Kia Ora!

I have reached New Zealand, and after a day and a half in Auckland i’m already en route southwards. Auckland as a city was maybe not the most striking place I have been to before, but looking over the glorious countryside as I flew in was enough to get me thoroughly excited to see and do as much as I can while I am here! Spent my only full day getting a little lost in the Auckland Domain, an expanse of park and forest surrounding the Auckland museum. i eagerly went on all the ‘forest walks’ that were signposted, but seemed to end up traipsing up and down paths in circles.. found my way to freedom eventually though, if a little muddy and dishevelled! met some more travellers in the hostel i was staying at as well, and its also likely i’ll bump into familiar faces as i travel down.

I decided to go magic (bus) rather than naked (..bus), (I read the smallprint in the terms and conditions… ; ) which has proven to be a great choice. Friendly crowd, very easygoing attitude, and you get the chance to do some fantastic, exhiliarating and bizarre activities and trips along the route if you want to. I jumped on the bus on wednesday morning, and after driving up to Mount Eden to get a great view of the city, we headed out to the Waitomo caves, famous for the colony of glow worms. Because of recent flooding, we couldn’t drift in (by boat) as deep as usual, but it had subsided enough to let us get a spectacular view of the glow worm ‘galaxy’ of thousands of lights.

the countryside and landscape that i have seen so far in the northern island is what i can only describe as…luscious. velvety and fresh green fields and ripples of hills. I can really understand why people would compare it with Scotland’s scenery! (and Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings, though I couldn’t help laughing with one of the girls on the bus that it also reminded me of Tellytubby land.)

As I write now i am in Rotorua, a hotbed of geothermal activity, and an area of land where the Earth’s crust is at its thinnest. The smell of sulphur is constant, and you see ‘springs’ of steam released from the ground everywhere. The town settles in the middle of a dormant volcano, which to me doesnt sound the most sensible option, until you realise that the northern island contains a huge amount of dormant volcanoes, the most recent ‘eruption’ of which was in the 1800′s. the people living in Rotorua have already learnt to tap into the free heating and electrical energy that the geothermal activity can provide, and most of the hostels have their own heated spa.

I engaged in the first most bizarre activity I have done to date. imagine for a moment that you are a hamster who has long enjoyed running around in your clear plastic ball along the living room floor. Now, fill this ball with a little warm water, place it on top of a big grass slope, and put one or more humans inside it. This is Zorbing, and it is hilarious! Like being inside a washing machine, and while being sloshed and turned and thrown all over the place, you cannot stop laughing at how weird it is that you have consciously put yourself in this big ball and thrown yourself down a hill. If ever you get the chance, im not sure if there is anything much weirder to put yourself through!

Can’t seem to put photos up as yet, but will add them later when I have the chance. Until later my friends! Take care – Rx