New Zealand Here We Are!

Well we arrived in NZ after 48hrs of layovers and flying. Our longest flight was 14hrs. We didn't waste much time spending only 1 day and 1 night in Auckland (big cities aren't our thing). Walked the harbour, had our first seafood dinner, bought our camping gear and we were on our way. Below is a picture of one of the falls we have hiked to. These are the Whangarei falls.Next came the Bay of Islands. Absolutely beautiful. We took a tour which allowed us to see tons of dolphins, and see a land mark 'Hole in the Rock' (which we actually drove through with the catameran we were on).
90 mile beach came next which took us to Cape Regina (most northern lite house in NZ), and we did a little sand dune tobagganing to boot! At Cape Regina you can actually see where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet.
Here is Jillene in front of he worlds largest Kauri tree. It is estimated to be over 2000 years old and this picture doesn't do it any justice at all!The Coromandel Penninsula provided some stunning views as well. Below is a view from above at a lookout, and pictures from Cathedral Cove. We have too many pictures to include on the blog as we have seen so many gorgeous sites, and done so many hikes already. Noteable sites not caught on film include Hot Water Beach where we braved the rain to dig holes at low tide to find hot thermal water coming out of the sand, and 'Boom Netting' where we are essentially dragged in the ocean beside a boat in a huge net. Absolutely rediculous...! :)

Where we are now! Rotorua, and the highight here is more Geothermic Activity! Yay! We spend our days lounging in naturally heated 'hot mineral pools', exploring parks with bubbling ponds, and mud pools. Also, our first geyser as seen below! We can't forget the constant sulphuric smell of rotten eggs either...
Next we're off to Waitomo caves to play with glow worms, so stay tuned for more. Miss you all, and feel free to drop us a line if and when you can.