15 days of an amazing country North Island Edition!!

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Sorry for the delay in the blog we have been so busy with our tour. So here we are the Grand Kiwi tour Blog..
We arrived in Auckland on thursday the 15th, with a couple of days here until we started our tour. We spent these days just getting to know Auckland, we visited the maritime museum (very intresting) and met up with Becki (Cath's freind from uni) for some drinks as she had just arrived in Auckland from the south Island so we found out what we would be in for during the next 15 days.
We joined our tour on the Saturday, we met all of our freinds for the next 15 days all seemed nice so we were off to a good start. From Auckland we headed North out of the City towards the Bay of Islands. With a few scenic stops along the way a large tree and a nice looking water fall!! We arrived early evening to our first nights accomodation, we got to know our fellow travellers at our welcome BBQ and with a few drinks (remenber this was St Patricks day) I had some Guinness for desert... We headed out and painted the town red.. or should that be Green!! Any way we got to know every one.
The next day we went sailing on a Catermeran and dolphin watching around the amazing Bay of Islands to clear our heads. (The Bay of Islands is right at the top of the North Island) Another nights stay her then it was time to head south via Auckland to gain a few more travellers to join the rest of the Alcoholics!! While we were here we went up the Sky tower to get an birds eye veiw of the 'City of Sails' (My kind of city water and yachts everywhere!!). On the road again and we arrived in Rotorua, Home of natrual smelly thermal springs. Quite amazing with steam rising from the ground around the town, here we spent our time white water rafting!! Down the Kaituna river. Check the pictures. We went down the largest waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere that you are allowed to raft!!! We did a cultural tour from the local Mauri's at the Whakarewarewa thermal village.
Next Stop Lake Taupo for a night here we went to some natural thermal spa's the water was so hot you could not stay in long, amazing with the boiling water coming straight out of a hole in the ground.
We arrived in The Catpital of NZ Wellington, For a day of sight seeing and chilling well a couple of hours at least, here we took in the sights including the Papa museaum and then headed out for the evening for a nice meal and a few more beers.
Next day we departed for the South Island... I wonder what its going to be like!!! This North is pretty cool!!

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Photos

Auckland
Our first view of New Zealand

Brief meeting with Becki
Just a quick catch up on all we should do in New Zealand.

Wonderful Bay of Islands
A fantastic view from Moturua Island.

Dolphins perform
Dolphins jumping at the Bay of Islands.

Hidden World
Do people know how beautiful this place is?????

Thermal Pools
Simon gets steamy in a park in Rotaroa.

Monkey caught red handed!
Monkey wine?

Rafting
Can you spot us?

Rafting
Ok an easier one!

Rafting
Wrong way up a water fall...

Parekohuru (VERY HOT WATER)
Thermal pool used for cooking our sweetcorn, at the Whakarewarewa termal village.

Mauri Experience
A great culture.

Corned Beef???
Hunger strikes...

Comments

[bethany]

love you
I love you Catherine and I love you Simon. its nice and sunny here. yukky tounges. xxxxxxxxxx these are from bethany. xxxxxxxxxxxx these are from Nicole. from bethany xxx

[Vicky]

Water everywhere
You certainly seem to make sure that water is the constant theme throughout the trip. I bet white water rafting was awesome. You both have scared/excited expressions on your faces which is just the right combination me thinks! This monkey also seems to be in Caths hand whilst waiting to skydive...whats the story?xxx