New Zealand is a very diverse country offering tropical rain forests and glaciers within a mile of each other. It has high peaked mountains, low plains, and active volcanoes. We drove the North and South islands - what a great way to see this beautiful country at our own pace. The population of New Zealand is about the same as Sydney, Australia.
Click "READ MORE" below to find out more about this trip!
Click "READ MORE" below to find out more about this trip!
We flew into Auckland and toured the town and spent the night. The next day (our anniversary and Dick’s birthday!) we picked up our rental van at Jucy Rentals. What a hoot. Bright green vehicle and there are lots of "cousins" who look like us on the road. We think this is a good color so other drivers know we are not locals, as we are driving on the "wrong" side of the road on the "wrong" side of the car. We drive to Matamata and go to tour Hobbiton where the “Lord of the Rings” was filmed. We dine in the Green Dragon restaurant at three huge tables with 50 of our new-found friends, filled with food, just like in the movie.
After spending the night, we drive to Rotorua and the geothermal part of the country. We walk in a redwood forest and walk across a 340-foot long swinging bridge. It is 100 feet above a river gorge. We stay two nights at a nice B&B on a pretty lake. In this area we visit the Wairoa Buried Village and that evening go to a Maori village feast and demonstration. The Maori people are indigenous people of New Zealand and they also settled many Pacific Islands.
The next day we stop at Huka Falls by the city of Taupo. Emerald blue water the first of many lovely waterfalls to come. We drove to Tongaria Nat’l park and stay at the hotel there that looks like a French Chateau. We took a long hike up to the Tongaria Falls which were formed 15 thousand years ago by earthquakes. We have a yummy dinner in the "Chateau" and enjoy the piano bar.
Wellington, the capital, is our next stop. We spend the night and walk the city of 200 thousand with another delightful harbor area with shopping, bars and restaurants. Next we went to the South Island. See the next blog for more details.
After spending the night, we drive to Rotorua and the geothermal part of the country. We walk in a redwood forest and walk across a 340-foot long swinging bridge. It is 100 feet above a river gorge. We stay two nights at a nice B&B on a pretty lake. In this area we visit the Wairoa Buried Village and that evening go to a Maori village feast and demonstration. The Maori people are indigenous people of New Zealand and they also settled many Pacific Islands.
The next day we stop at Huka Falls by the city of Taupo. Emerald blue water the first of many lovely waterfalls to come. We drove to Tongaria Nat’l park and stay at the hotel there that looks like a French Chateau. We took a long hike up to the Tongaria Falls which were formed 15 thousand years ago by earthquakes. We have a yummy dinner in the "Chateau" and enjoy the piano bar.
Wellington, the capital, is our next stop. We spend the night and walk the city of 200 thousand with another delightful harbor area with shopping, bars and restaurants. Next we went to the South Island. See the next blog for more details.
RSS Feed
