IMG_2783.JPGWe met up with the others in Rotoorua afterwards and had a little lunch.
Towards the end of October, Eliz & I took about three weeks holiday in New Zealand, having signed up for Haka Tours North-South island adventure tour. This was my selfish birthday present to Elizabeth, and I had insisted despite our busy schedules that we go before the end of the calendar year. We had a terrific time, and met a wonderful group of young people who had also signed on. (While Haka assured us we wouldn't be the oldest ones on our tour, we had at least a quarter century on all of them.)
Between us, we took almost 3000 photos, which I've winnowed down to about 750. I've further broken these into 24 pages, which you can jump between more easily. A few of the pages have linked video, or will have when I get around to uploading them.
Page 1, wherein we arrive to Auckland and explore the town and harbor.
Page 2, wherein we meet our tour group and head in the bus for our first destination on the north island, Whtianga.
Page 3, wherein a handful of our group go on a "black water rafting" adventure and check out a glow worm cave.
Page 4, wherein we check out a swing bridge and the Blue Spring, where the majority of New Zealand's bottled water originates. That night, we dine with the Mitai tribe and are treated to a demonstration of some Maori traditions.
Page 5, wherein Elizabeth and I go zip-lining in a native rain forest.
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We met up with the others in Rotoorua afterwards and
had a little lunch.
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We then walked to a place in town that sold jade and
greenstone artwork and jewlery. I’m not sure
what the wardens were all about.
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Some of the sculpture in the place was amazing.
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Paola pretending to threatan Lauren with a Maori weapon.
Fake anger meets fake fear.
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On our way to our next stay in Taupo, we stopped at
an impressive thermal park. Most of the north island
is volcanic, whereas the south island is mostly thrust
up seafloor. Very interesting geology in New Zealand.
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One of several geothermal vents in the park.
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Metaphotos were almost unavoidable on this trip.
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The scene was difficult to capture, to say the least.
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I had a brochure that explained the minerals involved
in each of the different pool colors, but I lost it.
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Jon posing for scale/color reference.
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We then made our way to Lake Taupo which also featured
natural hot springs adjacent to the river. You could
soak as long as you like, surrounded by amazing scenery.
Some folks strayed into the river, where the water was
a bit cooler.
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A couple of people were brave enough to take a hot shower
in the small falls here.
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Most people were content to sit halfway–in, halfway–out
of the thermal pools.
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We took a hike the next day to nearby Huka Falls. This
is a common myna, not native to NZ.
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A view of the trail to the falls
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The water looked inviting, but signs were there to warn
naive swimmers of the currents that might sweep them
down to the falls.
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However, we spotted this group of young kayakers right
near the same sign.
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We ran into part of our tour that had left earlier,
and were on their way back.
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The rapids leading down to the falls
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Huka Falls
The falls themselves are mostly impressive for the volume
of water running down them, as opposed to their height.
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Huka Falls
Something like an olympic swimming pool every couple
of seconds...
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Walking back into Taupo, we saw some portable rental
rooms, kind of like the place we stayed in our second
night.
Page 7, wherein we sail Lake Taupo on a boat that once belonged to Errol Flynn.
Page 8, wherein we enjoy a group barbecue and try our hands at Gumboot Throwing. We arrive to Wellington and enjoy a nice dinner.
Page 9, wherein Eliz and I hike to a view atop Mount Victoria, then check out the Wellington museum and the botanical gardens.
Page 10, wherein we meet the others for some street food and fireworks to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day. The next morning, we leave our bus for a ferry ride to the south island. (Just in time as it turns out, since Ronnie lost her rear suspension towards the end and broke down completely when the next group took her over.)
Page 11, wherein we travel to Kaikoura, and Eliz & I swim with some dolphins. We end the day at a nice Haka lodge in Christchurch.
Page 12, wherein we go hot-air ballooning with Yen & Brian, then check out the Christchurch Art Museum.
Page 13, wherein we meet up with our group and head out to Tekapo, where we were all surprised by a snowstorm in the night.
Page 14, wherein we enjoy our first afternoon in Queenstown and take a gondola up to Bob's Peak to be amazed by the view and learn how to luge.
Page 15, wherein Eliz & I are joined by Lauren on a horse trek near Glenorchy.
Page 16, wherein Jon, Brian, and Yen join us in a "canyoning" adventure that was more than we'd signed up for.
Page 17, wherein Eliz & I enjoy a leisurely day on Lake Wakapitu.
Page 18, wherein we drive over a mountain pass to get to Wanaka. The following day, most of us take a hike up Mount Iron. Some of us also go to see "The Lonely Tree"
Page 19, wherein we make a number of stops for beauty on the way to the Franz Josef glacier.
Page 20, wherein some of our group hike to see the glacier.
Page 21, wherein about half of us go on a final group kayaking adventure on Lake Mapourika.
Page 22, wherein some brave singers stand up for karaoke night at the pub. The next day, we stop in Hokitika and see some live kiwi birds on our way to catch the train in Greymouth.
Page 23, wherein everyone but our leader boards the Alpine Express bound for Christchurch, the final destination for the organized part of our trip.
Page 24, wherein Eliz & I have a final day on our own in Christchurch, which we spend wandering in search of good eats and take a ferry to Diamond harbor. We also finally get a chance to check out the Christchurch botanical garden, which is definitely worth the visit.
Page created Nov 27 2017