The Good Life: April 16th-20th North Island Fall Break

Instead of celebrating spring break this year, I enjoyed another fall break. Unlike the states I am fortunate enough to have a two week break instead of one so you could say I may have too much time on my hands! This week my friends and I ventured back up north to experience more of the outdoor kiwi experience. The first day we traveled to Taupo where my friend Jill was going to sky dive. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy and rainy the first day so she was unable to jump so we instead traveled to Rotorua where our hostel was and visited the Red Wood forest which was very serene and free! Day 2 we went white water rafting, Zorbing, and Jill finally got to sky dive. The white water rafting was a great experience and I might want to take it up as a hobby and take on some wild rivers when I get back to the States. Zorbing is a New Zeleand thing where you simply put water into a plastic ball, you get in the ball, and then they push you down a hill. Zorbing was a corky, fun, experience but definitely not for people who are claustrophobic. Day 3 we traveled east to Waitomo caves to do some black water rafting. This cave was absolutely astonishing and my description or pictures does not do it justice. We walk through the forest to get to a small opening that we have to slide through to get into the cave which is pitch dark. They show us the creatures we might find such as the cave spiders, eels, and glow worms. Then it is off on a 50 minutes trek under ground in a cave with only our confidence entrusted in our head lights and two instructors we just met. After the caves we traveled up north to Auckland where 25% of the population live in NZ. Unfortunately, for such a large city there was not a lot to do. We spent a day in Auckland and went to the Sky Tower and the Ice bar. We walked along the harbour and then realised we were ready to head back to Wellington; our home.

I got a a little snap happy when I saw how gorgeous the trees looked! Sorry for all of these pictures!

This is what it looked like when we first got in to Taupo so Jill could not Skydive

However, it did not stop people from fishing in the lake!

At a album store they had CD's on sale...this was one that we found! (Songs on it consist of: "I will survive" "I touch myself" and "Get physical" I love how the cougar is winking at you too!

This was the entrance of the Redwood forest

I love the work ethic here! This was the sign that was on the front desk door of the hostel. Good to know that we can find him at the bar at least!

Our white water rafting crew! Ranna was our instructor and he was a very cool person to be around. He was hilarious too.

The waters here use to be sacred to the Maori people. You can't see it on the pictures but the whole river is surrounded by cliffs and trees. The Maori use to climb down these canyons to the water's edge to lay to rest chiefs and great warriors. They would lie the body in the water and let the eels strip away their flesh. Usually the chiefs were put into the small caves around the pool where the large waterfall is and the warriors were put further down the river.

I am in the back left and apparently the only one who listened to instructions, "get down in the raft and tuck your head in"

this waterfall was about 17ft plus and our instructor wanted us to be one of the first rafts to go down so we could watch the other rafts succeed or fail. He said, "We can watch some carnage!"

Our raft went all the way under the water

Success!!!

Time to celebrate and have bragging rights

Other rafts weren't so lucky

One of the kids from this boat we fished his shoe out of the water for him. Our instructor looked at his boat and how small it was and said, "Wow you are a little wiener foot!" as he threw his shoe back into their raft

Playing in one of the rapids

All fun in games until our boat starts to tip over (our instructors face is priceless)

That's the ball that we are put in

That's the hill that we were pushed down

Taupo when it's sunny!

Jill landing from her skydive

Rotorua at night we decided to walk around and see the sights.

This was parking lot before we walked to go to the Waitomo caves..I think the country side looked like The Shire from The Lord of the Rings.

I am on the far right. Before we entered the cave they informed us of the creatures we might find inside. They are suppose to be harmless but by the looks of them and the recent River Monsters "Flesh Rippers", I might have second thoughts.

Practicing our eel! so we can find each other in the dark cave

We practiced jumping into water but first so we knew what to do when we got to the waterfalls in the cave. I didn't expect the water to be that cold.

Shows how cramped the caves were...this lady was very spunky and kept up with us with no complaints

Exiting the cave and into the warm sunlight!

these are the professional pictures that the Waitomo staff gave us. You can see the glow worms but they were much more magnificent in the dark. These pictures will be lit up but when we were in the cave we only had out head lights leading us.

Some of the waterfalls we had to jump off of

First sign of a traffic jamp or a two laner since I have gotten to New Zealand! This is the interstate entering Auckland, New Zealand where 25% of NZ's population resides.

The view from outside our hostel...This is the Auckland Sky-Tower which is the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere.

Model of the tower inside the sky tower lobby.

Reflection of the Sky Tower in a building

Mosiac of the Rainbow Warrior that was sunk by the French when they came in peace

Playing with the seagull art

A boat with Maori paintings on it. Stuck out like a sore thumb among all the white boats

View from the Sky Tower

The line in the middle of the picture is where ppl can base jump off the Sky Tower to a target below.We watched someone jump. It looked scarier than Bungy jumping.

Looking through a Kaleidoscope

One of the many malls in Auckland this had 4 floors and 3 of the floors were for the Cinema. With how large the cinema is the actual movie theater was very small.

A park where families gathered to celebrate their children graduating "graduate" college

Outside of the mall

The Ferry building to travel to the other islands in Auckland

A huge countdown until Rugby World Cup!

They even showed you where to take the best picture of the count down

A bar in the hostel building on the 7th floor. I found it funny how they brag about being the 17th highest bar.

Since our room wasn't clean when we got to our hostel they gave us free breakfast vouchers and free drink from their bar. Since their beer wasn't on tap they gave me this bottle.