point in their life! The only thing I wasn’t expecting was the spinning that we did when Nick pulled the steering straps. It was fun, but I got nauseous, which wasn’t so fun. Our landing was very smooth and I had a high for a good while after that! I had so much fun on the sky dive, that I wanted to go again the next day, but of course, that would be expensive so I decided not too. I am wondering when I can go again though. Maybe in Canada? Hmm….
We still had an afternoon open after skydiving that day, so I decided to go horse back riding with Matt and Rocio on the ‘Ride of the Rings’ tour with Dart Stables in Glenorchy, just a 40 minute drive up the road from Queenstown. The drive was very windy (not good for my stomach), but it was beautiful (as most places are in New Zealand). The weather was actually clouding over at this point so some of the mountains we were hoping to see were all misty. Ironically, some of those mountains were used to be the Misty Mountains for filming the LOTR so, I guess that was fitting. The tour took us on a trail ride through some of the forests and grasslands used for the LOTR, but we learned that the Glenorchy area has hosted all kinds of films, such as Prince Caspian, Wolverine, and it is used for filming around 40 times each year. We learned a lot of cool facts on the ride, and I was happy to know that the horse I rode, Elvis, was a movie star horse. He was used in the LOTR. Lucky me. He actually had quite a hysterical story of his own, but I don’t have time to tell all of that here. The ride was nice, but it could have been better with some more sunshine and riding freedom!
We ended that day at the famous Fergburger restaurant, know for it’s HUGE burgers. Although they were tasty, they were not as amazing as they were talked up to be.
Our next day in Te Anau was spent resting. We were so tired from all of the tours and sites we were seeing, that we decided to just chill and have a day of rest. It was much needed. I used the time to work on my scrap book journal, check out the town, and watch the Two Towers. A day well spent, I’d say!
* This is the conclusion of part 2. Stay tuned for the final part of the trilogy: Michaela’s Journeys in New Zealand!
Monday, January 16, 2012
From the 37th Floor
This is a hiatus from my NZ blogs. After seeing the sunset tonight, I was inspired.
Mysterious One
An evening like this reminds me of all that you do
The brilliant colors fading into the blue
Billowing clouds form a dark silhouette
Their shapes and their lines, beauty that I can’t forget
And I ask myself, how can this be my life?
Everywhere I turn, another surprise
From a great, great God, the source of all love
An amazing, mysterious One.
Mysterious one, I long to discover your ways
The twinkling stars, the crashing of violent waves
People have tried to explain creation
Phenomenal things, deserve a standing ovation
And I ask myself, how can this be my life?
Everywhere I turn, another surprise
From a great, great God, the source of all love
An amazing, mysterious One.
And all that I do, seems to be so small
Sometimes I wonder, why even try at all?
But my tiny speck of creativity
Is really just you
It’s really just you
Mysterious One
In me
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Aotearoa~ New Zealand: Part 1- North Island
For the first time in my life, I did not spend Christmas with family. Instead, I packed up a bag full of adventure and headed south to the land of Kiwi birds, All Black Rugby Players, and Remarkable scenery.
Becky, Caroline and I started our trip in Auckland which is the most northern city on the North Island. We rented a car while we explored the island that first week. It was odd driving on the left side of the road, but fun to have achieved! The scenery was beautiful with bright green rolling hills, and white sheep speckled here and there. We didn’t stay long in Auckland, but we did explore the museum and watched a cultural show that included the traditional Maori Haka dance.
After Auckland we drove to Rotorua where we stayed for two days. While there, we explored a Red Wood forest, hiked a small mountain, saw boiling mud pools, a geyser and soaked in hot streams. We also got to see a Kiwi bird in a special cultural center. Before leaving the area we visited Hobbiton (The Shire) and got to see the beautiful set up that was used for The Lord of the Rings. It was a very fun and informative tour!
Our next stop was Turangi which is further south and below the beautiful Lake Taupo. From Turangi we visited the Waitomo Caves. There we took part in the legendary black water rafting. We got into wet suits and explored the underwater streams through a vast cave system. This experience was like none other! It started with an abseil down into a cave, followed by a flying fox (zip line) in the dark with glowing worms overhead. After that we grabbed tubes and jumped (literally) into the stream. We floated on down the stream, went down a slide and enjoyed the glow-worms. It looked like the stary sky, except that these glow-worms are actually maggots with glowing poop. We also got to explore caves on foot and climb up a few waterfalls. We covered more than 2km of cave on tube alone and enjoyed a hot drink and chocolate while we floated. The 3 hour underground adventure ended with hot showers and hot soup. This was definitely one of my favourite parts of New Zealand.
From Turangi we drove south to Tongariro National Park where Mt. Ruapehu and other nearby volcanoes that were the site of Mordor from the LOTR (Lord of the Rings) are located. We hiked around the beautiful rocks and enjoyed the changing landscape. As we continued to drive the road became very curvy and hilly (which I later realized is true of most NZ roads) and we nearly ran out of gas. Thankfully there was a tiny town with a gas pump. Close call!
We spent our Christmas Eve near the town Waikane at a Contemporary Monastery in the hills. It is at an old camp and it is a community of believers whose mission is to serve and welcome people who have no place to go, for what ever reason. We knew about the community through our friend Rocio who knows the Jones’, a missionary family living at the Monastery. They provided food and a tent for us to stay in. We felt like part of the community right away. That evening we spent the night at an artsy Potery shop, enjoying goodies and conversation, before walking by torchlight to the Anglican Church up the road. The church was completely packed (people sitting in the aisles and at the front) but there was a spirit of peace and joy that filled the cracks that people did not fill. After the service we walked home and enjoyed the clear night sky. The stars shone like I have never seen them before. The sky was full, and they were so bright. It was a beautiful Christmas Eve.
On Christmas morning we awoke to “Hey Indonesians (what they liked to call us), look outside your tent.” We were excited to find a newspaper stocking filled with an apple and some treats. It was a thoughtful surprise. Breakfast was heaps of fun too. We all wore festive or crazy hats while we ate our food which consisted of pancakes, ham, fruit, and the best part: ice cream! After most people were finished eating Boney M Christmas music came on and people started dancing. So we all (about 35 of us) joined a train that circled around the room. Then we sat down to a crazy present stealing/ guessing game. The rest of the day was filled will ginger-bread making, snack eating and socializing. When it came time to leave, we were sad to leave our new friends, but we had a plane we needed to catch in Wellington. We got to the airport with time to spare and headed off to Christchurch ready to explore the South Island over the next two weeks.
To be continued….
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