Right now I am sitting in a hostel in Auckland, and I have been travelling for about the last week. I thought I might simply record everything I have gone and done so far. Again, sorry guys, there's no SD slot on this computer so I can't post any pictures.
I already made a post about the first day in Rotorua. Smelly Rotorua. But to recap that first day I went zorbing and luging. Then I got to see an incredible double rainbow and a whole lot of smelly bubbling pits in the ground. The second day we went for a hike in a forest called The Redwoods, although they were no where near as impressive as the actual redwood forest. But it was a good hike none the less. We went out for dinner that night, and decided that we would go out for dinner once per city we stay at. After dinner we headed over to the some of the hot pools which gave the town its distinct smell, and spent a few hours relaxing in the hot water.
On Thursday the next day, we left Rotorua and made our way to the Coromandel Peninsula. It took a total of four bus changes to get there, but we finally made it to a small town called Tairua. It was a pretty quiet town, very similar to Ocean Park or Longbeach in the winter. And just like those two it was on the ocean. Jackie had a lot of trouble staying in a small quiet town, but I quite enjoyed it. I had myself some good walks on the beach.
On Friday we got up early and took the Coromandel Peninsula shuttle bus around to a couple of awesome sights. In the morning we took a fourty minute hike to Cathedral Cove, the site that you will recognize as the beach in the latest movie version of Prince Caspian. It had the white sand and the cave and everything. Unfortunately, it was cloudy out that day, and when we got there the tide was in so the beach was a little bit smaller. But it was impressive none the less. Then in the afternoon we took the shuttle to a place called "Hot Water Beach." The established spa-type hot pools of Rotorua might have been nice, but they have nothing on Hot Water Beach, which has been my highlight of this spring break trip so far. On this beach there is a thermal zone underneath part of the sand which gets exposed at high tide. You can rent ('hire' as they say here) a shovel for about $5 and then go out onto the beach near low tide and start digging. The hot water itself is a bit too hot to enjoy alone though so you have to dig your pool carefully so that it lets in some hot water but not too much. I would love to show you guys a picture of me relaxing the that perfect hot pool we built, but alas, I cannot yet upload pictures. They tell me that the Hot Water Beach is totally packed in the summer, and while I can believe it, I really think that it is a lot more enjoyable on a cool winter day than a hot summer day.
The next day in the coromandel peninsula was the least eventful of the whole trip. We didn't have any specific plans and we just relaxed in our costal town of Tairua. Three of us took a small hike up the mountain/hill thing that was across the tidal flat from our hostel. It was sunny and beautiful out that day. Everyone here who went to the South Island over spring break is on the wrong island. They are missing out on the sun and light blue, tropical-looking ocean.
Today is Sunday. We got up this morning and got on a bus to Auckland, and now here I am, at a hostel in Auckland.
Also: I only have one more minute of internet left so sorry guys, I did't have time to proof read the last half of this. Take care.
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