Arriving in NZ

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We arrived in Auckland, New Zealand after declaring a straw hat at customs and were met by Becci (Amy's friend from home) who drove us all the way from the airport to our hostel in the city and bought us coffee at starbucks! The following days were spent exploring the city and getting used to the slightly cheaper (albeit not by much) produce.

From there we went to Rotorua (just past Hobbiton!) It was very quiet, sunny and laid back. Despite the fact it was a Sunday it was really noticeable how much more clean, calm and safe New Zealand is compared to home. Possibly due to the fact there are only 5 million people here and they aren't letting a whole lot more in! I would guess that tourists come close to outnumbering the population! There is a huge Maori influence in Rotorua and we spent a while looking round 'villages' and carvings. This place is also notorious for its very VERY eggy smell, being a geothermal spot where sulphur rises out of the ground. We wandered round Kuirau Park, which has bubbling mud, spurting steam and lakes with an eerie mist on the surface. Despite all this interesting culture, it's amazing how many Irish pubs are around.

From there we went to Taupo, renowned for its lake and adventure sports, to take advantage of some of its activities...

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