A few days after returning to Auckland from Australia, I set off on a short trip around the top end of the north island of New Zealand.

Day one I left Auckland, passed through Waitomo and stopped for the night in Rotorua. In Waitomo I visited a gloworm cave, which in my opinion was not worth the money they charged. You enter a cave where you see a few stalactites and stalagmites. Then you're put onto a slow boat that rocks back and forth for 5 minutes in the dark while you look at gloworms. The whole excursion lasts about 30 minutes - and it's pretty boring actually. (Not everyone would agree with me though, as I did meet one woman who thought it was great).

During my stay in Rotorua, I attended a Maori concert and hangi. That experience was definitely well worth the money. The evening was hosted by Tamaki Heritage Experiences. The next morning I went to a park in Rotorua where you can see some of the geothermal activity for which Rotorua is known.

Bubbling Mud Pools

In the afternoon I went to Taupo where after a brief visit to the Huka Falls, I was picked up by a shuttle bus and taken to the airfield where I somehow mustered up the nerve to do a tandem skydive. I actually felt pretty calm the entire time - even when I had to wait an hour for my turn to go up in the plane. I was also feeling pretty chilled in the plane - even as we ascended above the clouds. I thought I'd be nervous while sitting by the plane's open door - but there was no time for that. Seconds after my tandem master and I scooted over to the door....we were out the door...freefalling at speeds of up to 200 km/hour. I will admit - that at that stage - I was kind of in a bewildered state of shock. (Oh my god - we just fell out of the airplane!!) The parachute was opened approximately 45 seconds after the initial jump...after a 7000 foot freefall...floating for the last 5000 feet. At that point, the experience felt very similar to paragliding (which I had done in Queenstown back in April).

Taupo

Huka Falls

Tandem Skydive

After Taupo, I headed towards the Coromandel Penninsula first stopping in Mount Maunganui for the night. In the Coromandel, I went to Cathedral Cove and to Hot Water Beach where during low tide, you can dig your own hot pool in the sand. Although I could see the little spas that others had made for themselves, I did not have the same luck. I kept digging and digging but all I got was cold water. I gave up as the hole I was digging began to collapse all around me (and as I hit my foot with the spade). Oh well. Was pretty cool anyway to see the steam rising out of other people's pools. I spent the night in Whitianga.

Cathedral Cove

Hot Water Beach

The next day I went back to Auckland for just one night. On the way back, I stopped again in Waitomo and went blackwater rafting - rafting in a cave. That was fun but at one point - was actually quite a bit scarier than skydiving. You see, at one point in the cave you reach a 1.5 meter high waterfall. The only way to go over the waterfall is to fall over it...backwards. I stood there for ages, heart pounding, convinced that I'd need to be left in the cave because there was no way that I was going to throw myself backwards over a waterfall. But after much coaxing and reassurances that what I was being asked to do was completley safe...I did it. The rest of the trip was easy cruising....and a lot more fun and a lot more interesting than the cave tour I did earlier in the week.

The morning after getting back to Auckland, I left for Paihia in the Bay of Islands. From there, I went on a full day trip to Cape Reinga  (stopping at Waipoua Forest along the way in order to see the gigantic kauri trees including Tāne Mahuta, the largest known kauri tree  before returning to Paihia for two more nights...and then back to Auckland.

Tāne Mahuta - largest known kauri tree (located in the Waipoua Forest)

Cape Reinga Lighthouse

Sandboarding on the Te Paki Sand Dunes

Ninety Mile Beach

This little trip took 8 days and I've now been back in Auckland for 6 days. Today I started a new job, working as a receptionist for a mortgage brokerage firm. The job is only for 2 weeks - but that's cool - because pretty soon.....I'll be leaving New Zealand in order to begin my journey back home....