More photos from this segment of the trip!:
https://plus.google.com/photos/103620108216329120374/albums/5986222352217579377
We left our home exactly five months ago today! And with a little over a month left to go in the trip, the end seems near. We're nowhere near done with our adventure though. We're just getting started with our road trip in New Zealand, and we've still got our backpacking trips coming up (Milford Track and W Track) and a whole new continent (South America) to explore!
https://plus.google.com/photos/103620108216329120374/albums/5986222352217579377
We left our home exactly five months ago today! And with a little over a month left to go in the trip, the end seems near. We're nowhere near done with our adventure though. We're just getting started with our road trip in New Zealand, and we've still got our backpacking trips coming up (Milford Track and W Track) and a whole new continent (South America) to explore!
We have three and a half weeks altogether in New Zealand, which is split between the North and South Island. Starting from the north, we rented a car from a local car company this time (it was significantly cheaper than our favorite international chain). Packed with camping and hiking gear, a constant supply of bread, peanut butter, and snacks, we were off on the road. Our road-map looks pretty ambitious (I already cut out a few destinations from this map - there were so many places I wanted to see in New Zealand)!
First stop: Auckland. A fairly small city, it is set amongst a field of 48 extinct volcanoes that provides great jogging trails and viewing platforms. Here, standing on the top of one volcanic cone, you can see several others and the city in the distance.
From Auckland, we drove out to Tauraga, in the Bay of Plenty. We camped in prime real estate, right under Mt Maunganui at the end of the peninsula. The days are getting long enough now that we don't need flashlights anymore at night, and the weather is just perfect for camping too. We enjoyed beautiful views from the top of Maunganui after a short hike.
Our tour of White Island was almost cancelled due to windy conditions. The boat ride out was very choppy - half of the passengers got sick on the way, but we were tough. The island is an active volcano 48km from the coast. The only way to step foot on it is via the once daily boat tour. Once there, we were given gas masks to help with the sulfur fumes and hard hats in case of an eruption. We got to walk right up to the steaming vents and explored this crazy landscape for a couple of hours. Miners used to live in this hostile environment!
Fortunately, the water had calmed on our way back, making for a beautiful trip to end the day.
After a couple hours of driving, we arrived at Rotorua, known for geothermal activity. The city is filled with attractions - visitors can see a number of geothermal areas, attend Maori cultural shows, and visit the famous Rotorua museum, which was once a geothermal spa that offered therapeutic treatments to visitors from all over the world. With our one day there, we checked out the museum, visited a Maori village at night, went to one of the geothermal sites.
The Maori performance was really interesting, and the traditional dinner served afterwards was delicious!
After all these recent adventures, we had to relax when we got to Taupo on a warm, sunny day. We had a long lunch by the lake, while watching locals enjoying this beautiful town. Why don't we live in New Zealand?
Next: the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, claiming the title of the best day hike in New Zealand.
First stop: Auckland. A fairly small city, it is set amongst a field of 48 extinct volcanoes that provides great jogging trails and viewing platforms. Here, standing on the top of one volcanic cone, you can see several others and the city in the distance.
From Auckland, we drove out to Tauraga, in the Bay of Plenty. We camped in prime real estate, right under Mt Maunganui at the end of the peninsula. The days are getting long enough now that we don't need flashlights anymore at night, and the weather is just perfect for camping too. We enjoyed beautiful views from the top of Maunganui after a short hike.
Our tour of White Island was almost cancelled due to windy conditions. The boat ride out was very choppy - half of the passengers got sick on the way, but we were tough. The island is an active volcano 48km from the coast. The only way to step foot on it is via the once daily boat tour. Once there, we were given gas masks to help with the sulfur fumes and hard hats in case of an eruption. We got to walk right up to the steaming vents and explored this crazy landscape for a couple of hours. Miners used to live in this hostile environment!
Fortunately, the water had calmed on our way back, making for a beautiful trip to end the day.
After a couple hours of driving, we arrived at Rotorua, known for geothermal activity. The city is filled with attractions - visitors can see a number of geothermal areas, attend Maori cultural shows, and visit the famous Rotorua museum, which was once a geothermal spa that offered therapeutic treatments to visitors from all over the world. With our one day there, we checked out the museum, visited a Maori village at night, went to one of the geothermal sites.
The Maori performance was really interesting, and the traditional dinner served afterwards was delicious!
After all these recent adventures, we had to relax when we got to Taupo on a warm, sunny day. We had a long lunch by the lake, while watching locals enjoying this beautiful town. Why don't we live in New Zealand?
Next: the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, claiming the title of the best day hike in New Zealand.
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